I have been backing Estrid since May, so after 5 months of walk with the odd short trot here and there over the last month I though it was time to try out a bit of canter. I personally don’t like doing a first canter in a school or confined space, I think that turning at canter is firmly in the realms of more experienced, better balanced and muscled horses. So every time I back a horse their first canter is on a hack. I prefer on grass, purely for a soft place to land if it gets a bit spicy.
In an ideal world I like it to be a natural decision/choice of the horse. So Emma very kindly accompanied us on a hack with Diego as babysitter and canter instigator!
The plan was that Emma & Diego would go into canter up a grassy bridleway and Estrid could decide to follow or not. I haven’t taught her any canter aids yet, voice, leg or seat so this was purely up to her.
After playing with a few strides of her fastest trot, fumbling around for another two strides between canter and trot she then struck off into a glidey, controlled, beautiful canter. She didn’t pull, she didn’t bronc, she didn’t charge off, she came back to a trot without being hyped up and with me barely having to ask she came back to a nice sedate walk.
It couldn’t have gone better!
Beth Endurance 