help

[boodle]

how do i get my horse to go off on the right leg in canter i have tried every think can you help me cos i really want 2 do dressage and have be told ill be in the 7 or 8s!!!

[woofgang]

 I am a really bad rider who also likes dressage, currently not riding at all because of an injured foot (mine) Do you get lessons? even one from a good teacher can help loads. The start is to get him really responsive to light aids to do anything.

Is he sound and equally well balanced? Does he walk and trot off both leads equally happily? If he isn't then the prep work is to work to get him "two sided" and deal with any back stiffness or old injury

Can you get him to walk off on either leg?

Does he change gait immediately on your signal?

Do you use the half halt to ask him to rebalance and tell him of a change coming?

Work on getting an immediate response to your request to commence whatever gait. Then you need to time your request so that his next stride will take his right leg forward. make the request on a corner so that your request and his stride and the corner combine to make it easier for him to go off on the right leg and keep working at it. Never let him continue on a left lead, stop and trot round to the next corner and ask again. When he gets it right, do a really short distance, praise like mad and end the lesson immediately. Don't be tempted to try it again.

Your fella will learn that doing what you want gives him praise and a rest and will be motivated to try to learn what it is you want him to do and do it!!

I am so jealous i wish I was you...

[lalalaland]

you need to do some suppling exercises I found this really helped but the trick is to do it on both reins to bulid your horse up equally then it will be a lot easier to get him to go off on the correct leg. it doesnt happen overnight tho and needs to be done regularly to keep up the good work or you'll just go back to square one again!

[shaz-rla]

Agree with both answers some horses are naturally "stiffer" on one side than the other you need to keep working and don't expect too much too soon!