How To Canter or Lope on Your Horse

How To Canter or Lope on Your Horse



Begin with your horse or pony calmly trotting.

Sit a few beats.

Slide your outside leg behind the girth and apply pressure with both

legs (or heels if the horse is reluctant). Your inside leg stays on

the girth. This encourages your horse to begin the canter with the

hind quarters and correct lead, and bend around your inside leg.

You will feel your horse lift his shoulders, and drive with his

hindquarters. Keep slight pressure on the inside leg to maintain the

horse's forward motion. Shorten your reins slightly to maintain gentle

but steady contact as the horse lifts its head.

Allow your hands to follow the motion of the horse's head and neck

always keeping gentle contact with the reins, as the horse strides

into the canter or lope. Western riders will not ride with contact but

follow the motion without pulling on the reins.

Sit deep into the saddle, keeping your hips loose and following the

rocking motion of the horse. Keep your shoulders back and sit upright.

Don't allow your upper body to sway.

Check your horse is on the correct lead. As you become more

experienced you'll be able to feel the motion of the lead foreleg

pulling your hip slightly forward. But in the beginning it will be

easier to use your peripheral vision to check the shoulder and

foreleg. Tipping your head down to look will pull you out of correct

position.

To correct the lead, sit deeply into the saddle, apply slight leg

pressure, closing down on the horse and resist the forward motion of

the horse's head. Continue to squeeze back on the reins until the

horse is again trotting. Ask the horse again, to canter starting at

step one.

To go from a canter back to a trot, follow step 7, but instead of

cueing for the canter soften your hand and leg aids and begin to post.

Always practice cantering (and all other gaits) going in both

directions of the ring or arena. You'll probably find one side more

difficult and so may your horse.

Tips:



Increase the likelyhood of starting on the correct lead by cuing for

the canter as you are trotting into a corner.

Keep your back and hips flexible. Don't stiffen up.

Look where you are going.

Don't forget to breathe!

Learn to identify the correct lead by feel by riding your horse while

it is being lunged.

What You Need



Your horse tacked up and ready to ride, with girth tightness double checked

Your helmet and safety stirrups or safe boots.

A helper that can competently lunge a horse.