Canter Lead

[Brad]

Wow what I great site! I have a question when
we want to canter do you sqeeze a little with you inside hand to let your horse know which leg to canter with? I can never get it right?

[Heather]

Yes, Brad, you are quite right. Squeeze the fingers of the inside hand as if squeezing water out of a sponge, just enough to see the horse's inside eye and nostril. Be careful that when learning to ride, you do not get into the habit when bringing the outside leg back to initiate the canter, that you don't apply it with pressure. When you come later to ride horse's educated in lateral work, the outside leg drawn back a little, and used with pressure, gives the signal to move sideways. If you do this when asking for canter, the horse will bring his quarters in and strike off crookedly. Think of initiating the stride with the outside leg, with your inside leg creating the impulsion, which will
engage the horse's inside hindleg, propelling him forward into the canter.


Heather