The Canter Transition: How to Fix a Horse that Rushes, Puts their Head up and Gets Tense!

Thank you for talking about breathing!! I always need that reminder!

I have been riding a unbalanced horse recently. I hope this video helps :)

Love how well you explain each part of preparation. I love how you slow it down so we can see it a second time.

Thank you! It is so helpful to see the bad transitions and be able to compare to the correct version.
Can't wait to try this this afternoon.
Yesterday we did kamikaze 20 meter circles. I think really looking at my preparation for canter will help a lot.

You are such an amazing instructor and you can tell you know what you're talking about. You are also very easy to understand! Thank you for this video💕

I ride western but your videos help me see seat positions better. I have a hard time keeping my horse collected in the trot I think it’s me on how I ride him. Any ideas? I don’t have an arena yet so I ride out in a field that I mow.

A horse that puts his head up and gets tense when being ridden is not a horse problem. It is a people problem. Think about it.

I have a quick horse. I have these exact issues. Thanks for the video!! 🥰 Im showing this weekend 🤪 aghhh!

Very helpful and well explained! Thank you! I have all the issues you have addressed and will be working on them. Especially valuable bits about prioritizing relaxation and preparation.

Your videos are so helpful!

Omg this has helped me so so so much😁tysm!

Your videos are so helpful every time

Thank you for this very informative video!

Thanks, my horse is super annoying because he will do a fast racing trot and then won’t canter and it took me ten minutes to get him it have a canter with out racing

"wringing tail" not "ringing tail" - unless his tail is a bell.

I love your channel so much💕 thank you for this!

Thank you! I’m the curl up tense canter transitions. How to help on a young horse learning transitions?

Thank you for this helpful video. I have a very nice 15.1 athletic little horse that I’ve ridden for 18 months. He came with a hot engine and he has come a long way learning to relax. Shoulder in has helped. He still gets fractious about canter and canter depart. I’ve found that I cannot warm up in canter before a dressage test because that blows whatever relaxation we have achieved. I know I can’t keep doing that for the long term. I will try these techniques but do you have any other advice for spicy-minded horses? Canter poles? I keep thinking it has to be insecurity? His owner gave him up because he was too hot.

If I used spurs on my horse, she would be in the next county without me!

Very very very informative, thnks XXXX

My horse seems to get "too excited" ... We start to walk and trot at the start of the lesson, the pace if great and rhythmic. Once we have cantered once, it's so hard to get his trot balanced again. He then tends to just rush at every corner, anticipating another canter. He gets so heavy and strong in the mouth, even though my hands are soft. help!

I love your videos. I watch them over and over.

Thank god for your videos! I see myself and my horse in this video and I was getting upset we can't canter properly. We always look like we are dying and I was sure I am doing it wrong but didnt know what.. She was always rushing so much before canter, her head went up and the canter was terrible. I am sure with some practice this will help us! Thanks a lot <3

Very informative

My horse shakes her head going from walk to a fast trot

Thank you for all that you share

You make a pleasant picture to look upon with the Horses in these videos. thanks for this.

Great video but was wondering if you have a video that shows you how to deal with a horse that races off in the downward transition from canter.

The tips are quite impressive. I was wondering may be it is better to wear light colour riding gloves so we can pay better attention to the subtle movements of your hands. Is it possible?

Such great information and so helpful. You address all of the issues I’m having and the tools you give sound spot on. Thanks!!

Thank you so so much for all the precious materials you are providing us!! Byron and I are starting to canter and he needs some work indeed especially on the left lead. So i am starting to study all your videos on canter - YAY - THANK YOU SO SO MUCH AGAIN. My riding changed because of your videos and the amazing members of the group you created. Thank you!!!!!

I'm not sure if anyone else has asked yet, but on Carlos, what saddle are you riding in? I really like it!

an ongoing project for us. I see how here you stress that we must set our horse up for success for the canter transition. I think that is one of my issues....I feel the pressure to pick up canter at a certain time during a lesson [for instance] and then my horse just rushes and runs trying to get into the canter. its pretty frantic. This is a video I will re watch !!

Thank you so much for this video. My horse and I had an awful time today as the canter work was a disaster. This is so helpful!

I always wanted to ask this question and never seem to get an unanimous answer from different people-do you recommend sitting trot or posting trot to practice transition for a green horse into canter and why?

This is exactly the opposite of what that Clinton Anderson said to do. If his horse throws a head up, he yanks the poor animal round harshly in a circle and kicks him repeatedly in the belly. Clinton Anderson is not a horse trainer. He’s an abuser. He punished the horse for his terrible riding and accuses the animal of having a bad attitude. He sucks.

I'm excited to try this today this is going to help a lot ☺️

So my coach for lessons tells me my mare does a “yee-haw” moment and sort of comes for a bit of a small rear and kicks off into the canter. She also head up rushes at times but with the “yee-haw” it takes me longer to transition down or do anything because I’m left behind. Any advice for that kind of thing?

I really like the way you explain your thoughts and action plan. But I am worried to see that your horse is clearly behind the vertical 90% of the time. I‘d love to have you comment on that since I regard you as a role model for many many riders ,and we all should not want to spread the habit of seeing this and thinking it‘s okay or maybe even desirable. Thank you very much.

My horse from 9y.o throws it’s head up when I want to go from canter to trot and from trot to walking, i don’t change the pressure with the reins, but it also happens when I do change it. It also happens with long reins training and lunging training, tried so many option to fix it but still no solution 😔

THANK YOU for all your videos, Amelia!

This is really good, thank you!

My biggest issue with the canter transition is that my horse cross fires with the back legs and then changes to the wrong lead this usually happens when I go to the right and I'm also trying to build his endurance as he rushes in the canter and If I ask him for a slow collected canter he will go back to the trot

Thanks for the tip. I will be trying it with my mare today. Yesterday she kept putting up her head into the transition. And I agree, must be my preparation that sucks.

Not sure if I’ll get a response but I need some help with my green kid. I had a BEAUTIFUL warmup flat but then the next time I asked for the canter he just bolted, and when I tried to encourage him to come down and into the bit he just went faster and faster and circling made him more tense. So I backed him off back to the trot and he just tried to run through me again. It took like 30 minutes for him to move into the bridle relaxed again

You might wonder why she rides this horse so much behind the bit (head tucked in off the vertical). Watching him, I think it also prevents any hollowing of his back, so a much smoother ride for both of them. Great video and v/o. Thank you Amelia

Thank you Amelia , so useful to watch and listen to you.. seems so smooth and easy ;-) if one gets a "green" horse with head up , how do we make him rounder and be like your gorgeous horse or trying to get him rounder and calm. A big THANK YOU for all those useful videos

I came across this video as I'm currently riding a Norwegian Dole horse who has been out of work for a while. I'm obviously working hardest on building stamina and muscle in walk and some trot at the moment, letting her stretch out in an occasional canter on a hack here and there as she isn't strong enough to transition in the small arena that we have access to, but as she's a cobby type she does really enjoy working and is so eager to please. I'm excited to continue working with her, and can't wait to get my first transitions with her 🥰

What's your biggest issue in the canter transition? For me it's always that the horses want to use three neck in the transition instead of lifting their back and withers in the transition.