Cantering for the win

So apparently I'm not crazy in thinking cantering and cantering and cantering can be beneficial..

Horse Listening just posted exactly that! http://horselistening.com/2015/04/16/the-benefits-of-cantering-round-and-round-the-ring/

Only they said start at 1 minute and build up. *falls off chair laughing. 

However, I can personally vouch for the core workout.

I did take the time to do some "research" and found a couple videos and articles on why Dassah mare is rushing after the canter.

1 - She's tense
2 - She's not listening to me
3 - We have more work to do at the walk and trot to establish balance, bend, relaxation
4 - I'm not engaging her hind end enough. I have been focusing on consistent contact but I think I'm not supporting well enough with leg. I need to make the canter work, not escape from contact/balance/engagement.
5 - other thoughts?

anyway. Beezie Madden has a video on USEF that I found helpful and encouraging. Full video is here


Comments

  1. 6. All of the above+a little "it's spring and she needs to move". You'll get there.

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    1. AH yes, why do I always forget about Spring zoomies?!

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  2. Thanks for the links - useful for where I'm at too right now :) (And good luck!)

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! Good luck to you too.

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  3. The balance thing resonates with me. A lot of the fresh OTTBs I've worked with rush after the canter because the lose balance. Taking time at slower gaits to install a good half halt (off the seat, not the rein) helps a lot, then you can start to bring that into the canter and work on balancing the canter so the horse feels more in control and less "OMG RUN! I'M GONNA FALL OVER!"

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  4. So would you find they rush more when going straight? If we aren't doing figure-8s or small circles, I use the short ends of the arena to balance but if I try to go straight, down the long side, she takes it as an opportunity to grab the bit and sprint. Maybe it's feeling unbalanced in the short ends and rushing on the long side because it's a relief?

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    1. Hm. If it's on the straightaways that might not be a balance issue, then. Might just be an evasion thing. Honestly, I usually just do the opposite of what the horse wants. Horse wants to rush going straight, we do lots of circles and changes of direction/bend. Horse gets off balance on circles and corners, I try to keep things open and inviting.

      I have had some horses that are unbalanced rush down longsides, but that was a forward and back loss of balance, so again half halts off the seat were helpful here, and circles helped to establish those.

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    2. Alright then, going to incorporate more circles/changes of direction/bend and half halts. For all the work involved in riding, I wouldn't change it for a second. I love learning and brainstorming and figuring things out. Thanks Austen and SprinklerBandit.

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  5. makes sense to me! my mare also uses speed as an evasion tactic too

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