What can I do?

[dannyboy]

Had another lesson tonight and the horse was not too responsive and I couldn't really get her into canter (got a few strides). I tried even carrying the whip but to no avail - apparently she justs like to trot. The instructor has recommended I try another horse next week but i feel deflated that I couldn't do it. The instructor got on her after me and eventually got her into a canter !!!! I have been at the learning to canter stage (always the same horse and same problem) now for weeks and I'm starting to get a bit fed-up tbh
I keep looking for my perfect horse but at this rate I'm never gonna get the experience to take the plunge. I just wanna get out there and do it but with 1 lesson every week it's probably unachievable
What should I do? Sorry for sounding so impatient

[silverstirrups]

Take the instructors advice and try a horse that WILL canter!

[FirenLady]

even the instructor had problems getting it to canter. I'd say def not your fault. Somedays Fire will barely canter schooling till you show him a jump. If you found your perfect horse, perhaps you could learn on the go, especially if you have lessons too. like a learning in progress. Horses can be really furstrating sometimes! So I'd try not to worry about it and think about the lovely neddie you are gonna purhase in the future

[popsicle]

Could be that horse just can't balance itself, so thats why neither of you could get it to canter, you should be fine with another horse. Good luck

[brigadier]

Canter is a difficult one for learning as it really depends on how willing the horse is- TRUST ME- it will be the horse- so many riding school horses are like this and its hell for the pupils- also Ive seen some really experienced riders including myself get on a horse and have to belt it before it canters. Your instructor should know the horse really well so if she is saying this then dont worry a jot- just apply the aids- sits very still and if the horse doesnt do it- use your whip!
The worst thing you can do is try to chase the canter with your body (lean forward, shake your arms and legs etc) you mustnt compromise your position for the horse (unless in certain circumstances on young horses)
brig

[Blonde Donkey]

some horses just don't like cantering
Bracken won't canter unless up a big hill tbh we barely get her out of walk somedays
but some love it, ask savvy to trot and she jumps all over the place spooking at things, in canter she gets on with it and works properly
it honestly wasn't you

[haffyfan]

It won't be you don't worry...ask for a more willing horse next week maybe and I'm sure you will be away.

(My Murph generally dissaproves of any pace faster than a walk, full stop unless he's playing!)

[fimacg]

a lot of riding school neddies are like this, they have learnt to switch off and ignore the riders. I have had Chomp 2 years (he was from a riding school) and I still have to work really hard to keep in canter but he is getting better. Initally canter lasted about 3 strides.

Also by riding different horses you will get a better idea of what different horses feel like and what you re looking for when you buy your own.

[ceej]

duneee worry - everyone is right - this is a riding school horse- totally different. I know its a bit catch 22 because you want the experience before you get a horse, but most of your experience will come after you get one!

Try another horse next week...certainly dont let it put you off your search

[Becca]

Bernie was broken as a school horse and he couldn't canter! it took at least a year to canter a circuit of the menage and it is only recently in the last couple of years that he seems to have found a new lease of life and wants to canter.

like everyone else said riding school horses are a breed all of their own.

don't give up, riding different horses wil help you in so many more ways than just learning to canter, each needs riding completely differently.

[Blonde Donkey]

savvy came from a riding school lol
she must be an exception to the rule
she was very well schooled though and i think she might have been a private pony for a while but we saw her used in a lesson

[fleabitten]

although at my RS some of the horses you dont even have to tell them to canter, they just go! not nice for the beginner but then RI saves them for the more advanced people. I think that a horse going when you didnt ask it to is just as bad as having to kick like anything to get it going.

but yes, try a different horse next week - it sounds as if the horse is having problems, not you! Do you ride different horses every week at your place or does your instructor keep you on the same one every week?

[dannyboy]

I've been on mostly the same horseevery week - at my request they put me on another a few weeks back (a very lively 4yo who apparently likes to canter) and after about 15mins I was a bit nervous tbh, so got onto my usual one again. My usual has given me quite alot of confidence but I just can't seem to get her to canter. I know its good to try different horses so I'm determined to do just that (not sure how popular this will be with my RS tho).
I think the 4yo is very young to learn on - how much experience would he have at this age? Maybe this is why I'm more nervous - when buying one for myself, you guys recommended about 8+?

[Blonde Donkey]

i reckon7/8 + for teaching something to ride as it should have matured mentally and physically enough to do the work asked and also have a level head
i think 4yo is young to learn on though

[fleabitten]

4yo should really be kept for experienced riders who can bring it on - novice riders may teach them bad habits. I was going to get a 4yo but was a bit wary as i thought i might ruin it, but it turned out lame and in foal before we bought her so that was that!

I reckon something 10yo+ for teaching - most of the ponies at my school are over 10yo.

