Asking for Correct Lead:
Start at a walk and practice positioning before attempting to ask for a canter. This example is asking for the left lead.
Your position:
Shift weight to left seat bone
Flex horse to the left with left rein (twist wrist until thumb is up and pinky is near withers)
Support with right rein, while allowing his face to be 1 inch to the inside (left)
Left leg on the girth to ask for canter
Right leg behind girth to signal right hind leg to strike off into lleft lead
Tip: Horses always pick up their lead using outside hind leg. Try this at a walk, then try the right lead:
Weight on the right seat bone
Right rein flexes the horse’s head one inch to the right.
Left rein is like a side rein that prevents too much bend in the neck.
Right leg on the girth.
Left leg behind the girth
Other Tips:
Keep the horse positioned to the inside as you did above
When you ask for the canter depart, push your inside seat bone forward toward your horse’s inside ear
Give a little squeeze with your inside leg on the girth to tell your horse to go “forward into the canter”
Use your outside leg in a windshield wiper action to signal the outside hind to strike-off into the canter