Your “improve canter” exercises, not just the advanced riders but everyone. Lend me your tips 🤣

[hock]

I’ll go first:

Ride canter on an inside track.

I find it easier to train collection after teaching/encouraging extended/medium canter.

Outide rein and half halts, it’s the equestrian equivilant of duct tape and wd40. Apply liberally and often .

No matter how basic or obvious please give me your canter exercises, improvements. I am starting to do more training and I have my usual go to’s but always keen to learn ways and experiences to keep things fresh and challenging for my own rides and clients. Thank you!

 

[ponynutz]

Most of mine are for jumping but:

- Walk to canter transitions to get her off my leg (works especially well after a rein back)
- Collected in the corner and impulsion down the long side
- 'Spiral circle' I like to do most in canter (loathe it in the trot)
- Bounces or canter poles and working on straightness while doing them

 

[teapot]

Lateral, suppling and straightening work in the trot - really undervalued for improving the canter imho

One of my faves is the leg yield from 3/4 line to track, 10m circle, shoulder in, straight, walk transition, back into trot, 10m circle, and repeat (and can be reversed too if you have an evil coach like I do )

 

[alibali]

One from my polo pony days, rising canter, helps bring them more together

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

From my time as a dressage writer and overheard, ride the canter in a dressage test like the eventers do; with some forward, not with the handbrake on.

 

[SEL]

Get your horse out for a really good gallop and build up those glutes!

 

[silv]

Lots of shallow loops, leg yields, 6/8 strides of a really collected canter then same in an extended canter. Counter canter, rain back to canter.

 

[TheMule]

Ride squares, never circles- that’s the biggest thing I can ever do to improve the canter

 

[Aperchristmas]

I also ride canter in squares, lots of halt to canter (if the horse is established/strong enough) and as with so many things, hillwork!

 

[catkin]

Ride squares, never circles- that’s the biggest thing I can ever do to improve the canter

Riding squares helps with all paces in my world!

Mixing it up by changing pace at each or random corners of the squares.

Our favourite exercise at the moment for strike-offs is trotting 3 10m circles on alternate reins down one half of the school then turn onto centre line, strike off on the turn, canter down centre line, back to trot ( or perhaps walk?) for the turn at the other end. Find it helps with forward thinking

 

[Quigleyandme]

When hacking, canter in a nice rhythm, trot a few strides, ask for canter lead on the other leg, repeat.

 

[humblepie]

From my time as a dressage writer and overheard, ride the canter in a dressage test like the eventers do; with some forward, not with the handbrake on.

I’m very much handbrake on and my schooling at present is up out of the saddle and forward. I don’t jump now but I will come round a corner and say to myself fence and think I’m riding to a jump to try to keep more onward.

 

[DabDab]

Let go of the inside rein.

 

[humblepie]

Let go of the inside rein.
[/QUOTE
Whilst not wanting to hijack post that is what I’m doing alongside my think forward. I realised I really grab the left inside rein and block him.

 

[hock]

Most of mine are for jumping but:

- Walk to canter transitions to get her off my leg (works especially well after a rein back)
- Collected in the corner and impulsion down the long side
- 'Spiral circle' I like to do most in canter (loathe it in the trot)
- Bounces or canter poles and working on straightness while doing them

Thanks for the reply! Spiral circle, like leg yielding in and then back out? Yer I agree so much harder in trot!

 

[hock]

Let go of the inside rein.

Yes oh my goodness couldn’t agree more!

 

[hock]

Lateral, suppling and straightening work in the trot - really undervalued for improving the canter imho

One of my faves is the leg yield from 3/4 line to track, 10m circle, shoulder in, straight, walk transition, back into trot, 10m circle, and repeat (and can be reversed too if you have an evil coach like I do )

So I was riding the exercise in my head and even didn’t the “think counter flexion to get the straightness” thank you

 

[hock]

Lots of shallow loops, leg yields, 6/8 strides of a really collected canter then same in an extended canter. Counter canter, rain back to canter.

Yes this is where I personally am with one of mine .. haven’t been brave enough for rein back to canter yet as he’s only just settling from walk to canter! My horse when we first introduced walk canter just wanted to canter everywhere - politely but determined

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Squares, walk-canter-walk transitions, spirals, changing pace within the gait (collected to working to medium and back again). I also liked riding a canter clock face, so on a circle at 12, 3, 6, 9 ride a canter-walk-canter transition but count the walk strides so you ride the same number each time, this was really for me to work on counting for the sequence changes but its amazing how it sharpens up your transitions, can also be done in any other paces too. Really anything that encourages the hocks underneath and weight behind, we also used to practice changing gait off the seat alone, if you can canter-walk off your seat you know the horse is on the aids and in self carriage .

 

[hock]

Ride squares, never circles- that’s the biggest thing I can ever do to improve the canter

Yep great and one I do with the babies in walk but not other paces! Great for collection I imagine in canter!

 

[Annagain]

On a circle, canter 12 strides, trot 12 strides, canter 12 strides, trot 11, canter 12 strides, trot 10 etc. Once you've mastered canter / trot / canter, do the same with canter / walk / canter. Does wonders for transitions and balance in canter and really sharpens up your aids so it's really good for you as a rider as well as the horse.

 

[abbijay]

I'm currently struggling with "adjustability" in my canter - he picks his pace and that is it. I have been working on alternating 2 small strides, 2 big strides (it's not collection/extension we're a long way off that) on the long side then let him pick his own strides round the short side. He's listening for me on the short side now. As he develops we will build this to 3&3 and then 4&4 and include the short sides or circles as well as developing into actual collection/extension.
Walk to canter is always a fave of mine to put in early. Lateral move in trot to canter as they develop.
And I do enjoy anything that moves the canter around - shallow loops or leg yielding depending on the horse's level.

 

[Identityincrisis]

These are great, and perfect timing for me and my horse

 

[hock]

These are great, and perfect timing for me and my horse

i Quite agree, everything is square shaped for me at the moment

 

[daydreamer]

An old one from when I had lessons at Talland - trot a 12-15m circle, transition to walk, half 5m circle outwards to change the rein then pick up canter and canter a 20m circle.

Canter is my worst pace so I will have to make a note of all these exercises!!

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Also anyone wanting to work on canter-walk transitions, try cantering a 10m circle off the track, then asking for walk as you get to the fence line, the wall should help back them off and help them get the idea of the direct transition.

 

[Dave's Mam]

I've been working with a new instructor recently & her thing about letting the inside rein go is "Pat his neck", it's great! I'm patting lots & scratching.