Why collect before the canter?...should you collect before every gait?...Most importiantly...why?

Question

Okay well what I'm not understanding is that when you are NOT collected but your horse is in a frame and has impulsion their hind quarters naturally come under them and thus creating the term "roundness"...so is the whole "collect before the gait" thing for only peole who havn't yet achieved roundness?

Answer 1

You must collect your horse before the canter so that the horse's hind end is prepared for the depature into the canter, and when this happens the horse automatically breaks into a nice clean canter. If the horse is not prepared than he will rush into the depature and will not have the balance or the collection to make the transition into a nice canter and thus his canter will be choppy and the rider has to recollect the horse in the canter. You should collect before any transition, even within the gait, so that the horse is prepared and will be ready to make a nice clean transition into whatever you are asking him for.

Answer 2

Collecting him before the canter teaches him not to run when you ask for the canter it teaches him to go into the canter as soon as you ask for it.

Answer 3

When you collect your horse, you are asking him to get his hindquarters underneath of him and lighten the front end.  This rounds his back, makes him soft and supple, and is overall easier on his joints (and yours!)  A horse's power comes from the back end, and if it is under himself, he will be able to use it, be able to perform the way you want, and respond more quickly and comfortably.  When a horse is collected, he will be on the bit and not fighting you, also very pleasant and essential to progression.  I barrel race, and we know how important it is to use that hind end properly to shave time off the clock!

Answer 4

It's all about knowing where all four feet are doing at all times and placing them where they need to be through both your seat and aids, to set him/her up to carry themselves properly and give you their best. So the idea of collection is to work them in such a way as to make it easier for them to...what I call "come to" or come up under you with a nice rounded back (naturally) and hind end engagement (their motor)/ gather themselves together to execute a good transition either upward or downward. Yes, downward too. Many people don't realize that not only should you set your horse up for success by facilitating his ability to round up to go up to the next gait, but they should also facilitate his ability to come down to a lower gait in a collected or rounded way - without any dropping or collapsing as they slow down. Again, coming into/forward as they go from trot to walk, for example. The 'coming to' is not something that should be forced through any kind of crank and yank method; it takes time to develop. This is what people often refer to as a 'false frame' or false collection.Hmmm...this is tricky to explain and I'm not sure I did a good job. Hope this gives you something to work with that's useful.

ADD: Oh, yeah, and it is especially important to collect prior to a canter to get a nice clean, crisp departure rather than a running into canter or falling into canter. Those are, well, um, yucky to ride and a terrible habit for a horse to develop.

ADD: Think of it this way. Collection is not an absolute; it occurs in degrees. So if you are on a horse that is carrying himself properly and engaged, you want to still collect him a bit more under himself for that nice strike-off. Also, it can be very deceiving and confusing whether a horse is truly engaged or put into frame and appears to be showing the correct form rather than performing to produce the correct form. Collection is for all horses rounded or not - like shades of gray between black and white but applied to a horse's movement and carriage originating in the hind-end and resulting in the appropriate lightness in front.

Answer 5

An Exaggeration of collection cues is performed before the transition to alert the horse of the fact that it is about to be asked for a transition.  You should already be in a collected frame when you do it.  Your transitions will be smoother and the horse will enter the next gait without falling out of frame.  When your horse has impulsion, he is collected.

ADD....jumper b...... good information....especially reference to endless cantering often advised on this site, which accomplishes all the wrong stuff.  The training value is in the degree to which you achieve collection, and that is not done by cantering in circles.

Answer 6

you should always collect before any gait as it helps build muscles for their top line and collecting also means that your horse is listening to you and only you. collecting also ensures you will have the needed impulstion for the gait you are asking for. especially because running into a gait or falling out of the gait is never acceptable for it shows a lack of obediance on your horse's part and a lack of riding on your part. the only way to build the proper muscle structure of the horse is by proper transitions. it's the transition that builds the muscle and power, not the endless canter circles(those only build endurance, and resistance if done incorrectly)