[FutureVetGirl]

Ok... so I didn't really know where else to put this. So I'm putting it here.

I took about half a year of lessons five years ago... and during that time I had done it all. I was a champ at cantering on almost any horse, and so on. But now... all of that has changed. I had a forced two year break (moving and lack of horses to ride at the new stables), and I had forgotten how to ride. I still had my balance, but I had to relearn how to ask a horse to trot, how to slow him down, etc. Since then, I have gotten better. So better in fact that I'm now riding the more "difficult" horses (and trust me... my bum is "thanking" me for it). I have been able to halt horses that have bolted or bucked, but I haven't done a nice, smooth canter for five years.

I'm really wanting to do it... but I'm also kind of scared to. I'm unsure how to go about it, whether the horse would try and buck me off (they already go semi-nuts when trotting), etc.

So... how do I go about doing it? I'm doing two-point and no stirrup exercizes to strengthen my legs, I have strong arms (things that my dad says are heavy are kind of light to me... :P), and I have really good balance due to my long legs. But I still don't know how to ask for a canter, how to sit to it, etc. The place where I ride no longer has a riding school, but the guy gives me tips now and then. And the places where I ride are within view of everybody... so don't worry about it.

Anyways... enough of my rambling. How do I canter?

[Auzzie Honey]

Ah yes, getting back into cantering is always fun for all bums and thighs involved

Is there someone to lunge you on a safe horse?

If the horse you are riding atm is rushy at the trot, I wouldn't be cantering until the trot is well established. If the trots unco .. the canter may be worse.

If poss, find a good ol' stead to be lunged on. Much easier to start back with a few lunging sessions before tackling cantering solo

[FutureVetGirl]

The trot's that they have aren't quite... rushy. More like hard to keep them going, except at the very beginning. Sorry if I made that unclear.

I'm unsure if there are any older horses available for me to ride. All of the older horses belong to the other BO... and he's not the one I have the 'deal' with. Hmm... I might find out something about an older broodmare or something (most were ridden in their younger days... and all of their foals for this year are weaned...).

I'm also unsure if there is a lunge. Like I said above... I'll ask.

But even with doing it on a lunge and an older horse... how do I go about it? That's my question more than anything.

[Berlunz]

well first off have you loped the horse on a lunge? Does this horse have any prior training? From the sounds of things this does not sound like a good horse for you to be "getting back into things" on. Sounds like its a green, rushy horse with either pain or attitude issues. I would suggest maybe trying to get on a calm lesson horse and doing some loping without having to worry that the horse will dump you.

If you want to canter you need to make sure the horse is at least started in the right direction. So does this horse know transitions and leads? Cantering around on the wrong lead on a green unbalanced horse horse with a rider who is not sure they can balance... disaster central..

[FutureVetGirl]

Most of the horses are semi-green. No pain issues. Most are ex-racers, either Thoroughbred or Standardbred... and like to do things fast. I can control them... so please don't worry about that. I have complete control at a walk and a trot.

The horses know most transitions... but with a rider who isn't always the best... it's not as smooth.

I can balance perfectly fine. I've been told by many instructors that I have a great center of balance. It's the rest of the stuff that I'm unsure about.

I'll see about the calmer lesson horse though.

[Berlunz]

well if you mean how do you physically do it. The best way is to close off all avenues so they dont fall out (obviously except the one route you want them to take). So when my horse starts to get lazy and either fall out at the shoulder or break into the trot when I ask for a canter, I go back to the point where he has no option but to canter. So Close off his inside shoulder with your rein and your leg so he cant fall to the inside. Get him into the bridle and listening so he cant trot out through the bridle. Push him forward with your seat so he wont just let it all slip out the back and then press with your outside leg (the leg opposite of the lead you want to get so if I want my horses right lead I use my left leg and vice versa). This should encourage him into the canter. If you are worried about the horse just not going into it sometimes going from the trot where there is more forward movement already helps them out when you cant get it from the walk. They also do ask you to canter from the trot in shows. The tricky part is when you go to ask for the canter you sit and ask, you do not post and ask as that can confuse lots of horses.

the biggest mistake most people make going into or after achieving the canter, they tense up their back, especially their lower back. This makes them flop around like a rag doll and bounce making it uncommfortable for the horse and the rider. Dont tense your back or your knees when they go into the gait as this will make it hard to balance and painful for them. Just relax into your seat. The canter is a much smoother and easier gait to ride than the trot is, as long as you relax and go with it.

[FutureVetGirl]

Thanks. That's almost exactly what I was looking for!

I was wondering how to physically do it... more than I was wondering how I should learn. So that helped!

When I rode before... the canter was my absolutely favorite gait... I would wait for the time when the instructor said to canter. But it was also the scariest to learn. So yeah. Thanks!

One last question. How do I ask? I remember sitting in the trot and squeezing/kicking... but I was eleven then... and don't remember much more than that.

[Berlunz]

it depends on how the horse has been trained. Plenty of horses are never taught leads or transitions and so therefore their buttons are basically just kick until they canter. But if the horse has had arena work then you want to use the leg opposite of the lead they need. So if I am cantering in a clockwise motion my horse will need his right lead. Therefore I press my left leg and ask him to transitiong from the walk to the canter on his right lead. If I am going counter clockwise I want my horse to go on his left lead therefore I use my right leg to ask. So in more basic terms. If you are on the rail its going to be your outside leg (leg closest to the rail) that you press with to ask for the canter. The idea behind this is that when a horse canters they can do it in 2 ways, with their right front leg leading or their left front leg leading. You want the leg they are leading on to be the same one as the direction they turn so they can balance and not slip and fall. So if I am out on the trail and want to canter and turn left I use my right leg to get my horse to lead with his left front leg so when I turn left that foot comes out in front and balances. Where as if I try to turn left while his right leg is leading he cant balance properly and will have issues

[FutureVetGirl]

Thanks. That has helped a TON. Most of these horses are ex-racers... so they haven't had the extensive ring or arena work/training. Pretty much it's kick and go. But I can't say that's true for all of the horses... and the one I'm currently riding (just started riding him today) has smoother gaits, and seems to be better trained... for the most part.

If I'm going strait... do I have to have a specific lead? Like... say I'm on a trail or out on the racetrack (not that I will be until I've cantered QUITE a few times in the arena, with supervision, and so on), does the horse have to be on a specific lead? Since you're not turning... is it necessary?

[Berlunz]

you can choose either lead if you are on a straight line and not turning, as it wont matter either way. But if you have any plan to go one or the other direction then you will want to think ahead about leads. Depending on the situation you can have preferences though. So if you want to be more comfortable and have it be an enjoyable trail ride, know which lead is smoother and better and chose that one. If you want to help the horse train and work, chose their bad lead for some extra work time.