Bakersfield Dressage
www.bakersfielddressage.com
  • Home
  • About Me
  • My Horses
    • G Ima Starr FA
    • Imperioso
    • Sunshine
    • Nakota and Gideon
    • Corky
    • Sassy
    • Montoya DSA
    • Mickey Dee
    • Sydney
  • My Show Results
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
    • 2013
    • 2012
    • 2011
    • 2010
  • Showing Dressage
    • Upcoming Events
    • Dressage Organizations
    • Membership
    • Documents & Forms
    • Judges & Scores
    • Dressage Videos
  • Educational Stuff
  • Local Stuff
    • Bakersfield Large Animal Hospital
    • Veterinarians
    • Farriers
    • Feed and Tack Stores
    • Facilities
    • Saddle Fitting & Boot Repair
    • Shopping List
  • Photo Gallery

Izzy Can Canter!

5/23/2015

3 Comments

 
... under saddle that is! Yep, we've started the canter. Before you get too excited for us, let me share that our problem is actually starting the canter. Oh, my!

I've started a handful of green horses, but as I've shared before, once they had a gas pedal, brakes, and a steering wheel, I've hit the trail. When we wanted to canter, especially the first time, my green beans just followed another horse who cantered. Before you knew it, they figured out the canter cue. And since we always started on a relatively straight path, they didn't really struggle with their balance. And for safety's sake, we usually chose a gradual uphill, or a sandy river bottom trail.

Teaching a horse to canter by himself on a circle, as large as it is, has turned out to be harder than I suspected. And when you add in the fact that Izzy is also on the lazy side, you get a rider doing most of the cantering! It takes a huge amount of core strength (and upper body) to keep him moving forward.

It was JL who suggested we were ready to start the canter work. We've progressed from quiet circles at the walk to trotting a 20-meter circle at the trot while maintaining a rhythm to changes of direction at the trot. Once he was doing all of that without any fear-based tension, JL suggested we pick up the canter.

Fortunately, she knew it wasn't going to just happen when I moved my inside seat bone forward. Nor was it going to happen by putting my inside leg at the girth and my outside leg behind the girth while adding a little scoop to my seat. She warned me that I was going to have to ride like a newbie who doesn't know how to canter a horse. There was a lot of kicking and scooping of my seat (combined with a lot of flailing of my arms) before he finally broke into a rough and unsteady canter.

We've been working on it for a week now - five days straight. He's definitely getting some balance, but getting the initial canter departure is taking a while. I make sure I ask from the sitting trot, I make sure my legs are in the correct position, I scoop my seat, and then I kick, scoop, kick, give a yeehaw, and try desperately hard not to unbalance him!

We've also discovered that he needs to be moving with a lot of forward. I can't ask him to slow down at all or he gets a bit humpy. I also have to ride him in two point so that he can move his back. He's not balanced or strong enough for me to sit the canter yet.

My job is to just help steady him, work the outside rein to get the turn, and just be solid with the contact. Once he settles into a quiet rhythm without all the squealing, head flinging, and careening around, I ask for a walk. His downward transitions are actually very nice. I simply step into my outside stirrup and he transitions to the trot and then walk very quietly.

We've only cantered to the left, and all three gaits still need tons of work, but he is feeling like a green broke horse.  Just yesterday, after three good canter sets, we actually made our way to the far end of the arena where we did some walking exercises over the poles. We finished up with a long walk back to the gate with no spooks or worry.

My plan is to continue working him consistently through the week. He'll then get two solid weeks off while we're on vacation. Hopefully he'll be able to use that time to process all that he's learned over the past month or so. 
3 Comments
Val
5/24/2015 07:28:50 am

Your trail horse method of training the canter sounds absolutely brilliant. I think all horses should learn that way.

Reply
Tracy
5/26/2015 01:43:34 am

Wheee! Canter!!

Reply
SprinklerBandits
5/26/2015 01:49:26 am

It took months for Courage to be ready for me to sit the canter. :-) He's an OTTB, so your boy probably has a lot less baggage in that area.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    About the 
    Writer & Rider

    I am a lifetime rider. 
    I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.
    ​Welcome to my dressage journey.

    Picture
    Photo by Lori Ovanessian
    Email Karen

    About Speedy G

    Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. We're currently schooling Third Level in preparation for the 2019 show season. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.

