# how to slow down in canter?



## EJ87 (2 December 2011)

Hi everyone so iv had my forward goin mare for a few months now but i still find her very strong in canter and VERY fast! i have put a flash on her and it has helped a bit but she still can canter/gallop off. for every 3 flying canters she does she does one nice controlled so i know she can do it
But i never can seem to get it every time. Sometimes da tighter da reins are da more controlled she is but sometimes da more i tighten da faster she goes.  can anyone offer me any tips on how to control her in canter and slow her down to a controllable manner? thanks


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## ClassicG&T (2 December 2011)

I  had this problem with my Fell, still do at times.
What im taught by my trainer is to half halt with my outside rein but squeeze with my inside to keep the implusion and canter. she sould begin to slow and steady up, but it wont happen  over night!

or...maybe she just needs a good gallop to get it out of her? i know a few horses on the yard who just need a good blast every now and again and the next day get 65% in Elementry


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## QueenOfCadence (2 December 2011)

*facepalm* for the love of all that is good in this world do NOT tighten your reins when your horse starts getting faster in the canter. You're giving her something to run against! So she will most definitely go faster (ever seen how short a jockey's reins are? ever wonder why???).

Warm her up in a relaxed, long and low frame and try to get her to really stretch into the bridle. It doesn't sound to me like she's getting naughty. She's either uncomfortable in the canter or she's just the excitable type. Do a lot of walk/trot work before you start cantering her, and in the walk/trot work focus on getting her to relax with some give on the reins.

Also make sure that she's not sore/uncomfortable. If it's been a problem for awhile check your tack (could definitely be the result of an ill sitting saddle), make sure she's okay with the bit she's in (nothing to harsh that makes her throw her head in the air), if you're riding with spurs PLEASE make sure your legs are still, if your riding with a crop make sure you don't accidentally tap her, make sure you don't clamp your legs closed on her while your riding, get someone out to check her teeth and if it's obvious that she's sore get a vet out.

If you've narrowed down all the other possibilites and it's clear that she's just being naughty remember not to start hanging in her mouth if she starts going faster, I know this will feel unnatural but trust me it works. Turn her on a 20m circle and insist that she relaxes. Maybe even try to canter her on a circle on a long rein, persuading her to drop her head

Hope some of this helps


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## teddyt (2 December 2011)

School the horse (and yourself) to use more weight aids. Pulling the reins is not the answer. Also make sure she is not running from something (you/saddle/teeth/bit, etc)


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## TigerTail (2 December 2011)

Think about sucking upwards with your seat at each stride to help lift the impulsion upwards rather than forwards.

A flash is not doing anything aside from tying her gob shut.


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## Marydoll (2 December 2011)

QueenOfCadence said:



			*facepalm* for the love of all that is good in this world do NOT tighten your reins when your horse starts getting faster in the canter. You're giving her something to run against! So she will most definitely go faster (ever seen how short a jockey's reins are? ever wonder why???).

Warm her up in a relaxed, long and low frame and try to get her to really stretch into the bridle. It doesn't sound to me like she's getting naughty. She's either uncomfortable in the canter or she's just the excitable type. Do a lot of walk/trot work before you start cantering her, and in the walk/trot work focus on getting her to relax with some give on the reins.

Also make sure that she's not sore/uncomfortable. If it's been a problem for awhile check your tack (could definitely be the result of an ill sitting saddle), make sure she's okay with the bit she's in (nothing to harsh that makes her throw her head in the air), if you're riding with spurs PLEASE make sure your legs are still, if your riding with a crop make sure you don't accidentally tap her, make sure you don't clamp your legs closed on her while your riding, get someone out to check her teeth and if it's obvious that she's sore get a vet out.

If you've narrowed down all the other possibilites and it's clear that she's just being naughty remember not to start hanging in her mouth if she starts going faster, I know this will feel unnatural but trust me it works. Turn her on a 20m 
circle and insist that she relaxes. Maybe even try to canter her on a circle on a long rein, persuading her to drop her head

Hope some of this helps
		
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This is good advice ALL OF IT


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## Denzalwood (2 December 2011)

EJ87 said:



			Sometimes da tighter da reins are da more controlled she is but sometimes da more i tighten da faster she goes.
		
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I'm going to sit quietly on my own and poke my own eyes out.


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## Silent Knight (2 December 2011)

Denzalwood said:



			I'm going to sit quietly on my own and poke my own eyes out.
		
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Take up english lit and relax. Some lessons on your horse will help you both.


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## Marydoll (2 December 2011)

Denzalwood said:



			I'm going to sit quietly on my own and poke my own eyes out.
		
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Pmsl, sorry but thats funny
Huge learning curve for you today then  and tommorrow is another day


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## Megibo (2 December 2011)

she's probably rushing around because she'd like not to do it properly.

kind of lyk ur spellin rly, da more u type lyk dis da stoopida u snd...


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## Marydoll (2 December 2011)

Ringworm the Red Nosed Reindeer said:



			Take up english lit and relax. Some lessons on your horse will help you both.
		
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Again pmsl thats even funnier " take up English lit "


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## SaffronWelshDragon (3 December 2011)

My girl is a bit of a nutter in the canter, doesn't really run away, but strikes off into a really fast canter. Someone on here once told me to try lots of trot canter, walk canter transitions and make the canter 'normal'. If they do it quite a bit it's becomes nothing special and therefore less exciting for them, if you know what I mean.


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