The Fifteen Stride Transition Trick!

For many of us trot to canter transitions are difficult to master, particularly on a young horse.  Finding exercises which seamlessly fit into your every day schooling / flat work is important to keeping your horse fresh and progressing along in their training. 

Here is a simple exercise to assist you to master those dream trot canter transitions!

The Exercise:  Warm your horse up to the point where they are ready for trot and canter transitions.  Ride your horse on a 20 metre circle in canter.  Count the strides, when you get to 15 strides transition down to a trot.  Next count the trot strides to 15 then transition to canter repeat the process counting the strides and transition to canter.  It may help to count out loud to your horse as this will help you relax and will relax your horse as well.

If your horse begins to get tired transition from a trot to a walk for 15 strides for a few times until he gains his breath again.

The Benefits:  Because this exercise requires the rider to do transitions to a set number of intervals, the horse learns off your seat and legs.  This sensitivity is essential for your horse to travel up through the grades.

Your horse will also become alot stronger.  He must learn to shift his weight from his forequarters and rock back onto his hocks to complete the upward and downward transitions easily.

What to Do:  Ride a 20 metre circle on the right rein.   Ride exactly 15 strides of canter and follow this with 15 strides of trot.

For the transition from trot to canter (the transition up), make a half halt to balance your horse more onto his hind legs.  Ensure your horse is positioned slightly to the inside of the circle and is slightly bent around your inside leg.  Your inside rein allows your horse to position his head slightly to the inside while the outside rein  controls his outside shoulder and controls the degree of bend to the inside.

Your outside leg should be back behind the girth to prevent your horse's hindquarters from falling out on the circle.

Following your half halt, stretch your body tall, move your inside seat bone slightly forward and give your aid for canter with your outside leg.  Your inside leg can immediately support this aid by pushing the horse forward.  It is important to expect your horse to respond to your aids promptly.  Ensure you don't restrict your horse with your inside rein.

When you transition down from canter to trot, it can be quite often enough to stretch deeply into your stirrups and close your outside hand.  The stretching has the subtle effect on your seat and will trigger the horse to expect and anticipate the downward transition from canter to trot.

If your horse is young and inexperienced voice commands can be very useful to support your aids in the transitions.  This will assist them to catch on quickly.  Use praise regularly.

Immediately when you transition down from canter to trot, do a half halt or two, as this will ensure your horse does not rush off on the forehand in trot and will also help your horse improve both balance and responsiveness to your aids.  As much as you can, avoid trying to pull on the reins in the downward transitions as this will not encourage your horse to soften into your hand.  Once he understands what you want he will no longer need your voice command.

If your horse become tense or begins to anticipate, it's better to in disperse this exercise with your regular schooling such as riding forward with long strides.  As in all your flatwork, it is the way your horse travels within that gait which is important.  Each exercise must improve the quality of the canter and trot.   If this is not happening return immediately to more basic exercises until the quality is then re-established.  

Tips for Success:  Always think forward.  When you half halt to shorten the strides of the canter try visualising your horse approaching a large jump, this will ensure you keep your mind on the forward motion.  Another visualisation which you might find useful is to imagine your horse climbing a very steep hill using short active uphill strides.  Again this will help you understand that it is the quality of the pace that is important and how it is supposed to feel.

You must be precise with your aids.  This is the single most important way for your horse to remain relaxed.  Confusion means tension, so solve the confusion with clear accurate commands and the tension will dissolve.  It also makes it easier for the horse to balance.

Keeping it Fresh:  Gradually over time, your horse will becomes stronger.  You will become clearer and more experienced in how you ask your horse to transition between trot and canter.  This will enable you to reduce the number of strides down to six or seven between transistions.

When your horse is very strong and proficient at this exercise, you can begin to establish the walk canter transitions at 15 stride intervals.  This is very physically demanding so remember to start slowly and monitor your horse's enthusiasm for it. 

Balance in the trot canter transitions is difficult for your horse to master so becoming better at this exercise is a great way for you and your horse to communicate and become a stronger partnership together. 

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