Canter Parts | Property Malaysia

Training – Flying Changes & Canter Transitions

Posted by admin on December 12th, 2010

Training – Flying Changes & Canter Transitions

The three of the most common problems that slow training and cause poor performance are: A lack of understanding of Where, When and How to ask for the lead change.

Although this may seem like an over simplification there are a great number of wrong turns riders make within those three basic areas.

As in anything in life, you must know what your objectives are to achieve them. The better your understanding of your objectives in the flying change, the easier it is to accomplish them. Knowing exactly what your objectives are and where and when to ask for the transition will make training go easier for both horse and rider.

First you must understand the mechanics of the canter. The Canter is a three beat gait, meaning that there is a sequence of three beats or footfalls followed by a period of suspension. If a horse is cantering on the right lead the foot falls are: Left hind, right hind and front fore together, followed by the leading fore leg. Yes, the leading leg is actually the last in the sequence. So hold onto that thought.

Second you must know how your weight, legs and hands influence the movement of the horse. Here, it is important to know and appreciate that the primary control and influence a rider has over the horse’s movement is through his seat or weight. The legs are next in the sphere of influence followed by the hands or reins. A surprising number of riders from show hunter backgrounds have learned incorrectly to give most of their aids on the forehand and not adequately use their seat and weight to control and influence the horse.

Third you must develop a feel for your horses natural rhythm at all the gaits. Feeling the rhythm will help you to learn and feel which foot is striking the ground without having to look. This is very important to developing your timing in giving aids. As you develop a feel for what your horse is doing you may discover that your horse is responding to the wrong cues. This usually occurs when the rider or trainer’s original approach to transitions from one gait to another focused on a gait being faster or slower rather than the actual movement of the gait.

Forth, once you have a good understanding of the first three elements you must develop your training program to progress the horse through changes first by asking for them when it is easiest for him to understand what you want and easiest for him to comply. Once your horse readily takes specific leads on cue and can canter without stiffness in both directions and counter canter comfortably, it’s time to start working on flying changes.

Fifth, mix up your training as you work him with transitions through trot by using large figure eights, serpentine with large loops and half circles. Ask for your change to the new lead initially just before entering the turn. Asking for the transition from trot as you enter the turn forces two positive actions. Most riders will without even thinking about it turn their shoulders slightly heading into the turn.

This automatically forces the riders weight to the inside of the turn or the side of the new lead. The weight should be on the same side as the leading leg for the aid to canter. Yet many horse’s problems taking the correct lead is due to the riders weight being on the wrong side or neutral. To assure your weight is on the correct side push downward in that stirrup and push down with that side of your seat.

It also is easier for most horses to comprehend which lead is desired simply because the horse naturally leads with the inside leg on a curve or turn. The result of both these natural actions make it easy for the horse to comply and limit frustration for both horse and rider.

At first you may do six strides through trot before asking for the change, then four, then two, then none. Once he masters the flying change going into turns, then start asking him a few strides before the turn each time asking for the change earlier on the straight line. This will keep both of you from becoming bored and will keep him more relaxed.

Finally there is the issue of focus. Many riders early on in their dressage riding careers become focused on trying to accomplish transitions at an physical spot, letter or cone. The problem with this thinking is that it doesn’t take into account your horses length of stride or which stride of a gait the horse is in as he approaches this arbitrary point. You will be marked down more for a poor transition than you will for not hitting an “exact” spot.

Think of it this way the rule book calls for a transition at a letter, but it does not say when the horses head hits that spot or his neck, shoulder, torso, or rump. Most any part of the horse will do as long as the transition is done well. Also don’t get in the habit of giving an aid at the same physical spot you might usually wind up giving the aid for one horse that’s 15 hands and think that the “spot” would be the same for a horse that is 16 1/2 hands.

When asking for a flying change you want to use a preparatory cue namely the half halt as the horse is starting to through his leading leg forward. Give the aid to change lead as the leading leg hits the ground. When the aid is given at this point, you are asking him to change just as he hits that point when all four feet are “flying” and off the ground. This is the easiest point for him to change the sequence of he feet.

Don’t think he hasn’t taken the new lead because his next leg to hit the ground will not be the new leads foreleg, but the new leads diagonal hind followed by the pair, followed by the new leading leg. But you must be able to feel if that is what is happening. He has taken the new lead and he has started it on the hind leg, which is the natural place for the canter to begin.

As you progresses into higher skill levels and as you start working on approximate changes of leads like two times and one times, the emphasis shifts more to the foreleg strike off. But as you train your horse on lead changes don’t spend thirty straight minutes working on them. Just work on them for a few minutes. Then take a break, let him stretch back out at a walk. Then do some work at different trots using different patterns. Go back to some canter work for a while. This will avoid frustration and stiffness and resistance. And will have him looking forward to his next training session.

