# Slowing down forward going horse in canter



## cellie (28 October 2008)

I have just bought my daughter her first horse 16 h tbx affiliated jumper only 6 years old.She is a lovely little mare  but very forward going.She is working  really well in trot and will now walk in the school which her previous owner/loaner  could never get her to do she jogged everywhere.She has a soft mouth and doesnt like the contact although she works well into the bit in trot.She quite anxious and fast although she slows down well if you slow your rise.Very receptive to the seat.
Our problem is the canter she tears off which makes you want to hold her which she hates this in turn upsets her enough to make her leap and buck.Her previous owner used to  lunge her for 15 mins but she seems to skid about in our school (its bark and sand)this makes her go faster and then she gets very upset and loses her confidence .I dont want her slipping over so we have been working on her flat work and like I said her trot and walk are lovely.
Ive had the dentist out  her mouth was sore and the back lady is coming next week.
I could do with some advice from owners of very forward going horses .I had a great session on her today until we went into canter  because we pinged of so fast I pulled which was a instant reaction and as she leaped and bucked I put my legs on  and this sent her ott.I know in hind sight It was the worst thing I could have done but  self preservation crept in.Half halts work well  but  she doesnt take any notice in canter
My horse is really hard work to get going although he is tb and I have always used a lot of leg so that in itself is a big change she is just the opposite which we love but I need a safe canter.Any tips appreciated on introducing a steady safe canter.
We have a good instructor  but have just come back off holiday so the rest hasnt helped  she very lively .Ive had to change her bit as she kept bitting the happy mouth and as she was  so under weight have increased her feed although I will be stopping all hard feed until she settles again.I think the change in routine and handlers upset her she started bitting and rearing which she has never done  with us.


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## Ziggy_ (28 October 2008)

What is she like when you ask for a downward transition to trot?

My mare is very forward going and would over react to the leg, shooting forwards, and would buck if you tried to slow her down.

The most useful thing I found was taking it slow, ie spending a few weeks without cantering (I actually spent six weeks just walking, as initially she'd be jogging from the second you got on) just working on transitions, lots of bending and circles, getting her to relax her neck and work in a longer, lower outline. I had to use transitions sparingly as they would fire her up too.

Leg yielding is really good with a forward going horse to get them to accept your leg, rather than run away from it.

When it comes to introducing canter I'd ask on a circle as you head back to the track, so she can't gain too much speed in the initial transition. Maybe ask for three or four strides then drop back to trot, steady up and calm her down. Stay on a circle and just build up gradually. If she'll accept it firm half halts on one rein only can help and hopefully won't be enough to set her off.

I would slow things down for a few weeks to let her settle; make sure she has lots of turnout and a non-heating feed; I've also been told having an insufficient diet and being underweight can cause hyperactivity in TB types so you might find as she gains weight she becomes more manageable - that was certainly the case with my horse.


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## cellie (28 October 2008)

She doesnt really like to slow down.Sometimes she shakes her head  or sticks her neck up.Thats why I thought I would have my back lady out.I didnt find out until I had bought her saddle that it wasnt proffessionally fitted so that the next step.Its a stubben jumping saddle and is very heavy compared to my tbs barnsby.We cantered her before  we bought her and jumped her   but quite honestly Ill feel weary about asking  for canter now she so athletic I dont know how I stayed on.


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## Ziggy_ (28 October 2008)

She sounds identical to my mare  
	
	
		
		
	


	





For 9 months I rode her with the lightest of contacts, really long reins and just held a bit of mane when she scared me. I did everything I put in my above post, getting her to accept the bit through bending and the leg through leg yielding.