    Picture
    August 2018

    About Izzy

    Izzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are schooling the dressage basics. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
    Picture
    Second Show - July 2016

    Picture
    Bakersfield Dressage approved!

    National Awards

    • USDF Second Level Rider Performance Award - 2018
    • USDF First Level Rider Performance Award - 2015
    • USDF Training Level Rider Performance Award - 2013
    State Awards
    • CDS Ruby Rider Award - 2018
    • CDS Second Level Horse Performance Award - 2018

    2019 Show Season

    Show Rating
    (***) CDS/USDF/USEF 
    (*) CDS
    (s) Schooling
    (c) Clinic
    (t) Ride-a-Test Clinic
    (Q) Must Qualify
    2019 Pending …

    3/9-10/19 - Somis (***)
    4/12-14/19 - AA Clinic (c)
    5/26/19 - TMC (*)
    6/15-16/19 - El Sueno (***)
    6/22-23/19 - SCEC (***)
    6/23/19 - TMC (*)
    7/13-14/19 - El Sueno (***)
    7/28/19 - TMC (*)
    8/10/19 - RAAC (Q) (***)
    8/25/19 - TMC (*)
    ​10/26-27/19 SCEC (***)

    2019 Completed …

    Qualifying Scores for 2019

    Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Scores
    Third Level Scores:

    Score 1: 
    Score 2: 
    Score 3: 

    CDS Championship Third Level Scores:
    Score 1: 
    Score 2: 
    Score 3: 
    Score 4: 
    Score 5: 

    Working Towards:

    ​CDS Sapphire Rider Award
    Third Level:
    Third Level:
    Fourth Level:
    Fourth Level:


    USDF Bronze Medal
    First Level - 70.179%
    First Level - 72.600%
    Second Level - 62.879%
    Second Level - 61.970%
    Third Level -
    ​Third Level -

    Stuff I Read

    • A Collection of Madcap Escapades
    • A Enter Spooking
    • A Horse Crazy American in Germany
    • A Horse for Elinor​
    • Avandarre in Dressage​
    • Contact
    • DIY Horse Ownership
    • Dream Big
    • ​Guinness on Tap
    • ​Journey with a Dancing Horse
    • Poor Woman Showing​
    • Printable Pony
    • She Moved to Texas
    • SprinklerBandits
    • Stubborn Together
    • Symphony Dressage Stables
    • Tales From a Bad Eventer
    • The $900 Facebook Pony
    • Wyvern Oaks
    • Zen and the Art of Baby Horse Mangement

    By Topic

    All
    Art
    Awards
    Books
    Cabin
    California Barn Life
    Captain Awesome
    Centerlinescores
    Championships
    Chiropractor
    Clinics
    Clothing
    Cushing's Disease
    Defeating The Demon
    Dogs
    Double Bridle
    Dressage On The Trail
    EHV-1
    Endurance Photos
    Farrier
    First Level
    Fluphenazine
    Flying Changes
    Fox Hunting
    Freedom Feeder
    Frustration
    Gizmos
    Grooming
    Half Pass
    Headshaking
    Horse Maintenance
    Horses Are Expensive
    Horses Are Expensive II
    Hunter/jumper Stuff
    Imperioso
    Introductory Level
    Izzys Leg
    Just For Fun
    Lessons With Chemaine
    Lessons With Lois
    Local Stuff
    Memberships
    Micklem Bridle
    Mt. Self Doubt
    Musings
    My 5 Things
    My Horses
    Nesting
    On The Levels
    Photos
    Platinum Performance
    Poles
    Polls
    Pulley Rein
    Raac
    Rider Fitness
    Riding Figures
    Right Lead Canter
    Road ID
    Saddle Fitting
    Schooling
    Score Sheets
    Second Level
    Shopping
    Show Costs
    Showing
    Sitting Trot
    Sliding Side Reins
    Soldier
    Speedy's Leg
    Tack
    The Elephants
    The Jar
    The Warm Up Ring
    Third Level
    Toys
    Trailering
    Training
    Travel
    Ulcers
    Vet Care
    Videos
    Weird But True
    Year In Review


    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011


    Picture
    Visit their site by clicking the photo. I wear one every time I ride!
    Picture
    Sydney wearing the Riders4Helmets dressage pad I won for a helmet story.

Site Design: Karen Sweaney