Getting a green horse to canter

[MTrewhella1]

For background, Django has just turned 6 and is a Welsh section D. I backed him around 2 years ago, but have been regularly riding for 1 year. We have taken it very slow previously. Django can canter on the lunge, he can canter in a grass field, he will canter whilst hacking in company when behind. When lunging and riding in the field he understands my vocal cue "canter" and my squeeze and scoop. However, I am really struggling to get him into a canter whilst out hacking on our own or in the sand school. When hacking he will almost break into a stride of canter but revert back to a fast trot. I don't believe he's being lazy, I think I'm confusing him and I'm not too sure how to correct it (or what I'm exactly doing wrong). I don't understand how he can do it on the lunge or a field, but not whilst hacking or in the sand school. I originally thought he might just need to learn to balance more, but would this effect cantering on hacks?

 

[Cortez]

Have you had any lessons with this horse?

 

[Gloi]

Ask uphill when out hacking and put a low cross pole by a corner of the sand school and ask over that.

 

[MTrewhella1]

@Cortez We have been having schooling lessons for the past couple of months. We work mainly in trot, and learning the basics of dressage (which is what my instructor specialises in). Instructor is great, very old school and I'm silently dreading the the day when she asks me to go into a canter. I feel her response would be something similar to "I'm here to teach you schooling and dressage, not to train your horse to canter". It just seems like such a basic we should already know, and I'm very embarrassed I can't achieve a canter whilst schooling! ?

 

[Cortez]

@Cortez We have been having schooling lessons for the past couple of months. We work mainly in trot, and learning the basics of dressage (which is what my instructor specialises in). Instructor is great, very old school and I'm silently dreading the the day when she asks me to go into a canter. I feel her response would be something similar to "I'm here to teach you schooling and dressage, not to train your horse to canter". It just seems like such a basic we should already know, and I'm very embarrassed I can't achieve a canter whilst schooling! ?

Why don't you ask your instructor about it? No need to feel embarrassed, in fact just fess up straight away and ask her to "install" the aids for you. It's much easier to teach the horse to do it than explain it to a rider who's not too clear on the "how to".

 

[maya2008]

I agree get your instructor to help you. It’s a two person job. My son’s pony (newly backed) is similar. He will canter in a field or out hacking (following or in front), or behind another pony in the school. He hasn’t felt confident enough to canter in the school on his own yet though. Different surface, the worry about corners etc. We have time, and he’s only been in the school 4 times, so I am not worried. His buddy, who has been backed a little longer, will canter in the school but I support from the ground if needed. They both find the surface harder than grass.

 

[j1ffy]

@Cortez We have been having schooling lessons for the past couple of months. We work mainly in trot, and learning the basics of dressage (which is what my instructor specialises in). Instructor is great, very old school and I'm silently dreading the the day when she asks me to go into a canter. I feel her response would be something similar to "I'm here to teach you schooling and dressage, not to train your horse to canter". It just seems like such a basic we should already know, and I'm very embarrassed I can't achieve a canter whilst schooling! ?

You instructor is there to help you with whatever you need that day - they shouldn't be concerned if it's too 'basic', in fact the vast majority of dressage training is on the basics rather than the more complex movements. I've had a few lessons where we have had to work on things that are embarrassingly simple - how to get a 'boring' rhythmical trot, how to get a canter transition (on a horse I was capable of riding all the lateral movements on, but we lost our canter!) - I've competed to Medium and should be more than capable of those things, my trainer has competed to GP and trains many other people at that level.

If you feel your instructor won't help you with the canter transition as it's too 'basic', you need a new trainer. In reality I am sure she would be delighted to help you get it right from the start instead of having to fix something that you have tried and failed to do!

 

[Leandy]

I'm a bit astonished you have been riding this horse for a year and having regular lessons for a couple of months and you haven't yet established the canter! Just ask your instructor to help you with it. It seems to have become a block in your head - "we can't". Of course you can. If it helps you focus in the school you can ask over a pole so your horse is encouraged to skip over it into canter and you are encouraged to make sure the canter happens at a particular point. And carry a schooling whip. If there is no response to your leg aid then make it stronger and clearer. If still no response tap with the whip. If you ask for canter then you need to get it, or you are teaching them to ignore the aid. You can tidy up the transition and balance later but you need to instill a proper, no nonsense, response to the canter aid. If you aren't confident in what you are doing, get your instructor to help, or even to ride and show you.

