How to Train a Horse to Canter

Once your horse is comfortable at a trot both posting and sitting, and you're comfortable stopping and going, you can start to teach your horse how to canter. So to begin with we'll just go up to a sitting trot. Now obviously if your horse hasn't cantered with you on him before it's not going to be the smoothest transition and you're just going to encourage with your voice with a cluck and with both legs your outside leg back, up in to a canter. If it's the first time you've cantered your horse don't expect it to be very smooth and probably don't want to expect it to hold it for too long, as they won't have the muscles developed yet to hold that canter.

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[softballbabiii14]

Why would you demonstrate this with a well broke and trained horse? It would have been better to show what you can do to encourage a green horse.

[Avendria]

natbagsxx,

i'm assuming your horse is trained on the lunge?

if so, try getting someone to lunge the horse with you on it and get them to ask the horse to canter while you do that canter aid ( outside leg back and on)

it worked for my friends stubborn pony

lol

[kerriemasseyx]

YEA, CAUSE ALL UNBROKEN HORSES GO STRAIGHT INTO CANTER LIKE THIS...

[softballbabiii14]

@AnimalLoverKayla Clearly, but that is not what I was implying. This woman has a very well trained mare. If she were to take a horse that was beginning to learn the ropes, it would make more sense. Not just going straight from trot to canter, but showing the steps that clearly demonstrate how to achieve that. Basically I'm saying that this video provides little helpful instruction to anyone who has a green horse (or a horse still in training), which is what most people are looking for help with.

[AnimalLoverKayla]

@softballbabiii14 because the horse has to be comfortable as well as you if its green and you go to straight canter the horse will panic and learn bad behavioral problems

[miltonluver4]

@megaria44 I would have her canter without a rider first. So free lunging or lunging her so she get used to it. Don't be afraid, I know that is way easier said then done, but when you're confident your horse will feel that and she will feel confident too.

[breyerhomie741]

@megaria44 Act confident! You don't want to be scared. Cantering is supposed to be fun, teach it to your horse that way! If your horse does buck that's ok, there just learning!  If your horse responds to a squeeze better, use a squeeze to get him/her to canter. Use light squeezing, then a little bit harder squeezing. If they canter, give them a BIG pat! Letting them know that's what you wanted is how horses learn! You can also give them a treat after the session. Hope it helped!

[ShelbiSexy]

@megaria44 I know if they aren't in shape they will be more likely to canter, but if it is in shape it will be harder. I don't know anything else sorry!

[megaria44]

I watched this because my horse is an ex trotter and u really want her to canter I'm scared she might buck but this didn't really help dose any one no how to teach a trotter how to canter if u do plz help

[LoloXXScotty]

hey im riding a friends horse at the moment for her and trying to teach him to work on his cantering because he can canter but its like he's unsure of it and it takes a lot of work to get him to do even one stride of canter, its not like he's stubborn or anything he just acts as if he doesnt know how to canter so i was wondering if you had any advice on how to get him to canter??? :)

[dandkpets]

i dont get this!!!!