The Canter -Everything to Help you with Your Canter!
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- čas přidán 24. 07. 2024
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Many horses and riders have difficulty with the canter. You may have trouble with the transition in to the canter, or perhaps you and your horse get tense and anxious in the canter, or maybe you just have trouble following the motion of the canter and finding your canter seat. Here are some tips to help you with the canter:
Some facts about the canter:
The canter is a 3 beat gait: (1) outside hind leg, (2) inside hind leg and outside front leg, (3) inside front leg, followed by a moment of suspension.
The horse has a left lead and a right lead canter.
The canter aid:
Everyone and every horse have a slightly different aid for the canter (this is why picking up the canter on a new horse can be a challenge!!
The universal canter aid is inside leg at the girth, inside seat bone, and outside leg behind the girth.
The amount of pressure in each leg depends on the horse but outside leg back indicates the lead, inside leg is for impulsion and to keep the horse from falling in.
Be sure that the horse is flexed to the inside and off of the inside leg before asking for canter or you may get the wrong lead!!
The canter seat:
Maintain proper alignment - ear, shoulder, hip and heel. A LOT of riders tend to tip forward in the canter!!!
Keep your hands down and a straight line from elbow to mouth so that you can maintain contact and follow the motion of the horses’ head.
The lower back and hip angle must move to absorb the motion of the horse.
The seat of the rider follows a “swishing” motion and slides from the back to the front of the saddle each stride.
Keep your legs long and don’t grip with your knees - gripping with the inner thigh will tip you forward and lock the hip preventing the rider from following the motion of the canter!
Dealing with fear of the Canter!!
Work on trotting really fast - like trotting the speed of the canter so that picking up the canter is not such a big increase in speed - this will give you and your horse confidence to go faster!
Find a horse that is good to canter on the lunge line and have someone lunge you so that you can focus on your body and find your canter seat
Break it down and ask for help - if your horse gets tense and nervous in the canter, have someone brave canter your horse first!
Happy cantering!!! Let me know in the comments if these tips are helpful and be sure to check out the video on CZcams!!
Here are some additional resources on the canter:
Canter Transitions:
3 Exercises to Improve Your Canter Transition:
• 3 Exercises to Improve...
The Trot-Canter Transition:
• The Trot Canter Transi...
Trot-Canter Transitions on a 4-year-old
• Trot-canter Transition...
Walk-Canter Transition:
• Perfecting the Walk-Ca...
Canter-Walk-Canter Transitions:
• Dressage Tip: How to i...
Fear of Cantering:
Canter With Confidence Tips
• Canter with Confidence...
Help your Horse Relax and Slow Down at the Canter
• Help your horse relax ...
Build Confidence in the Canter (with Natasha)
• FEAR OF CANTERING? TRY...
How to Sit the Canter:
How to Sit the Canter
• Canter Seat: How to Si...
The Basics of Cantering:
• The Basics of Canterin...
How to Use Your Seat in the Canter
• How to use your seat i...
Sitting to Canter (Mary Wandlass)
• Sitting To Canter - Dr...
Advanced Canter Topics:
Teaching the Leads to a Young Horse:
• Teaching a young horse...
Canter Pirouette Exercises:
• 3 Canter Pirouette Exe...
Flying Changes
How to Introduce the Flying Changes
• How to Introduce the F...
How to Ask for a Flying Change:
• How to Ask for a Flyin... - Krátké a kreslené filmy
Thank you so much for acknowledging that you're speaking to people at all different levels. It's often hard to find content like yours where it's simple, broken down and relevant to all riders.
Glad it was helpful!
Hi
mentioning the moment of the flying mane UP means outside hind is on the ground is genius, Amelia! Thank you so very much!
Glad it was helpful!
Ingrid Edisen yes great tip!
Sorry, stereotypical male here, but while I can feel footstep and body movement my horse makes, I have *never* noticed her hair moving 😝... Then there was the time I was asked (by a woman) to go and get a bay horse from the paddock, and that I could identify her because her tail was curlier than the others.. I got the wrong horse... 🙄
I was taught simply to sit tall in the saddle and feel for the front of the saddle and the horse coming up and allow my hips to move forward and up, and that description of the movement is what normally works for most people. The word "follow" I find can cause many riders to tense and rock and pump their upper bodies, or to bear down too much in the seat which is ultimately counterproductive in canter.
Years ago when I was riding about 2nd level and working on improving my canter, I had a female coach (former Olympic rider in fact) who got on and told me to watch her "chest" as she cantered, which was awkward and ultimately not helpful in terms of my own riding, but years down the line, describing what I observed (and making many excuses that it was a female coach who told me this) did end up helping a female student who was having trouble getting the feel of the canter movement with more conventional descriptions of the movement.
