Cantering Critique Required - vid

[doolally_tap]

A short vid of me cantering on RS horse.

I felt relaxed during this canter, but watching it back I think I look a little stiff? Also need advice on how to keep my seat a little stiller during canter.

Not good quality vid I'm afraid, very shaky, but you get the general idea.

http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z276/doolally_tap/?action=view&current=MVI_0154.flv

Be as harsh as you like!!

[horseygirl123]

How many times have you cantered?

You look pretty good to me, yes there are things to work on to help you sit deeper and be more relaxed but if you havent been cantering for that long a time you look like you are doing well

Will leave the critique to the experts ;)

[coverblown]

Hi there, looks like you are pushing with your seat a little too much causing your position to come a little too far forward, but I'm no expert. He looks lovely, is this your new loan horse?

Where in the NE are you - I guessed from your user name that you were a northeasterner - is it only us who say "doolallytap"

[Waikato Valuta]

Well I'm no expert, but I noticed a couple of VERY little things. (I do the same things)

With each stride you can see a little air between your bum and the saddle, a slightly deeper stronger seat will help, but that just time and practice. You are slightly in front of the vertical with you upper body. I think sitting back a little more might held you deepen your seat.

I would recommend riding with longer stirrups. This will also help deepen your seat. Your lower leg is nice a steady.

Well Done.

I'm no expert so happy to be contradicted in any of this.

[clarrence]

Hi, Try (whilst the horse is standing) slightly walking your seat bones forward so you backside is a little more underneath you then think float forwards from your chest this should help you get a netural pelvis. To check, hold a piece of the mane and ask the horse to walk on, if your correct you should stay balanced and feel anchored. Hope this helps!

[jenb]

There is a lot to like in your riding! You have a nice soft position and I loved your canter/trot transition, very nice!

I think you look a little tight in the hips, work on opening your hip joints a little will help your seat to become deeper. Another good way to get a neutral pelvis is to think of dropping your sacrum a little. Once you have opened your hips, you'll find that your leg can become softer and deeper, and therefore your seat will deepen too.

[doolally_tap]

Thanks for your replies - feel a bit better about it now, maybe I don't look too bad after all. You've all duplicated exactly what my instructer says - I need to get my shoulders back, chest out, pelvis forward to deepen my seat.

The lesson this video was taken on, I did have my stirrups slightly longer than usual - seem to be taking them down a hole a week at the moment.

I have been riding for a long long time (middle aged girly that I am), but have had a decade out of the saddle and only returned around 9 months ago - to a half hour lesson a week.

Pepsi - you guessed right I am a geordie girl - live at the coast in North Tyneside. The horse in the video is not my loan horse - he's the riding school horse I have been getting lessons on for the last nine months - he's absolutely gorgeous and I love him to bits. Just getting to know my loan horse, and hopefully I'll soon feel the same about him. :D

[coss]

as jenb said, your downwards transition is very good - nice and soft.

as others have said you need to open your hips a bit and get your seat a bit deeper. my seat was deepened by riding a lot of bucking horses- i don't advise that route, its rather painful ;) but it worked for me.
i would say you need to loosen off your shoulders rather than just getting them back as you hands aren't moving with the head of the horse, they are very still. i'd like to see movement through your shoulders and therefore elbows.

To get a deeper seat i would do some no stirrups work, it is only when your seat is deeper that you should lengthen stirrups as it is the deep seat that requires you to need longer stirrups - lengthening them to deepen your seat can make you unbalanced.

i don't know if its just me but your knees look as if they are a bit tight - creating a secure lower leg but perching you up a bit. i would say the old trick of taking feet out of the stirrups, pulling each leg back from the hip (and out away from the horse a bit) and turn you toes in then bring the leg forwards to the natural position would help you a lot - it would open the pelvis, hips and relax your leg in a longer position and then you will need the longer stirrup.

Hope that helps :)

[Holly B]

is it only us who say "doolallytap"

I never really thought of whether or not that was a north-eastern saying before! My mum says it and she's originally from Stockton on Tees so maybe itr is just us NE people! :D

I'm afraid I'm rubbish at critique but you look pretty good to me! :D

[chelsie]

Hi I have just my first Canter and had been training in the school but went out this weekend. When I am learning Canter, I am told to push my bum to the back, slightley stand up alittle on the stirrips and lean forward alittle, alittle like a jocky really. but looking at your video you look like your trotting I sit like you when I trot, am I being told diffrent?

[Gina789]

Hello

I know its the most dreaded thing (to me anyway) but was always told deep seat would come from lots and lots of sitting trot without stirrups! But maybe my RI was just a meanie :)

Where comfy undies!

[chelsie]

Hi yes I was told do do sitting trott, but not sure when you use it in canter, I know you sit trot to slow a horse down.
Chel

[Gina789]

Hello

I think the method is u do sitting trot without stirrupps as a warmup after wards when you get ** stirrups back u should feel ** stirrups are too short for you so you lengthen them. This is beacuse you are now sitting lower in the seat than before. Deeper seat shuold make you feel more secure and less likey to fall too as you will feel less high and pearched. (not that you are on vid just another benefit of sitting trot without stirrups) (any excuse by RI to get u to do it methinks) :D

[doolally_tap]

Hi I have just my first Canter and had been training in the school but went out this weekend. When I am learning Canter, I am told to push my bum to the back, slightley stand up alittle on the stirrips and lean forward alittle, alittle like a jocky really. but looking at your video you look like your trotting I sit like you when I trot, am I being told diffrent?

Not sure who's teaching you to ride but this is absolutely not the way to canter - especially when schooling. Your position should not change from walk to canter. The position you are describing sounds more like the position you adopt while galloping outside.

[chelsie]

Oh Ok so when I go from walk to trot to canter, how should I be sitting then?
My teacher also owns the school, she was calling it LIGHT SEAT

Chel

[Joyscarer]

Oh Ok so when I go from walk to trot to canter, how should I be sitting then?
My teacher also owns the school, she was calling it LIGHT SEAT

Chel

That seat tends to be used when out hacking or when riding a younger horses in the school so the the horse can be freer in their back.

I tend to favour the seated canter as I hadn't really been taught how to get in a light seat position so that's something else for me to learn :D

[abichan]

I noticed at the end of the video that your riding with piano hands. Thumbs up! Heels down in those stirrups so your leg stays tighter and more secure. Very nice though. :)