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Step 1
Warm up the horse at the walk and trot in both directions. Be sure that the horse is listening to your leg, hands and body weight.
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Step 2
Bring the horse back down to the walk and feel the movement of their body with both of your legs.
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Step 3
Decide which direction you are going to track. From that point, start pushing your horse's body into your outside leg as you are walking. Your inside leg should be at the girth and your outside leg should be moved back slightly further with a snug feel against the horse's stomach.
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Step 4
Lift your inside hand slightly, meaning 1/2 to 1 inch off the horse's neck.
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Step 5
Still pushing over with your inside leg at the girth, now take your outside leg and press harder into the side of the horse. It should feel like you are lifting the horse and pushing it forward into its front inside leg to get the correct lead.
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Step 6
Follow the horse's mouth with your hands as the horse starts to gain momentum. Sometimes, especially the first time asked, a horse will slightly trot before picking up the canter. If you do not follow your horse's mouth with a giving elbow, it is like driving a car with a foot on the gas and a foot on the brake. Both the car and the horse will not go forward.
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Step 7
Once you have picked up the canter with the correct lead, begin to count the rhythm. To support this rhythm, keep a snug feel with your legs on the horse's side, otherwise the horse might slow down and trot. Counting a rhythm also keeps the horse from going too fast. Remember a canter is a collected gait.
