Cantering?

[midnightmare]

Hello!
Please can I have your opinions before I get too over excited lol
My friend who is at exactly the same stage of riding and ability as me did cantering yesterday.
She did working trot for the first time yesterday and did canter aswell.
I did a whole lesson of working trot last week and I have my next lesson tomorrow! Do you think i'll be cantering tomorrow? A few weeks ago my instructor said i'd eb cantering soon.

[Yann]

If you're comfortable with trotting then it might be time to give it a try :) Why not ask your instructor if they think you're ready to have a go? How easy you'll find it will very much depend on the horse, some are much easier than others to sit to :)

[Lora]

WOuld have said bet a dollar, but I'm so sure, I'll even bet a british pound! hehehe Ducking UFO's from Fellow americans. ;)

Anyway, alot of instructors have a cookie cutter type lesson plan they go by and when you've mastered a b c d to a fairly regular basis, the introduce the canter. (at our barn it's done on a lunge line first time to get a feel for it so the student doesn't ahve to steer. Is that what you guys do?

I hope you do.. you sound excited to try it. :)

[midnightmare]

thanks.
we don't so it on a lunge line, we just go round the indoor track :)

[Belle Rider]

Hope you get to try canter during your lesson. It might feel a bit scary and out of control but the more you practice the more you'll get the feel for it! :)

[midnightmare]

thanks
my friend said it is scary at first but then it's amazing

[-jo-jo-w]

Did you canter?????????? I did the other week and fell off :o but for thosew few minutes hmm maybe seconds it felt great!

[Hellsbells]

I hope you do, its a great feeling when you really move with the horse. I bounced around alot and was told a very sensible thing... grip with your legs... ooh it saves on the sore bum after :o

Enjoy :D

[midnightmare]

I cantered!
OMG It is amazing...but I wasn't suppsoed to canter
We were walking round the school and one by one we each had to trot round to the back fo the ride so we all trotted at seperate times, so the first 4 people went which jeft just me, I gave Misty a kick but she was being very stubborn so I kicked her again and she did a very slow trot so I squeezed my legs and then we were off! She was flying round the school and I only realsied about 3 seconds later that I was no longer trotting but I was infact cantering, It felt amazing but then suddenly my foot slipped out the stirrup and I started to slide across the saddle so I dropped the reins and grabbed the saddle then we started to approach the back of the ride and luckily Misty slowed down to a nice trot before we crashed into them
It was amazing, supposedly during and afterwards I had a massive smile on my face my instructor said I managed to sit nice and deep in the saddle so it was actually a good canter lol and my mum was shocked cos she thought I was gonna come flying off the saddle

OMG I can't wait till I do a proper canter :D

[Lora]

A nice canter is hard to beat. I work the rest of the lesson but in my heart, I'd rather be flying around the school, big grin, sometimes you feel the wind like you're on a fast bike. :)

[Amber Hughes]

ahh you cant beat your first canter i bet your cant wait to do it again, nice one chick

not scary at all is it!

i think its the easiest of the paces

you'll be galloping in a field next haha!!

[Meovcorz]

Nice, I LOVED it the first time I cantered. I am glad for you.

I bounced around alot and was told a very sensible thing... grip with your legs... ooh it saves on the sore bum after :o

Enjoy :D

GRIP WITH YOUR LEGS! don't give anyone that kinda information, if you grip with you lower legs you are asking the horse to go faster, if you grip with you thighs you throw your bottom out of the saddle thus throwing yourself off the horse, the best thing is to let youself relax and go with the movement, you will never be able to go with a horses movement if you keep yourself stiff and unpliable, also she will never ever learn a nice deep seat if she keeps on throwing her but out of the saddle.

[KAB]

That is fanastic news - I bet you are on a high and cant wait for the next canter. I remember it so well despite it being 30 something years ago!

I am now back to basics due to my fall last year that has ruined my confidence - I really hope one day I will be putting up a thread like this.

Well done sweet! Keep it up! :)

[cwb]

but then suddenly my foot slipped out the stirrup and I started to slide across the saddle so I dropped the reins

you were sliding over the saddle because you were putting weight into the other stirrup - if you lose a stirrup it is better to kick out of the other one if you aren't skilled enough to regain the lost one. Don't worry, gravity keeps you in the saddle, not the stirrups!

Try not to drop the reins - it gives the horse its head and it will likely go faster, put them into one hand if you need to grab the saddle!

[sancho]

Well done, its a lovely feeling.

[~*sugarlump*~]

grip with your legs... ooh it saves on the sore bum after :o



no no nooo. don't do that ;)
i learnt that the hard way when i went galloping round without stirrups :rolleyes:

sit deep, relax, give and take with the reins. sometimes downwards transitions can be abit bouncy and unbalanced so hold onto abit of mane or a neck strap so you're still moving with the rhythm (sp?) of the horse, as holding onto the saddle isn't the best method:)
i agree it's usually abit better when you take away both stirrups if you cant get the other one back, as it's tempting to grip with the leg with the lost stirrup.
quite strange that your friend learnt to canter on the same day she learnt to trot :rolleyes::confused:

well done and good luck for next time:)

[gaz deluxe]

I Will Never 4 Get My 1st Canter, Its Amazing, Slightly Bumpy Though, When Im Out N About With Frank Theres Nothing I Love More Than To Just, Gallop Across A Field And Give Him The Rein, He Really Brings Me On Alot, I Dnt Need A Insructor When Ive Got Frank Lol. My Advice To U Is To Just Keep ** Body Relaxed, Sit Up Tall, Keep Your Legs Long And Relaxed And Then You Will Rock To The Canter, Your Horse Will Do The Rest, When I Used To Canter I Spent Most Of The Canter Worrying And 4 Got To Enjoy It, I Think Ive Made Up 4 All That Worrying Now Though, Just Go With The Flow And Keep ** Aids Nice And Simple!!!!!!!! :)

[midnightmare]

i can't wait untill we properly do cantering! It felt so great :)