# Canter Aids



## dressage_diva (8 October 2009)

Just wondering whether you guys mostly use your outside or inside leg when asking for canter as I've been taught two different things.

When learning to ride and again when training my own youngster, I always used my outside leg more but recently I started dressage lessons on schoolmasters and was told off!  Several instructors at the yard have all told me the canter aid should come from the inside leg with the outside leg only there against the horses side rather than applied.  I must admit, I find this very unnatural after over 15 years of being taught the other way!  But then I was watching Carl Hester on H&amp;C TV the other day and he said the outside leg was the most important aid in a canter transition and that he didn't know how anyone who relied on their inside ever managed any flying changes!

So which do you use and who is right?!


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## NeedNewHorse (8 October 2009)

Well I have never used my inside leg for the ask, so to speak it was always my outside. (But of course I am no dressage star)

Besides I like Carl Hester, so I will stick with him! lol

Would be interesting though to hear from anyone who has learnt or knows about using the inside leg though!
xx


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## dressage_diva (8 October 2009)

Thanks russoheidi - I'm a big fan of Carl too.

I agree it would be interesting to hear more people's views - I'm finding it very hard to break the habit of using my oustide leg!


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## little_pink_piggies (8 October 2009)

I've always been taught outside leg back, increase pressure with inside leg (so using both legs?) and lighten seat?


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## dressage_diva (8 October 2009)

I had previously been taught, outside leg bahind the girth, inside leg on the girth to support the horse but it was by applying the outside leg that the strike off was achieved.  Now I'm being told that it is the inside leg that initiates the strike off and the outside leg should just quietly against the horse with no pressure applied.


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## Booboos (8 October 2009)

I was taught it was the inside seat rather than the inside leg, with the inside leg maintaining impulsion and the outside protecting the quarters from swinging. I don't know how to do flying changes, but, in theory, it makes sense to have a canter aid from the seat as that would make the changes easier. I saw a Lee Pearson masterclass and he said the same about the seat (he was doing one time tempi with Blue Circle Boy and obviously he cannot rely on his legs).


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## amandaco2 (8 October 2009)

the outside hind starts strike off doesnt it?
so outside leg back makes sense.
inside leg keep sthe horse in correct bend and prevents falling in. how much pressure from each depends on the horse.


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## Sol (8 October 2009)

I usually use my outside leg as the actual cue to canter if the horse wont go from my seat aids... My gelding has only just got the idea of what that means so could take a while for him to learn!


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## kerilli (8 October 2009)

outside leg swings back to give the horse the idea but does not actually do the asking imho, the inside leg and/or inside seat bone (depending on level of training) does that.
i used to use outside leg but then ran into problems when asking for half-pass...
also, had a lesson on a GP horse and could NOT get him into canter at all, just got bigger and bigger trot, until i used my inside seat bone.
depends what the horse has been taught though...


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## dressage_diva (8 October 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
also, had a lesson on a GP horse and could NOT get him into canter at all, just got bigger and bigger trot, until i used my inside seat bone 

[/ QUOTE ]
That's the exact problem I've had!  It took me ages to get a canter out of one of the schoolmasters the other day!

Thanks to everyone's replies - interesting to see how varied people's thoughts are.


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## Bossanova (8 October 2009)

Imo the classical aid for canter is to position the hips to the outside which automatically brings your outside leg further back and your inside leg on at the girth. Then scoop up with the inside seat bone to allow the inside hindleg in underneath you.

The art of a beautiful flying change is to do virtually nothing- I hate seeing these horrid swinging lower legs.


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## Halfstep (8 October 2009)

What Boss said. 

Also, too much outside leg can confuse the horse - do you mean canter, or half pass, or travers, or what? 

Carl's system works because he has the horses so in front of the leg that one tiny touch is all that is needed.  Fine if you are Carl or able to train like him but most mere mortals and normal horses need more help.


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## Madam_max (8 October 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
outside leg swings back to give the horse the idea but does not actually do the asking imho, the inside leg and/or inside seat bone (depending on level of training) does that. 

[/ QUOTE ] This is my thought and it works on my mare and she can do changes.


