How do I get a stubborn horse to canter?

Question

I am going on a trip to ride horses. The horse that I am riding I already met and rode, but when I was riding her I got her to a trot then I tried to bring her into a canter but she would not go faster. How to I get her to canter?

Answer 1

This could be a variety of reasons. It's extremely important you make sure the horse is not sore and all her tack fits. If you do not own her (I'm assuming since you just met her), request this from the owner.

If this is not the problem, then check yourself. Make sure you aren't posting when asking for the canter. Is there any pressure on the reins? If you're holding the reins a bit tight, whether it be for balance or comfort, etc, the horse is probably very soft-mouthed. This is like you telling her to stop and go at the same time. Also, ask if there are any special signs the owner uses to get the horse to pick up the canter. My horse knows it's time to lope when I smooch to him.

Also are you an experienced rider? If you are unbalanced, or are riding incorrectly, the horse is going to be thrown off balance. Even if you've ridden plenty before, that does not mean you are a balanced rider. You need to absorb the movement with your muscles, not your spine. There should be an imaginary line from your shoulder to your heel. If the horse thinks she knows more about riding than you do, she's going to see what she can get away with.

If this is not the case, then it is very well possible that this horse is reacting the way a lot of horses do with new riders. A lot of horses get used to their owners, or whoever rides them most often. So much to the point they do not accept new riders, novice or expert. They are so accustomed to their rider, they can practically read their mind when the rider's about to ask them for something. Obviously, a new person is not going to have the exact same cues and body language as the horse's usual rider, and so the horse either does not understand or is going to try to test you. For example, my instructor's horse will not listen to anyone as soon as he realizes they don't know what they're doing, but as soon as my trainer gets on he's a dream boat. There's one person who actually is a very experienced rider, whom he will not even walk forward for. This is because he is so used to his owner riding him.

So check and see if there is one person who rides this horse very often. If not, then you are having communication problems. Unfortunately, if this is the case, this is no problem you're going to fix before your trip, so you may want to request another horse that is more accepting. Well good luck, and have fun on your trip! :)

Answer 2

You only met the horse once? How often do you ride? Some horses are very smart- they know if you can not safely ride the canter. We had a pony that would not even trot if she thought the person was a beginner, but the second you put someone intermediate and above- she would listen beautifully (except when she reared- for fun).
Ask yourself: Are you balanced at the trot? If you are flopping all over the place- the horse may not want to canter because of it.
If he is lazy- ask him with a lot of leg pressure on both sides. Like you are squeezing him with your legs and rocking your hips forward. Say outloud in an affirmative voice "Canter". If that doesn't work, give him a hit with the crop or a kick with your legs and ask him to canter again.

Answer 3

Truly this depends on a couple of factors. Is the horse an older horse, or are the overweight, or are they so used to unskilled riders on them that they have become desensitized to leg cues? If they are older it might not be wise to push them too hard as age as well as old injuries may make it hard for them to canter. If they are overweight, you might encourage them by cuing with the leg, while pointing your toe a bit and tickling their ribcage with your heel, an up and down motion with less force is more effective than a kick. If the horse has become desensitized, it may take a cue from a crop, but only a tap. You just want them to know you are serious, not get yourself thrown. I would also use the tickle method on this horse. It will be much safer for you, as well as not making the horse more disgruntled than they might already be. God luck and have fun!

Answer 4

if she does not respond to leg, then use a crop.......
also, do not let her trot faster and faster, and faster, till she gets so fast that she is waxing the floor.........if she starts trotting really fast collect her back to a nice trot and ask again.