Canter Question?

Question

For the life of me my horse will not canter, i get him to trot really fast but he wont cantar, and i giv him i good kick with my heels but he wont go into a cantar he just starts grunting and making noises, and the only place he will cantar is very uneven ground and now is closed off to trail riders so please help any tips?

Answer 1

well it sounds like he might have something wrong with him. maybe you should have the vet come out and take a look at him. Or if nothing is wrong with him it could be your saddle. some horses won't do things because something is hurting them.

well hope this helps

Sabrina

Answer 2

my greeny used to do the same thing except she would buck instead of grunt lol but anyways

if there is a riding ring available, find some time to take your horse in there when it is empty so you wont have any distractions.

free lunge your horse first at the trot

then ask him to walk

then pop a lunge whip and say canter!

and keep saying it until your horse does what he is asked and then praise =]

when you go to ride him stay in the ring & set him up for the canter.

tip his nose to the rail & once you are ready kick your horse with the rail leg in his stomach and say canter at the same time. he may not start off perfectly but continue to say what you want until he does it then praise. be sure he has the correct lead so you aren't teaching him wrong.

this should definitely work =]

it may take lots of practice but if it does then it does!

and only ask him to canter from the walk not the trot that could cause him to begin to break gait

Answer 3

use a crop and tire using a lung and get him to canter on the lung and then have someone hold the lung while your riding and get him to canter and then no lung

Answer 4

try using spurs or a crop.

Answer 5

There could be a number of reasons that your horse doesn't want to canter. One is saddle fit: If the saddle is pinching him, he won't want to go any faster than necessary. If you are sure the saddle is fine, he might be out-of-shape. If that's not the issue, he may just not feel like running. :) To encourage him to run, make sure you are relaxed and not tense....tensing up will stiffen your horse up as well. Try to squeeze with your legs and instead of kicking him. I have a horse that gets frustrated with kicking but will go when asked gently. I hope this helps a little bit. :)

Answer 6

if you think it is just lazyness/stubborness, try using a crop.

Answer 7

lol cantEr not cantar

anyway, lean back, put your outside leg back and inside leg forward, and squeeze them while making a kissy sound

also dont throw the reigns forward. every time he trots fast without cantering, slow him down to a steady trot and ask again. do this until he canters, and then praise him and give him a break

Answer 8

try using a crop and when he starts to canter praise him by rubbing his neck and saying good boy/girl in a really excited omg kind of voice lol

Answer 9

If it's not a physical condition preventing him from getting a steady canter, than there are a couple of different methods you could try.

First off, don't keep kicking him. He'll eventually grow to ignore it, when it's not getting you any results. You don't want to ware out any aids, because then you'll have a really difficult time getting your horse to respond to them again.

Maybe your horse doesn't have enough strength in his hind end to pick up the canter. I'd work on transitions between walk and trot first to strengthen his hind end, hence helping him get the canter without going around extremely on the forehand and preventing future problems. Pick up the trot, trot for about three or four strides, then come back down to walk. As soon as your horse breaks into walk, pick up your trot again. Don't leave too much hesitation in between your transition back up into trot, otherwise it won't be as effective.

Make sure your asking correctly as well, with your inside leg resting on the girth (or cinch) and your outside leg reaching slowly back to give him the cue to canter. Add the cluck or kiss, even if he doesn't pick up the canter. When he starts to get into it, the kiss will be anchored in his mind.

And you have to really ride. Begin to ride the canter in your seat, and scoop him up into you. Also be sure to keep your center when he transitions up into it, if you lose your balance and put even the slightest pressure on the reins, your horse might snidely take it as a cue to drop back down to trot, and then you'll have no one to blame but yourself, and he'll catch onto that.

Keep your energy up, if you're expecting him not to get it because he usually doesn't... then he won't. And be extremely over enthusiastic when he finally gets it. Make it an enjoyable experience, even if you only get a stride or two. Don't push it once you got it.

I wish you luck!

Answer 10

Maybe he is uncomfortable. if not you may need spurs and a whip.