How to Make Smooth Transitions - Even on a Forward Horse

In this video, I will show you how to keep rising the trot, for smoother transitions into walk and into canter.
For more exercises to improve your balance with every ride (and have more fun) check out my book - Stay in the Saddle, 67 Exercises for Horse & Rider: www.horseclass...

[@carolb3661]

I used this technique this morning on my very slow, non forward horse, and even though I’m sure my timing and balance weren’t great, it made a big difference. Instead of her coming to a dead stop at the slightest hint of slowing, she transitioned into a walk just like I wanted her to! Thank you, Callie, for all of your wonderful videos.

[@kellywilliams2107]

Great tip :) could you please do a video on how to make a smoother transition from rising trot to canter? I struggle

[@deadleymedley7488]

Thankyou could you do a wee video on canter to trot transition

[@KrystinGlass]

I had a very frustrating ride on my girl yesterday and this tip is so helpful! She was very forward and so we did a lot of transition work but when we were transitioning down I felt myself getting so stiff. I didn’t even think about how my stiffness would affect her back so this explains so much!

[@kathleenwells4691]

Thank you for information on the horse hollowing their back to avoid the riders in balance. I also will try your tip on picking up the canter.

[@plutalovaanastasiya2124]

I use this tip to slowdown hasty nervous trot and calm my horse a little bit. I think this also will be helpful for our transition from trot to walk :) Do you have any suggestions on how to teach horse to make a stop keeping contact?

[@carriealidaee4548]

Yes, rising trot to canter, please! I've always been told to sit down, preferably at a walk, but I find it difficult to get the canter while sitting a trot.

[@chinthiasunyoto7323]

I will try this on my next session 👌🏻👌🏻 this is what i looking for 🤣 thanks a lot

[@pomegranitepal6231]

This is a nice new exercise for us.

[@judithsnyder7598]

Thank you...I think this is really helpful.

[@melaniemccallum5418]

This seems a good tip. Is Noel in foal or just doing well!?

[@Kelly_Ben]

This is brilliant, I can't wait to try it on downward transitions on my VERY forward mare. Upward transitions are a snap - I just think GO and she goes. Stopping, on the other hand, has become a 20-30 step struggle of her saying " I don't WANT to slow down!" and me bracing and progressively pulling more and more on her mouth. Time to try something new!

[@Nimeariel]

Try this- it could be that your horse isn't stopping because it's bracing against your pull and just ignoring you because you're "nagging" her or "jacking her up" (imagine if you are walking with someone- say, an overly excited child- and you want them to slow to your pace and not race off with you in tow- are you gonna jack them up and hold them tight so they can't move at all? or are you gonna be softer and more direct in your contact with asking them to come back to you? Certainly not the first one...). So, instead of pulling harder and harder, try the give and take approach. "Check" her with the reins (NOT a hard yank or anything, just a quick, sharp "hey! listen!" by squeezing your fingers quickly and putting some hard pressure on the reins and then back to normal contact) one rein after the other (inside rein then outside rein) and then keep riding. Use your seat aides, too, at the same time (slow/low posting, taking a deep breath, sitting deeper in the saddle, dropping your heels, etc) to cue for the slow down. If she doesn't listen to that one, "check" her again. It's kind of like a half-halt (where you ask them to slow down in the same gait but you put your leg back on to keep them moving) except a little more sharp and direct and there's no "keep going in this gait" cues. If you want her to stop or slow down within 2 or 3 strides, you MAKE her stop within 2 or 3 strides, not 20 or 30. BUT, within those 2 or 3 strides, make sure you take AND give so she doesn't think that you're playing tug of war. Also, think about asking your horse to flex her head down and drop it- it's about the same motion to do that as to slow your horse to a downward transition.

[@Kelly_Ben]

@@NimearielThanks for your advice. I wasn't very descriptive in my comment, but that's exactly what I do. Believe me, MAKING her stop in 2-3 strides isn't possible without a brutal emergency stop, which I'm not willing to resort to. My training philosophy is ASK, TELL, DEMAND. The first time I ask quietly, the second time I'm a bit more firm, and the third time, as long as I know I've been using all the appropriate aids she's familiar with and there's no extenuating circumstances, I use the amount of force necessary to get results. With this situation, though, the 3rd through 10th attempts are with good solid pulls, (never holding), sitting deep and bracing with the seat, exhaling, saying walk, etc. It's not pretty, it's not effective, and I feel like it's terrible horsemanship, even though I'm following all the 'rules' on transitioning downwards. The tip in the video is something I've never tried, goes against what I've always heard, and is probably exactly what my smart, hot, sensitive mare needs.

[@daad5954]

I struggle with upward transitions.. from walk to trot, then trot to canter, using the leg then the stick several times before getting a response.

[@Nimeariel]

@@daad5954 I think she has videos on this, too, but.... what you want to reward is the "go", the "forward motion". Even if it ends up being just one step in the correct gait at first. If the horse goes to buck or rear instead of move forward, try to ride it through if it's safe to do so (meaning, if it just does it once, and then goes forward, fine. But if it goes into a bucking bronco mode, perhaps you will need to start over from the ground) and then as SOON as the horse moves forward, reward it by releasing all cues. You are right to use leg and then stick- try with the slightest pressure of the leg, then a quick bump, then a bump at the hardness you want to be your max, then bump and stick at the same time, swiftly- a "pop" if you will. You are right to keep at it with the bump and stick until you get SOME kind of forward response in the gait you want and then quit asking. If the horse goes back to what it was doing, ask again immediately. Don't give up. It's not in the ASKING that will teach the horse to move faster, it is in the REWARDING where it will learn the correct response. It has to be timed JUST RIGHT to make the horse understand and connect the two. Eventually, if your timing is accurate, the horse will learn the succession of your cues (they have to be in the SAME order every time) and start going off your leg much more willingly. Eventually, you could even train it to trot or canter off your word or even a silly cue like coughing or tipping your hat or wiggling your big toe in its face. Just be sure the order of your cues and your timing of the reward are right.

[@daad5954]

@@Nimeariel thank you very much. I appreciate it. Will try it out 🙂

[@jackiesargent2978]

I am working on balance with my young horse (and I'm still working on my own balance!) and one of the issues we have is the transition down from a canter to a posting trot. We're getting better but it is definitely not graceful!

[@julesthecat9404]

Sitting trot vs rising trot, how do you know when to use each?

[@7thMack]

Noel is beautiful.