Struggling with Canter Transition!

[Julia.Dominika]

Hi everyone!

I feel like there are many posts and videos online that show how to go from trot to canter, but I feel like i'm not really getting anywhere.
I get the hang off my seat pretty well but its when i'm getting into canter and ask for an aid (sit, inside leg on girth and outside leg behind) that my Loan horse Faith leaps into it and i loose it.
Worst thing is she gets pretty frustrated and sweaty during our canter transitions so i'm clearly giving mixed signals to her.
I do posting trot before i ask for canter, and i've tried sitting trot but my muscles go all tense when we go into it.

I can't go on a lunge line with her as she hates going into canter on it (I'm guessing it's being chase by the whip) as when we asked for canter she would buck and i've already fallen off her. But otherwise she's perfect going in a 20 meter circle.

She's not used to cantering and isn't the best at it, but i don't think her understanding my aid's is her fault.

I've been practising for over a month now and just can't get the concept.

Would really like some help! Any Advice would be great! I'm trying everything at the moment.

 

[Auslander]

Have you had another rider on her, to see how they get on.

I'm not normally one for attributing everything to pain, but if she is reluctant to canter, and doesn't canter well once she's in canter - it might be worth considering discomfort as a factor. My very highly schooled horse went through a stage of not wanting to canter. Had his hocks medicated, and he's perfectly happy to canter again

 

[Julia.Dominika]

Her owner has ridden her and manages to get her into canter perfectly. Another one of my friends has ridden her but he rushes the horse into canter and it's kind of like the easiest way to get her into canter.

I was also at the stage where i wondered if it was pain or discomfort, but i've free lunged her and she has a really nice transition with the correct lead.
I don't think it's her, she's really a listener and a teacher, an experienced and a good rider is able to get her into canter, so it must be me.

 

[Shay]

You can't get into canter from rising (posting) trot. All you'll do is rush her forward until she has no choice but to canter to save herself.

You need to set her up so she can canter with the minimum interference from you. Trot to canter is actually quite a hard transition with a rider. Trot is a laterally flat gait so she has to get her hind legs right up under her and bunch her back to strike off. If she isn't terribly strong in the back or is unbalanced by the rider then she may struggle.

Only ask for canter from a sitting trot - not rising. You must sit at least 2 beats - and if that unbalances you then don't canter. Ask in the corner so her weight is better balanced to her leading leg. Have a neck strap so that if she has to jump forward a bit so she can get her hocks under her then you are not unbalanced and catching her in the mouth.

To be honest it sounds as if you are really not well balanced for her yet. She is trying - but neither of you are coping. Perhaps go back a bit until you are really stable at walk and trot? Also get a good instructor to help you. Flopping about and impeding her is no fun for either of you and it won't be to long before something happens to knock your confidence. You need to get your core stability so you can do sitting trot easily and in balance - with and without stirrups. Only then get back to asking her for canter.

You are doing absolutely the right thing by looking for pain and - correctly - ruling it out. Then looking to yourself as a rider. That is the correct, mature and responsible approach. Step back a bit, get a good instructor and in a few weeks you'll be wondering what all the worry was about!

 

[Maesto's Girl]

I'd work on your sitting trot. Try and get it nice and relaxed so you are not tensing through your legs. This will help you put the leg aids on clearly and most likely stop her getting flustered. It'll also give you a stronger position to make sure she is balanced when she strikes off. One way to help with sitting trot is to take away the stirrups. Start by just walking 5/10 mins of your schooling sesssion without stirrups. It'll help you develop a deeper seat and a stronger core. Then try a few steps in trot.

Good luck!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Some good advice above but just to add; when you get back to asking for the transition in the school, rise if you need to, until the corner, sit as you go round the corner, ask for canter as you come out of the corner. Set yourselves up for success.
Do you hack? Can you follow a sensible horse and rider up a hill at canter? That would help you get the feel of the transition and your horse is less likely to buck going up hill.