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## Halfstep (8 October 2009)

I think it was Nicola McGivern who said that if you wanted, the canter aid could be standing on your head blowing a raspberry.  So long as the horse understands clearly what you are asking and responds correctly.  There is something to this.


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## Madam_max (8 October 2009)

Agree.  I guess it's only a problem when you come to ride other horses and they have no idea what you have asked for.


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## dressage_diva (8 October 2009)

Thanks halfstep and Boss - really useful comments.  Definitely can't ride like Carl, so think I'll listen to what my trainers been saying on the schoomasters!

Madam_Max - yeah I agree with what you said! My own horse has been trained on my outside leg and to ride him any differently now would just confuse him.  He's never going to be ridden at high level dressage, so it's not worth trying to retrain him now!


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## oldvic (8 October 2009)

Classically it should be inside leg on the girth to keep the impulsion, outside leg brushes the horses side to ask the outside hind leg to start the canter with the inside hip lifting forward to ride the first stride of canter. By brushing the side rather than inward pressure it differrentiates from the half pass and travers aid so avoiding confusion. If it is kept simple then it is less confusing for the horse. Everything is a combination of leg, seat and rein and the ratio varies from horse to horse depending on sensitvity, balance, strength of back, etc.


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## KatB (8 October 2009)

I used to ride a schoolmaster grand Prix horse (several years ago!) and used to just ask with my outside leg... did that with this boy and nothing happened 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 He would only go if the inside leg was on, and the outside leg back. My understanding was the same as Oldvic, although my mare anticipates and will go into canter as soon as I sit and put my outside leg back...


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## Lou_Lou123 (8 October 2009)

I agree that it is just as much to do with how the horse is trained. I went to visit a friends yard, they were importing, breaking &amp; schooling and then selling spanish horses. I couldn't get them to canter and asked my friend how she schooled them and she asked for canter by only putting her outside leg back, no inside leg at all, once I asked like that is was easy! Conversely, I was lucky enough to have a couple of lessons with a well known event trainer when I was having trouble with my young(ish) horse last year. I was struggling to get him to strike off on the right leg ( I was putting outside leg back and then asking with inside leg for transition) and the trainer said to stop confusing him with too many things and to teach him to go off my inside leg/seat which worked well and now we have no trouble by just using inside leg seat, right leg every time. This was consolidated by my dressage instructor. So I guess it depends what you teach the horse (and what you are taught too!)


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## kerilli (8 October 2009)

and just to throw something else into the equation, at the Charles de Kunffy clinic he said something like "leg aids for lateral work, seat aids for transitions" which makes sense actually, will keep things much clearer for the horse.
i know my aids for my Advanced mare, who i had trained from 6 yrs old, were too similar for canter aid and half-pass aid, she used to misinterpret and then get really upset when i checked her. 
	
	
		
		
	


	








   my error, and now i know why...


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## camilla4 (8 October 2009)

Lou-Lou - like others on this post, I've had this trouble in the past and have had to learn to "switch" methods according to the horse.  

Kerilli - this is a great adage and explains why my transitions on well-schooled horses are just a little better when I use seat more/leg less!


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## oldvic (8 October 2009)

If your horse anticipates the aid when you sit, make sure you sit and she accepts you sitting before brushing your leg back to ask for canter. Then she won't take the sitting as the aid.


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## amandaco2 (8 October 2009)

there is a nice little vid on you tube of a little black lusto horse (called something begining with N!) doing flying changes while the rider asks with just the seat.


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## EpsomRob (21 May 2015)

Sol said:



			I usually use my outside leg as the actual cue to canter if the horse wont go from my seat aids... My gelding has only just got the idea of what that means so could take a while for him to learn! 
	
	
		
		
	


	




Click to expand...

Hi Sol
so sorry i' e just read your post rom 2009 but cn you tell what the seat aids are for canter? I'm a new rider nd hear a ot about seat aids and can appreciate why they re so important, just that I don't know what they are? come to think of I'm still confused as to the seat aids for walk, trot and slowing down! Grateful or your help/advice.Rob


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