How Do You Train A Horse To Canter?
Teaching your horse to transition to a balanced canter from a trot usually takes weeks or months of practice. Take into consideration the horse’s age and strength. A 3- to 4-year-old horse may not have the strength it takes to maintain this gait, but it can be accomplished with regular, consistent training as his muscles develop. The trot uses a simple, balanced diagonal gait, and shifting to the three-beat canter is a learned transition. Teach a proper canter by using a trot-canter-trot exercise repeatedly. Lunge and lope your saddled horse during groundwork in a round pen or a circle the width of an arena. Begin on his “good” side, going the direction in which he naturally performs better and takes an easier lead. Usually the horse will trot when asked. With your voice, tongue clicks or kisses, or, if necessary, the sight or touch of a crop, ask him to canter for a few paces, then transition back to the trot, allowing use of the entire circle before asking for a few more paces of the
