What would cause my horse to crow hop into canter transitions?

Question

And what can I do to help him?

His teeth were done last month
His saddle fits
Bit fits, too.
He doesn't crow hop at any other point in the ride except canter transitions.
He's overweight (his food intake is being limited now, and his exercise is being increased)
He doesn't crow-hop if you ask him to canter when out on trail rides (maybe he feels confined? My arena is an outdoor 20x40 ring)

I'm sure I'm doing something wrong with my position that's making him feel restricted- my instructor will be giving me a lesson next week so she can go over this with me.

This isn't a new habit for him, either. He did this last year, too. He was overweight last year too and he was fine cantering on trails last year, also.
What should I do to help him into his canter more? I use leg and seat into the transition, and if he ignores my leg and seat, I tap him with the whip (not to be confused with hitting him)
He canters fine on the lunge line.

Thanks.

Answer 1

<---same scenario here! Though sometimes instead of crow hops, I'd just get an ugly transition or no transition at all.



My instructor really helped me to analyze my position to get to the bottom of things, and wow--major improvements. Apparently, I was trying way to hard and thus falling apart when asking.



What I have to remember to do, which may help you:

Follow with my hands. While I wasn't tightening up or inadvertently bumping my horse with my hands, I wasn't allowing that little bit of give into the transition



Really don't mean to sound vulgar here, but keeping my legs open. I was tensing from knee to hip way too much in an effort to drive forward but I was way overdoing it and thus blocking any forward motion from my horse's hind. Essentially I was asking for a half halt when I really wanted an upward transition. So I have to remember to let my hips fall open a bit as I ask for the canter so I can get that forward motion drive.



An exercise that has helped as well--asking for the canter after a couple leg yield strides. Leg yielding gets my horse on the bit, and I really have to maintain my position well in order to get the leg yield, so it sets us up for the canter nicely.



ADD: Same thing here too where I was able to get a decent transition in a bigger space but not the arena. I think it is because the horse wants to open up into a canter more when they are in the open--it plays on their instincts somehow, so they will be happy to take any cue as permission to canter. They are looking more for permission to do so rather than trying to understand what you are asking.

Answer 2

You say his saddle fits, but keep in mind that a saddle is often checked by armatures only when the horse is standing still with their back relaxed. Particularly if this saddle fits when he is thinner/fitter but now that he is chubby again, it doesn't fit now.



To properly check a saddle, you have to first raise his back and check then. It may take a couple of people, one to raise his back and one to check.



Plus, while it may look from the outside that it fits (just like those cute shoes I just bought in the right size and width, but man do they hurt to walk more than across the street in) When during movement there is a pinch.



I would really, really bet that his saddle is pinching when he raises his back to canter. Walk and trot are often done with the head high and back lowered. To canter, the head drops and the back raises. That raised back is a different shape than the relaxed back in the tack up area. If he crow hops every canter transition, it is pain, not attitude. Attitude is true of the first canter transition each direction, not over and over again.



Get a professional saddle fitter, and if it was last fit when the horse was thinner and fit, it won't fit while he is chubby and out of shape.

Answer 3

When your mother purchased you a brand new saddle, did she have it professionally geared up? Just considering the fact that it is ultra-modern doesn't suggest it is a perfec are compatible. Bucking on the canter is typically a sign of suffering someplace. So assess your saddle, assess your bit, your bridle, have her tooth floated, and might be have her vetted and chiro-ed. Once suffering is one hundred% dominated out, then it is time to touch a teacher. Take a month of courses and spot if it is helping! Sometimes it takes a further set of eyes to clear up those forms of disorders. ************************ If you have been driving continuously for a yr, then her again has most probably modified form. That's why I'm suggesting an extra seem on the saddle. As I stated, a ultra-modern saddle does not always imply a best are compatible. You can typically discover saddle becoming gurus at tack retail outlets with the intention to seem at your horse for $50 or much less. It's whatever that I feel is one hundred% valued at it.

Answer 4

I agree with Anna & the Peanut.



My horse will sometimes give me a messy transition or some aggressive behavior when I ask for a canter transition- I finally figured it out.

I'm asking to hard, and blocking him.

To get him to canter, I used to give with the inside rein, slip my outside leg back and nudge him forward with both heels.

He starting giving me some angry looks, so I thought about it.

I tried something different. I gave with both hands, and only nudged him with the outside leg. He popped into canter smoothly and balanced. No problems.



So think about your actions when you ask him to canter. Are you tensing? Are you nudging him a bit too enthusiastically? Are you holding back slightly with the reins?

Give him the best chance to succeed, try to go with his movement without restricting or interfering.



On trail you probably don't do this because it's all a bit more 'relaxed' if you know what I mean. On trail it might not matter what leg he goes on, how balanced the transition is...etc.



So try to go back to basics. Soften your aids and see what works. Try not to worry about his balance or right leg- just try to get him to pop smoothly into canter without any fuss.

Make canter transitions a relaxed affair for him- and then worry about all the little technicalities!



Good luck, and I hope you get it figured out:D

Answer 5

All right, kudos to you for checking out the pain related options FIRST. Nicely done. It could be that you're not asking him the way he is used to. You should turn his nose inward and nudge gently with you feet. Help him get on the right lead. You could also make sure you are not holding your reins too tight or too loosely. Make sure your weight is centered and that you are neither behind or in front of him. If it isn't anything you are doing wrong, I would try making him work harder every time he does it. Horses hate to work harder than they have to, and if you make the right path the easiest one for him, he'll choose it on his own. If that does not help, I would suggest getting a trainer's advice and help. Another thing it could be is the touch of the whip. I have known several horses who misbehaved when you touched them with a riding whip. I don't ride with one, and maybe you should try riding without and see if it helps. Happy trails!

Answer 6

Easy answer.

Crow hopping is a common problem if the horse is feeling blocked.

This is most likely why he does not do it out on trail rides.



Have him nice and forward in the trot when you ask for the canter, and make sure you are not blocking him physically with your hand or seat.

Stay relaxed when you ask, and demand forward in both trot AND in the canter.



Everyone thinks "slow" is dressage.

Wrong!



Forward forward forward.

It is all to common for horses to be stifled and blocked.Yuck!

It makes them look lazy and lacking impulsion.



Good luck :)

Answer 7

He could just be being a pain in the butt. Horses do that sometimes. But it could also be something else. I would have a chiropractor check him

Answer 8

Go get lessons. He's probably tired of you flopping around on his back and he knows cantering is pain so he tells you about it. Or he is in pain and you're just lying about fitting tack and no pain. Get a vet to look at him, don't lie about it. Get her tack checked, don't lie about it. Then get him somebody who actually knows how to ride to ride him.



I am not a troll and I did not say your horse is being an ***. I said that you're a bad rider or lying about his quality of care. Maybe both.