Riding the Canter

MODULE 1

Gaits, Footfalls and Leads

All training starts with an understanding of how your horse moves. This module contains the foundations of training the canter and includes the following lessons:

• Footfalls at walk and trot
• Canter footfalls
• Canter biomechanics
• Biomechanics and head movements of the horse

At the end of this module, you will be able to recognise a correct canter and understand the biomechanics of the gait.

MODULE 2

Riding the Canter and Common Mistakes

Now that you understand the gait, it's time to discuss what often goes wrong and how to avoid those pitfalls. In these lessons, we'll cover:

• The most common riding mistakes in the canter
• How to overcome or avoid those mistakes
• Mistakes and corrections demonstrated with different riders

You’ll finish this module with a clear understanding of riding mistakes at canter and knowledge of how to avoid them.

MODULE 3

Cues for Canter and Leads

How do we cue the horse for canter in general and each lead in particular? The answers are in these lessons; you’ll learn:

• How to cue or signal the horse to canter
• The details of the physical cues 
• Working on canter departures
• Transitioning in and out of canter

These important lessons will set you up for cantering success.

MODULE 4

Developing Control and Refining Departures

Regardless of your experience, you can always improve and refine your canter departures. In this module, you’ll learn:

• How to establish control in the canter
• Whether it's better to ride the rail or circles while gaining confidence
• Positioning your horse for successful departures

Helping the horse pick up the correct lead and maintain gait is an important step towards cantering confidence for you both.

MODULE 5

Collection and Speed Control

Woohoo, we're really on our way now but can we change speed within gait? These lessons include:

• Defining collection
• The difference between English and Western collection
• Speed control when cantering

Once we've established consistency in picking up the canter, we can now move on to collection and extension at canter.

MODULE 6

Lateral Work

Lateral work in canter is not only fun but will help you enormously with your lead changes. In these lessons, you’ll learn the following:

• How to do haunches-in
• Using the leg yield for canter departures
• How the counter canter can work for flying lead changes

You’ll finish this module with the tools you need to teach your horse flying lead changes.

MODULE 7

Lead Changes

In the previous module, we looked at exercises to teach lead changes, and now we get down to business. In these lessons, you’ll learn:

• Simple lead changes
• Flying lead changes

Having set a strong foundation in modules 1 - 6, we now work on the ultimate canter manoeuvre, the flying lead change.

MODULE 8

Troubleshooting

There's always more! In this module, Julie and Kate get together for a discussion about:

• Why riders often have trouble with the canter
• Exercises to help you sit the canter
• Horses that only pick up one lead
• Horses that disunite or cross-fire
• How leg yielding and haunches-in help with transitions
• Horses that buck going into canter

You'll finish this module with most of your questions answered, but if you have more, there's a place for your questions in every lesson in this course.

RESOURCES

Kandoo Community Hub

As a member of the 'Riding the Canter course, you'll get access to the Kandoo Community Hub. Here you'll find:

• A supportive online community full of like-minded horse lovers
• Weekly online training meetups with Dr Kate Fenner
• Access to a video training library
• and much more...