I really encourage you to ask your instructor to let you ride something different every few weeks. Its a really great learning curve as riding loads of different ones is meant to help you progress - plus with a nice easy one that will canter when you ask it and trot at the end and keep going until you tell it to or until you get to the back of the ride will be brilliant and you will learn better as you wont have to concentrate on getting it going.

my instructor has me on a different one nearly every week and its so nerve racking not knowing who youre gonna ride but many a time i have been nervous throughout the whole lesson or not wanted to to a particular jump or canter or ride a particular horse and my instructor made me do it - sometimes im glad she did and others im not sure that pushing me to do it was a good idea.

[dannyboy]

All the horses at my RS are really young - the one I usually ride is 8yrs old and I think it is the oldest......

[fleabitten]

Interesting....i didnt think they would usually use young horses... The youngest there is my RI new mare - and only she rides it - its about 4yo i think but hasnt ever been jumped, RI is into dressage and i think she wants to progress the mare in it. There is another one who is 5 or 6 but is forward and strong - obv hasnt seen much and is the one i fell off. The oldest i think is nearing 20 i would say and is part arab i think so has plenty of life still races around every now and then.

Well, no matter what age the horse is it has to be suitable for learning on if its at a riding school. So if all the ones are young at your place then they just must be young but suitable. Nothing to be done about it, so best just asking to ride a different horse every few weeks and if there is any you really dont like riding or cant handle then say the next time you ask for a different horse.

[florence]

Yes, trying another horse would be a good idea. This horse has definitely got the upper hand if your instructor had a job getting her to canter. What about having your first canter on the lunge? Do they have any suitable for that? You could then just work on the aid first and, once in canter, your position while the instructor keeps the horse going.

[arumanii]

"Well, no matter what age the horse is it has to be suitable for learning on if its at a riding school. So if all the ones are young at your place then they just must be young but suitable. Nothing to be done about it, so best just asking to ride a different horse every few weeks and if there is any you really dont like riding or cant handle then say the next time you ask for a different horse."
=Excellent Advice! I throw karma ur way!

But sometimes ppl can misjudge horses or a rider's capabilities so if ur feeling tense or uncomfortable explain that to ur instructor n get off coz if ur tense it is bound to pass on to the horse.

As to the not listening to you -was this at other paces as well or was it just for the canter aid she ignored u? If not listening -transitions with back up to get her moving from a soft aid n having an energetic pace. If it's just the canter not coming -as above advice!

We do have several at the riding school I've worked at that used to be slugs until they realised u meant business n u could get a canter on the spot easy as soon as they realised it! If rider's got frustrated we'd jump on, get them working (show off) n put the rider back on again to get them doing it. If ur instructor had difficulty cantering him then ur bound to have and shouldn't really be being pushed to try and get him going as it is obviously making you doubt yourself and whether ur using the correct aid at this level.

But u also get the insane ones who will canter unbalanced n too fast which is really REALLY not what u need either!

That said, we break n bring on our own stock at the riding school n have had some 4yo that have happily had fairly novice riders on for basic lessons but have old ones u'd never let them get near... it really does depend on the horse AND whether you trust that your instructor knows the horse and your capabilities well enough to match you safely.

We have a variety of different horses, ponies, dogs, hamsters to ride that are all very different in their way of going n ppl are on a different horse each lesson. We ask riders to keep a record of the horses they ride n when in a book so that we can deliberately place them on one they haven't ridden recently (and obviously only horses suitable for the rider's level in relation to the lesson envisaged are rotated between) which seems to work well as they get a variety of experinces and are not allowed to pick n choose who they ride to avoid the difficult ones (who could probably teach them the most)!

Once a wk for an hr was all I used to do for yrs n didn't seem to do me any harm but if u feel like you want to progress faster then more time in the saddle can only help!

*shutting up now*

[dannyboy]

Thanks for your great advice. My RI did get the mare going in canter but it took a while for her to listen but once he got her going she did it OK. I possibly should have got him to do this a bit earlier in the lesson and then I could have got on afterwards. Good suggestion about the lunging lesson - might do that if next week shows no improvement.
I'm back on the 4yo next week (the one I'm a bit nervous on) for another go - don't think I gave the little tinker a good enough chance. The other lady that shares my lesson is gonna swop horses with me half way through our next lesson as she also wants to try other horses - Do you think this is a good idea to swop horses half way through? Suppose it couldn't do much harm? Thanks again

[fleabitten]

Yes thats a good idea - sometimes in our lessons we will all turn in and get off and say get on the horse to our left or our right and ride it for a while then turn in and swap again or we might turn in and take saddles off and go bareback for a while. It will be good fun!

[arumanii]

Yeah, that sounds like a really good idea! Then u can not only c how the other horse goes 4 u but can also observe what your friend does differently n if that works. Let us know how it goes?