Walk, then trot, then canter. Have you ever heard that in a horse riding lesson? Most trainers have spoken those words ten thousand times. Transitions can be that simple. But they can also be a whole lot more.

A turn is a transition. A speed adjustment inside the gait is a transition. Walking to canter without trotting, and vice versa, is a transition. Cantering into a sliding stop or a backward step is a transition. A flying lead change, a rollback, a sidestep, a leg yield, half pass and pirouette are all transitions.

When you think about cantering, it’s too easy to just imagine the gait itself, just loping off into the sunset. But it’s so much more. It’s a change of gait from a previous gait. That’s an important note. The best riders highlight the change and try to improve the quality of the changing event, not just the cantering steps.

Novice riders focus on the cantering, asking, “Is my horse carrying me calmly? Am I still alive? Is he going where I want?” Experts focus on the in-between spaces, asking, “Is my horse balanced, smooth, engaged mentally and physically? Is he ready for a new step, faster or slower, down a gait, up a gait, or ready for a turn?”

Novice riders cue the canter whenever; experts prepare the horse for canter through proper energy management, responsiveness, and precise footwork. You don’t have to be an expert today, but I hope you want to become one.

The first step could be acknowledging your horse doesn’t have just three speeds. He or she is more like a piano keyboard, gradually escalating or de-escalating pitch. Acknowledge that you can practice walk, then trot, then walk in a sequence, like sliding up and down that keyboard elegantly, like learning a song by practicing the notes.

The most boring song ever is the one with only three notes. Many people ride their whole ride with only that. If you want to get better, make improvements, join the journey to mastery, start practicing transitions every day. Your horse will thank you. Your songs will improve.  Don

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