Confused? Imagine how the horse must feel!

Seriously, the various canters are among the most difficult horse training feats because of their somewhat unnatural demands. Here’s what I mean:

Imagine taking a young child out to play, getting them excited and ready to run, but then insisting they adjust their pace to slower than a full run but faster than a slow jog. This is the same dilemma horse trainers face when teaching their animals to obey various canter leads.

Often, a horse will have difficulty taking the right lead when it is nervous. And this can happen when the rider is nervous and the horse picks up on it.

Also, a problem with canter can be a simple matter of the horse being stubborn. Remember this is a very disciplined range of motion; otherwise it wouldn’t be required for show horses in the first place.

As with many difficulties that arise in the horse training process, canter issues can be overcome with extra time spent building trust and creating a relaxed experience. And again, nervous energy is most often transferred to the horse from the rider, so it’s imperative that you learn to relax in the saddle while working through your canter problems.

Originally posted 2008-06-02 01:26:32. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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