How do you teach a Standardbred to canter?
I have a Standardbred that used to pace and now he's retired and i use him as a trail horse, I see him gallop in the pasture but not on trails. How would you go about doing this thanks And to Reneigh, he has been lunged with alot, he doensn't even need a lead anymore. I've worked with him for a while with lunging its not really getting him anywhere
Public Comments
- lunging also poll work will help and if you have a strong leg make him canter use a crop if need be but only when your leg cant do the job sorry i don't like standard breeds and have never owned one
- Just push him to go PAST the trot, or pace. Eventually he should break to the canter. Pat and praise him. Every time you ask for it though use the same cue- you are training him. He might not respond to it, but if you use something different every time, he will just get confused. Once you get him to the point that he canters when asked, actually picks it up rather than just running into it, then you can start to worry about tempo and such. ALWAYS PRAISE HIM for doing the right thing! And, by the way, the canter and gallop are totally different gaits. Just FYI. Just have them straight, else you will just confuse people. Canter video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxU-MTmVwsE Gallop video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGKYOgaHRxM&feature=related A canter is a 3 beat gait, while the gallop is a 4.
- Do what Alice said... push him into a fast trot. Then move your body in an exaggerated canter movement. It'll feel awkward for him, and he'll want to move his body to match yours. Make sure you keep your reins loose... you don't want to be giving him mixed signals. And when he canters, make SURE you say "woah" if he starts to trot again. Even if it was his idea to stop cantering, you have to make him think it was yours. Good luck : ]
- Well if all you want him to do it pic of the canter or to move into a gallop on trails, try putting which ever leg you feel more comfortable with and press this ONE leg into his side made sure he is side passing over, this will be the first step into making him pic up that canter. Then after you have fully pressed your heel, and lower calf on your horses side kiss to him and encourage him forwards. If you are finding it hard to do this try working this in a circle when coming out of your circle push him into the canter, you will find it might take time but he will do it ^-^
