The transition from trot to canter is one of the most difficult transitions in my opinion! Most all horses want to come above the bit and use their neck in this transition. It can be incredibly frustrating when your horse is soft and round in the trot but the second you ask for the canter, the head goes up and your horse stiffens!
In this week’s video, I go into detail about how to school and train the Canter transitions to prevent hollowing for a smoother, more supple, and enjoyable ride.
Here are a few tips to help improve your trot-canter transition:
- Go back to the trot-walk-trot transition. A great way to fix a difficult transition (like the trot to canter), is to go back and make sure you’ve done all your homework on an easier transition (like the trot to walk).
- Ride the trot a little rounder and forward into the canter. Prioritize keeping them round in this bigger trot to carry into the canter.
- Check your position. If your position and balance aren’t honest, the horse will have a much harder time staying round and connected.
Watch the video where I demonstrate these exercises and show you how to incorporate them into your daily ride.
