Canter Transitions - help!!

G

Gorgeous George

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 April 2007
Messages
6,268
Location
Essex
Visit site
I have always had trouble getting George to canter when I ask him, it's not that he's lazy or not forward going he just doesn't seem to realise what I'm asking and then just trots even faster! I suspect it is my fault from not feeling quite so stable in the saddle at the trot/canter moment and from yrs of sitting on riding school horses and just kicking
blush.gif
So is there anything I can do to help me improve and for George to understand what I want?

I am doing a prelim test in Feb (eeek!) and I really don't want the shame of not being able to get him to canter
blush.gif


Thanks
 
Try keeping hold of your outside rein, so that you are not letting him run off faster in the trot. When you ask for canter, ask on the approach to a corner, move your outside leg back slightly and squeeze with your inside leg, whilst holding the outside rein (quite firmly if you need to) so he doesn't just trot faster.
 
The horse I ride out hacking on Dartmoor is a bit like that - I have to keep him collected with a short rein and half halt before the transition, then he canters. Otherwise he does a big extended trot, keeping up with the cantering horses - not going to sit that!
 
I have a four year old whom I have done a lot of work on the lunge so when i ask for canter whilst being ridden I back up the aids with verbally asking him for canter as well.
 
How do you ask him for a canter? I would either write it down for yourself or go through it in your head very carefully. This is so you ALWAYS ask him in the same way (especially if you have had experience in kicking on).

Try walk to canter transitions to pinpoint what exactly it is that your horse doesn't understand.
As to transition itself: go for a very very slow trot so when you sit to it you are not all over the place. Move your outside leg back (this will take your outside seat bone/hip back and inside seat bone/hip forward - exactly as your horse has to do with his hips). Leave your inside leg on the girth - it will ask for impulsion.
Establish the outside rein and inside flexion (hold the outside rein and apply your inside leg firmly - then wait for your horse to yield to that pressure; once he does soften with your inside hand).
Shift your weight into your inside seat bone, turn your shoulders/torso to the inside and engage the muscles underneath your seat bones for a second while you put your legs on and ask for a canter (it will feel as if you were lifting your seat slightly off the saddle but it will in fact glue your seat to it!!).
Soften your fingers on the inside rein the moment he strikes for a canter - a reward
smile.gif


All the best at the test:)
 
Hope I am not telling you to suck eggs with my advice! Canter is more of an isssue to the riders brain than the horse, after all he does it most days in the field. It is usually easier to ask for canter as you are coming off a corner as it bends him in the right direction but before you do this you must: make sure the trot is purposeful, balanced and he is listening to you and your aids, we tend to give a half halt just before asking for canter as this tells him you are about to ask for something else (a bit like saying excuse me before you speak!)to do this we sit up, put on what I call a holding leg (embraceing) and squeeze with our outside hand on the rein in short quick squeezes I say 'WOW GO' in my mind it is literally as quick as you say it - if that makes sense!! (not pulling on the rein) some people do this with both reins at the same time but the outside rein is very effective, the half halt re balances the horse so you then put on your canter aids: slight flex with inside hand (this tells him which leg he will lead with in front) your outside leg slides back behind the girth (some people dont slide it back far enough!!) then your inside leg on the girth and squeeze or scoop your horse up with your leg, again you can actually us both legs at the same time to scoop him up if he is a little ignorant of your aids but once he's got the hang of it try to just support him with the outside leg and squeeze with the inside leg. The main factor in all of this is when to actually ask for canter!! if in trot you ask when his head and neck rise up to you, this means his legs are in the best position for him to pop straight into canter, should you ask when his head is lowering his leg sequence has to come back into the correct places before he can canter on the correct leading leg, so the time factor is very important. Don't panic about it just make sure your trot is very good quality before you ask for the canter. Hope I havent been too derogatory to your riding skills.
 
I second what the others say about the half halt before you ask, this will keep him 'together', and don't forget to sit up! I'm terrible for collapsing to the inside when I ask for canter!
 
no not derogatory in the slightest. all these years of riding and I feel a bit shameful in admitting that I just sat down and kicked
blush.gif
- it worked with riding school horses, but i think George is a bit 'what???'. He is pretty willing and usually pops up into canter when I ask in the next corner (or 2!), but I really want him to understand my muffled message and do it straight away - lots more practise me thinks!
 
Keep practicing and it will become second nature then you will just have to slide your outside leg back and he will pop up into canter as they realise what you are going to ask as soon as you do this! make sure you dont allow him to try to canter if he is rushing his trot.
 
echo what other have said. IME trot to canter is the 'rider challenge' transition, loads of people have trouble with it. What I see happen most frequently is that when people want canter they instinctively lean forward little bit and kick. Unfortunately what this does is to cause them to lose contact with the horse's mouth and in order to kick out of sitting trot, they grip with their knees, unbalancing them further so they collapse through their middle... this causes the horse to lose the support of the rider's leg and coupled with a sudden change of balance plus a softening of the rein, many horses just keep trotting faster.

My instructor always says to me that you have to BELIEVE the canter is going to happen. Took me months to figure out what he meant but basically, he was saying you have to sit up, maintain your original 'sitting trot' supportive position and ask with a squeeze of your legs... and if it doesn't happen, rather than getting all frantic and tipping forward and kicking, you need to think to yourself "*I* did the right thing and my horse ignore me" so reblance and ask again, using a squeeze but this time backing it up with your stick.

Because you are not kicking (and thus taking your legs away from the horse's sides) you will be much less inclined to tip forward and lose contact with his mouth. It is hard to explain, took me ages to get it but I hope this helps a bit. Good luck
 
holy smoke, don't know if I just got lucky, but I followed the advice, particularly the 'wow go' with the half halt, thought canter and actively put my outside leg back and tried to 'lift' with my inside and the little poppet popped into canter every time!!!
 
Thats brilliant, well done! its just knowing how and when, a lot of trainers, instructors tell you to just canter without explaining and we all just muddle through but once you know how and more importantly, when, it then makes sense and you will find the right button and time everytime!! do loads of transitions from trot to canter back to trot on a circle, next try to count 10 paces trot 10 canter still on a circle and as it gets easier then reduce the paces to 8, 6, and when really your'e both really balanced then down to 4 canter 4 trot you will be amazed how he will wait and anticipate so you will be tuned into one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top