Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

Re: [RC] What to watch out for in the canter - Linda Hedgpeth

Thank you Kat.  I will work on this when I start my gelding again in March.   Already, he shows much willingness for a slower, collected canter.   I consider him still very green even at 6 because I haven't been able to ride him much.   I teach all my horses to pick up their leads on cue and to do flying changes........except not him....yet ;-)
 
Linda  
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 11:49 PM
Subject: [RC] What to watch out for in the canter

Linda said:

> **If** a horse is a to-die-for #10 canterer and
> demonstrates he prefers it, are there specific tendon,
> bone, joint, etc. issues to watch for that would be
> different from training using the trot as the primary gait.

One of the biggest differences between the trot and the canter is that
there are phases of the stride in the canter where the entire weight of
the horse is being born by a single leg (the outside hind and the inside
fore if the horse is on "the correct" lead).  The fact that the entire
weight of the horse is on the outside hind at the start of the stride is
of very little (but not none) consequence, because the other diagonal
legs come down before the outside hind breaks over.  However, the entire
weight of the horse is on the leading fore during breakover, which
SERIOUSLY hyperflexes the joint and puts a lot of stress on the flexor
tendons.  The less you extend the horses gait, the less impact this has,
the less "on the forehand" the horse, the less impact this has, and the
more you practice it by working up to it slowly and building the
flexibility of the flexor tendons, the less impact this has.

Additionally, since the canter is a "one sided" gait (i.e. there is more
stress on the horse at the canter if the horse is counter cantering than
if it is on the inside lead), it is important to teach the horse how to
use both leads, and it is very helpful if you have also taught the horse
to change leads when asked.  And even if you are going down a long
straight path, it is important to change leads occasionally just to give
one side a "rest."

kat
Orange County, Calif.




=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

 Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
 Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
 Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

 Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=



Replies
[RC] What to watch out for in the canter, k s swigart