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How to Train a Horse to Canter

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Train a horse to canter--once the horse is comfortable trotting--by encouraging the horse with your voice and putting both legs up into a canter. Do not expect a horse to canter immediately or for very long, as the muscles have not yet been developed. Learn more about training a horse to canter with advice from an equestrian team head coach in this video on horse training.

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This is my fave Jumping pic that I have. 1
Posted By Danielle Edgley
on December 27, 2008, 9:59 pm
great video, I love The quote on Not expecting your horse to hold the canter to long. So true.

Posted By Lauren Revis
on March 20, 2009, 10:03 pm
So true! Echo likes to run and canter without me on him, but once I'm on him, he completely changes. I have been working with him on cantering for the past couple months and boy has he b-lined through it! He has dramatically changed from when I first got him a year ago. He only likes to canter the straight away, but I'm slowly getting him around the corner of the arena... Slowly.. but surely...

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Video Transcript

Once your horse is comfortable at a trot both posting and sitting, and you're comfortable stopping and going, you can start to teach your horse how to canter. So to begin with we'll just go up to a sitting trot. Now obviously if your horse hasn't cantered with you on him before it's not going to be the smoothest transition and you're just going to encourage with your voice with a cluck and with both legs your outside leg back, up in to a canter. If it's the first time you've cantered your horse don't expect it to be very smooth and probably don't want to expect it to hold it for too long, as they won't have the muscles developed yet to hold that canter.



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About The Producer
Expert: Mara Keith-Hunter

Specialty: Hunter, Jumper, Equitation


Mara Keith-Hunter is a lifelong equestrian and head coach for the Hampshire College equestrian team.

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