This was an original article designed especially for Heels Down Mag.
My horse goes stiff and above the bit in the transition to canter. I can get her soft and supple in the trot but everything falls apart in the canter. How to I fix that?
“First off, you are not alone! Keeping your horse soft, supple, and round through transitions and especially in the canter is really hard. The fact that you can get him round in the trot is a great starting spot. Remember that the loss of roundness in the transition comes from a loss of balance and thoroughness of the topline. It’s our job as a rider to help our horse find that balance again and teach them how to carry their body so they can build the correct muscles to carry us easier and more effectively.
First thing you want to do is to check your position and balance. Be sure you have both your heel, hip, shoulder, ear line and the elbow, hands, bit line. The most common mistake I see riders make is leaning forward in the canter transition. This will make it hard/if not impossible for your horse to keep their balance and stay round during the canter transition.
Next to practice your preparation for the trot-canter transitions by riding some trot-walk-trot transitions and make sure that you can keep your horse round and supple through those transitions. This will really establish your aids and remind your horse which muscles in their back they should be using. Then when you start to school your trot-canter transitions, really focus on getting your horse a little extra round and a little bigger in the trot before the canter transition. This bigger trot allows the horse to find the balance and roundness in a higher speed and thus makes the gait transition easier for them.