 

[Birker2020]

@Cortez We have been having schooling lessons for the past couple of months. We work mainly in trot, and learning the basics of dressage (which is what my instructor specialises in). Instructor is great, very old school and I'm silently dreading the the day when she asks me to go into a canter. I feel her response would be something similar to "I'm here to teach you schooling and dressage, not to train your horse to canter". It just seems like such a basic we should already know, and I'm very embarrassed I can't achieve a canter whilst schooling! ?

I was like this when I went to try Lari out when I viewed him. Couldn't get him to canter from a trot, hadn't quite found the 'button'. Then I thought about it and about him being a SJ from a competition background and walked him on a tighter contact, flexed him and asked for canter from walk and he knew straight away what I meant and was very obliging.

It might have been my seat (very out of practice having not schooled for about 5 years) or it may have been that he found it easier that way/was used to being asked that way.
I'm not suggesting that with your horse but what I'm saying is that you need to 'find the button'.

If you ask for canter in a corner of the school (which is the best place to ask) and inside leg on the girth outside leg behind you might find that it works. You will never get a canter from an unbalanced trot so you need to have a nice active trot before you ask.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I think I would change your instructor they should have been helping you with canter by now, many good instructors will get on and try and establish what's going on if you are struggling with something.

 

[ihatework]

@Cortez We have been having schooling lessons for the past couple of months. We work mainly in trot, and learning the basics of dressage (which is what my instructor specialises in). Instructor is great, very old school and I'm silently dreading the the day when she asks me to go into a canter. I feel her response would be something similar to "I'm here to teach you schooling and dressage, not to train your horse to canter". It just seems like such a basic we should already know, and I'm very embarrassed I can't achieve a canter whilst schooling! ?

Sometimes you just have to get on and do it. I’m surprised your instructor hasn’t already addressed this. If you open the conversation and they aren’t 100% supportive then quite honestly I’d sack them!

2 things I’d do in your shoes just to help you get over what sounds more like a mental block.

1. Get lunged on the horse. Your instructor can then assist with the canter while you can focus on your balance in and out of the trans
2. Get someone experienced to help establish the canter for you!

 

[Leandy]

And just to pick up a point from up thread. I don't think this is about "finding" the canter button. Horses don't come pre-programmed, you have to train them. This is about installing the canter button.

 

[sbloom]

I would predict the canters he offers under saddle are less than 100% in terms of his balance and ability to carry you. HOW a horse canters is incredibly important, much more so than getting the canter itself, and I disagree that after a year you should absolutely be cantering. A customer of mine has spent 6 months in walk with her trainer, it's the easiest way to improve the rider, and of course, improve the rider, improve the horse at a much greater rate.

 

[tristar]

I would predict the canters he offers under saddle are less than 100% in terms of his balance and ability to carry you. HOW a horse canters is incredibly important, much more so than getting the canter itself, and I disagree that after a year you should absolutely be cantering. A customer of mine has spent 6 months in walk with her trainer, it's the easiest way to improve the rider, and of course, improve the rider, improve the horse at a much greater rate.

totally agree with this

 

[Cortez]

I once knew an extremely eminent dressage person (Olympic competitor) who had a horse for a year and hadn't cantered it once. Having said that the average young horse should be able to canter when it's asked.

 

[tristar]

i am riding a 12 yr old horse who had never cantered under saddle til now

our sponsor has built the horses a 40 x 70 arena, just finished last week, i have had said horse in there 3 times, struck off into canter twice the first time, next time 3 times, yesterday he cantered nearly a whole circuit, i let him come back to trot as he tires, no force, in prep for when he can go in the big fields when the corn is cut

i may add usually i canter green horses hacking but this one is well capable and copes very well with the other work and only asked to canter in short bursts to install aids and strike off, until full operating temperature is reached

sometimes i will ask for canter a short burst as part of warming up to loosen the horse but in an undemanding way, and take no notice of the quality til later in the session

 

[tristar]