I completely agree with you! That really helps me visually and I can't wait to feel this in my next lesson! Thanks Amelia. :)
Thank you so much for the video - this one in particular was an excellent tip! Is there anywhere we can look at the slides online?
I just screen shot all your tips which I hope to memorize. Cantering used to be so easy. My trainer explained that half halting with the reins made the poor horse think I wanted her to trot, and even though I still don’t know exactly what I’m doing to half halt my core, I did the while her mane was up (thank you, Amelia; her Nowegian fjord part came in handy there!) and she continued to canter! I assume this will all solidify in my 81 and a half year old brain and I hope can just think canter to have all the parts come together.
Dressage is a lifelong process! I'm so glad that the video helped you!
You are a gifted teacher Amelia! Thank you for putting so much effort in. And your horses are happy, perfect role models.
Thank you so much!
You forgot the two biggest things to do before cantering a horse: 1) groundwork- a big source of canter depart issues is that the rider tenses up and is not able to give a clear canter aid, and the horse just speeds up leading to more tenseness. Make sure the horse knows how canter calmly from voice or other aids from the ground and have an instructor lunge you into canter the first few times, or use the voice aids in conjunction with your seat and leg aids until you are confirmed enough to just give the leg and seat consistently. 2) sort of related to #1, make sure the horse has a stop aid in the canter: I can do tempis all day on a Grand Prix horse, but just like you, I also have fear when trying a new horse or a young horse. If you use groundwork or other training to ensure that a horse can not only transition up calmly and maintain a relaxed canter, but also to transition down. Having the ability to put on the brakes gives you a lot of confidence because you know you can always stop if needed.
The scariest horses for me are the young ones that are not yet balanced and canter extremely forward with their head and neck way too low.. They basically canter so quickly because they are out of balance and with their head so low, it is very difficult to rebalance them so that they can slow down, and a young horse is also more likely to object to your attempts and let out a buck or two.. This "lack of brakes" that is related to the horse learning to balance and carry at the canter is really the source of the apprehension for a lot of riders, so groundwork is really key to developing the horse and getting it ready to canter while ridden.
In terms of aids, the classical definition says that it's positioning of the horse in a shoulder fore and the inside leg and seat aid that initiates the canter and lead. The outside leg maintains straightness. That said, many horses are taught to canter off the outside leg only, which I suppose is fine if you're not a dressage ride, but IMO, the "outside leg kick" is also the reason so many horses tend to take off in the canter and why so many riders lean forward..
Great points! Thank you for adding this wonderful insight!!
I have a horse that used to pull a wagon so his cantering was really undeveloped, he cross fired quite a bit. He was afraid of cantering too. I had an accident with him because when I was forcing him to canter (not realizing it frightened him) he started running away. My hand got caught in his massive mane on the right where I was initially trying to pulley rein him. He sped up and when I had to pulley rein him into the rail to the left, he stopped so quickly I took a fall. After I recuperated from the cracked shoulder and concussion I started lunging him doing a lot of trot-canter-trot work. (OMG, talk about tedious with a low-energy horse without canter confidence! I'm sure no one at the ranch misses hearing me screaming "canter, canter, canter" while running after him and cracking the whip!) We started slowly while mounted until he got more confidence and thankfully I didn't need to lunge him with those exercises any longer. He got better and better. The cross firing disappeared completely. He is now doing a lovely counter canter and I've just started to work on teaching him the flying change. For those who don't know, cross firing is when a horse is cantering on two different leads, front end may be going to the right and the hind end is going to the left. When your horse does that it feels like you are riding a blender.
Amelia, I have enjoyed your video on walk-canter-walk exercises and started doing those. All of the transitions really help him know where his legs and feet are and how to use his body and balance better. He really didn't have a clue when I first got him. It has been 3 years of constant work. He's a very good boy who tries to please though. I have videos of him on my channel, although I need to post something more recent. I love your instructive videos, as I currently cannot afford regular lessons and your tips and exercises are very helpful for me. Thank you.
Incidentally, I don't know if you know this, but when horses pull a wagon with another horse, they have to learn rhythm and constantly maintain it. My horse has amazing rhythm because of his team pulling experiences. (Makes sense though, huh?)
