Gwenyth Figures Out Cantering

Gwenyth has been struggling to understand that I want her to canter while I'm riding her.  This is pretty normal for a draft horse, as they are bred to pull a plow or cart slowly in a straight line for a long time.  They're not really built to naturally canter in circles.  Gwenyth is able to do it, she just needed additional clarification to be able to canter with a rider.

When I've worked with other draft types, and even other green horses who struggle with this idea, I find it's much better to explain it to them than try to hustle them into it with aggressive riding.  This weekend we were able to help Gwenyth by using another ground person.  I had my friend Sara lunge Gwenyth in the round pen, asking for the canter on the lunge line just like I ask for it when I lunge her.  Gwenyth understood what Sara wanted and went forward nicely.

The next step was for me to climb on and ride a little.

Once she was listening to me and feeling a little bit "up,"  I knew she understood what I was wanting and she would be able to do it.  I asked for the canter, and she began to trot faster.  I asked again, and then Sara backed me up from the middle of the round pen by using the voice command for canter from the ground, and raising the lunge whip a little to cue the canter.  Gwenyth got it!

We cantered around the round pen a few times, a big, uphill, forward canter!  We got into the canter twice in one direction, then took a break for her to think about what we'd accomplished.  Then we cantered twice in the other direction.

At the end of the training session Gwenyth walked into the middle of the arena to be snuggled by Sara and receive her accolades for a job well done.  The girl is well on her way!