Can't get gaited mare to canter!

Same here. My MFT knows how to canter but constantly does the skipping thing or he breaks into this trot canter thing. As soon as she breaks into a gait slow her down and ask her again. But you might need to have a clearer cue. When she starts cantering let her go for a bit and then slow her down to let her rest. Also since horses are herd bound, have a horse go in front of her during a trail ride. Ask her to stop. Have the other horse go in front a little distance away. The only way she can catch up is to canter. My trainer does this with me so I hope it helps!

That's the Gospel My heart horse is a hard lateral pacer in the pasture but performs a smooth-as-silk stepping pace when being ridden,

Unless he's aggravated with me, then I'm sure the caps are coming off my teeth and I have to bring him down to a dogwalk and start over again.

I have three TWH's. The Step Pacer, one that racks/singlefoot in the pasture, the third does that champagne-smooth running walk people lust after.

The horse with the true running walk will perform the rocking chair canter at liberty -- he is an awesome lump-in-your-throat sight to behold.

The horse that tends to rack will gallop thru the pasture but isn't so inclined to canter when being ridden. My granddad had a Welsh/Morgan that would singlefoot (back in the 60's).

She would give it her all in a singlefoot before she would break into a gallop. She was so fast at the Singlefoot, I didn't care if she ever cantered so we never worked on it. She was my granddad's heart horse and companion until she passed on at age 33; point being nobody cared that she didn't want to canter when being ridden:)

The horse that performs the Step Pace rarely canters at liberty and never did like to canter when being ridden. He's been with me 22 years and I never pushed the canter issue because:

1. I don't show
2. His Stepping Pace is so fast, most horses have to almost be in a gallop to keep up with him. He moves like that in the pasture if he feels like it.

I might be wrong but, based on my three, the body structure that allows each of these horses to perform the gait that was born into them (watch them at liberty in the pasture) may be the reason for willingness or lack of willingness to canter.

I'm sure I'll get taken to the woodshed by someone but, that is my unprofessional opinion based soley on riding & watching my three move around on 22 acres of hills

I have the same problem here, my mft mare does the skipping thing like she is trying to figure out what to do but just can't get it right. What kind of cues are you suggesting for cuing the canter from a walk? This is our summer project: to get her to canter consistently and on the correct lead

LOL ok well then its not a "pace" other wise your eye teeth would be on the ground LOL!!

I feel like he knows what to do, because he does canter (and omg its soo smooth) but he goes into his trot thing. I am trying to get him to be consistent in it as well. So far the slowing him and asking him again seems to be working.

We have an 8 yo TWH that does not canter. Period. I have never even seen her canter in the pasture. She will will gait her heart out but she will not give you a canter, ever. I actually like this about her because I don't ever have to worry about a runaway horse. If she spooks and wants to bolt, she just gaits. She will not break her gait. She will not trot either. Just the way she is.

Does your client want the canter?

THIS. This matters and it's what my riding instructor with 50 years of experience taught me.

1. They will likely not go into a canter from the running walk/another gait anyway. The way horses carry themselves in the running walk, etc, is different from how you need them to carry themselves in the canter. With my horse she gaits better with her head in a higher position, and though she is not hollow, she isn't collected either, which is what you want if you want the rocking chair canter.

2. They need to be collected to canter off well most of the time. So maybe try to get some collection before cantering. Coming out of a rollback, or after yielding, riding an tight circle, going uphill, or just out of a calm walk with the head lowered helps. Also, teaching the hip-in, hip-out is very beneficial. We taught my mare that before we even started cantering so that from the get-go there would be specific cues for each lead. My horse used to panic if she didn't know what I wanted from her and would randomly switch and crossfire so this helped to clarify what I was asking.

3. I don't know if you would want to do this or not, but with my mare we first taught her on the ground, then my instructor would be in the middle of the roundpen giving the same ground cue while I did nothing but sit up there, giving her lots of rein. Then slowly I gave my cues more and more, and my instructor less and less.

Anyway, I hope this wasn't too rambling :)

This makes much more sense than anything else that I have found. Thank you for the advice! I will definitely be trying this later this summer once I have her back in shape :)

What breed is this horse?

Try this, if horse is Saddlebred?

Start from stop, not trotting or walking.

Turn head to rail at the same time move hindquarters away from rail two steps, shorten railside rein as you give on opposite side with rein.

Reach behind girth with rail leg and cue at same time as other toe comes forward to cue behind elbow.

This will bring hind under to set up for canter and horse will be leaning into it so will pick up correct lead.