I would just like to know if anyone could help me? I havent got my horse yet so i dont know how much he knows (bought him unseen) but i dont know anything about traing horses.
I know that he has been ridden under saddle lightly for the past 12 months and the girl said she has taught him to canter one way but not the other.... I spoke to a lady who retrains standardbreds to saddle and she said he probably just needs to be ridden more so he builds his confidence and feels more comfortable to canter, does anyone have any suggestions or ideas to help or do you think i should send him to a trainer to do the work?
Please help i am not sure what i should do and want to decide before he gets here...

Hello
Well i dont have a great deal of experience retraining SBs but i have broken horses and things of that nature. I had one little TB who could only canter on one lead, so i did alot of road work with him cantering often then started schooling in the arena i think the road work boosted his confidence a great deal. I think alot of riding is you best option when he gets confident and balanced he should be dandy. Give it a go for awhile and if it feels too much think about sending him out to get worked.
I hope i have been at least mildly helpful im not exactly the best advice giver. But in my experiences the best thing for it is more time and work.

I adopted a pacer and had lots of difficulty trying ot make her a riding horse. I found the Standardbred Fan Club on the internet (googled it) and they have a video on retraining. It really helped me understand what I needed to do and how to do it. it's simple and has lots of stuff in it ,,, right from how you begin with the horse right off the track to completion as a riding horse. They use 3 horses from beginner to advanced, so you see what happens and what to do each step of the way. It's awesome and my horse has finally become a riding horse.

Some stb's can have difficulty learning to canter under saddle, a lot has to do with their muscle development and balance, and is simply a matter of building them up slowly. It is always wise to rule out pain issues and problems with saddle fit, as well as having some lessons with a good instructor who can point out and help correct any of your issues that are affecting or confusing the horse. Don't expect the horse to work well on small circles until it has developed the correct muscle and balance - trail rides are ideal for training standies in a natural non pressured environment, and many will break into a canter when going uphill as it is easier work:)

If you go the trainer route - make sure it is someone who has an understanding of the breed - or at least someone who appreciates them...run a mile from anyone who tells you that standies can't canter or make good riding horses as the vast majority of them can and do!

There are also some great dvd's at www.horseproblems.com.au - one is re-training the standardbred, the other is track to dressage, the re-mouthing dvd and also training the leg yeild - all very helpful if you are doing the training yourself.

Good luck and please post some piccies of your new horse!

Michelle