Strong mare - I'm struggling in canter

[SerotoninCanEatTomorrow]

Hello all, I have been given the awesome opportunity to ride a friends horse regularly (which is awesome!)

She's 20, been there done that and eaten the Tshirt in absolutely everything. Very responsive under the leg, lovely paces and I love her.

However, she is a nightmare in canter. She bucks on the leg aid, and then is almost impossible to ride a controlled straight canter - she is so strong I can't hold her and she has a tendency to do sideways instead of forward. I want to feel in control - I can't hack her because she is so fizzy she just dashes off and there isn't anyone I can ride out with at the moment.

What can I do to control her? I already ride in a bungee

Thank you all for the help!

I think I may have rushed us both into cantering, happy to stay at walk and trot for now until I know she is listening and responding.

I will keep you posted

Just a thought - introduce leg yield in and out on a circle at a trot, bringing down from 20m to 10 m back to 20m. Then when cantering, so something similar, though you may need to only go down to 15m if she's 20 yro. Can do this in the school or in a field.

She had me off yesterday. Currently I'm hospital with a cracked vertebrae :(

Fuck! Fingers crossed for a fast recovery.

Oh no. Poor you. What happened?

Oh no! Fingers crossed for a quick recovery x

Oh shit - get better soon.

She took off in canter, got herself all above the bit and was going to fast to maintain the ever-decreasing circles, she slipped over and I somersaulted straight over her shoulder. Scary and VERY painful

That sounds awful:(. I hope you feel better soon. Just a thought, if she is getting above the bit, is she hollowing through her back? Have you had her back checked? Just the bucking when asked to canter, getting above the bit and getting faster and faster sounds like she may be in pain? Especially if she has been there and done it, maybe this behaviour is pain induced?
Are you still in hospital?

Not good. Try not to let it put you off, and have a speedy recovery.

Oh my goodness! Poor you! I hope you are not in too much pain and you make a speedy recovery.

I am still in hospital yes, in until at least tomorrow. Won't be able to ride again for at least. 6 months dependant on how well the fracture heals x

oh poor you :( how scary x hope you heal fast

Sounds really rough. All the best.

You poor thing!! What a shame & you were trying so hard with her

Her owner has decided to retire her
She had a look in her eye about the whole thing and was very purposeful - it's going to take me a while to trust a horse again

Ok, I'm going to be not very nice here.

I'm really sorry about your fall, and do hope you recover quickly (my now ex fell last year & fractured his back. T12 I think) took him a while but he's back to normal now.

But, I think reading your thread this is a classic case of over horsing yourself.

I guess as riders its a risk we take every time we ride, but maybe when you do get back on, a calm ploddy type may serve you better untill you've got your confidence back xxx

Absolutely agree - I know what I am doing to a degree but she knew a heck of a lot more than me!

I'm going to get some more lessons before I take on another horse and a ploddy type is exactly what I need. If I can get on again at all - have started having bad dreams about the whole thing!

It's going to be a while until I can think about that anyway.

Is it a stable fracture?

The ex was only off his feet for a week or so, but very sore for about 4 weeks. After 6 weeks he was driving again & then started doing a bit of work from there, 6 months on he was right as rain again .

Once you've actually got back on you'll be fine, its the thought of it more than anything else.

Really hope it doesn't stop you riding completly xxx