| Many people are confused about the aid for the | | | | three strides into the next gait. |
| canter. What follows are some common questions | | | | Q. What aid do I use to go from canter to trot? |
| about the canter and my answers. | | | | A. The primary aid for any downward transition is a |
| Q. I know to ask for the canter it is outside leg behind | | | | "stilled" seat. |
| the girth and inside leg at the girth, however during the | | | | * Sit with equal weight on both seat bones, and stretch |
| canter is your outside leg supposed to stay back or do | | | | up tall so you have a gentle curve in the small of your |
| both legs then become neutral at the girth once the | | | | back. I call this posture a "ready" back. |
| canter is achieved?" | | | | * Brace your lower back in a stopping, non-following or |
| A.Swing your outside leg back ONCE, and then bring it | | | | retarding way by tightening your stomach muscles like |
| back to its normal position on the girth. Think of it as a | | | | you're doing a sit-up. |
| spring-loaded action or a windshield-wiper-like action. If | | | | * When you brace your back, your hips stop following |
| you wait for your horse to answer, he's not listening to | | | | the motion of your horse. Your non-following hips signal |
| your leg aid. If he doesn't canter right away, give him a | | | | him to drop down to the next slower gait. |
| little bump with your outside leg or tap him with the | | | | * To learn the feeling of stopping your hips, simply sit |
| whip. (Carry your whip in the outside hand for the | | | | on your horse at the halt. Focus on the immobility of |
| canter work so you can use it to reinforce your | | | | your seat. |
| outside leg aid.) | | | | * When you ask for a downward transition, mimic the |
| As soon as he does the canter depart, reward him. | | | | way your seat feels in the halt. |
| You can teach him to canter by holding your outside | | | | * To practice your stilled seat, pick a point in the ring or |
| leg back, but when you start doing half passes in the | | | | on the trail. As you pass this spot, make your body |
| trot, your horse might get confused. He won't know | | | | immobile. |
| whether to stay in the trot and go sideways for a half | | | | Q. How do I keep my horse on the bit during the |
| pass or to pick up the canter. | | | | transition back down from canter to trot? |
| It's easier to teach him to canter from an aid that | | | | A. Let's say you want to do a downward transition |
| ONLY means canter depart than to teach him to | | | | from canter to trot on the bit. Remember, if you want |
| canter from that aid and then have to reschool him | | | | to do a transition on the bit, you need to give two sets |
| when you get to trot half passes. | | | | of aids at once. |
| Q. Are you saying that the canter depart is achieved | | | | * Ask your horse to stay on the bit during the transition |
| with the legs only? Or, were you just addressing your | | | | by giving the connecting half halt before, during, and |
| reader's concern about her legs? I thought the canter | | | | after the transition. |
| depart was achieved by a slight turn of the wrist on | | | | * While you're in the canter, start your connecting half |
| the inside hand, weight on the inside seat bone, AND | | | | halt. |
| the windshield wiper outside leg. Is that correct? | | | | * After giving the half halt for a couple of seconds, |
| A. Yes! I was just addressing her concern about the | | | | add the aid for the downward transition by tightening |
| legs...But you're right about the rest of the aids. I also | | | | your tummy muscles. |
| push that inside seatbone toward the inside ear and | | | | * In the beginning, it may take a few seconds for your |
| support with the outside rein so I don't get too much | | | | horse to respond to your seat. |
| bend in the neck. | | | | * No matter how long it takes, keep giving the |
| Q. How do I use my hands and seat in the canter | | | | connecting half halt until he listens to your seat and |
| depart? | | | | drops into the trot. |
| What rein aids, if any, should be used? | | | | * Maintain the connecting half halt until you're trotting for |
| Do I stay centered with my seat or shift my weight to | | | | at least two strides. |
| the inside or outside when I cue for a canter depart? | | | | Note: If your horse does the downward transition from |
| A.Your weight is on your inside seatbone. When you | | | | the half halt itself, you're either using too much hand |
| ask for the depart, push your inside seatbone toward | | | | and not enough leg or he's behind your leg. He should |
| your horse's inside ear. | | | | wait to do the downward transition until you actually still |
| Ask for flexion at the poll to the inside with a slight | | | | your seat. The connecting half halt is just for keeping |
| indirect rein aid, but support with the outside rein to | | | | him on the bit. It's not the aid for the downward |
| keep your horse from over bending his neck to the | | | | transition. |
| inside. | | | | Q. When we're cantering my lower leg and knee |
| Q. How do I keep the canter depart from being | | | | creeps up and my stirrups dangle on my feet (both left |
| hollow? | | | | and right). What can I do while I'm working alone, which |
| A. Your horse is perfectly justified in coming off the bit | | | | is most of the time, to improve my leg position at the |
| if all you do is give the aid for a transition. To do a | | | | canter? I realize lunge line lessons would improve my |
| transition on the bit, you need to give two sets of aids | | | | position, but that's not an option right now. |
| at once--the transition aid AND the aid to tell him to | | | | A. It sounds like you're gripping with your knees and |
| stay on the bit--the connecting half halt. When you give | | | | thighs for balance. Think about relaxing your knees and |
| these two sets of aids at once, you're telling your | | | | thighs and letting your legs hang loose so that you feel |
| horse to "do a transition on the bit". | | | | your feet supported by the stirrups. Sally Swift has a |
| * Essentially, you'll superimpose the connecting half halt | | | | great image for this. She says to imagine that your |
| over the aids for a transition. That is, you'll give the | | | | legs are so long that your bare feet are dangling on |
| connecting half halt before, during, and after the | | | | the ground, and you can feel mud squishing between |
| transition. | | | | your toes. |
| * In this case, the connecting half halt lasts longer than | | | | Q. I was initially taught to ask for the canter with the |
| three seconds. It might even last six, seven, or eight | | | | outside leg, as are most people. However, as I |
| seconds.) | | | | progressed in Dressage, I was taught that although my |
| * Apply it lightly before, during, and after the transition | | | | outside leg was behind the girth in the canter transition |
| so that you "bridge" the transition with your connecting | | | | (to tell the horse which lead I wanted), I actually asked |
| half halt. | | | | for the canter with my inside leg, at the girth. Is this |
| * Start the connecting half halt before the transition. | | | | right? |
| (Close both calves as if you're asking for a medium | | | | A. Absolutely. The outside leg tells the outside hind to |
| gait, close your outside hand in a fist to capture and | | | | strike-off. (The outside hind leg needs to strike off first |
| recycle the power back to the hind legs, and vibrate | | | | for your horse to end up on the correct lead.) |
| the inside rein to prevent your horse from bending his | | | | Your inside leg at the girth tells your horse to go |
| neck to the outside.) | | | | forward into the canter. |
| * Keep giving the half halt while you add the aids for | | | | So, you do end up using both legs although the |
| the canter depart. | | | | emphasis changes from your outside leg to your inside |
| * AND keep giving the connecting half halt for two or | | | | leg as you and your horse become more advanced. |