These days I have the best schooled horse on the yard - she's still forward going and sharp but she really is brilliant to ride as she's so responsive. I should add that it only took that long to get a change as turnout was restricted at my old yard - as soon as I got her off hard feed and living out she was much better. Hope you enjoy her - she sounds like she could be a fantastic horse


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## spike123 (28 October 2008)

she sounds very like my old mare who would do exactly the same thing or else because she had previously been a pacer would take off at a rapid rate pacing. I found the one thing that really helped was to keep everything as calm as possible so if she rushed off I circled her and used my voice to steady her up rather than taking up a contact which would panic her and cause her to rush off.Basically every time she wanted to go faster I would circle her and make her walk until she was calm again before asking for an upward transition.Use lots of half halts and make your circles smaller until she has to slow down. When you get her back down to the speed you want then really praise her up. Another thing which i know is easier said than done is to totally drop your contact and relax your body while using your voice as soothingly as possible to steady her up. Which bit do you have her in? Does she throw her head up to evade the contact at all?


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## cellie (28 October 2008)

Thats encouraging.I think I need retraining as well  its going to be hard to re educate  to a soft loose contact at speed.I have two good instructors  one of which really loves her so we will get booked in again and hopefully make some progress.You can only get  relaxed walk when you drop your reins so it does make sense its putting it into practice  with canter thats hard.
The other instructor is for jumping  but will wait until her flat work is better.
I  bought some tb global herbs calmer and that has stopped all her nervous sweating .Ill knock all hard feed and keep to haylage and good quality chaff plus vits as well.
Thanks I think she will be lovely too but just want to help her calm down


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## cellie (28 October 2008)

Hi she was in happy mouth with lozenge when we bought her about 7 weeks ago.I replaced with same bit but previous owner told me wrong size and it was too big   and she started  bitting it  .We worked her in my horses  loose french link snaffle aurigan and she seems quite happy in that in trot any way.
Yes she does throw her head up in canter but has stopped in trot and is now starting to work in good outline.I talk to her which helps but its a bit difficult when you have four feet off the floor and she is going daft .
I bought her for my daughter who competes and does pc and Im a bit concerned about her losing confidence .Shes going to take a lot of patient handling and riding and that comes with age (thats on my side lol)my daughter is young but very competent.We have all winter to  school and work with her so will take our time I think shes worth it.The hard bit is dropping contact will give it a go and let you know thanks


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## spike123 (28 October 2008)

sounds like it is just the schooling that needs work on then.Good luck with her.As Ziggy says I think with the work it sounds like she could be a really good mare. The reason I asked is because my mare came to me in a french link lozenge bit and that seemed to make her worse.I tried various bits which made no difference to her but then I actually rode her off of a lunge cavesson and it instantly made a difference.I swapped to a hackamore and i had a more responsive settled horse.The only other bit that she had apparantly gone well with was a rubber snaffle.I was told that by a previous owner but I never actually tried it lol.


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## PopStrop (28 October 2008)

I had a TB mare that was very forward going and would bound into canter and then get faster and faster. (ETA - the bay TB in my sig). I spent a lot of time on walk and trot and left the canter completely for a few weeks, getting her settled, working on the contact and getting her working long and low and balanced. 
When I cantered her again I found that she settled initially if I bridged my reins across her withers and once I'd asked for canter I would get my weight off her back and canter her for a couple of circuits of the school in a 3-point position with my hands resting lightly on her withers. Because your reins are bridged and your hands are resting and quiet she had nothing to fight against and leaving her to canter for a circuit or two settled into her own rhythm quietly. Once she'd got the hang of cantering without rushing off I could then sit and begin to ride her canter without her worrying. I would quite often begin a schooling session with an "open" canter on each rein (after warming up) to help settle and de-buzz her.
Hope that helps.


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## cellie (29 October 2008)

I would love to try the hackamore but shes so fast and forward it will be a big step.Can you remember how much they cost if I could buy a cheap one first and see if it works it might be  a consideration.Ill have a look on ebay as well.
She was a bit better today no hard feed for 24 hours  just lots of forage haylage etc.She  managed some canter work with only one buck but lots of head tossing lol


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