# How do you cue for the canter?



## UWLEquestrian (Jan 17, 2011)

This is just out of curiosity. When I cue for the canter, I use my outside seat bone to move the horse's hip over and touch my outside leg slightly behind the girth. I also say "and canter".
So, what do you guys do to ask for the canter?


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

make a kissy sound


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## vivache (Jun 14, 2009)

UWLEquestrian said:


> This is just out of curiosity. When I cue for the canter, I use my outside seat bone to move the horse's hip over and touch my outside leg slightly behind the girth. I also say "and canter".
> So, what do you guys do to ask for the canter?


I do this, along with the cluck I use for everything. I will NOT use only a sound, and will often omit it when I ask. The horse can get confused(Think someone behind or next to you making only a kissy noise.. you don't want your horse to take off!), and it'll kill you in Dressage, WP, and Saddleseat. You're supposed to give silent cues.

Depending on the horse and the arena I'm in, I may tighten my outside rein a bit to help nudge them onto the correct lead. 

With Nighty, who does not know how to canter U/S, I'll throw on a tiny bumper spur and exaggerate my cues.


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## Meagan (Mar 30, 2010)

I just make sure and sit back and make a kiss sound
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

if you sit back and flex your torso and slightly press with your calves a horse will also go. I do that on the lesson horse but my horse hasn't learned fully what that means so it will take time.


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## UWLEquestrian (Jan 17, 2011)

Gidget said:


> if you sit back and flex your torso and slightly press with your calves a horse will also go. I do that on the lesson horse but my horse hasn't learned fully what that means so it will take time.


Do you press with both of your calves or just the outside or inside calf?


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## drafteventer (Jul 6, 2009)

I trot, get the horse bent around my inside leg so theyll (hopefully) pick up the right lead, sit, half halt. Squeeze with both legs one at the girth and one slightly behind.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

UWLEquestrian said:


> Do you press with both of your calves or just the outside or inside calf?


 
both legs


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

ensure correct bend, ensure quality of trot (if you have a crap trot, at best you will get a crap canter, generaly you wont get anything), Sit to the trot, half halt, outside leg back, inside leg on the girth, squeeze.

When schooling young horses I will use voice aids to back up my legs as they will have been taught voice aids when lunging and long reining. The aim generaly is that I wean them off the voice aid and on to seat and leg aids ASAP.


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## CruceyMoose (Dec 30, 2010)

Sit down, take a deep breathe to relax the horse/sink down, half halt, bend in [unless the horse is on autopilot and WILL NOT canter on the wrong lead], press inside leg against horse, slide outside leg back. If the horse is lazy, they get a slight roll of the outside spur [if I'm wearing them.]


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## Mocha26 (Oct 27, 2010)

I press the outside heel in & kiss for a lope & for English ( her more impulsive canter) I "bump" with both heels & kiss.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## UWLEquestrian (Jan 17, 2011)

For those of you that use both legs in the *same *position, how do you ask for a specific lead?
See, the reason why I started this thread is because someone on another forum mentioned they use inside leg only to cue for the canter. I'm just trying to understand how that would control the horse's body in order to get the correct lead and why someone would choose to train a horse to canter with solely the inside leg.


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## mumiinek (Aug 4, 2010)

http://www.horseforum.com/dressage/leg-yielding-62955/page3/

I find this very well explained.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Leg yielding and asking for canter are very different things


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## mumiinek (Aug 4, 2010)

If you at least clicked the link and had a brief look you'd see the whole page is dedicated to cueing for canter.


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## HalieBaby (Jan 21, 2011)

I sit a little deeper,make a soft 'cluck' and squeeze with my calves.


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## lexypoohhorton (Oct 11, 2010)

I Just have to tell him to Canter. i try not to use my legs being as, he is vocie comand but when he puts up a fight i have to bruch my legs, klick (smooch), or use my crop.  its easiest to tell him to walk or trot... canter i have to tell him over and over at times. some times i lucky and he is in to mood to listen XD stubbern as a mule that one is, but i wouldn't change him for the world


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## DressageIsToDance (Jun 10, 2010)

I get Amber working well in her trot. I like to have her on the bit, but if she's got decent bend through the body and is using her hind end, I find that acceptable right now - she has not been in dressage training long, and was a trail horse before, so bending and contact are all new for her.

When I have that trot, I commit myself to the transition. You have to mentally commit yourself to ask, otherwise you half-ask and get a half-response.

I half halt first, then give a little squeeze on my inside rein as I push her with my inside leg into my outside rein. If I am posting, I sit before I ask and push her with my seat bones, putting weight towards the outside seat bone.


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## lilkitty90 (Nov 11, 2009)

honestly just a very light tap with my heel/calf and a kissy sound. the cues HAVE to be used together. sometimes i can just squeeze. but my girl will never go with just a kissy sound.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I make a kissing sound and keep my outside leg still while squeezing with my inside leg. Technically, since I only very rarely ride in an arena, I squeeze with my leg on the opposite side from the lead I want. Sometimes, when I don't care which lead Lacey takes, I just kiss so that she chooses whichever lead strikes her fancy.

I was formally taught to squeeze with my leg that's on the same side as the lead I want and keep my other leg still, but Lacey was trained the opposite way so I've changed the way I cue.