Dear Amelia, I am an adult amateur rider, I used to ride as a child but have just gotten back in the saddle after almost 25 years. I've never felt at ease or confident in a canter and it is something that causes me great frustration. I now live in Shanghai and started lessons again, but my Chinese is not very strong so I feel that I miss out on half of my teacher's instructions. I've just come across your channel and I can't stop watching. I never knew that many people struggle in the canter and often feel fearful. I thought I just sucked at it. My issue with cantering is a lot of stiffness in my body, and I end up bouncing a lot. Either that, or it's the pumping. I'm currently riding a thoroughbred mare who is incredibly tolerant and intuitive (poor thing) so I am lucky in that sense but I imagine she can't be comfortable at all when I'm riding her. I'm really excited for my next lesson so I can put your tips into practice. You've given me tons of new hope for improving my canter seat. I love the way you teach, you are so knowledgeable, you deliver your insights so clearly and it's so soothing to watch you. Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for sharing your story! I'm so glad you are enjoying the videos.
Yes! My independent seat goes flying out the window at the canter LOL
Amelia you have really made an amazing difference to my riding ability and confidence. Thankyou. You are a real inspiration.
Very helpful. Thank you! Feel timing and balance says a lot.
Very helpful as always! Also love “mane flying up” tip! Thanks so much 😊
Great video !! Always learn something from you
Thank you so much for your useful tips and videos!
Nice work explaining the finer details 👍 Thx
So helpful as always ❤️
Thank you Amelia, I love your videos!
Very helpful tips, thanks so much
Thanks for another great session of incredible instruction. Can you include a video on counter canter?
Lovely ride! Thank you! for your videos help me find more ways to explain movements to our therapuetic riding students.
The mane tip is excellent to know when the outside leg is on the ground, and I like your breathing out tip too. Thx.
Your videos are all so helpful. This one was especially great. I love that you acknowledged that it can be a little scary, because this can be hard to admit! I appreciated this video so much. Thank you!!
i tend to lean too far back in my canter and i just realized today how ridiculous that looks 😂 so im gonna be doing some core exercises and stretching to help with that. your videos help a ton thank you 💜
Great instruction, you are very inspirtional. My horses canter is slowly getting better thanks to you.
Thank you ..excellent explanation ... I am off to have a lesson and so want this transaction and this has helped. Will let you know.
Yahoo 3rd comment!
Well spoken and very appreciated.
I have a 6 year old quarter horse 16h. I thought it was him hahahahahaha.
Turns out it's me😊 He is teaching me a lot.
Thanks again for articulate instruction.
Thank you very much. All the mistakes I do all the time so will focus on at least one mistake and avoid it.
I too will watch several times, great information. I find my trott is always too rushed and he takes off in the canter. So I only canter from walk to canter as it insures he uses his back end.
Gosh, I have all of the position issues you mentioned, no wonder the pony I ride is confused and doesn't transition well XD My trot isn't great either, maybe we should fix that first before working on the canter lol. Very informative video, I will definitely be coming back to this!
Love, love your help and tips.!!!!
Glad you like them!
I have watched this video soooooo many times. Finally I did it! Managed to get a smooth canter for an entire lap of the arena. Thank you 🥰
Glad it helped!
Great video, and really helpful tips :)
THANK YOU 🌹🌹🌹
Thank you lady.
You are welcome
Wonderful! I learn so much from your videos
I'm so glad!
I’m having a lot of trouble with learning the canter with my horse. This did help. My horse doesn’t know the canter, either. I fractured my spine when she was a yearling so I never really taught her to canter with a rider.
Thanks Amelia, your videos are most helpful 🙇♀️🌷 and I like the way you ride, looks really graceful.😍 When cantering, I guess I should give the reins when the horse's head is down, but maybe I over-do it as my arms look like dipping up and down, while yours look very steady and retained, maybe my arms are too short compared with yours？😅
I'm going to watch this several times! My horse bucks in the canter, so I've had a problem tightening up, losing my stirrups, bouncing, etc. I think keeping these things in mind will help keep my mind too busy to worry about what ifs. Great clear video as always! Oh, and as far as what aids my horse needs going into canter, I have no idea! I've had her 22 years, with no lessons for the last 15. We've developed our own language. I went to take lessons last summer to freshen up my skills, and couldn't even remember the proper aids because I usually just think "canter"! Lol
😂😂
Great advice 👌. I see so many people not ready to canter and then force the horse to canter and they fall off.
Wonderfully clear and simple. Examples and slow Mo video is great. I sent your posting the Trot, and Canter videos to my daughter, who is resuming riding lessons after a long break. (She is 24, and her Grandad passed away in 2004, and we had no place to keep the horses).
Thanks so much!
Yay! Thank you for sharing the videos!
Thank you that brought back a lot of memories from my riding lessons days in the mid seventies. I remember that comfortable, in-tune feeling cantering gave me. I bought chaps to give myself a grippier seat, which my teacher didn't object to. He used to, rarely, make me ride for a whole one hour lesson without stirrups.
