30/ APRIL 2021 THE RIDER


Wrong Canter Lead? 5 Ways To Fix It


By Kathy Farrokhzad. Do you have trou-


ble getting the “correct” lead when striking off into can- ter? It helps a lot if you know different ways to en- courage the horse to strike off in the correct lead. One of the key paths to becoming a “good” rider is developing a tool box of strategies that might be suitable for partic- ular situations.


It’s About Balance Lead problems stem


from one main cause. If the horse is unbalanced, he will


have more trouble picking up his lead regardless of how athletic he may be. Lack of balance can happen in many ways. The horse might be heavy on the fore- hand, and instead of chang- ing gait to canter, he only runs faster and faster into a bigger and more scrambled trot.


He may bulge one


shoulder or the other rather than step underneath with the hind legs. This will result in sideways movement (ei- ther into the middle of the ring, or out toward the rail) when you ask for the canter.


He’ll likely stay in the trot because of the misalignment of his body. He may resist moving


forward when you apply your aids. You might get tail swishing, a hop from the hind end, or a slowing down in the trot as he braces with his front legs. This may be caused by a true discomfort (tack?) or physical problem, so do get it checked out if it happens often. Otherwise, it might just be confusion.


The Trot Before the Can- ter


Regardless of why your


horse is struggling, the key here is for you to maintain or resume balance even while you are working on getting the canter lead. The first fix is to try coming back to a controlled, rhythmical trot before you try again. However,


in some


cases, slowing down to re- balance may not be enough. You might need to exagger- ate your aids to help the horse realize how to take a lead in the first place. The following five suggestions should give you a starting point. We’ll start from basic preparation to more ad-


vanced.


1. Outside flexion, outside leg


This is the most ele-


mentary way to get an inside lead, mainly because you’re going to set the horse up to essentially fall into position for the lead. Use this for the young horse just beginning to canter, or for a horse that is very crooked to the inside (maybe he swings his hip to the inside during the up tran- sition). Use your outside rein


to ask for outside flexion (you should see the corner of the horse’s eye toward the rail). Use the outside leg as you normally would, swing- ing back in a windshield wiper motion just in the mo- ment of the down stride. Have a soft inside rein


so you don’t inadvertently pull the horse’s head to the inside at this moment. But maintain some contact, so that the horse has a little support on the inside. You can always bring the horse’s flexion back to the inside after you get the lead.


2. Inside flexion, inside leg to outside leg This is a little more bal-


anced and therefore a little more difficult. This time, ask for the horse to look to the inside of the ring (inside flexion). Use your inside leg to stabilize the horse while still in the trot. Then ask for the canter with your outside leg.


Your inside leg helps


the horse maintain better balance just before the strike off.


3. On a turn It’s usually easier for a


horse to take the correct lead if he can step into a turn or circle in the same direction. So if you want the right lead, ask for the lead while turn- ing right. See if this helps.


4. On a straight line It is usually more diffi-


cult to get the correct lead while moving straight, but it might help some horses keep their balance while transitioning. In this case, you will support the horse so that he doesn’t lean or fall one direction or the other, and only ask once you feel he is moving straight com- fortably. He should be famil- iar enough with leads at this point so that he can respond to your outside leg aid.


5. From the walk This is most difficult


for some horses, but it can be helpful to not be running off in the trot in the first place. In this case, get a good


walk, and ask for the canter transition straight out of the walk. If your horse trots a few steps before the canter, just ride it and let him. The difference with this trot is that it is fairly controlled be- cause it’s coming out of the walk. Starting from the walk might be all the help he needs.


*** Regardless of the strat-


egy you use, be sure that you are still riding on your inside seat bone through the transi- tion. If you have fallen to the outside, you will invariably be encouraging the horse to step under you - which means he may pick up his outside lead.


Stay consistent in your


expectation to keep a con- trolled, rhythmical trot be- fore each transition. If the trot gets faster, just break to a walk, regroup, and re-es- tablish the balanced trot. A scrambling trot does not a good canter make! Initially, accept any at-


tempts at the canter. Avoid pulling back on the bit or losing your own balance through the transition, as this will further disrupt


the


horse’s balance. Just sit tall, ride whatever you get, and encourage, encourage and encourage. Take your time, come back to the trot or walk when needed, and ac- cept and praise even the slightest attempt. If your horse DOES go


into a canter, it’s now time for you to “harmonize” with the horse. Do everything you can to just ride for a few strides and avoid interrupt- ing, stopping or changing anything. Let the horse know that the canter was all you were asking for. Finally, remember that


these are all “corrections”. In other words, you won’t be using these strategies for- ever to get your lead. Once your horse becomes more aware of his canter leads and accurately responds, you will go back to quiet aids to encourage


a balanced, straight, calm transition.


Bio: Kathy Farrokhzad is an EC coach and author of the Horse Listening book col- lection, Goal Setting For The Equestrian: A Personal Workbook, and the creator of the Practice Sessions on- line program. If you liked what you read here, check out her blog at HorseListen- ing.com for many more arti- cles about horses, riding and life in general.


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