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

UWLEquestrian said:


> For those of you that use both legs in the *same *position, how do you ask for a specific lead?
> See, the reason why I started this thread is because someone on another forum mentioned they use inside leg only to cue for the canter. I'm just trying to understand how that would control the horse's body in order to get the correct lead and why someone would choose to train a horse to canter with solely the inside leg.



They are correct. This is what I do.

The problem as I have mention over many posts is that asking for an outside leg back pushes the haunches into a state of crookedness. For simple trail riding and very low level riding it probably doesn't make much difference in having a crooked horse as further training could not progress anyways.

For those that will need to do half passing and temi changes, then you will want the horse straight and correct. If the rider wants the horse to progress they will use the inside hip closing on the horse and the horse being sensitive at this point will respond in a straight and corrct manner. The outside leg at this point will only guard against the haunches swining out and will act only if that happens.

When you see someone doing flying changes and you see the haunches swing left and right then they are still using this preliminary, beginner aid (outside leg back).


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## Countrylady1071 (May 12, 2010)

i just put my outside leg back about six inches and use light pressure. my horse picks it up immediately and stays completely straight but i can see how that could cause crookedness in some horses. 
my horse will also pick up a canter with a kissy sound, but i only use that when lunging him.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I ensure I have created and maintained a balanced, rhythmical trot in which the horse is nicely in front of the leg. Apply a series of slight half halts to let the horse know that it is about to be asked something. Slightly weight my inside stirrup, lift the inside hip and touch with the inside leg. If needed I will put a little outside leg behind the girth if I am on a horse that I feel needs a little more support or if it has a habit of swinging the quarters to to outside.
Why I cue from the inside aids? Exactly for the reasons that Spyder stated. If you only want to burn around a paddock and have some fun mucking around, ask for canter how you like. But if you move to needing to ask for laterals in canter you will unfortunately come unstuck. Asking with inside aids only also gives you the control over which lead you would like - try changing lead through a simple change (either through walk or trot) across the diagonal or on a straight line without losing the quarters if you ask with outside leg behind the girth  **** hard and if you get it you've probably fluked it! 
My new boy has a nasty habit of swinging his quarters in when asked for canter. He has always been asked with outside leg behind the girth. He has not swung his quarters in for over 2 months now in his canter transitions simply through being cued with inside aids.


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## UWLEquestrian (Jan 17, 2011)

Thanks for explaining that Spyder and Kayty.
I have always been taught to use the outside leg. I don't think I will ever be doing tempi changes or anything like that with my gelding. I would like to eventually do reining with him, though.
Basically, inside leg is used to ensure that the horse's hindquarters do not move to the inside of the circle, right? You want a straight horse?
So when you ask for a counter-canter, do you use the outside leg then? I'm not very familiar with upper level dressage, and only really have basic knowledge of even the lower levels.


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

UWLEquestrian said:


> So when you ask for a counter-canter, do you use the outside leg then? I'm not very familiar with upper level dressage, and only really have basic knowledge of even the lower levels.


In dressage terms the outside will ALWAYS refer to the outside bend of the horse, never the outside relating to the horse's position in the arena.

The inside carries the same reference also.

For counter canter the aids are exactly the same except we will ask for a canter lead that is opposite to a normal canter.




UWLEquestrian said:


> Basically, inside leg is used to ensure that the horse's hindquarters do not move to the inside of the circle, right? You want a straight horse?


True you don't want a crooked horse and overaiding the outside (outside leg back) can create just such a crooked horse.

In our case the inside leg/hip aid is very soft and on a trained horse most people would not even see it. In my case I just _think_ left or right lead canter and I have it instantly.


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## cfralic (Jan 17, 2011)

I do what you do, leg behind girth.


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## Arksly (Mar 13, 2010)

I ususally just get a nice gait (either walk or trot), make sure I have a nice bend. Then I put my inside leg on, outside leg back and turn my seatbones towards the inside. I'm gradually trying to wean Jesse off of the outside leg for the exact reason that Spyder stated.


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## UWLEquestrian (Jan 17, 2011)

Spyder said:


> In dressage terms the outside will ALWAYS refer to the outside bend of the horse, never the outside relating to the horse's position in the arena.
> 
> The inside carries the same reference also.
> 
> ...


 Ok, I think I understand now.
I will admit I have ridden horses trained to respond to an outside leg cue and if you just will/think a lead they will immediately pick it up. My horse isn't quite to that point yet.
I wish some reining trainers would chime in. I would like to hear their opinions.
Thanks for explaining that Spyder.


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## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

Right leg for the left lead, left leg for the left lead. For leads, I normally jjust shift my weight to the outside, or sometimes I have to bend my inside reign a little and press with my outside leg.


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## WesternJake (Jan 29, 2011)

I either do a slight nudge with my heel, or cluck. Jake goes into a lope so easy. He'll often just go right into a lope without my asking (which, of course, isn't good, and is being worked on) so it doesn't take much to get him to lope.  

Emily


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## canadiancowgirl7 (Apr 5, 2010)

i just make sure my boy is nice and collected for a well balanced lope or canter and depending if im wearing spurs or not, lightly touch his side with either my boot or the side of my spur, and he goes into a lope so easily!  i dont see the point in clucking or kissing to any horse, but thats just my own opinion.


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