canter from the walk again

Shelly_D

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Aug 27, 2000
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Provo, Utah, USA
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I had a girl ride Ash for me the last month or so before I could start to ride again after having my baby. I asked her to work on getting a canter from a walk. SHe showed me how she had been doing it and she can get Ash to do it but her (Ash) nose is way up in the air and she sorta jumps into it and she canters off real fast. She doesn't look relaxed at all. So this morning I rode Ash for the second time since being pregnant and we worked on canter from walk. We only did it a little. If I keep the reins too tight while cueing her she getts really jazzed up and side steps, which is what she would do just before jumping into the canter for that other girl. So I give her more rein, get her head down and then cue her. She gives me two or so trot steps and then nice and smooth into a slow, relaxed canter. So, how do I get rid of those trot steps without freaking her out with a tight rein? Is this something that will just come with time as we get used to each other again? Any advice on what I can do?
 
Check that you are maintaining a light contact as you ask for the canter. The commonest reason for them to put a couple of trot steps in is that the rider has tipped off their seat bones and released the contact before the canter is established. That little loss of balance is usually enough to ruin the direct transition.
 
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