Nervous Rider

[Linda-Marie]

I have just started riding again and as soon as we go into a canter I become very nervous and can't relax is there any tips to help me relax as I am hoping one day I will learn to jump.

[whoa]

Not sure if I can offer much help but I know the feeling. Anyway this is what helped me..

If you can try cantering out on a hack - my first time my horse didn't have to be asked he just followed the one in front therefore little effort from me in keeping him going and gave me a chance to get the feel of it.

In the school some are loads easier than others and they are great for giving you confidence, one boy I ride actually seems to go slower when cantering compared to his trot. So if you can swap around.

Try taking a couple of Kalms before a lesson - at least an hour before if you can. I think they help

Keep trying...

God, I've just re-read this and I dont think it's any help at all!!!!! :rolleyes:

[amylou_84]

not sure how much i can help but when i learned to canter i was on a very quiet well behaved horse which helped. i had a very good instructor but the main thing is to do as much as you think you can. a few good solid strides of canter is better than loads of wobbly bad ones, if you catch my drift! the only other words i can give you are try and enjoy it, i felt nervous cantering at first but you'l soon get used to it again and begin to relax more into it!
good luck :D

amy :D

[Piaffe]

This may sound strange but try to focus on your breathing. When people get nervous, they hold their breath, causing tension in the muscles. Try a couple of deep breaths in and out from your diaphragm before and as you canter.

Are you cantering on or off the lunge at the moment?

[Santorium]

I'd got a massive hangover the first time I got the hang of cantering without being a tad worried. I was too busy trying to focus on staying on to worry about how fast I was going - give it a try :)

[JustBetMe]

What helped me was to ride a good solid mare. Once I took fear of getting tossed by the horse out of the equation, I was ready to canter, but I had to borrow someone elses horse!

My own mare is just starting to canter under saddle and I have come off her a couple times, so had a great fear to canter her. I had done it a couple times, but was still not feeling good about it. Took another lesson for help and now am a bit less afraid so will continue to work on it. Of course, I ride western and you might catch a glimpse of my white knuckles gripping the saddle horn with one hand for "security" as I fly by...

[flapjacks]

Three things helped me. One was riding a horse with a very smooth canter, one was watching Alec ride the Black on the beach in The Black Stallion movie, and one was this web site: http://www.horsecity.com/training/paulindex.shtml#.
Watch the video clip on Proper Lead at the Canter. When you watch someone who canters well, you can visualize it and then it becomes easy to do yourself. I tried cantering without a saddle last week but must have been too tense because at the last second, I felt unbalanced and was afraid and didn't do it. I did canter without stirrups tho!