Canter exercises

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dressage_diva

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My WB is schooling at elementary and I'd like some more exercises to incorporate into our canter work. He finds it incredibly easy to collect in the canter but he has a tendency to come a bit too uphill in the frame in canter at times and I am working on getting him to lengthen his frame and stretch his neck down more whilst still working over his back (he finds this easy in walk and trot).

Does anyone have any good exercises for the canter? Just looking for some new ideas as currently we just play with walk/trot transitions to/from canter, transitions within the canter itself, circles, riding diamonds and a bit of shoulder-fore. Thanks
 
What about counter canter? you can use serpentines, loops or alternate counter canter with correct lead through walk transitions.
also with the transitions in canter try to alternate with light seat as well x
 
Thanks I hadn't thought about riding serpentines in the canter but that's a good idea as I find they really improve his trot and a nice way to change up the counter canter too! Thanks.

Anyone else recommend any good exercises for the canter?
 
Provided he's not too much of an idiot out hacking, find yourself some nice hills (they don't have to be big - in fact, it's better to start out with fairly gentle slopes) and do plenty of canter work up, down, and along them on a fairly regular basis. Once he feels balanced doing it in working canter, you can bring in some collection and extension (also lateral work, but that might take a little longer to get to).

It isn't necessarily a super-quick method, but it will get you a balanced, adjustable canter that is consistent across many situations.

If he IS an idiot out hacking, practice that first before you start cantering outside the school (any horse can learn to hack safely, and EVERY horse should).
 
Thanks we haven't really established half pass yet so will leave that exercise for later on. I was always taught not to ride leg yield on the canter - have I been missing out all of these years?
 
pennandh said:
Provided he's not too much of an idiot out hacking, find yourself some nice hills (they don't have to be big - in fact, it's better to start out with fairly gentle slopes) and do plenty of canter work up, down, and along them on a fairly regular basis. Once he feels balanced doing it in working canter, you can bring in some collection and extension (also lateral work, but that might take a little longer to get to).

It isn't necessarily a super-quick method, but it will get you a balanced, adjustable canter that is consistent across many situations.

If he IS an idiot out hacking, practice that first before you start cantering outside the school (any horse can learn to hack safely, and EVERY horse should).
Click to expand...

Thanks he goes up on our gallops which are hills regularly so he does plenty of cantering up hills already :)
 
shortstuff99 said:
Well Carl Hester uses canter leg yield so it can't be that bad! Lol. Could start introducing a bit of travers on a circle get the hind leg moving?
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Thanks for some reason I had it in my head you shouldn't ride leg yield in canter! We are just starting travers in trot so once that it is more established will play with it in the canter too
 
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Yes, harder on circles. Practice riding between the gears in the true canter taking it back to 2nd gear (1st gear probably too advanced at the moment) then go 2nd,3rd etc. Try and make an obvious difference between each gear, keep the tempo the same and keep the neck soft. Then give it a go in counter canter. It's tough so build up slowly.

Leg yield in canter is perfectly ok and you can go both ways so in direction of leading leg and away from leading leg. Helps with suppleness.
 
Another counter canter exercise is to come up the long side in true canter shoulder in, then go into a lengthened canter across the diagonal (I normally used to make it a fairly short diagonal), then collect up for counter canter around the next short side, and back across the diagonal into true. Obviously you can also go all the way around and change back into true canter after doing two short sides in counter canter.

We also used to alternate between riding a shoulder in, and a 'shoulder out' on a 20m circle, just to get him loose and supple and listening. Normally we would straighten for a few strides in between whilst remaining on the circle too.

You can of course do simple changes from true to counter canter as well, normally at E or B.
 
My favourite canter exercise is riding a 10m circle in collected canter at A, opening to medium canter (and really going for it!!) down the long side, and back to another 10m collected at C. Really gets them sitting on their hocks and listening to aids. I now have to vary it as mine anticipates the collection and mediums, so pop in 10m circles at H or P or F etc instead.
I also really like canter leg yield out on a circle, and as Star says, moving between gears in counter canter - I find it really helps with suppleness.
 
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