This is extra true with young, inexperienced (or “green”) horses. Since the canter is what’s called a “three-beat gait,” it puts the horse’s entire body weight on the outside hind leg when it steps off. Young horses typically don’t develop the strength necessary to do this safely without good foundational training.
Horses need lots of space to balance properly as they’re learning the canter, so don’t skimp and use a space that’s too small. In some cases, a lack of space can even lead some horses to become panicky or agitated. [2] X Research source Note that, at this point, the horse should be tacked up with bridle, saddle, side reins, and boots. [3] X Research source
When you make this command, you’ll execute a few commands with your body (described in the next step) simultaneously. For more detail on these body cues, see the section below.
Note, however, that if the horse doesn’t seem to notice your command, you can use a lunge whip or another riding aid (gently) to get its attention. However, this works best if the horse is already comfortable using these aids — if not, they may confuse it.
Once your horse transitions into the canter, be sure to reward it by praising enthusiastically with your voice. If you desire, pat the horse on the neck. Over time, these rewards should associate following your commands with positive feelings in the horse’s mind.
Note that, at first, a horse may be able to do less than a single full circle of cantering at once. This is OK — with frequent practice, the horse will become stronger and more confident. Using an experienced rider as an observer can help immensely here.
Keep training sessions short at first so that the horse doesn’t become overly tired or lose interest. A training session of about 20 minutes is fine for the first month or so of training. [5] X Research source
Canter and trot in figure-eights to get your horse used to turning to both sides. Trot tight circles at the corners of your training area, making your horse canter from one to the next in sequence. Canter and trot in a long, winding course of your own design. After a month of training, try executing a half-halt during a canter.
Keep your back straight. Keep your chest up. “Open” your chest by drawing your shoulders back gently. Use the core muscles of your hips and abs for balance. Ideally, you should be able to canter without pulling on the reins, pommel, or saddle horn to steady yourself. [7] X Research source
Turn your torso and shoulders (keeping your hips straight ahead) so that your shoulder on the outside is positioned slightly further back than your shoulder on the inside. Move your outside leg back. As you do this, give pressure with your inside leg and slide your inside hip forward slightly. Use the inside rein to pick up the correct lead. This also opens up your horse’s leading shoulder, helping them to understand your intentions while keeping their movement “collected. “[8] X Research source Using your rear leg, squeeze your horse’s barrel and ask for increased speed. Note that some horses are also trained to shift into a canter when you cue them with a “kissy” noise (different than clucking for increased speed), so you may need to do this at the same time. Make sure you are cuing your horse behind the girth — that is, with your feet a few inches back from where they would ordinarily hang. [9] X Research source In addition, try not to move your hands forward. These mistakes can get you a fast trot or a side-pass.
Hold the reins without pulling on them. Just like when you cued the canter, you should have increased contact on the outside rein and light contact on the inside rein. If you feel out of control and are pulling on the reins for balance, then you’re going too fast and you should slow your horse down. Stay balanced in an erect, upright posture. Don’t lean forward or to the inside. Although it may feel like the other way around, the horse actually gets much of its ability to balance based on what you’re doing on its back. If you’re out of balance and tipped forward and in (as many inexperienced riders have a tendency to do), your horse will have a hard time not doing the same. Avoid gripping with your legs. As with trotting, it can seem instinctual to “hold on” to the horse using your legs. However, this will give the horse mixed signals, as it’s usually a cue to speed up. Similar to tugging on the reins, if you feel like you can’t stay in the saddle without gripping with your legs, slow down until you can remain seated comfortably. [10] X Research source
At a canter, maintain a soft supporting leg as you sit up and brace your back in preparation for a halt. Let your elbows come back and put a little pressure on the reins as if you’re asking to transition into a trot. As soon as you feel your horse respond, add more leg, soften your fingers on the rein, and resume cantering. This may feel like you’re asking your horse to “canter in place” for a brief moment.
If you have a hard time doing this, your stirrups may be too short. English stirrup irons should be at about ankle bone-height, while Western-style stirrups should be long enough to leave a slight bend in your knee. [12] X Research source
If you need help keeping your hands still, try gently gripping your horse’s mane with your pinkies. The tug of the mane will help keep your hands centered and in-sync with the horse’s natural movement.
If you need help, try keeping your heels down in the stirrup (as suggested above. ) This tends to naturally push your legs back into the proper position.
Good self-control while riding is important to avoid this. When you get anxious, slow your horse down a bit, loosen your legs and lean back. Even if you feel like you’re leaning back too far, odds are that you’ll probably be perfectly vertical (which is good cantering posture. ) Resist the urge to “hunker down” and grip tightly — remember, this will give you the opposite of what you want.
If you need help maintaining your posture, try using a long crop slid behind your back and in the crook of each elbow while you ride. This will prevent you from slouching forward and will help your arms stay in the correct riding position as well.
If you feel like your core muscles aren’t up to par, you may want to practice doing the plank exercise in your free time. Get in pushup position, but balance on your elbows with your forearms laying along the floor. Hold this position for as long as you can, take a one-minute rest, and repeat three times. If you do this every day, you should notice a significant difference in your balance while riding.
