How do I best teach a young horse to trot and canter under saddle?

Start on the lunge without a rider, so the horse can find its balance first. Next, add a rider who stays passive and simply goes along with the movement. Once the horse is completely confident that the rider is up there, you can begin teaching the aids by pairing the ridden signal with one the horse already knows from the ground. As you drive from the ground with your voice and body language, the rider applies the leg aid at the same moment. 😊 The sooner you can reward the horse for getting it right, and for thinking the right way early on, the sooner it will connect the two signals. Some horses need more time than others, and some find their balance harder to come by, while for others it comes more quickly. 🐎