The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Collection problems

3K views 21 replies 11 participants last post by  MaggiStar 
#1 ·
I ride a 14 year old very moody Dutch Warmblood mare, and I can't get her to collect at the canter. She just throws her head down and just pulls me off balance. If I squeeze her with my spurs she doesn't put her head up she just goes faster, I feel like she's out of control and she doesn't listen to me. What I have been doing is trotting her and getting her to collect at the trot before I ask her to canter. It works for about 4 canter strides and then she throws her head down and acts like I'm not even on her back. I don't know what to do.
 
#2 ·
I think if she is sound in all other paces and provided you have a good seat and nothing else is causing her pain.

You should just keep working her transitions , from what you have said it seems she is engaging her hind quarters to go from trot to canter then dis-engaging them and losing shape & balance .

The best thing you can practice is when she dis-engages her hind quarters in the canter take her back to a trott for 2-3 strides and canter again . Its a long process but it will work.

If you are still struggling in a month get a trainer out to help you .
 
#3 ·
Agreed with Shalani.

If I was in your shoes, my gut instinct fix would be to prepare her as you are (collect trot, half-halt, transition to canter), really ride the canter, owning every stride, and transitioning back down to trot while she is still maintaining collection in canter. Even if it means cantering 4 strides at a time. Don't let her lose it, bring her back down into a nice trot before she can lose it. She may just not have the right muscles built up yet to sustain collected canter for more than 4 strides.

If you keep having problems, I recommend looking into finding an instructor to help you out.

Good luck! :D
 
#4 ·
Thanks. She still has trouble knowing where to place her back feet, she was a broodmare her whole life she didnt have too much training. And she is a huge brat. She will do whatever it takes to get out of working too hard. She just discovered that if she throws her head down she doesnt have to work as hard
 
#5 ·
I highly agree with everyone above.

Also, make sure you are keeping a strong seat. My guy does this to me once and a while and it really helps to keep those shoulders back.

My guy has issues with engaging his hind end, so I do a lot of trot work and transitions to help him strengthen.

It takes time, practice and patience, but she will get it!
 
#7 ·
Rhythm
Relaxation
Contact
Impulsion
Straightness
Collection


Without the first 5 steps of that scale firmly in place, how can you expect collection. If you can't keep the mare on a good contact or in rhythm, why are you worried about collection? Follow the scale and train in a systematic way, the rest will fall into place.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Shes good with all of the above with the trot it's just the canter.while cantering she keeps a steady rhythm (like a giant freight train flying around the arena). She's relaxed, she just throws her head down so she doenst have to work, I keep a steady contact on her mouth at all times. She's straight 90% of the time. So I don't understand what you mean. Could you please explain better. Thanks.
 
#9 ·
If you say she is "like a giant freight train running around the arena" she is not in rhythm.
If she just "throws her head down" she is not correctly in the contact.

I highly suggest you google "dressage training scale" for an explanation. Or watch some of Jane Savoie's videos on YouTube or buy a dressage lesson. Someone else may be able to explain it, or you could look up old posts about it.
Good luck!
 
#17 ·
and erika it takes a long time to get them using their hind end consistently and lots of hard work...I feel ya...my mare and I have been working on that for awhile too ;) My trainer always teaches me to stay light in my hands asking for tiny half halts while sitting deep in my seat and driving with my legs to get her on her rear. And it starts out only as a few good strides at which point we transition down and she gets lots of praise.

The hope is that the few good strides turn into several and it gets to be longer each time :)
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#18 ·
Just for clarification's sake, Erika Lynn, what discipline do you ride in and what are your goals with your horse?

When you say "collected", do you mean you want an connected, shortened gait where the horse is obedient and responsive or do you mean "collected" in the Second Level Dressage and above sense with the horse round, croup lowered, joints of the hind limbs flexed, back and ribcage raised?

Spyder and anabel are advising you from a classical dressage perspective, and they're assuming your horse is ready for this work from a classical dressage perspective.

While their advice, particularly the advice about the training scale, is, dead, spot on, I suspect you mean something different when you say "collection", as in, you'd like your horse not to tow you around the arena by the bridle, and to be light and organized in her canter, rather than offering a wrestling match.
 
#20 ·
I ride English, mainly jumpers, my goal for the horse is to be able to take her through a jumper course, but my goal for right now, is I want her to build more muscle and be able to use her hind end, and not be so forward.

I'm trying to get her canter to be more balanced and not take such a long stride (she can cover the length of the arena in about 4 strides) I want her to use her back end for balance rather than her neck. I can feel her using her back for a few strides, then she just pulls me down and goes back to being on the forehand. I know it takes a lot of work, she just has finally got better at the trot, after about 5 months of practice, but she still isn't perfect.

She works off my leg and bends really nice at the trot and walk, but as soon as I canter I can feel her just lean on the bridle and kind of use my hands for support. And I am in no way strong enough to carry a gigantic horse around.

I've been practicing transitions a lot. But any other suggestions would be appreciated.
 
#19 ·
Ok I'll just go by what you have said and won't try to read between the lines to see if you're competent enough etc.
But, what I would do with this sort of problem, and, funnily enough, I'm having this problem with one of the horses I am working for an owner at the moment. She has got a beautiful trot, but as soon as she goes to pick up canter, she panics, runs, gets unbalanced and falls on the forehand, is this.
BEND, BEND and more BEND!!! You want to do a lot of work in shoulder in, spiralling in/out of a 20m circle using leg yield (bent leg yield, not true, straight leg yield for this exercise).
Get an active, elastic, stretching trot on a 10m circle, or even a volte if your horse has the muscle and training to do so. When you are happy with the softness and engagement you have, start to leg yield out with the horse wrapped right around your inside leg. Ask for canter while you're still in leg yield, and through the canter maintain the bend, remaining on a 15m circle. Only ask for a few strides, then bring horse back to trot. Again, maintaing the bend through the transition so you don't lose the horse's shoulder and put it on the forehand.
This is tough work for a horse that is only starting it, so only do short periods of it through your ride. Just put in canters randomly, don't have a set 'now we will work on canter for 20mins' block. Go by how the horse is feeling, if you feel that you have an active, engaged, light and responsive trot that is bent around your inside leg, by all means ask for that canter. Don't make canter a big deal.
A take home message, just to drill it in - bend is the key!
 
#22 ·
She might be finding it alot of extra work and strain to maintain the canter so i would only canter her till just before you feel her try to roll onto her forehand and bring her back down to trot rebalance her and try again
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top