cantering horse with rider wearing white breeches

Trot to Canter Transition

Open source coded by Morgan Coyle

Demystify the sitting trot with these easy steps...

Steps

  1. Establish a forward trot.
  2. Sit deep in the saddle.(Don't slouch. Don't lean forward)
  3. Place inside leg in front of the girth.
  4. Place outside leg behind the girth.
  5. Squeeze outside leg firmly.
  6. Once the hose transitions to canter, maintain rhythm.
  7. From here, continue cantering or transition down or up.

DOs & DON'Ts

DO

DON'T

Sit deeply & relax

horse cantering

Sit deeply in the saddle. You should feel secure and supple during the transition. You should feel weight in your elbows, seat, ankles, and lower leg.

Inhale then exhale at the same time you squeeze outside leg back.

Be tense & stiff

red ball of stress

Tension in your body will block the natural motion of the horse's canter. Tension will make the canter transition difficult. If your body is stiff, then the horse's body will be stiff. "Relax, relax is the key. Soften the ankle, the thigh, the knee."

Create a collected trot

horse trotting with rider

To transition to canter, you must create a trot that is capable of the transition. Establishing a collected trot ensures the horse is lifting through its back and thus the motion of the trot is much easier to transition up or down.
When the horse is collected, it is engaging all the proper muscles, so it builds the right kind of fitness.

Create an uncollected trot

hollow back versus correct back

If the horse is trotting with a hollow back, then the motion of the trot will be difficult to control, and thus, the canter becomes equally difficult to control. A hollow back might lead to injury as the horse is not using its muscles properly.