How to Canter

[love2laugh]

I recently posted a message about the soreness on my tail bone. I was wondering if someone could explain to me exactly how I am supposed to canter (western style) or lope some might call it. I have been cantering by coming up and then "scooping" into the saddle when I come down. Is this correct? Is there a way to canter so that I don't leave the saddle? Because maybe then, I won't rub so much on my tail bone and cause those painful blisters! Thanks, Natasha

[Wally]

Don't scoop with your backside, you are driving your seat into the horses back and will make him resentful.

You hear folk being told to imagine they are polishing the saddle with their backside, again you are not moving with the horse but against him and yourself! result sore bum for you and sore back for the horse in some cases.

Sit and feel what the horse does to your pelvis at walk, you will feet two seat bones either side of your backside, they are shaped like the rockers on a rocking chair, if you are moving in harmony with your horse at walk your pelvis will be gently rocking on your seatbones, make sure you are not overdoing it, let the horse do the rocking and you go with him. Now do the same in sitting trot, it will happen much faster and it may help you to do it without stirrups pointing your toes DOWN and streching up with your upper body, but your seatbones should be rocking back and forth quite fast and your back will be flexing and straightening to absorb the movement. make sure you are not scooping with your backside.

Now canter is a very similar movement, rocking, not scooping, growing taller with each stride not scooping down,.... rising up. Get the feel in walk and trot. Trot only a few strides at a time so you keep it straight and you don't loose your balance.

Heather's equisimulator is brillinat for teaching you the correct canter movements, if you drive with your seat it sproings back it trot with a little buck!

[Sue F]

Wally or anyone who can advise. while we are on the basics of cantering.. I can canter around the outside of the ring just fine, sitting tall etc....my problem is "steering the horse". for instance my instructor will shout "do a circle at the top of the ring in a canter" and other than "steering" the horse with reins I just cannot seem to understand what my legs should be doing to get the horse to circle? can you help?