Canter on the wrong leg - how to correct?

[Casey76]

OK, now that I'm more confident in canter, I'm beginning to notice all kinds of things 

Yesterday, on the right rein, Flèche was on the wrong leg in canter about 80% of the time.  To be honest I'm more in shock that I actually felt it and noticed than anuthing else.  However it is something I'd like to try and correct next time.

My timing of the aids probably doesn't help, as I'm still very "try this and hope for the best"

So, aids for canter... in sitting trot, outside leg brushed back just behind the girth, inside leg nudges on the girth, inside hand lifts and apply indirect rein the the beck (then hang on and try not to freeze up  )

Yesterday I was asking for the transition on the straight and on a corner, as well as on a circle, and it didn't seem to make any difference if he went off on the wrong leg or not, so I'm not sure if it's me, or if he is more comfortable with his left leg leading, even if he is on the right rein.

But I get points for noticing... right?

[intouch]

I'm sure there are other more technical ways, but I allow my weight to come into my inside heel, which brings my inside hip forward then brush with the outside leg - that seems to help with the timing.  If the horse isn't taking the right lead I look over the opposite shoulder as I give the aids - that usually helps.

[ukica]

I have found that when there is not enough outside rein contact that the incorrect lead follows.

Now, i make sure i have an active working trot before i ask with correct contact with the outside rein, then sitting trot, emphasise inside seat bone and apply outside leg.  This works for me. 

It sounds like you are using too much inside rein from your description.

[Camacoona]

If I were riding a horse who finds it difficult to strike off correctly, I would ask for a little more flexion to the inside (by stacking my hand/indirect rein) , then about a stride before asking for the strike off I would release the inside rein forward so the horse doesn't have anything to push against during the transitions.

I also allow my inside hip move more forward while allowing the inside leg more forward.  I don't think of nudging with that leg, I think of a slight inside and forward roll of the lower leg while trying to keep my little toe just a little lower than the big toe.

Hope that makes sense 

[ParisDiamond]

I have found that when there is not enough outside rein contact that the incorrect lead follows.

Now, i make sure i have an active working trot before i ask with correct contact with the outside rein, then sitting trot, emphasise inside seat bone and apply outside leg.  This works for me. 

It sounds like you are using too much inside rein from your description.

[Flyingfox]

More as an anecdote than a teaching point, I will tell you about our SJ mare Whisper who has had big issues with right lead canter strike offs. It was due to her being a severely left bend horse naturally who literally could not bend to the right at all when we bought her.

We have worked really hard to help her become more supple laterally - using shoulder in and travers mainly, teaching her how to do them in hand first and in walk mostly, aiming for slow and relaxed always. Now she finds it less and less difficult to strike off in right lead canter, and if she is set up in a slightly travers position to the right she can usually go from walk to canter with much less effort/panic and can maintain her right canter more and more slowly. Her left canter has also slowed and improved form her increased ability to use her hind legs underneath her and she can jump higher now in SJ competition too. It is all still work in progress however.

If she becomes tense her ability to carry our a right lead strike off diminishes with the rise of the tension as she becomes laterally stiff with the tension I think.  

Keep horsey calm and slow, teach horsey to be flexible and to listen to seat and legs.

[cirocco]

Good luck I totally understand your frustration'.
My fell pony hadn't got the slightest idea of how to canter on the correct leg when I bought him last June, and was disunited to boot.
It took months and months of trying, [ 12 months ] one or two strides on a bend, asking then asking again, to get it sorted.
Even now, Ive to be balanced and 'thinking', whenever I ask for a canter stride.

I have never met a pony that really hadn't a clue about how to use its legs.  Its just time and thought, as well as being balanced and asking correctly.

I used to ask on a tight bend, say at the top corner of the school, correct aids, then ask verbally for trot. Week after week, not doing more than a couple of strides at a time. its come good, but I really never thought it would. I have to say it was really hard work.

[Seatontrev]

Hi, I'm new on this forum and just having a bit of a ramble around.  Noticed your recent post and scanned the replies and thought I could be of some help.

Cantering off on the wrong leg is probably one of the most common problems so everybody will have experienced that at one time or another.  So take heart, I will try and explain simply what is going on and how to correct it.

Ignoring for a moment what you may or may not be doing, novice horses always want to "fall in" at the shoulder.  A simple way to see this is to walk alongside the horse in the school, with the horse on the outside.  As you start to walk a corner of the school the shoulder of the horse will get closer to you and you may be forced to step in of the track to avoid the horse walking all over you.  This will likely be worse on one rein compared to the other.  Worth remembering which is the better rein.

So now for what the rider needs to do ............ I will make the assumption that your basic riding position is not too bad, bacause that will obviously have an affect and becomes a whole new discussion.

First practice some leg yield on both reins, both in walk and then rising trot.  Points to note here are to keep the body of the horse fairly straight (commonly riders flex the neck to the inside too much) and make sure the outside leg is "off" (commonly riders use the inside leg to ask the horse to step over but this becomes blocked by the outside leg also being "on").  This is where you should start to feel the inside leg getting the horse to work into the outside rein, make sure you don't through that extra bit of contact away and keep the hands together.

Now we are ready to practice canter transitions.  So starting on the better rein we remembered earlier, rising trot down the long side of the arena.  At the quarter marker initiate the turn with the outside rein and ask for a step of leg yield into the corner.  If you do this correctly and hold the contact in the outside rein the horse will become more rounded in the neck.  Sit and outside leg back to ask for the canter strikeoff and all being well will be correct.  Suggest half way along the short side of the arena you perform at least one 20m circle so that you and the horse can settle into a balanced rhymic canter.

If the horse has been going off wrong for a long time it may take a few attempts for the horse to get it right.  Same applies for you to get the step of leg yield in the corner and the timing of the leg aids.

There are a lot of other things that can go wrong, common rider faults like tipping forward or leaning in on the turn etc but I hope I have made some sense and kept things as simple as possible for you 

[Casey76]

Thank you all for your suggestions 

If this was Pinto I'd have absolutely no trouble trying everything you have suggested... however Flèche is a canny 17-yo school horse, used primarily for complete beginners and nervous people (like me!)

While I wish I had the time to school in lessons (and to be honest; some of the school horses need it!) it just isn't possible in a group lesson.

However, I'm sure all of your replies will be very helpful in future if someone does a search about how to correct incorrect strike off