@Cortez We have been having schooling lessons for the past couple of months. We work mainly in trot, and learning the basics of dressage (which is what my instructor specialises in). Instructor is great, very old school and I'm silently dreading the the day when she asks me to go into a canter. I feel her response would be something similar to "I'm here to teach you schooling and dressage, not to train your horse to canter". It just seems like such a basic we should already know, and I'm very embarrassed I can't achieve a canter whilst schooling! ?

instead of saying cant, next time you ride try thinking ``am going to ask``, nicely,
and keep asking politely but from your best trot, make sure your hands are not holding the horse back, try to ask somewhere where you can go straight, ie ask in corner of short side so if you get canter the horse can go forwards and straight, it does`nt matter if the first attempt or two `launches`are untidy ish, it will soon improve in a few weeks

the horse i am riding was running on in trot last week, yesterday he picked up nicely a few times, but i am not bullying him just trying to show him what i want and giving him the chance to respond

 

[SEL]

Because welshies have a big trot some find it difficult to balance enough to sort their legs out for canter. Going back years now I had a young one with this issue. I was lucky that we had an uphill slope in a field and I taught voice command on lunge first then asked on the slope. We had quite a lot of bucks as he sorted his legs and I used to stick one hand under a neck strap so I wouldn't accidentally catch him in the mouth confusing him.

I then did quite a lot of transitions hacking. He used to find walk to canter easier than trot to canter.

Once that was reliable I tried - & failed! - in the indoor school. After a few attempts and realising I was making a hash of it a friend who rode at a pretty high level popped on. She had very strong, very clear aids and sorted it quickly for me - but he never found the indoor easy to balance in. I was tipping forward as I asked for the transition so that wasn't helping. Always worth getting someone else on board if you're struggling.

 

[Caol Ila]

My Highland had never cantered in the school until last Wednesday. He is about 12. In fairness, he hadn’t done anything in the school until late January. I worked on developing balance in walk and trot. If he was all over the place in trot, canter would not be an improvement.

I cantered on the trails, following other people. Then this month, I’ve been cantering alone on the trails. Makes more sense to him, running up a track rather than running across an arena.

During my lesson, my instructor asked me to give it a go. And we did. Several times on both leads.

 

[alibali]

None of us here can see either your riding or how your horse is moving. There may be a reason your instructor has stuck to trot with you as a combination. They may feel either your horse is not yet balanced or strong or coordinated enough to perform canter within the confines of an arena. Or they may feel your riding isn't of a sufficient standard to support a young horse as they learn to canter. The best thing you can do is ask your instructor for their point of view and suggestions for how to progress after all they are familiar with both you and your horses capabilities and you are paying them for their expertise! If they aren't able to justify their approach and outline how they intend working towards progression then yes you may need to change instructor however you've not given them any opportunity to address your concerns or explain their approach. That would be my first step before changing instructor.

There's no shame in not being the right person for the job if your riding is the issue. I've ridden for 40 odd years, I've educated many youngsters in that time turning them into well mannered hacking horses who are confident and trustworthy in all manner of situations. However, truth be told, I'm no dressage rider and frankly lack capability and get bored within minutes of entering an arena! I do however very much understand the value of schooling to build up the correct muscles and educate horses how to carry weight and move correctly to reduce the likelihood of injury.

I am currently backing my next horse and as soon as the appropriate basics are installed I will be sending her away on schooling livery to a beautiful and sensitive rider who will be able to teach her more about how to balance and move correctly in a month than I would in a year. I'm doing this because I recognise I'm not the right person for the job. Once the mare has had the opportunity to learn, strengthen and become established without my hindering her then the instructor will give us a few lessons together to get us all singing from the same hymn sheet and I'll take her home and continue her education in the big wide world which is the part I am good at. I intend keeping her for the rest of her life so a months schooling livery (with the right person) to give her the best chance of learning good habits and building the correct muscles right from the start is a very sensible investment in my opinion.

 

[Red-1]

I think it is assuming a lot to say to sack the instructor!

One student I had took 6 months to mount the horse! There were many reasons and, by the time she did mount, the horse was going very well for her in long reins and lungeing (not a baby horse). It was right for her. Things went smoothly from then on as we had filled in the gaps and built confidence.

With many novicey riders on young cobs, especially, we will work to get the horse truly off the aids and balanced before broaching canter.

I would have the discussion with your instructor, see what their game plan is.