Begin with your horse or pony calmly trotting.
Sit a few beats.
Slide your outside leg behind the girth and apply pressure with both
legs (or heels if the horse is reluctant). Your inside leg stays on
the girth. This encourages your horse to begin the canter with the
hind quarters and correct lead, and bend around your inside leg.
You will feel your horse lift his shoulders, and drive with his
hindquarters. Keep slight pressure on the inside leg to maintain the
horse's forward motion. Shorten your reins slightly to maintain gentle
but steady contact as the horse lifts its head.
Allow your hands to follow the motion of the horse's head and neck
always keeping gentle contact with the reins, as the horse strides
into the canter or lope. Western riders will not ride with contact but
follow the motion without pulling on the reins.
Sit deep into the saddle, keeping your hips loose and following the
rocking motion of the horse. Keep your shoulders back and sit upright.
Don't allow your upper body to sway.
Check your horse is on the correct lead. As you become more
experienced you'll be able to feel the motion of the lead foreleg
pulling your hip slightly forward. But in the beginning it will be
easier to use your peripheral vision to check the shoulder and
foreleg. Tipping your head down to look will pull you out of correct
position.
To correct the lead, sit deeply into the saddle, apply slight leg
pressure, closing down on the horse and resist the forward motion of
the horse's head. Continue to squeeze back on the reins until the
horse is again trotting. Ask the horse again, to canter starting at
step one.
To go from a canter back to a trot, follow step 7, but instead of
cueing for the canter soften your hand and leg aids and begin to post.
Always practice cantering (and all other gaits) going in both
directions of the ring or arena. You'll probably find one side more
difficult and so may your horse.
Tips:
Increase the likelyhood of starting on the correct lead by cuing for
the canter as you are trotting into a corner.
Keep your back and hips flexible. Don't stiffen up.
Look where you are going.
Don't forget to breathe!
Learn to identify the correct lead by feel by riding your horse while
it is being lunged.
What You Need
Your horse tacked up and ready to ride, with girth tightness double checked
Your helmet and safety stirrups or safe boots.
A helper that can competently lunge a horse.
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