Canter Transitions

Chestnut mare

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Hi Everyone,

I sadly lost my horse of 19 years 2 and a half years ago. During the last 10 years of ownership we were happy hackers previously doing sponsored rides and prelim dressage.

I had a break from horses apart from the odd hack on a friends horse and a couple of riding school lessons.

A couple of months ago I have taken on a share of a lovely horse, he’s an absolutely saint. It’s mostly a hacking share but owner is happy for me to do sponsored rides, lessons, clinics etc.

Any way bringing me onto my point, I have a massive issue with asking for canter. I’ve had a couple of lessons on him, but it’s still not cracking it.

I think I’m a reasonable rider, my instructor says I’m a lovely soft, light rider. But this is getting very embarrassing! This horse is wonderful and I don’t want to ruin him.

I try to sit the trot, I ask with leg on and leg behind the girth, I then find that I’m still rising but asking, the horse is getting confused, the trot is getting faster and more unbalanced, I lose my balance and end up having to walk. This is on the riding school horses too not just on my share so it’s me not the horses.

I don’t have lot of money to spend on lessons can anyone help?
 

Flowerofthefen

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Carry on rising and let the horse naturally go into canter. If your trying to sit and are becoming unbalanced the horse won't feel confident enough to strike off into canter. Another trick could be to use your hips rather than your legs to ask. Using your legs can sometimes cause you to become unbalanced, then you lean forward, and look down etc!! Just sitting and flicking the same hip as the leg you want can work well.
 

holeymoley

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I continue to rise in to canter too. Sounds like the horse is rushing and getting faster, try and half halt or balance him with your outside rein. An inside bend might help him too.
 

Pinkvboots

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One of my horses just won't canter unless you ask 100% correctly which I struggled with as my other one is so honest you only have to think canter and he goes.

I used to get in a flap if it went wrong and then it would just get worse he can also be really spooky so sometimes I don't really feel like canter, he then really knows if it's a half hearted attempt and just doesn't do it.

I now don't always canter if I am not in the right frame of mind which is fine so don't feel like you have to every time.

With him I have a sequence where I sit half halt inside leg on and outside leg back, and I sort of run through it in my head but try not to over think it, the quality of trot makes a difference as well get a nice forward trot and I often do a bit of leg yield towards the track before I ask. Using your voice can also help if they recognise voice aids mine are both trained from the voice and on the lunge will canter straight away from my voice.
 

sportsmansB

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Mine wouldn't canter from a rising trot, so that might not work depending on the horse.
You need to think about gathering the trot up first, not pushing it faster

But it sounds like you need to work in sitting trot (it would be great if you could get a lunge lesson) as its your balance in sitting trot and having the independence to also use your legs effectively which seems to be the issue,
 

Leandy

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I've never heard of cantering straight from a rise and I've ridden to a professional level for decades! I would always prepare for canter by going sitting for a couple of strides first during which time I will balance them with a half halt to indicate a transition is coming and then apply the legs for the canter transition. Some horses go more easily from the inside leg aid than from the outside one also. If the horse is otherwise well schooled then I think you are not giving him the cues he is used to and so he is confused. If the horse is not well schooled then you will need to be consistent, clear and firm with exactly how you are asking and repeat, repeat, repeat until you both get it together. It may be easier directly from walk in either case, rather than letting him run on his forehand in trot first.
 

Annagain

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It sounds to me like you might need to practice sitting to the trot a bit first. Forget about canter for a moment, just focus on sitting to the trot - first for two beats then rise again, then 3, 5, 7, 9 then half a circle and a whole circle. When you're comfortable doing that, think about asking for canter.
 

Flowerofthefen

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I've never heard of cantering straight from a rise and I've ridden to a professional level for decades! I would always prepare for canter by going sitting for a couple of strides first during which time I will balance them with a half halt to indicate a transition is coming and then apply the legs for the canter transition. Some horses go more easily from the inside leg aid than from the outside one also. If the horse is otherwise well schooled then I think you are not giving him the cues he is used to and so he is confused. If the horse is not well schooled then you will need to be consistent, clear and firm with exactly how you are asking and repeat, repeat, repeat until you both get it together. It may be easier directly from walk in either case, rather than letting him run on his forehand in trot first.
It could be a new realisation as a few trainers round here are now using it when riders or horses become unbalanced when doing sitting trot. It definitely works!!
 
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