getting my standardbred to canter and brake

Question
QUESTION: i have a 16 year old standardbred which i have owned for the past 5 years i am only 16. when i went to look at my standardbred the girl who rode him had him cantering nicely and made him look perfect i didnt ride him because i had a sprained ankle but my sister rode him but didnt canter him i decided to buy him and when i got home i couldn't canter him. the only time he would canter (and im not sure whether it was a canter or a gallop) was when he went as fast as he could in trot then changed to a canter or gallop...this was a while ago but i tried trotting him as fast as he would then he broke into a canter its really fast and can be rather scary but he has horrible brakes as well. the only times he will canter is if you trot him fast and he breaks into one which can be difficult to stop, after a jump (sometimes) and if you trot fairly fast then do a circle he sometimes breaks into a canter. he won't canter when i ask and i tried doing the "put your left seatbone forward and your right one back" technique but it didn't work for me. Please help me get him going hes a wonderful horse but i might have to get rid of him if i can't get him cantering. thanks heaps in advance

ANSWER: Hi Jessica!

I need to ask a few questions before I can give you any advice.  You say you have owned him for 5 years.  In all that time, you have never been able to make him canter on cue?  Was he off the track?  Was he a pacer?
Is he in training?  Do you have an instructor?  Does the instructor ride him?  Does he ever pace for you?  Explain what you are jumping and how high.

Lastly, please be careful...don't try to do more than you know you should.  For your safety and your horse's!

Solange

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: basicly yes. on a circle he will sometimes canter and today he was a bit better with getting it when i asked but generally the normal canter cue wont work. yes he was definatly a pacer i dont know much about his history i bought him off an agricultural college which ran an equine course. i dont have an instructor i taught myself to ride with the help of my mum for a while. i live too far away from any instructors to get them to see me. i may take him to my school where i can get some help but it might not happen. he will pace sometimes when hes being silly but i slow him down and hes good. i am just jumping small jumps and logs no more than 2 foot.

Answer
Hi Jessica!

Hmmm....see the hard part here is he is a pacer from the track.  Bred, born and trained to do that specific lateral gait.  Now, you are asking him (for 5 years without success,mind you) to canter.

You are trying to stick a square peg into a round hole.  Just because some girl long ago made him canter, well those days are gone.  He is 16 yrs. old and they can get set in their ways.  You let him fall out of his training over the years and now he has no inclination to go back.  Nobody's fault, stuff just happens sometimes.

My advice is to first, be safe.  Pacing can come about when you least expect it and can be tricky on trail, especially if you must turn sharply...so pay attention and slow him down, like you've been doing.

Second, instead of concentrating on what he "isn't" doing....think about what he "is" doing.  Standardbreds have the loveliest personalities and are one of my personal faves.  You mentioned no bad behavioral issues with him, so I bet he is a good boy otherwise.
Build on what he and you love to do together and appreciate how much you can do with him. So he doesn't canter....move on to the other 99 wonderful things about him and the just make sure the next horse you buy does.

Good luck and remember to always wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet!

Solange