# Schooling exercises to help balance canter



## madginger (15 February 2010)

Can anyone recommend any exercises I can do to help improve my horses canter?

She is fine on the lunge and in walk and trot but she really struggles in canter.

I think that it is a bit of a mixture between me and her, she strikes off unbalanced which makes me unbalanced which then makes her more unbalanced etc etc - I think you get my drift!

My instructor has said that in time it will come if I work on my walk and trot but I just wondered if there is anymore I can do?

Thanks


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## RachelB (15 February 2010)

Transitions, transitions and more transitions! I think I once read that a canter is best improved not by staying in the pace, but by making as many transitions into and out of it as possible.


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## coen (16 February 2010)

I also have a big problem with my horses canter, he is fine out hacking but in the school obviously finds it very hard, he is reluctant to go into canter &amp; tries to break frequently. On the lunge he is a little better but not much.

I have been doing mainly walk &amp; trot for months but it hasn't helped so I am going to bite the bullet and just practise a lot.
Canter on the lunge, canter more on hacks -weather permitting, and keep at it in the school in a light seat


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## smac (16 February 2010)

Try riding loops off the long side. set her up for the corner and dont expect too deep a loop, my young horse struggles and the canter loops with the change of bend and without the assistance of the fence line have helped.

Try riding them in trot first and make 2 small loops about 2metres in and then do 5mtr loop on next long side.

In canter make them sweeping and balance her with inside leg to outside hand. It will come!!


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## Kat (18 February 2010)

If she is well balanced in trot, ask for a canter transition, if she becomes unbalanced bring her back to trot rebalance and ask again. Keep at it even if you are doing just a few strides of canter each time. 

Depending upon her level it might be worth seeing whether she is better cantering from walk, a few horses I have come accross have walk to canter well established early and do this better than trot to canter. If they do walk to canter they often start more balanced as it requires them to sit back more. 

Shallow loops can be good, as can asking for opposite bend. 

Avoid doing much on a circle while he is unbalanced. 

See whether you can build some strength by doing canter work on the lunge too.


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