Getting horse to canter?

Question

I'm working with a green horse right now and everytime i ask him to canter, e just trots franticly and never breaks into a canter. Plus, he has no idea where his feet are so while he's rushing his trot, he's continually tripping. Can anyone give me tome advise? *thanks*

Answer 1

your not balanced your pulling back on the rains too much stupid

Answer 2

When a horse has never cantered undersaddle before, you can't expect him to go into it nicely. Sit tight and let him trot fast as you used whatever verbal cue you use on the longeline, and let him fall into any canter at all. Make sure he won't have to turn tighly and is well prepared at the walk and trot.

Answer 3

Maybe I can(ter) help, lol that was bad:( ok, Try gettin your horse real collected in the round pen going counter clockwise with two lunge lines, one on each side of his neck. If your using a long lunging quirk or whip to signal (not beat) him with, put him in his trot. as you signal him to break trot and go into a lope (canter) turn his head into the fence of the round pen and touch his outside flank. Work with this and see what happens. Don't let him stay in a trot or extended trot! stop or spin him around and start over until he gets the hang of what your telling him what to do. once on his back...go from a walk to a short trot, maybe three or four steps and turn his head, lean to the right (toward the rails) and signal him with your foot on his outside flank. NOTE: if your horse has been training to move away from the foot or leg then your going to have reverse the signal side to the inside. Hope this helps

Answer 4

i not sure if your riding the horse or lunging the horse. if your riding the horse, then slow it down each time he rushes and ask again, so when he does canter its slow and relaxed, sortof.
If your lunging him, it will be harger, bit using a yard, get him to trot slowly, using the term 'ssslllooooww! and using 'steeeaddyy! when you ask to canter' say ccaaanntteer' and pretend your strikng off on yoiur own leg. Use a lunging whip and make it make a noise and flick his hind legs, each time he speeds, steady him and ask again. If he's broken in and going ok, maybe get someone to lunge and also to ride, to ask on board and ask on the ground, reinforce what you want.
hope this helps

Answer 5

Okay, first off it sounds like you need to get him more balanced in the trot before you ask him to canter. Trotting polls are good for this kind of thing. You dont have to use the trotting polls everyday, and be sure to vary the length and type of excercise you give him, ie: dont ride him in the arena everyday either. Taking him out on trails will also help him.

The best way to teach him to canter with a rider on his back is to go in a straight line. That way you dont have to worry about what lead he is on. Cantering on trails is the best, go out with an older horse to teach him (we do this with our young racehorses, working them in pairs with an older horse.). Once your horse is confident cantering on a straight line, and feels nicely balanced to you, then move on to circles.

Also, to add variation, encourage him to canter loose in a lunge ring, this will force him to balance himself, without having you tugging on his head, or him having to deal with a rider as well as his legs!!! (Legs are dreadfully confusing to young horses - as I'm sure you know!!!).

When asking the horse to canter in the ring, make sure his balance is as perfect as possible before giving him the aids, it may help initially to place a poll in at an angle in each corner, or at certain points, of the ring ask him to canter as you're going over the poll. I've found this method also quite successful.

Well, I hope I've given you some helpful information here, I've been breaking, backing, and schooling young horses for about 10 years, and I've found that most of these methods work exceptionally well.

Good luck! and happy riding:)

Answer 6

is he young. that happens with a lot of young horses. this mite go abit rong, but when he rushes, just lengthen the riens and sit in the saddle, realy relaxed, it slows them down quite a bit. if he trips alot, you mite want to just canter him in circles, until he learns that he has to be balanced to take the turns, then he mite slow down in the flat. also try cantering him behind a slow horse, so that he cannot rush in the canter.

if he is young, then he will get alot better.
hope you find some useful advise. good luck!

Answer 7

You need to ask your horse to canter when you are turning a corner. Put your inside leg forward towards his girth, and your outside leg backwards towards his tail. One big kick is far nicer than lots of little kicks, but a push is nicer than both of these. Put your feet against these areas and apply lots of pressure chasing him up with the whip if needed. If needs be, you may need to throw yourself forward for the first few times, just so he knows he has to move forward.

Answer 8

i have a horse that was just like that, and when he was just about to break into a canter he would start to buck. i tried everything (he is very stubborn), finally my friend and i went on a trail and took the horses to a huge open area were they had just cleared to build a development, she took off first and he followed, one good buck and then he did it !! finally , i was so happy! you dont know what i went through with that pain in the ***.

Answer 9

Well, if he's always rushing, he probably gets the idea of speeding up, but try opening your legs really far with your knees stuck out, when I do that to my horse no matter if we're just walking, she breaks into a lope...