As some horse experts might tell you, "you can't teach the canter from the canter." Horses need good foundational knowledge of the trot and walk (plus the muscle strength that comes from learning these commands) to learn the canter properly. Without this, your horse may have difficulty maintaining safe canter form, which can be bad for you and (especially) the horse. This is extra true with young, inexperienced (or "green") horses. Since the canter is what's called a "three-beat gait," it puts the horse's entire body weight on the outside hind leg when it steps off. Young horses typically don't develop the strength necessary to do this safely without good foundational training. The canter should be taught in a flat, open space that's at least about 60 feet (about 20 meters) wide. Begin by trotting at a steady, comfortable pace (in whichever direction is easiest for you to control.) Horses need lots of space to balance properly as they're learning the canter, so don't skimp and use a space that's too small. In some cases, a lack of space can even lead some horses to become panicky or agitated. Note that, at this point, the horse should be tacked up with bridle, saddle, side reins, and boots. Before you teach the canter the first time, you want your horse attentive and responsive to you. To do this, give the horse a few commands that it already knows. For instance, try transitioning between a walk and a trot and back again a few times until the horse is sharp to your commands and is responding instantly. Now, you're ready to perform the canter command. Get the horse moving in a wide circle at a trot once again. When you're ready, say "can-TER" in a sharp (but not angry) voice. The goal here is to associate your verbal command with the act that you're about to ease your horse into doing eventually, your voice alone should be enough to get a good canter from your horse. When you make this command, you'll execute a few commands with your body (described in the next step) simultaneously. For more detail on these body cues, see the section below. As soon as you give the "can-TER" command, slide your inside hip (the side pointing to the inside of the circle you're trotting in) forward and your outside hip backward. As you do this, squeeze with your inside leg and slide the outside leg back. Ideally, the horse should interpret your actions as a command to go faster. See the section below for greater detail and for information on proper form and posture once you begin to canter. Note, however, that if the horse doesn't seem to notice your command, you can use a lunge whip or another riding aid (gently) to get its attention. However, this works best if the horse is already comfortable using these aids if not, they may confuse it. If, after giving the canter command, the horse stays in a two-beat trot and doesn't transition into a three-beat canter, give the command (and the body motions) once again. The horse should go faster still. If necessary, repeat the command again. After a certain point, it will need to transition from the trot to the canter to go any faster. Once your horse transitions into the canter, be sure to reward it by praising enthusiastically with your voice. If you desire, pat the horse on the neck. Over time, these rewards should associate following your commands with positive feelings in the horse's mind. Believe it or not, a basic canter can be quite fatiguing to a young horse that hasn't built up its riding muscles yet. Be attentive to your horse's movement as it canters underneath you. As soon as you feel the canter begin to become unbalanced or off-rhythm, transition back into a trot and immediately give a half-halt command to get the horse's movements back under control. See the section below for more detailed information on performing a half halt. Note that, at first, a horse may be able to do less than a single full circle of cantering at once. This is OK with frequent practice, the horse will become stronger and more confident. Using an experienced rider as an observer can help immensely here. Get your horse trotting in a circle again and repeat the steps above to start another canter. Repeat this several more times, staying conscious of your horse's fatigue as you do so. You may notice that your horse becomes more responsive to your commands within a single training session. If not, be patient this will come with time. Keep training sessions short at first so that the horse doesn't become overly tired or lose interest. A training session of about 20 minutes is fine for the first month or so of training. When you're riding your horse "for real", you won't be limited to simply cantering in a circle. To give your horse the sort of versatility that it will need for cantering in practical situations, try changing up your training routine once it's comfortable with the one described above. A few good ideas are: Canter and trot in figure-eights to get your horse used to turning to both sides. Trot tight circles at the corners of your training area, making your horse canter from one to the next in sequence. Canter and trot in a long, winding course of your own design. After a month of training, try executing a half-halt during a canter.
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One-sentence summary -- Teach your horse to trot and walk before starting. Start trotting in a wide circle. Perform a few basic transitions to get the horse's attention. Ask the horse to canter. Encourage the canter with your lower body. Repeat your command if the horse starts to trot faster. Ease back into a trot when the horse fatigues. Repeat the cantering commands. Vary your practice over the next several months.

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One-sentence summary --
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