Your horse in the canter should be making big, round, expressive strides and have plenty of lift off the ground so it can successfully change its legs in the air. As you are cantering, use pressure from your outside leg and outside rein to keep your horse going straight. Put tension on the inside rein to flex your horse slightly in the direction of the lead.
Your horse should turn towards the left with its haunches towards the rail and continue cantering on the right lead. If your horse breaks into a trot during the turn, start over and give more pressure with your legs on the next turn to keep it cantering. If your horse changes to a left lead in the front as you turn, ask it to come down to a trot by pulling gently back on the reins and try again. Turn your head and look where you are turning to prepare your horse to make a gradual swing in that direction. Practice counter cantering both ways until your horse can do it without tension.
Try riding 3 collecting half halts in a row in the canter. Then, go forward for several strides and ask for 3 collected half halts again.
To help you follow the gait change with your hips without losing your balance, keep your core engaged and close your fingers tightly on the outside rein when you ask your horse to come down to a trot. You can also progress to making a lead change from canter to a walk and then back to canter. It helps to slow down the canter with a few collecting half halts before you pull back on the reins to ask your horse to transition to a walk. [5] X Research source
Practice the timing of the aids by watching when your horse’s inside front leg comes forward in a walk. Each time you see it, say “now,” out loud to yourself. Try the same technique in the canter.
You should feel your horse moving a bit to the left.
Don’t hold back with the left leg. This part of the cue should be very quick to get your horse to change.
Even if the trot is a bit more lively than you want, don’t pull back on the reins. It’s important that your horse is relaxed and calm when you are practicing lead changes. It doesn’t really matter what you say to your horse as long as it hears your calm, comforting tone. You could say something that would relax both of you, like “You’re going a bit faster than I’d like, but we’re just going to just keep making big circles and not worry about it. I’ll take slow, rhythmic breaths and keep my arms and hands relaxed. I’m just waiting for you to relax, too. ”[10] X Research source
You can also jump over a low bush if you are riding outside of the arena.
Practice the serpentine on both sides, at least 4 times on each side. This exercise works really well if your horse gets nervous or fussy when you come off the rail towards the middle of your figure-eight because it thinks you are going to ask for a lead change.