Without stirrups is so great for improving your seat!
Also, if you’d like me to send more dressage tips into your email inbox every Wednesday, you can sign up to my mailing list
www.ameliasdressageacademy.com/subscribe/
(If you’re already familiar with all this and have received this before, apology for the unnecessary message, I’m being super thorough today!)
I’m also on FB and IG
facebook.com/amelianewcombdressage & instagram.com/amelianewcombdressage/
Also, and this is super helpful too, join Amelia’s Dressage Club on Facebook, it’s a really active and engaged community of riders and no question goes unanswered!
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And finally, there’s my website (for when all the social media goes down again 🤣)
www.amelianewcombdressage.com/
Ok that’s the lot I promise. Have an awesome day! 🐴
Would you, please, do a video about saddles; the good, bad, & ugly? Add brand names; maybe they'll sponsor you. Good idea? Yes. :)
Thank you for all your videos.
I have alot of trouble with picking up my right canter lead. To the left, we are good. Can you please help with any more exercises you may have with horses that are very one sided in the canter. My coach is great but this is still an issue my horse and I have.
Thanks Tara
Love the video. Any tips for a seat that moves forward and back too much..is that a sign the back Is locked? And tips for keeping knee/thigh flat on saddle without gripping...or is it just more hours and practice?
Very helpful
THANK YOU!!!! Fantastic information Amelia, This is incredibly helpful information! I've got a bit of homework to do :)
HAHA - Don't we ALL!!!
Glad it was helpful!
I like it
I love cantering. Better than trotting! Hardest for me is trot to canter transition. I feel like I’m all other the place....
Im watching this as ive only ever cantered once. I fell off that time. I havent ridden since because of corona (i did get back on after te fall and i cantered again after the fall too i had a lesson on mondsy after 3 months off so fidnt canter because of the massive amount of time i had been witnout riding)
Same! My first time cantering, I fell off and I cracked my helmet open! It was scary but I've gotten better at staying balanced since then
I think Adagio is definitely an inside leg horse!
Thanks let me watch your videos
Are you riding an Iberian horse? He is lovely!
Just starting it
Thank you for all the pointers.
Super! Do you have a video that can show me what to do with a horse that doesn't like to canter on the left lead
Yes, here is a video that will help: amelianewcombdressage.com/dressage-training/setting-your-horse-up-for-the-correct-canter-lead/?CZcams&Weekly+Education
You are really amazing, today was my fourth lesson, I was scared to canter, after watching this video, I did cantering for the first time!!!
Thank you Amelia
Great job!
question what would you do if your horse drops out in the canter and back into the trot, and is stubborn horse to get back into the canter.
i feel like i’m the only one who has really bad form w everything, but still an able to canter so easily, and even stay on when the horse is crow hopping when i don’t have a saddle on. like-idk what i’m doing wrong, or what i’m doing right lol
Looking very pretty Amelia
Thank you
Love watching
Thank you! 🤗
Really love your training. I would be interested in how you use your breathing whilst in canter, Once in canter, do you use the rhythm to sync your breathing with or just breath as you usually would?
Good question! Sometimes I do try to breathe in for like 3 or four strides and then exhale for 3 or 4. It helps to breath in sync with the rhythm of the canter stride.
I was a great rider until I fractured my back... now everything is a new learning experience.
Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear this!
I tend to do more of a butt swish and lean forward while I am sitting the canter and also in two point. This mostly happens when I’m doing jumping exercises as if my body can’t decide on whether to sit or or not. But both positioning is ugly to watch.
I’m going to keep watching your videos before I ride and maybe even as my trainer if I can spend a class on just canter positioning.
Canter is one of the hardest gaits to keep your position. I have a free webinar on rider position that I think you'll like: www.amelianewcombdressage.com/free-rider-position-webinar-o/
The thing is that sometimes when a ride a horse and I canter the horse trots fast but doesn’t canter and then canters like one stride and goes back to that fast trot
Very nice, where are located Amelia?
Hi my issue is when asking for canter my hands become too busy and i bring my hands up which then blocks the horse and confuses them. it doesn't help when riding school horses that become numb due to different riders
Do you have a tip for a horse that canters really nicely but comes out of it very fast and strong? She really loves to canter and gets kind of over exited. Thank you for the video! 👍
Try this:
czcams.com/video/A2wrG8poJNc/video.html
I didn't see instructions for the "snowman". Thank you.
Here it is!
czcams.com/video/A2wrG8poJNc/video.html
i have a question for the canter what about a horse that likes to run to the corner in the canter how do you teach them not to run to the corner in the canter????
