# Your cue to canter/lope



## nurse_in_boots (Aug 29, 2007)

Just curious, when you cue your horse to lope or canter, do you turn their head to the inside or outside? 

I had always heard turn to the outside, especially from western people, but I never had good results with this. I have always bent them to the inside, around my inside leg, and cued with the outside leg back of the girth. I've tried this on horses who never got their leads right and it worked like a charm! Just curious what works for everyone else.


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## Flying B (Jul 4, 2007)

I don't need to bend my horse to lope, I just put my outside foot on and give a kiss, this is the only time you will hear me kiss, kiss means lope and that's it, for every thing else I click. When I'm starting horses to lope I bend there heads to the inside that way they understand what I'm asking a little more. I don't know why you would bend there head to the outside?


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## Kyani (Apr 30, 2007)

I don't see the reasoning behind bending to the outside - surely that's going to make it more difficult for the horse to strike off on the correct leg?
My aids for canter are as follows, pretty standard for english:
usually done in a corner of the school or on a circle, so the horse should be bent to the inside anyway
half halt with the inside rein (precedes all transitions, ideally)
sit deep in the saddle, weight ever so slightly to the inside (I would normally have been rising to the trot, so this is a change)
outside leg moves back and pushes on
often accompanied by a cheery 'canter!'

I don't always use all those cues, depending on the horse and what I'm doing. A couple can be exaggerated to help a horse who has trouble striking off or getting the correct lead. Then again, I ride a few horses who need as little as someone sitting and brushing with their outside leg to strike off beautifully.


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## Sara (Jul 6, 2007)

Flying B said:


> I don't know why you would bend there head to the outside?


As far as I know, its limited to saddleseat (correct me if I'm wrong, that's the only style I've seen it used with). I'd be interested to hear the reasoning behind it, if anyone knows.


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## Willow (Aug 27, 2007)

My boy is pretty high strung and all it takes for him to go into a lope/canter is a "kiss", no leg aids required. If working in the arena, then yes, neck out, outside leg back... :wink: 
... funny on the trail ride when hubby "throws me an air-kiss" and Timber starts loping :lol:


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## Kiki (Feb 7, 2007)

Yeah I tend to make 'smacko' noises when I want Dana to increase speed but I've heard you can loose points in dressage or other comps if you make 'smacko' noises?

True or False?


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## bee (Jul 31, 2007)

hi,
i use leg aids to canter, inside leg on the girth and outside leg back a bit, i also use my seat,i drop my inside hip slightly too and say canter.If i needed to turn their head i would turn it in.
Cap is still learning to canter in the arena, but out on a trail ride i just sit and put a little leg on and say canter.


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## nurse_in_boots (Aug 29, 2007)

Maybe it is just a saddleseat thing. Some of the horses I've "retrained" that had lead problems were arabs and NSH's, so that is very possible that they came from saddlebred barns. I guess I am getting nervouse about the new horse. It has been just me and my Arab for so many years that I am not sure I remember how to cue any other horse, especially a western ranch-bred horse!!! With my Arab, I just think canter and he goes. Somehow I know it won't be like that with the new guy, at least for a while! The really bad thing is that I have not been able to ride him myself - I had surgery 2 wks ago and my doc has not cleared my to ride yet. But, I see him tomorrow and if I get the all clear will be riding the new guy Sat. when he is vetted. Thanks for the input everyone!!!!


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