Improving our canter

Native Lover

Native Lover

Native Pony Fan
Jul 13, 2009
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Today I decided it time to get cantering on Mz Eva Diva to help her burn some calories and get her fitter... trim he waistline a bit ;-) any way she canter with her head quite low how do I get her to canter with her head up more..... I feel like I am doing something wrong with her ???? I am only beginner at cantering so not to technical advice lol ...

I want to practice becoming better at my canters and increasing the lengths f canter once I am more balanced. Ant exercises that can help with this?
 
Transitions, hundreds of them :) Transitions will help her be more balanced and to elevate the shoulder more by getting her bum under her.
 
Short canters - just a couple of strides at first, so she gets used to the idea and you don't have time to get unbalanced. Then gradually make them longer as you both gain confidence. Oh, and better to start on straight lines rather than circles.
 
I agree with transitions. At the moment I am trying improve Bens canter by getting them to stop poking his nose out and come into a much softer outline. Lots of transitions help with this. He also used to motorbike round the corners but I found that this was solved simply by me sitting up straight. I was actually causing most of the problem!
 
Get the trot right before you go into canter, you won't get a balanced canter from a running or unbalanced trot. If the transition doesn't happen half halt & try again, likewise if the transition is dreadful & the canter unbalanced then quietly bring her back to trot, rebalance & start again.

If you're cantering in a school ask going into a corner as that will help set her up & allow you to ride her more forward into the transition which will get her hind leg under her & help her balance.

When you ask sit up, sit still & don't throw the contact away.

As others said don't keep going too long. Better to get a few good strides & come back to trot in a good way then have another go.

It's often easier to get a good, balanced canter from walk than trot.
 
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Agree with everything that has been said (and any advise on teaching a good walk to canter for a cob that didnt know what canter was until recently would be greatly appreciated!!)
 
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I taught mine on the lunge first so I can say it and hopefully get it.
Agree walk to canter is good I do that on the lunge. Cantering over poles also helped, just one to start.

Mine has a low carriage almost leaning if she is tired, so make sure she is fit enough to be giving you canter. Cantering on a hack came easier for us than the school, but we started with a transition on a letter to the next and trot. We tried the forward seat for some if it to help her thinking forwards.
 
Dannii5691 said:
(and any advise on teaching a good walk to canter for a cob that didnt know what canter was until recently would be greatly appreciated!!)
Click to expand...

Lunging and poles.
I taught mine walk to canter on the lunge, then its followed into ridden. Though I don't over use. To get her more balanced I have included poles.
 
I also prefer cantering out on hacks. We have a lot of long stretches and I feel as long as I can get a good balanced strike off I can then get a good quality canter. Get off his back a little and I find that where our nicest collected canters come. Where im off his back, hes thinking forwards and we dont have to think about a corner
 
If she is cantering with her head low I would do as others have suggested with short bursts of canter (3/4 strides) but I would keep it on a circle as it sounds like she might be on the forehand, cantering on the straight will allow her to fall onto her forehand more, a circle will be more likely to keep her stepping under and keep her steady. I'd go a 20m circle and ask for canter, 3/4 strides then back to trot, make sure the trot is balanced so take as much time are you need to settle that then ask for 3/4 strides of canter again. CH is right, you need to make sure the trot is good first; rhythmical, balanced, with impulsion. If you can work on trying to cut down the time trotting between cantering. Transitions (direct and indirect) should also get her to lift her front end more. I had an RI who put me on a 20m circle in the middle of the school, start in walk and when you cross the centre line ask for halt, turn on the forehand, ask them to soften to the bit (if she wasn't already) then asking for walk (with the softness) for 1 1/2 circles and same again. Then we stepped up to trot (beginning with trot-walk-halt-turn-walk-trot then eventually trot-halt-turn-trot) and the same with canter.
 
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That sounds very like an exercise we do in western Rubic but we work on a half circle with turns on the haunches at the end of the school :) very good for getting good canter departs on the right lead
 
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