I liked the tip about the mane.
Any advice for introducing canter in a 20x40 school for a horse that has only been cantered on hacks for 6 years? I want to do it slowly, and have done it on 2 occasions, the first just one round, following the track in both leads. The other time she did the transition herself on a 20m circle, and so I let her keep the canter for 1 round, and then repeated on the other rein. I'm scared to sit too hard on her back, and also to collect too much, as the canter on hacks are flatter and with bigger strides. Any suggestions would be helpful. I've worked her in walk and trot, her her carriage is getting better now, she is getting stronger, more from behind into the hand. She is still very stiff, so we only do suppling work in walk, concentrating on movement of inside hind.
Just keep building up to it slowly. And yes, for sure work on suppleness and bending exercises at walk and trot.
My horse relies on the inside pressure more to keep his shoulder up and to keep his body aligned correctly. Otherwise he overreacts to the outside pressure.
FYI, we're in Australia 😊
I ride a horse that likes to speed up and I ask him to slow down and he ignores me and I don’t know how to slow him down. How would I do that?????
I have a young horse who I taught to canter by leg yields into canter from a circle. But now, every time I put my inside leg on to ask for some bend, he tries to canter. Poor thing, he’s confused. I just try to keep the trot rhythm with my body and gently keep asking for bend while tickling the reins to keeping on the circle. Any other tips?
Very helpful, thank you! My QH is in retraining. When tracking left, he quickly maneuver's himself out of a leg yield position which then takes me out of position, and he ends up on the wrong lead. Can you offer any tips to be better prepared?
Maybe try after the leg-yield going right onto a circle line and asking for the canter on a circle line.
@@AmeliaNewcombDressage Sounds good, will try that. Thank you!
The dislike is from my mare who won't canter at all costs :')
I'm totally new to dressage...I have never centered my horse
Hello! how do I teach a green horse to canter when I do the canter aid? He just keep trotting like nothing happened
Hi Alex, He needs to be with you. This challenge would help you. www.amelianewcombdressage.com/30-days-to-round/
I never used to have a problem, but now I’m so sloppy!
I have been riding for 2y for leisure and recently im more confident in canter as in I'm not afraid to pick up canter, but my body is still very tense and rigid. My hands are up and I loose my stirrups, I can feel that I disturb the rythem of my horse so he breaks the canter in less than 40m ... I don't know what I can do to avoid this :(
Im no expert but i found a really good technique to help me from loosing my stirrups...it may not be the correct way to teach ourselves or the horse to canter but it really worked well for me.. The canter is a 3 beat gait so as i was cantering i would say 123...123...123...123..just as Amelia says... But on every count of 1 i pushed my heel down so then out loud i would count 1.. 1...1...1..as i said this i kind of straightened my leg and pushed my heel down a bit more using my ankle as a shock absorber it helped so much with the bouncing and loosing of my stirrups... I also taught my horse to canter on the lunge to me saying 321 canter i did this for a good week it got to the point where i would say 321 and she would go straight into canter... Then when i was on board in trot i would say 321 and I'd sit as i knew she would go straight into canter over time i added my leg and seat aids... now i say 321 in my head as that prepares me to sit give my aids and now we have a lovely canter... Hope that helps and makes sense 😁🐴🐎
Please comment on allowing your horse to eat under saddle. I did that, & had a bad accident Hospital stay. :(((
I do not have an arena so I feel vulnerable that my mare will run away with me or buck
Make a small homemade one. I used wooden post and cheap string and I have a wild mustang ! Lol ! You can use t-post too with protectors on top of course! Or even wood post on the ground 🥰
how to avoid getting bruises on the insides of the upper thigh? is there something wrong with how I am sitting or the saddle is too rough? do horse riders usually experience that? is it normal ?
Ouch! That sounds uncomfortable. I have not experienced this!
I have bruises right now between by knee and upper theigh 😅, im guessing for me as a newbie who is now doing rising trot laps of the arena (instead of of the trainers rope) trying to position balance while turning corners in the arena, i get to the corners and feel like im holding on for dear life with my right inside theigh, my trainer said *it will become smooter in time *
More inside leg
Thankyou, does not help when you have a really bouncy horse. I have ridden real smooth canter, you have to look to see wether they are actually cantering. My boy is super bouncy, and it's just not me who finds him real bouncy. HELP!!! .Yes I have a trainer and she is a grand prix rider and makes it look so easy. But I get thrown around a bit. Left leg is the worst.
Sometimes when I canter I lose my stirrups xD
i dont fear cantering :)
Your horse is beautiful my stable workers all ways cut the horses hair I hate it i like long haor