Training Tips from Sara-Jane Lanning Dressage
Counter counter
Counter canter rears its head at novice level and is in tests right up to PSG so is a big part of a horse’s training.
Counter canter is an important part of a horse’s training and is a balancing and straightening movement. The horse canters in the correct sequence but with the outside foreleg leading, and the the hindleg should stay aligned to the same track as the foreleg with no swinging of the quarters. It requires a horse to stay obedient and on the aids especially when first learning how to do it as often a horse feels they are on the wrong leg! Or indeed when they have learnt to do a flying change as sometimes they would prefer to do a change than stay in counter canter so it remains a great exercise.
I teach mine to counter canter very early on in training before they become to set in their ways of thinking they should only canter with the inside leg leading. The key to teaching a horse to counter canter is making the exercise easy to understand, easy to succeed, not easy to fail. To do this the rider must plan where they are going and not throw the horse into the corner giving it no option than to break or change leads.
Start with a simple loop
I start with a simple loop down the long side, at first very shallow, then progressing to a deeper loop. Remember its different from a trot loop where you change the bend to follow the shape of the loop. In canter the flexion stays towards the leading leg with a slight bend around the rider’s inside leg.
Next I progress to a half circle back to the track and some counter canter along the track, coming back to trot before the corner. Plan ahead and use all the arena, don’t start too early or you will run out of room for the hard part. Make the half circle small as then the angle of return back to track is easier. If you have a fence or wall stay a little off the track initially as the horses find it easier to keep going.
Aim to keep the same quality of canter and not let the horse speed up or lose balance onto the forehand as they turn onto the diagonal. Remember the quarters should still stay behind the horse and not be swinging to the inside (at this point the inside is on the outside of the school as inside relates to the bend not the arena!)
When this becomes easy you can progress to going around the corner. Start this by starting the turn well before the corner, stay in the middle of the arena, again its easier to succeed! Eventually you will be able to go anywhere and everywhere!
When teaching a horse flying changes keep making sure you can still counter canter! I have known many a jumping horse that automatically does a flying change across the diagonal and flatly refuse to counter canter!
Practice makes perfect and again you can use some videoing to see what it looks like from a judge’s perspective. Good luck!