Flatwork / Dressage
Intermediate
20 min
Walk-Canter Transitions
Focus: Transitions, Engagement, Collection
Equipment: 4 cones or markers
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Establish a collected, active walk on a 20-meter circle. The walk must have energy and purpose.
- Prepare the canter depart: half-halt, sit deep, outside leg back, inside leg at the girth.
- Ask for the canter from the walk without trot strides in between. The horse should step directly into canter.
- If the horse trots first, return to walk and try again. Don't accept trot strides.
- Canter half the circle, then walk directly (no trot) for the other half.
- Repeat 4-6 times. Each attempt should improve as the horse understands the exercise.
- This is preparation for simple changes and eventually flying changes.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Accepting trot strides in the transition instead of insisting on a clean walk-to-canter.
- The walk losing energy before the depart, making the transition sluggish.
- The horse jumping into canter in a rushed, unbalanced way.
- Using too strong an aid, causing the horse to become tense and tight in the back.
Variations & Progressions
- Practice the walk-canter depart on a straight line for a different challenge.
- Add canter-walk transitions to complete the simple change exercise.
- Perform walk-canter at specific letters for precision training.
Tip: The quality of the walk determines the quality of the canter depart. If the walk is lazy, the depart will be messy.
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