Are you having trouble getting your horse to pick up the correct canter lead? Or are they just not responding to your canter aid? The canter transition can be really tricky!
The universal aids for canter are inside leg on at the girth and outside leg behind the girth, but every horse responds a little differently to the aids. It may take a while for you to figure out the unique combination of the aids that works best for your horse, but don’t get discouraged! Once you master the canter, it is such a fun gait to ride!
If you are working on your canter transitions, then you will want to check out this week’s video! In the video, I will be demonstrating three of my favorite exercises to help you improve your canter transitions:
· Leg-yield to Canter – This exercise is great for getting your horse off your inside leg and into your outside rein. Ride up the quarterline at the trot, and ride forward into the leg-yield. Once you reach the rail, ask for canter, and turn onto a 20-meter circle.
· The Snowman – This exercise is probably my all-time favorite. Start the exercise by riding a 20-meter circle in the middle of the arena, then change direction at the centerline and ride a 10-meter circle the opposite direction. As soon as you return to the centerline, change bend and ask for canter, returning to your 20-meter circle. Repeat the pattern by trotting, changing direction, and riding a 10-meter circle at the trot, then change direction back to a 20-meter circle and pick up the canter. If you haven’t done the Snowman exercise before, check out this video where I go into more detail.
· Walk-trot to Canter – This is a great exercise to wake your horse up and get them on your aids. Ride a few walk-trot transitions on a circle to get your horse responsive and paying attention to you. After a few walk-trot transitions, ask for canter after you have transitioned to trot.
I hope these exercises help you with your canter transitions!
If you enjoyed these patterns, then you’ll want to check out my Free PDF mini-course on patterns and figures! Inside you will find my top favorite patterns and figures to help you get your horse supple and on your aids. Each exercise is complete with drone footage on how to ride the pattern as well as diagrams! Download your PDF here.
Happy Riding!
Amelia
P.S. Have you thought about your goals for 2024, yet? We’d love to have you join the free Goal Setting Webinar happening on January 1st, 2024, where I will be talking all about setting achievable goals for the new year, sharing my top tips for riding success, how to stay motivated, and more! RSVP and save your seat for the webinar here.
