Canter Lead

[Rob26]

okey dokey... canter leads.. possible daft question alert!

When cantering in a school, you slip the outside leg back to ask for canter on the correct lead? correct me if i'm wrong.

Now... lets say I was out on a hack and the path ahead is straight... how do I know which leg to ask for canter lead on? does it matter?

Now lets say you ask for lead on one leg but as you go down the track you see a bend and you're on the wrong lead... would you change?

[affected]

When out hacking I just ask for the canter, half seat and take what she gives as this is how she feels most balanced, however if I'm practising a schooling movement out on a hack then obviously I would be more selective!!

If I had to make a turn and was on the wrong lead then I would do as I would in the school, down a gear into trot and then pop back into canter on the correct lead, balance issues.

When asking for canter I think more of stepping into my inside stirrup than bringing outside leg back, just for a split second,
sit,ask, go!!!
Don't think that makes sense now I've just read it back you have to feel it really !!!:p :o

[Mehitabel]

1 - correct, although what you are actually doing by bringing the leg back is advancing the inside hip to ask for bend and allow the outside hind leg to step under to strike off, just like when sterring with your bum.

2 - doesn't matter at all.

3 - depends how sharp the bend was and how balanced the horse was - 90 degrees and i'd change leg, 45 and i wouldn't, on an adult and reasonably balanced horse. on a baby i would try to be on the 'right' leg wherever possible.

[Dummer&Drummer]

hi rob, i think most horses have a preferred leg and so will opt for this when you are on the straight, also the ask for canter on a hack is much more minimal as the horses are keener/interested as they are having fun as opposed to cantering around an arena

with regards to changing the leg when going round a corner, may be we should not be cantering round corners when hacking anyway ;) i would not worry your horse will sort most things out :)

[cvb]

Now... lets say I was out on a hack and the path ahead is straight... how do I know which leg to ask for canter lead on? does it matter?


Rob, in one sense Mehitabels' reply (doesn't matter at all.) is true, but I'd like to expand on that.

There isn't a right or wrong lead on a straight line, and if you don't know about any bends in your proposed canter route, you can just make a choice

BUT you do need to make a choice - if not, how do you give the "aid" ? if you just go for a woolly "canter please, any leg" - the aid is muddled and confused and so will the horse be. Maybe not immediately but it'll come back to haunt you later ! :eek:

So you still need to ask properly, which means asking for a specific lead.

This can be a really good test of your aids. Often in the school we rely on the direction/rein to dictate what lead we want and our aids can get sloppy... ok rewrite that whole sentence with "I" and "me" ;) The result may still be the correct lead canter but its not as good a quality as you (me ;) ) could get if we asked properly !

So I sometimes test myself in the school by riding up the centre line in trot and asking for a specific lead. Its a good test with a horse that you know counter canter would be hard for. You can simply turn the appropriate way for the lead at A/C ;)

[~*sugarlump*~]

sorry but just have to ask something :o

at my RS the pony i usually ride is blind in one eye, and this might sound strange but on one rein he usually canters disuntied. but i found it to be smooth when he was cantering disunited :o

what can i do to make sure i canter normally?

[cvb]

sugarlump

curious... do you know what caused the blindness ? If it was an accident there may have been other damage ?

You need to make sure you are balanced and "straight" (not twisted, crooked, collapsing etc). and ask for a crisp transition...

doesn't your instructor comment and help with this at all ?

[~*sugarlump*~]

sugarlump

curious... do you know what caused the blindness ? If it was an accident there may have been other damage ?

You need to make sure you are balanced and "straight" (not twisted, crooked, collapsing etc). and ask for a crisp transition...

doesn't your instructor comment and help with this at all ?
i dont know what caused the blindness....his eye looks milky thats all i know :o my RS owner said that he used to be a competetion pony.

my RI said that it was strange too.
he doesnt get ridden much because of his half blindness and he is relatively new
it is possible that I'm sitting wonkily (sp?) but we have no mirrors in the outside school so cant really check if i am or not :o

[Pinto mad!]

ok i ask for canter always the same. outside leg back inside leg on the girth/cinch.

[sweuzo]

ok i ask for canter always the same. outside leg back inside leg on the girth/cinch.

the point of this question was, which is inside/outside if you are going in a straight line?...

[nelle]

Rob - was pondering the very same thing myself this morning - so thanks for asking the question :)

[DDJunior]

hi i am on N.R now mother got me on (DD):) :) :)

[cvb]

the point of this question was, which is inside/outside if you are going in a straight line?...

actually its not about in or out (or shaking it all about ;) ) its about what "lead" you want. You could ask for left lead on the right rein and have counter canter...

(so next time someone says you're on the wrong lead, just tell them you were working on counter canter :D)

canter goes: (outside) hind, (inside)hind and (outside)fore, (inside) foreso the leg you take back is the hind leg that starts the canter, and you get the opposite lead i.e. right leg back gets left lead...

[LouHarvey]

I usually pick a random leg when I'm out hacking. Mind you, with most of the horses I ride, they usually pick up canter when hacking if you just go into sitting trot. Then, the leg they choose is whichever one they are flexed into (I flex them to the left, and the right, alternatley when hacking).

Hope this helps! Get you and all your fancy talk of canter leads!