Marilyn Berdion Lunsford is a Lifelong Horsewoman and Riding Instructor, who is well versed in both riding, training, coaching and the history, art and science equine sport in numerous disciplines. She teaches and writes on Dressage, HuntSeat, Eventing, SideSaddle, and Western Pleasure. For more information about her and horse topics of interest you can visit her blog: http://thewellschooledhorseman.com

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How To Sit The Canter Horse Riding

Posted by admin on November 8th, 2010

by Jessicamulley

How To Sit The Canter Horse Riding

How To Sit The Canter Horse Riding

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Home Page > Sports and Fitness > Equestrian > How To Sit The Canter Horse Riding

How To Sit The Canter Horse Riding

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How To Canter A Horse

Posted by admin on October 28th, 2010

How To Canter A Horse

One of the natural gaits possessed by horses is the canter. The canter is normally faster than a trot but slower than the gallop. This gait is used by all horse riders. The canter gait’s speed could reach more or less 22 kph or 14 mph. The speed heavily depends on the horse. Longer strides would cover more ground and therefore, faster canters are executed.

A lope, on the other hand, is a slower but somewhat similar to a canter. The lope gait has a speed of around 16 kph or 10 mph. It is a collected movement and it is primarily used in western form of riding. Both the canter and lope are 3-beated gaits that are both functional and aesthetically beautiful to watch.

The canter and the lope usually come after teaching the horse how to trot. The animal will gradually learn how to execute these natural movements with the weight of the rider. Horses will eventually be comfortable with the trot gait and that will be the perfect time to canter or lope the horse. As you progress, you will learn how to rate the horse for collection, extension and ultimately feel confident enough for a full gallop.

It is best to start working the horse on the longeline and with the reins out of way. This will help the animal to recognize commands before the horse must deal with the additional weight of a rider.

Here are some tips and techniques on how to canter a horse:

1. Let the horse trot calmly to help warm him up. Do not surprise the horse with the new instructions, make sure he knows the command on the ground before you attempt to try the shift in gate from his back.

2. From the trot, bring your outside leg back but your inside leg should stay on the girth.

3. Keep the horse normally bending to the inside and when you apply the leg cues, the horse will start to lift his shoulders and continue to drive with the hindquarters.

4. When you start to canter, be loose in the hips, move with the animal. Just follow the horse’s movement. Be fluid not stiff. Maintain a slight pressure on the inside leg if necessary so that the animal’s forward motion is sustained.

5. It is very important have gentle contact with the horse’s reins. Make sure he has comfort in the mouth, but enough pressure so he knows you are in control. NEVER jerk on an animals mouth. Many riders prefer to ride without putting any pressure on the reins.

6. Always try to check if your horse is on the correct lead. You can actually feel this but if you are still inexperienced with this, you will just have to observe with your peripheral vision. Do not tip your head to look; it may cause you to get out of correct position.

7. Come back to the trot by softening all the pressure. Just light apply a bump with the rein aid and if you need to, you can use your voice as a command.

8. You can mix things up. You can cue for the canter or lope again if you want. Eventually the horse will effortlessly get the cues and aids. Keep it fresh to prevent boredom with your mount.

9. Practice cantering in both directions. Sometimes, a particular side is more difficult for your horse but with constant practice, the animal will understand and be able to shift in no time.

10. Remember, safety first. Use a helmet, know your mount and be educated on proper cues and etiquette.

**Attention Readers**
If you thought this article was helpful, wait ’till we send you our FREE Horse Training DVD It’s got many videos on how to canter a horse, horse training tips, techniques, and more of EasyHorseTraining.com’s acclaimed training methods.

12/9/2006 – First day of two. Clinic with Tom Noone on my Trakehner gelding, Danny. We are schooling 2nd level. Lot of different pieces of the canter work. I will describe in parts. 1st Part – Canter from the walk. He isn’t always perfect, but he is much more consistent. He really uses himself, steps under and picks up his shoulders. 2nd Part – Yeah there was some mssy stuff on my part. First ignore my elbow at point. They are better, but every once in a while just a bit too wide. He really tries on the circle, works hard to use those hind leg. That loop was pure mess on my part. I corrected it in the next one though. He broke in the circle, got a bit hard for him, but he went back to it. I laughed when he called though, (yes that was him) goofball. 3rd Part – Canter to walk, still working on it. He is getting better. He says it is a lot of work to collect on that small circle. 4th Part – Canter from the walk other direction. 5th Part – Canter from the walk then transition back to the walk. Hm must have forgot to put the other counter-canter loop in going the other way. That was good though.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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