I’ve been in a discussion on another board about what the tendency is in the Dressage world. When teaching youngsters/greenies to canter, do you prefer to teach it out of the trot, or the walk, and why?
It depends on how naturally athletic and balanced the horse is. Most are not perfect and find going from the trot to the canter easiest because they have some momentum built up and they can “fall” into it.
I think it is easier on the horse to sort of fall into it the first time or two. They are not as well balanced as they will become after developing some muscle and a little more carrying power. I don’t like to rattle them with a bunch of demands about correct, clean transitions. Once you get them cantering, it is much easier to begin to rebalance them so that you start to develop the muscles that will let them make a precise, balanced transition.
I don’t let them run from a trot into a canter though. I do ask for at least some effort in a slow transition … maybe allow three quicker trot steps at first before getting into the canter. If they get too speedy at the trot, I bring them back into a good trot rythym and ask again.
So, I go for quieter less than perfect transitions because I want that calm although maybe slightly off balance work.
You can work on correct transitions later, but it is harder to regain calmness and avoid nervous anticipation.
It will be interesting to see the responses. The clear suggestion through the progression of the tests is to begin with trot-canter transitions. It is certainly easier to run a horse into a canter from a trot than to get him to figure out a walk-canter transition.
For a completely out-of-the box, simple, balanced and CALM way to start… check out “Another Horsemanship” by Jean Claude Racinet and his suggestion for the canter tx in a greenie.
Works a CHARM. 
Young horses - always from the trot. If the walk canter transitions are taught first the horse does not learn to push with his hind legs and go across the ground in the transition. Trot canter first, and the walk canter only later, when the hind legs are stronger because of practicing the trot canter transition, or the walk canter transition will not be correct.
Definitely from the trot (think about how you would do it with a young horse that is learning to lunge). The trot canter trot transitions are really good for the horses bodies. I still do them with my prix st george and 3rd level horse during every warm up.
I prefer teaching the canter from trot. The reason for this is that the walk/canter transition needs the horse’s shoulders higher, i.e. more of a position that would be required in collection. Greenie meanies are really on the forehand and pretty crooked, with shoulders down, down, down. So if you have a prayer for getting a canter, you’d better start from that lower shoulder position of the trot which also gives you more forward momentum to channel into lifting the forehand a tiny bit. The canter needs to have the inside shoulder elevate. The trot, especially a posting trot, helps you get the hind legs under better to hopefully get more impulsion to help lift that shoulder.
Teaching transition into canter is initially through trot for any of mine. Not allowed to run into it, though. Depending how well the horse is balanced, transitions from walk may be fairly soon…but since we also do open shows they must also learn that. If not for them, there might be a tendency to “forget” walk/canter. Fwiw, usually improves the trot/canter. Coming not from a solely dressage background, dressage tests ask for walk/canter a little later than I’d imagine…but I feel the same way about lack of any type of lead changes in early levels.
my horse was laterally very unbalanced and found it very hard to strike off into a right lead. However, I found he did it best when I cantered off from the walk when coming out of a right-hand walk volte or a shoulder-fore. That worked for us at least. Out of the trot, when on the right lead, he’d get flustered and fumbly with his legs and we’d get an outside or cross canter. Eventually, he did it well from trot or walk.
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Young horses - always from the trot. If the walk canter transitions are taught first the horse does not learn to push with his hind legs and go across the ground in the transition. Trot canter first, and the walk canter only later, when the hind legs are stronger because of practicing the trot canter transition, or the walk canter transition will not be correct.[/QUOTE]
:yes:
I prefer to work with youngsters using progressive transitions and as they become stronger and more balanced I then intoduce upward direct transitions first then moving on to downward direct transitions.
I taught mine from the walk
as we actually did the hunters first, and in the flat class, the sequence is always, walk, trot, walk, canter. Made our trot/canter transitions a bit difficult at first, but no big deal. A lot of it has to do with timing, my horse’s butt is as big as a barn, he has NO trouble pushing off from behind.
Interesting question…when starting my pony we always did trot canter in dressage, but when he started coursing small fences…it was walk-canter. All this was pretty much happening at about the same time, but I don’t recall it being an issue–one affecting the other. He pretty much is doing either/or and it doesn’t seem to be much of an issue, unless he’s off the aids. I think he can pretty much canter depart decently out of the halt if thats what you want. Ponies are a little different in how they are balanced even when young…my guy is one that was born with a huge motor and strength over his topline. My younger Pony is even more uphill and balanced…though not quite as together and I’ve taken more time to build his topline. He will be a trot canter guy for for a while.
