Canter depart

From: Dawn

Hi Jessica,

The question is regarding my horse and his canter, or lack thereof.

I am having trouble getting him to take a canter. He doesn't respond to my leg aids for greater impulsion or change of gait consistantly, but when he does, he reacts by raising his head, shortening his neck backwards and doing "one-tempi trot changes"....he doesn't take the canter as a gait, but does canter departs and then trots again. This gets really frustrating, and I am at somewhat of a loss as to how to help him.

When we were working in an indoor arena, he would take a canter occasionally, but then tear around like a maniac, or drop back into trot. His trot is good, balanced and regular. But he does not seem to have the "oomph" to start cantering, or the balance to stay calm and reasonably paced at the canter. I cue him by moving my outside leg back somewhat, and using the verbal cue "can-TER". If he is going to respond, his head comes up, and he rushes into a canter, or does the things I described above. I have a hard time sitting for this rough and jarring mess, so eventually I end up taking him back to the trot in disgust! I have this elusive image of the two of us cantering happily across a pasture, or down the rail, but I have been trying for long enough to think I need help if that is ever going to happen.

Thanks a lot for any suggestions, Dawn

First, your horse needs to learn to move forward from your leg -- CONSISTENTLY. You can practice at the walk and trot, asking for, say, eight steps of his usual walk, then eight steps of lengthened stride at the walk, then eight steps of his usual walk, etc. When he's gotten responsive to your aids at the walk, start doing the same thing at the trot. When you can add leg and know that he will automatically reach forward from behind, lift his back, and stretch his neck forward, you'll be ready to start playing with canter departs and canter work.

When he's balanced and responsive, and you can send him from a short, energetic trot to a long-strided trot without any change in the TEMPO (longer should NOT be faster, just longer!), you'll be ready to work on canter departs.

Here's a system that works nicely. When your horse is thoroughly warmed up and supple, pick up a balanced, energetic trot, and trot a 20-meter circle at one end of the arena, let's say at C. When your circle brings you back toward M, sit the trot but keep it at the same balanced, energetic level. Soften your inside hand and leg-yield into the corner between M and C, and half-halt as you come out of it -- deepen your seat, add leg, and then as you feel your horse step up farther under himself, squeeze your hands for a moment, then RELEASE. Half-halt again at C, in exactly the same way, and RELEASE. Then, with your inside leg still at the girth, bring your outside leg back a little, half-halt again, and this time release as your outside leg ASKS for the canter. Your horse should jump UP into that soft inside hand, and canter.

If you get a quick, fast trot instead, don't get upset -- just regroup, and begin again with your balanced, energetic posting trot, circle, etc. Check your own position, and be sure that you are RELEASING after each half-halt, and that you are sitting deep into the saddle, with your back straight and tall. YOUR position, from sitting trot into canter, should NOT change. If you lean forward as you ask for the canter, you are almost guaranteed to get a trot instead, or to get a canter strikeoff followed by a trot, as your weight overbalances your horse onto his forehand, and as your legs and seat cease to be effective.

When you get the canter, praise the horse, and let him canter on for a bit, so that he knows that you DID want the canter after all. Let him do this even if he offers the wrong lead at first -- if you bring him back to trot immediately, he will think that he was mistaken, and that you didn't really want him to canter. Take your time, wait until he's balanced and ready, check your own position and aids, and then ask. You'll get it!

- Jessica

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