Canter to Trot Without Stirrups

[nelle]

Last night in my lesson we were doing sitting trot work without stirrups, it was ok when Sonny had obviously had enough and broke into a beautifully controlled canter. It felt great, it was smooth and I felt perfectly safe and stable when I suddenly thought oh **** I now have to get back into trot :o I had my RI shouting at me and whilst it was a bit bumpy it wasn't too bad.

My homework for the week is to practice without stirrups so tonight I've had another go, Sonny broke into canter again and I just couldn't remember what to do to bring him back to trot - and I paniced, tensed up and almost bounced off.

Can anymore remind me what I should have done to make the transition as smooth as possible please?

[Vez]

Make sure you sit up straight and squeeze with the inside of your thighs so tense upper leg ( does that make sense?:confused:) You can then apply as much riegn pressure as needed to get your horse into a trot smoothly.

That might make no sense because I know what I mean i just can't word it!!

Vez xx:)

[coss]

the best way is to get a collected canter as then when you go back to trot the horse can lose some of the impulsion more easily (not normally desired) so that you can sit it better.

[cwb]

I would just use my seat and reins to collect the canter and then gently half halt - if you look at the leg movements in canter, two legs are moving the same as in trot - the smoothest transitions come when you ask on the simultaneous leg pair so you need to count the canter strides - 1 2 3 and ask with the half halt on the count of 2.

[pureXchance]

do the same as you would normaly just sit deeper in the saddle and remember to keep your legs long. also its easier to go back to sitting trot rather than rising trot. i always forget i havnt got stirrups on and do rising trot. :)

[Packhorse12]

Use half halts. If you havent been taught them yet, get your instructor to explain half halts - but maybe give her a chance and say can she teach it in the next lesson becaus maybe she need to gen up on them herself.

Slowing down is simple if you use half halts honestly it is. It is that simple. If you want explanations I will try to find somewhere on the net that explains them. Just let me know.

[coverblown]

I find this quite hard and usually hold on to the pommel, brain going: bounce, bounce, smoother, smoother, now I can get the reins in both hands, bounce again, slow down aaaah thats better - WOW = I cantered without stirrups!

Daughter tells me its good to collect the canter - I may get enough headspace to try that one day...

Good luck!

[EmmaArr]

I did this in my lesson last week to!
My RI told me to hold on to the pommel or Dai's reins but i didnt need to...
I just sad deep and consintrated(sp) on staying on...it works.

[~*sugarlump*~]

collect the canter up, lots of half halts.
if you get unbalanced hold onto abit of mane or maybe a neckstrap