Correct canter lead

[Gorgeous George]

Ok, I am probably asking to be laughed at by asking this, but I need some help. I have real trouble knowing when I am on the correct canter lead (I mentioned this in another post and I think some people were shocked I couldn't tell

). I have been riding for 30 yrs and have never been able to tell

- ok I've admitted it now. I can tell if I'm on the ground, but not when on board, George pretty much canters on the correct leg on the left rein every time (I know from my lessons and lunging), but not always on the right rein. He is big and somewhat unbalanced on the right rein and if he canters on the wrong leg it doesn't feel awful or odd at all

When I ask people how they know they say, oh you can just feel it

Help! (Blimey I feel daft asking this

)

 

[Bossanova]

Any chance you could have a couple of lunge lessons? They should help you get your seat plugged in and give you time to really sit in and feel the movement of the canter. Works best on a nicely balanced horse which can canter quite slowly with an instructor who is happy to just focus on that one thing

 

[Natch]

Stop worrying! Everyone has to learn!

The ability to feel it will come, but first you've got to be able to tell, right? So stop trying to (metaphorically speaking) canter before you can walk! he he

I find the easiest way to tell by looking when onboard is to look at how far forward their shoulders reach, and in what order. You know when you learn rising trot and you look for the shoulder that is going forwards to rise to? Its the same movement, but one shoulder will reach a tad further forward than the other one - that should be the inside shoulder. The inside one should also be after the outside one - if you think about the footfall sequence for canter, its outside hind, opposites together and inside fore last, then a pause before it repeats, so looking at his shoulders you shoud see a onetwo pause onetwo pause, you want the inside shoulder to be "two".

Any help or clear as mud?

Its easier to learn it if someone on the ground helps you - if you can call out one two three to his tempo you're half way there. Its not as complicatd as I've made it sound, honest!

 

[mickey]

I second the lunge lesson advice. Having someone to tell you when it is right and when it is wrong (repeatedly) and getting you to tell them any changes in how it feels will really help. They will also be able to tell you what to look out for to make sure it is right.

They may get you to purposefully get wrong leg a few times just so that you can then feel how it is different.
Sorry, I didn't answer the question really, but I do think help on the ground is totally invaluable with something like this.

When my horse goes wrong the canter is so unbalanced that I think anyone could tell!!