 

[Julia.Dominika]

Thank you everyone for the advice! I'll work on my sitting trot. And as much as i can do is move forward, my balance is perfect during rising trot and i'm able to keep myself centred, but as you mentioned i'm guessing it's just me helplessly trying to go from rising trot into canter while making the poor girl confused. Her owner is a really good instructor so she's taught me well but she isn't always available to teach me on her busiest days.

But there's nothing else i can do with mastering with my rising trot and walk. I'm guessing it's just working on my sitting trot.
Her owner has mentioned that she's got a more bouncier canter as she's also not as experienced, but she's a hardworking individual.

 

[Julia.Dominika]

Unfortunately we don't have good terrain in our place, and i'm still getting comfortable with hacking as she's a spooky horse, we've mostly got roads to cover on our hack instead of woods and plains (would love that though!)
I feel like when i watch a rider go into canter it looks almost easy, and when I ride it feels really over exaggerated and big I'm not sure how to describe it, but hopefully we'll get there where our transition will look flawless!

Maybe I'm just thinking about it too much, and it's not as hard as i make it out to be when i finally get it!

Thanks for the support everyone!

 

[Maesto's Girl]

Just try not to overthink it...it will happen! My transitions to canter didn't start their life looking easy😂

I'd also add, when she gets flustered, bring back to a steady trot until the next corner and then ask again. My mare is terrible if you don't ask precisely right and can try to run into it so I've done a lot of this 😊

 

[Shay]

You say you are perfectly balanced at walk and rising trot and there is nothing more you can do to perfect your riding at those gaits? I'm not sure any of us are such paragons all the time!

Try working without stirrups - you can still do rising trot without them. But it is also a good way of showing you how to soften your seat so you are not bounced around so much at sitting trot. Also try work standing upright in your stirrups. No matter how balanced you are that is a good exercise to show you any remaining areas of strength you could work on. (Use a neck strap so you have something to grab that isn't her mouth when you loose balance - everyone does from time to time.)

If you have a friend who could help you could also work on postural exercises on the lunge - arm circles, riding with your hands behind your back, moving your legs away etc. But only on the lunge for obvious reasons!

 

[wren123]

Agree with others totally.
If you can't be lunged another thing to practice would be asking for a slow trot just for a few strides then back to Walk to help you matter sitting trot. Keeping it slow will help you to sit. You could also throw in a few halts to mix it up. Try and do the transitions when you want, keeping them smooth. When you do sitting trot try lifting your chest but keeping your lower back and hips soft,so your upper body erect with your lower body following the movement but not collapsing.

 

[Frances Ann]

I am actually struggling with this in my weekly riding lesson. I have a wonderful instructor and a Dutch Warm Blood I ride. She's a trained dressage horse but tends to be left bent all the time. I tend to be weaker on my right side as a rider. So, we consistently get each other out of alignment. She responds to the canter depart, but I lose her canter too often back to a trot. I am working on keeping my seat down and back. I tend to lean forward at the depart and also, give away the reins. So, it's coordination of the aids and staying relaxed and confident in the canter. It sounds like your both missing the aids. It's a lot to coordinate and stay relaxed following the movement. Maybe just stay on a 20 meter circle and do several trot, walk, walk trot, halt, etc.. transitions until the horse is really responsive to the aids. I do this and can feel when she is listening and sensitive to my aids. I get the canter depart right away but I am still a passenger on a horse and not riding yet.

 

[Frances Ann]

I thought of something else that might help. I periodically have my instructor video tape me on my iPhone. I've learned a LOT watching myself ride. I can see where my position is causing problems. If you have a friend, ask them to do this, you'll become a better rider right away.

 

[HunkyDory]

Are you able to ride a different pony? Maybe at a riding stables? Just thinking that getting that transition down on a forgiving pony with a smooth action will show you how smooth it can be because you aren't waiting for the lung forward. I think you are nervous of coming off so you are tensing. All the advice above is good. You definitely need to master a comfortable sitting trot, extending your weight down through your heals and going with your horses gate. Into the corner is the best place to ask if you are learning so she can lead on the right leg and be balanced. Does she favour one reign over the other? If so, master it on that one to add to both of your comfort.