How Do I Train My Horse To Canter When Riding Him?
I ride harness racers / monté trotters and work on “converting them” to good riding horses so OH GOD I know what you’re talking about. What you need to work on is tempo changes. Again and again and again. With my last horse I worked her in the paddock for over six months before I got her into a decent gait change but now she goes from walk to canter on the command “go”. You just need to work on the change, again and again and again. I have two different methods — either the “normal” method which I find easiest, where you can be anywhere – in a field or on a trail or wherever, do a trot, and then really command him to go. Go back and forth and back and forth between trot and canter; if you want to be thorough, go back and forth between walk and trot too, and he’ll get the message – and in the end it’ll come easy. A command word can also be really helpful, unless you’re planning on competing in dressage, where verbal commands are banned. As I already told you my command for a gallop has
