Canter

[Max]

I'm training my horse Timira right now.I'm not into competition but I still try my best with my mare and she tries for me so I'm happy.By the way do you have any suggestions for my horse?You see when she lopes she does more of a crow hop than actually loping.I got her last June and I think that she has been trotting most of her life because it took quite a bit to get her to lope and she would rather trot than do anything else she has givin me other signs of this but it would take to long to go into.Ive been trying to figure what is causing it for a couple of months what do you think?

[bethfornow]

what exactly do you mean by crow hoping?? if i have more info i can try to help. If she has been trotting most of her life then shes probably not used to using canter muscles in which case you may want to work with her either in a round pen or on a longe line at a canter to help her bulid up her stamina.

[Max]

what exactly do you mean by crow hoping?? if i have more info i can try to help. If she has been trotting most of her life then shes probably not used to using canter muscles in which case you may want to work with her either in a round pen or on a lounge line at a canter to help her build up her stamina.

What I mean by crow hopping is that she bounces I sure you've seen a horse get frisky in videos and stuff when they're charging down the field and they start bouncing when they slow down.Mostly Arabs do it.Don't quite know how good of a description that is. :-) If you need another one I could probably think of one

[Spices1andOnly]

my arab crow hops when i free lunge her, does ur horse look like a spring kinda bouncing around? if that's what u mean by crow hopping then i just suggest lunging it to get it used to cantering instead of bouncing.

[Max]

hehe I'm not alone :D

[bethfornow]

oh i got ya. sorry I don't know ehat you would do to fix that though.

[Comanchegurl14]

Spices!! you stole my input...jk! lol
I thought of that as soon as I read your problem too, lunging her at a canter to get her used to it would really help!
Hope it works!

[Wild Horsefeathers]

When you are riding her and she crow-hops, then just keep pushing her through the canter. My guy does the same thing, and when I push him through it he settles down.

[Max]

what I ment by crow hopping is she acts like a deer.But that doesn't matter anymore I got it fixed thanks guys for your suggestions it really helped :D

[Mandy]

Have you checked the way your saddle fits? She could be sore at the canter from ill-fitting tack.

[silverleprichuan]

first check for pain first
second canter for only one lap at a time, it doesn't sound like she's built up the muscles she needs.
Third when you canter do not hold for a slow canter, let her canter forward until she finds a speed at which she can comfortably relax.

Cantering slowly takes a lot more muscle than cantering fast, so you need to slowly build up those correct muscles before you ask her to really engage and give you a slow lope.