One of the keys to helping horses is shaping their willingness to learn and try. Then, and only then, do we help them improve the quality of an activity.

Let's talk about this in the context of the canter.

Trainers constantly find themselves struggling to balance a horse's canter, especially in the beginning. But when I begin to help the horse, it often becomes immediately apparent that the horse is not ready for quality or quantity work. The trainer is asking for something the horse is not mentally prepared for, and the struggle begins.

After just a few minutes of rewarding effort, the horse often begins to value trying new things and becomes more open to the idea of quality canter work or longer periods of canter.

Here is the mistake we often make.

We assume a horse can do something because we have seen them do it at play in the field or under the guidance of an expert rider.

Then, when we ask for it ourselves, the horse struggles and frustration creeps in.

But we are often facing two significant challenges.

The first is mood.

Just because a horse "can" do something does not mean they are mentally ready for it in that moment. They may not be in the mood, and in those moments, effort training matters more than quality training.

The second challenge is skill.

A horse may canter beautifully at play without a rider's weight, balance, or signals. But once you add those things, you may discover the horse does not yet have the skill to hold all those thoughts together at once.

Once again, a good trainer understands that rewarding small efforts is often the prerequisite to quality.

You may have heard the saying, "Reward the smallest try." I would modify that slightly and say, reward the smallest "progressive try."

Notice a small effort and reward it. Then ask for just a little more and reward that. The horse begins to think progressively. They begin to value effort because effort consistently leads to clarity and reward.

In a canter exercise, early training may simply mean rewarding one single step of canter rather than expecting many, or worse, expecting the horse not to break gait until asked.

Once one step is achieved, it is logical and progressive to ask for two before the next reward.

Games like this strengthen the horse's connection to the rider and increase their desire to try. The horse begins to understand that effort matters. That learning feels good.

It is fun for me, and fun for the horse.

Day by day, moment by moment, the horse's skill and emotional regulation grow, and we find ourselves headed toward a fantastic future.

Thanks for reading, dear passionate riders. Don