hi it's josie and today we're going to talk about canter i had somebody ask me
if i could do a video explaining the mechanics of canter a little more they were watching my
canter aids video that i put up speaking about how you put the aids on for canter so i'll link that
one in the description but they asked if i could talk about the mechanics so this is the way i've
thought i could do it i'm a visual learner so this is for all you visual learners all right
we are only going to talk about right canter today but left canter is basically the opposite
and the only reason we're talking about only right canter is i have bandaged spiders legs so that you
can have a look and see how the horse goes in canter so as you can see he has one purple leg
right canter that will be his leading leg he has two red bandages on they will be the d what we
call the diagonal pair and then the outside hind leg will ha has got a green bandage on because
that is the leg that starts the canter stride so i hope you guys find this really helpful i'd love it
if you'd give me a like and i would really love it if you would subscribe to the channel that helps
my channel grow and i'd like to explain this to as many people who need to hear it as is possible
so when a horse canters he actually starts the canter with the outside hind leg the green leg
he then follows through with the d what we call the diagonal pair the inside hind and the outside
front and that are they are the red legs on spider and then finally the purple leg comes
through as the leading leg but i know that in the beginning i actually thought that they struck off
with their front leg that's what made sense to me but that's not how it's done and so
because it's not done that way you also need to learn how to put that canter aid on your horse
so the only time a horse can give you the correct canter lead is if you ask when he's just about to
or has got his outside hind leg on the ground because that's the only time he can push
if he's already gone to one of his other legs then it's too late and you have to wait a complete
cycle for the horse to be able to canter on the correct lead or he will give you the incorrect
lead in the beginning when you're just learning to ride i sort of say get to canter any way you can
for a while but pretty soon after you can manage to get your horse in canter you should be doing
him a service of asking him when he has the ability to answer your aids correctly so canter
aids are very quickly i have done that video but very quickly flexion to the inside outside rein
stops the neck from over bending inside leg sits on the girth and outside leg goes a little bit
back some people do a aid like that to be really honest with you horses will learn if you tap your
hat to canter if that's what it takes so my leg goes back my inside seat bone pushes a little
bit at about 12 o'clock i guess perhaps even 11 o'clock if you think your seat's a clock face
and my outside leg goes back my outside leg stays back whilst my horse is in canter and then when i
wish him to come to trot it comes forward again that's how i have taught my horses canter so if
you understand trot diagonals and i've done a video about that and i'll link it up here
when you are rising out of the saddle your outside hind leg is on the ground because you should be
sitting in the saddle when the inside hind leg is on the ground so if you're going to rise trot and
ask for canter that's when you do it but usually we sit to ask for canter and how do you know
when's the correct time well you need to learn to sit and feel what your seat bones are doing
or what your hips are doing i've done a video on that as well and i will link that in the
um description for you but you need to know a little bit about that and don't
be overwhelmed by this guys just start with something and start working on it
so if i was going to a spider for canter i would ask him now good boy
so when your horse is in right canter you will be able to see
that is outside hind diagonal pair front leg outside hind diagonal pair front leg
one two three one two three one two three that's what gives you the three beat
and then there's a moment where no legs are on the ground
so what do i feel what i feel is when the outside leg is pushing through i get pushed
up when the diagonal pair on are coming through and my seat gets pulled
forward now now now i can feel it because my seat is being pulled forward
now and then as it goes right down that's actually when the front leg is on the ground
so the diagonal pair are now now now now now now so that is the red ones now now now
when you want to do a down transition that is the timing for a down transition
why would that be because the horse has got two legs on the ground not one which either the front
or the back he's got two so therefore he is more balanced and more able to do a down transition
without falling on his face where does this come in handy when you get further along and you want
to do walk to canter transitions you would ask the horse in the walk to canter when that outside hind
leg is just coming through and stepping on the ground that would be now now now so you should
see that green hind leg going now now now and that's when i would put my aid on so i would go
listen listen listen sorry i'm just yeah i haven't done these so spider's gonna just need to listen
listen listen and canter good boy so i asked when the hind leg was there and that's when he
could push up if i want to do a canter to walk i would ask when the diagonal pair are on the ground
listen no listen listen listen walk good boy so i did that when my seat was being pulled forward
so two legs were on the ground and he could do a much more balanced transition i truly hope that
helps guys i hope that gave you a visual about the mechanics of the horse in canter don't forget give
me a thumbs up subscribe i would love to hear from you in the comments i'd love to hear what
you'd like me to do i'd love to hear if this was a benefit of to you and i'll see you next time
you