Is this right? Or was I feeling something else??

[tasha]

I schooled Kally on Saturday and she was going nicely enough for me to have a go at a canter. Bit of a sloppy transition (my fault-I threw the reins at her, a habit I MUST break!!) but wow what a canter..it was balanced on the flat bits of the school and it kind of felt like..well, its hard to describe.

It sort of felt like her back end was going higher than normal, with each stride. NOT like she was bucking (Ive sat many of those to know what that feels like!!:p ) but, well, the thought that ran through my head was "Wow, my horse has a back end after all!!" So, my question is: was this Kally using her hindquarters correctly, ie coming off the forehand and taking the weight on her hind? She had a lovely light head position, all I had to do was leave my leg on and balance her on the downhill bits (our school is on a slight slope).

PS I also cracked getting an outline in walk and trot..I discovered my outside rein!! I noticed she was overbending inwards in places and cutting corners so used outside hand and a little inside leg to straighten her (too much inside leg made her go into shoulder-fore) and suddenly she was down and round!!

[galadriel]

Originally posted by tasha
It sort of felt like her back end was going higher than normal, with each stride.

To me, a balanced, forward canter feels like a rocking horse; rear end comes up, front end comes up. Every stride, rock rock rock. You don't mention her front end, but if you were getting lifted up back and front--and I suspect you were, if she was light and balanced--then it sounds like you had a beautiful experience :)

[tasha]

Yes, that's what it was like! I didnt really think about the front end because the back end felt so...new, that I was kind of blown away by it!!

I had a chat with my sister who is at horsey college and she reckons that that was what I was feeling, but now I've gotta show her at the weekend..hope I can do it again! It was brill, though, you are right about it being a beautiful experience!

[Wally]

"Uphill", is often used to describe the feeling of a good canter.
You'll feel the back end come under you and the front end will lift up as if climbing up a hill.

[Kerry's Partner]

Hope it's ok to ask!! Just wondering whether "uphill" and "rocking horse" are the same thing described differently or whether they are different?

[Lindi]

oooo yeah i had this at thats the same feeling i had on apache this weekend. She was really fresh and i havnt ridden her for three weeks, and it blew me away too. Normally her canter is just flat but it was like riding a different horse. What i want to know is how the hell i can get her to go like that all the time:D Im not sure not riding for three weeks is the answer.

[galadriel]

Originally posted by Kerry's Partner
Hope it's ok to ask!! Just wondering whether "uphill" and "rocking horse" are the same thing described differently or whether they are different?

Can't imagine why it wouldn't be okay to ask :)

I think Wally and I are describing the same thing.

One of the very interesting parts of riding is how differently people can view things, and what wildly varied descriptions they use to talk about what they've experienced. I find that sometimes I have to re-phrase something twice, five times, fifteen times before a student understands--not a reflection on the student's intelligence ;) just an example of how differently people perceive things.
---

To get the feeling of a "fresh," balanced horse, you need forward movement. Sometimes this is best achieved (on a horse moving sluggishly) by nudging with alternate calves with each stride; so as you are trotting, left-right-left-right; then half-halt to make sure you are balanced, and ask for the canter depart. If you have forward movement and you are balanced, you should get that rocking horse/uphill feeling. You may need to continue to nudge in the canter to maintain the energetic motion.

[Kerry's Partner]

Thank you for explaining that you use different explanations at diifferent times. I agree that people do this (automatically). Problem is, imo, that when people are trying to learn they haven't got the past experience to understand the "higher" level summaries like "rocking horse" or "uphill". Which is pronbably why I'm asking whether you and Wally are really describing the same thing!!!

I use alternate leg aids at walk, bilateral at trot btw!!!!!!!!! I've also been riding for quite a time really but I'm still bewildered by it all and I fear I always will be.

[galadriel]

Originally posted by Kerry's Partner
I'm still bewildered by it all and I fear I always will be.

The more I learn, the more I learn that there is more to learn ;)

[Kerry's Partner]

Too true. SO, to help me learn a bit more........what does a rocking horse feel like?

In my memory this is something that only "goes" if I do specific things. And, according to my "learning" the things I would do to get a rocking horse "feeling" wouldn't be what I would do to ask my equine to canter - and I'm really sorry but I don't think I'd be aspiring to get the same "feeling" from the canter either.

So are we talking semantics or can you "teach" me in plain English???????????????????

Oh dear, try to smile or even laugh.....................................I am NOT really being a difficult pupil but I am sticking to my point.

[galadriel]

On a horse who really rocks...

An unbalanced or not very forward canter could feel flat, or almost as if the horse is leaning forward. You don't get much movement in the hind legs; they're definitely not really flexing and coming up under you.

In contrast, with a really forward and balanced canter, you can feel the three beats of the canter.
1) The hind end goes up, and you can feel a lot of movement because the hind legs are really flexing and going up under the horse's body much more. There's a lot more energy to that hind end coming up.

2) Then the body somewhat levels out; the hind end is going down and the front end is going up. Briefly you're level.

3) The front end goes up. It should feel very light and self-supported; the horse will not be leaning on your hands. The hind legs have landed and are pushing the front end forwards, so oh boy does the front end go up and forwards. It is much more dramatic because, with the hind legs going so much farther under the body, they can take more of the weight of the horse (thus the front end feels light) and the whole stride will be longer while still being balanced (lots of forward movement).

You have a brief moment of suspension as the hind legs push off; you'll somewhat level out again. Then, as the front end comes down, the back end will go up and the hind legs come under...and so on.

Is that what you were asking? :)

[Kerry's Partner]

Thank you so much and I understand what you are saying. BUT. BUT, my point is that if I am a beginner I still wouldn't understand what "flat etc" means.

[galadriel]

Well, for someone who doesn't have enough experience to really know the difference, the solution is...more experience! :) Riding a lot of different horses was one of the valuable parts of my early riding experience. I learned the basics on one pony, then I rode a lot of other horses. The more you do, the more you feel, the more you can understand.

If you don't have a lot of different horses to ride, one thing you can do is ask the horse you are riding for lots of different canter transitions--balanced, unbalanced, and so on. If you want to feel a flat, unbalanced canter you can go into a trot, throw away the reins, and just nudge the horse faster & faster until he's in a fast trot, and finally breaks into a canter. That'll be one awful canter, but you'll be able to feel the awful--you'll be able to recognize it later, and to tell the difference when the canter is better.

To ask for a more balanced canter, you would go into trot, get a very balanced trot--perhaps even a slow trot--half-halt, half-halt until the trot feels very pleasant and controlled. Then you would ask for an immediate canter transition (no running-into-the-canter), and make sure that the horse stays balanced. You may need to half halt again as soon as you're cantering. The difference should be marked.

[Kerry's Partner]

I'm going to be really challenging!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm pleased (in fact very pleased) to admit that I know what you mean exactly (because I've "felt" it!!). HOWEVER, I'd have to say that I needed to feel it first in order to understand it (if that makes any sense to you at all).

I'm just desperate I suppose to try to enlisit a written description that people can understand "before having to feel it to understand".

Oh boy I get so angry with myself because I cannot describe this for the life of me!! And whilst this is fine for me I think if we couild describe it all better then others would get that feel so very much sooner and so benefit!!

Sandra

[Dizzy]

I don't think you can get such an in depth explanation, unless you experience it.

Its like trying to explain the bite you get when you play between the accelerator and the clutch of a car - until you do it and either lurch forward, set off nicely or stall. You can only get it right by 'playing with it'.

Experience comes with use - unfortunately there are no short cuts, you can't learn how to execute your aids from a book.