Halt to Canter transition.

Hello Sandy, I would certainly agree with you in terms of the elevation, I've only begun trying this transition so we are in the early stage. My horse anticipates a bit so I have to say that the halt is square but he's ready to bounce off (and not always as straight as he could be!) if you see what I mean, he seems to consider it as though "well I have to stop but I must be ready to go too"!! So at the moment, it is a little too excited and sometimes I have one step of walk but that will settle with patience. Coming back to the elevation, when he pushes off into the canter from halt, I feel his shoulders really coming up and his hindquarters coming under, the canter is nearly a collected cadence from the beginning without having asked for collection really. Is this because he is going from "no movement" to "movement" and is this why, in rein-back to canter, the elevation/collected cadence in not there because he is going from "movement" to "movement in a different direction"? What do you think? My experience with going into canter from the rein-back is that he pushes off into an outward bound canter and if I wanted a slower cadence or collection I'd have to ask for it. So yes, I share your experience to an extent and any advice on preparation techniques would be much appreciated. Kind regards, Valerie

Sandy and Valerie,

This has sometimes been my experience too. I find that it very much depends on the quality of the rein back/halt. If he stays soft over his back and relaxed in his jaw in the rein back then the canter transition gives me the lift and energy whilst being collected, if he comes hard to my hand and fixes his back then the transition is flat and looses it's forward energy. I have found it helps to work between halt/canter, reinback/canter and giravolta/canter transitions as each brings a different dimension to the canter transition.

Trudi

Hello Valerie,
It was very interesting to get your views on this useful transition.As for it's preparation I'm sure nothing is written in stone,and all horses are different and the same horse,indeed,may be different from time to time and especially as it's training advances.However,for me,at this time,today,bringing my horse to it's bit by a lateral flexion to the side of the desired lead,always in association with a relaxation of the lower jaw and with a mobilization of the tongue is an absolute pre-requisite.In the usual situation my inside leg at the girth provides for the propulsion forwards and prevents any inside swing of the quarters.It also provides for some incurvation to the inside.At the same time,in this mare,I apply my outside leg back together with a shift of weight to the outside and a little back to be over the outside hind.If,for any reason,the lightness in my hand requesting the lateral flexion is lost,or in any way compromised I abandon the request for a strike off and start again,if necessary returning to some "cessions de machoire" to obtain decontraction in my horse.If all is well,however,and a straight strike off results without any loss of lightness in the hand,I release the fingers requesting the inside lateral flexion at the poll to allow the inside shoulder and leg to come through.Are these your views as well?
My regards,
Sandy.

Hello Trudy and Sandy, thank you both for your replies. Having thought through what you've both said, I think I am probably not being subtle enough in my aids. Your description of what you are doing at this moment in time Sandy is similar to what I'm trying, with the exception of the outside leg. I move it back but I don't "apply" it as this tended to have the result of moving my horse's hindquarters to the inside. In moving it back, from my waist down is balanced more to that side in order to free up the inside foreleg and to allow freer movement of my inside thigh/pelvis to "call" for the engagement of the inside hind. Trudy, you used a term that I don't know "giravolta" - can you explain that please?
Kind regards to you both, Valerie

Apologies Valerie, it's basically a moving turn on the forehand. I was introduced to it many years ago but have rarely seen it taught. It is incredibly helpful to train alongside the more collected movements and helps keep the jump and engagement especially in the collected canter work.

For instance I ride a circle at one end of the school and ride forwards to halt at X. Sometimes I may ask for a few steps of rein back and then a canter transition. Another time I walk before X, ride a giravolta(describing a circle no more than 2m with the front end) at X and then again the canter depart. I may also ride from rein back or giravolta to a circle on the opposite rein at the other end of the school (describing a figure 8) and other times just halt and then a canter transition. For me it keeps everything lively!!

Regards Trudi

Hello Trudi,
In your giravolta to which side is the horse's head turned?
safe riding,
Sandy.

Hello Trudi, thanks for the explanation, I have never seen this taught or maybe my maitre thinks I'm not ready for this (he's probably right!)but I'm going to try it. Your figure 8 - are you in canter AND counter-canter when designing the whole figure, or is it the giravolta in the middle that leads you out of X on the correct canter lead? My interpretation may be wrong? KR, Valerie

Hi Sandy and Valerie,

When I teach this from the ground to a young horse there will be a good bend away from the direction the quarters are moving in. As we progress to ridden then I will straighten the horse to just have a slight flexion away from the direction of movement. I keep the shoulders moving on a bigger circle with youngsters (to keep the idea of 'forwards' foremost) and then gradually the exercise stays almost on the spot.

When I was younger I was told this exercise had 'limited' value (and shoulder-in on a circle too!!)and was just to teach the horse to move away from my leg. Now I'm older,lol, I do things that help me train my horses and worry not about disaproving words from others.

Valerie, you can do both depending on your horses level of training, let me know how it goes.

Trudi