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Veteran
Posts: 233
 
| 11 year old qh mare, suspected pssm, under control with diet. She's been sitting in a 20 acre pasture for 3 years. Green broke when I pulled her out of the pasture in Feb, regularly ridden and coming along nicely. Regular chiro, feet and teeth up to date.
So the mare has the most awful canter. Her transitions are fabulous. She really does step into a canter/lope smoothly, but then she just seems to fall apart. Her head flops down, she gets a hump in her back, feels like she's dragging herself along. . . I don't think it's attitude, because even when i ask her to do things that are really HARD like carrying herself around a circle instead of motorcycling she tried with everything she's got.
We do a lot of backing up, trot poles, shoulder in, circles and serpentines, spiral in and out circles, working on flexibility and pushing off her back end, balancing out with 4-5 mile hacking out on the roads and long trotting for a mental break and building her wind.
How much can the canter be improved with strength training? Should I be collecting her up more and really helping her with body position like a very green horse? Leave it be for now and revisit it in a month? |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Are there any trainers that you trust in your area that you could ask to ride with or have them ride your mare to see if they think it is a limitation on her part or if she just needs some training adjustments? To me, the PSSM could be complicating things, but I could be really wrong about that. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
Location: Mountains of VA | Dropping her head/weight down on the front and using her back means she is trying to not use her hindquarters for whatever reason. Is she better in one direction than the other? Since she pushes off, circles and steps off into a canter, I would not think it could be one or the other of her stifles or hocks. Maybe it is up higher??
Sounds like you are doing exactly what you should be doing to help get her fit and her canter can be and will be improved with more fitness. Yes, I would collect and help her with her canter. Keep challenging her but not to the point where she gets sour or too sore from her work. Be sure and warm up at the walk for at least 10 mins.
I feel for you.........I'm riding a 3yo that has a difficult canter right now, it just kills my back. I just keep her work simple but challenging her to get better fitness every time I ride her. I always wear a watch that way I know how much time I am spending walking/trotting/cantering so I can increase the time every few days.
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
 
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | Some horse are just rough but most times i feel its a soundness issue.....i bet something is bothering her....m |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | id guess hind is sore.. but Id not force the collection until xrays and then do it slowly and not for long periods until she strong again and the spirals and circles Id go easy on.. to many can wreck havoc on thier hind end.. |
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 Maybe Someday
Posts: 4551
| Possible SI injury or pelvic injury
Hope you find answers
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| I think it's probably worth a vet check just to be sure.
Then, I really like lunging in a Pessoa style training rig (if you Google Pessoa lunging system you'll find them). Set up properly it will encourage them to use their hind end, without riders weight, riders balance moving, without riders hands not being steady, etc. Made a ton of difference bringing my gelding back from EPM and redeveloping his topline. Gives the horse an opportunity to "figure it out" themselves without rider influence. |
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