Help me to canter

[hanbrad]

hiya im going to have my 3rd lesson next saturday
I fink i might start to do canter
can any1 help me
how do u do it in steps plz fanx i want to inpress my instructure lol
my stables wont let me loan out a horse because i dont have much experience lol

[LMS]

Hi hanbrad,
By your "3rd lesson", you don't mean 3rd time on a horse also do you?

How much riding experience do you have? You have mastered the trot right?
How are your T/W transitions?

The canter is exhillirating but as an instructor, the lack of info regarding your riding bacground has me feeling cautious.

LMS

[Purple Hugs]

phew.. good to hear you asking that!

I'm on lesson 6 on tuesday and don't feel ready for canter. When I read this it made me question whether i'd be asked to canter soon or not. As I'm not sure how early you canter.

I might discuss the plan of action with my RI. :D

Have mastered rising trot though so am pleased :D
I have done 1 'circle' on the trot and have walked a serpentine but not trotted that yet lots of change of rein but again on the walk.

As for coming from Trot to walk, I bounce a tiny bit just a few quick bounces whilst she slows.. is this normal? Is this ok? I don't lose balance or feel out of control though.

Thanks for any tips you can give me...
Hanbrad - hope you don't mind my posting here!

[Bay Mare]

hanbrad - I've got to agree with the others, it's too early to be cantering just yet. You need to be balanced and comfortable at walk and trot first (some instructors say at rising AND sitting trot). Don't be in too much of a hurry to canter as it's much better in the long run if you get the walk and trot sorted first.

Purple Hugs - the ideal is not to 'bounce' at all, ever, but obviously it's going to happen sometimes especially when you're learning. How's your sitting trot? Maybe that's the next thing for you to work on (also read Heather Moffett's 'Kinder' section on this site and her brilliant book on Enlightened Equitation to get a good idea of the different gaits) as you come through sitting trot from rising to get to walk. A lunge lesson is always a good idea as you don't have to worry about steering on getting the horse going. You concentrate on YOU and nothing else.

[Purple Hugs]

haven't worked on sitting trot yet, maybe that'll be next. That should help when going from trot to walk then. Will discuss with RI tuesday. :D Am lucky in that she's very approachable! :D
Thanks,

[domane]

Just want to reassure you both that actually a canter is generally a lot smoother and easier than a trot - it's the speed that makes it nerve-wracking.... If and when it happens, don't think "OMG!!! I'm CANTERING!!!" Relax, let your hips move with the movement and enjoy it..... years ago, I put off cantering for months and when it finally happened (by accident) I wondered why I had made such a fuss. Just remember to grip with those thighs and I'm sure you will be exhilarated.... :)

[Purple Hugs]

I had heard it was 'easier' and have seen a rider recently on a thoroughbred in my RS cantering, he looked so graceful - but he's HUGE so just mounting him and feeling relaxed will be an achievement for me! hehe

[domane]

Do you always ride the same horse Purple?? The only reason I ask is that horses gaits vary from beast to beast (ranging from see-sawey to filling-dislodging jarry!!!) So if you always ride the same one, I would suggest trying another. Not only is it good experience to ride different animals, you will then realise how different they all feel, apart from the obviously differences in size.

(PS Where would we be without mounting blocks??? :p )

[Purple Hugs]

I have so far. :D
I ride in a small RS so there is actually only 2 large horses. I know the majority of lessons are children so it's not a problem from that aspect.
I ride Kappella she's really gentle and predictable - bombproof you'd call it. ;) but I have been told she's very jarry in the trot - I've coped with that though.

Ginger the thoroughbred I've seen in the field and my friend came with me the first time I rode. She had Ginger but didn't get on with him - her I think not him.. having seen him with another rider since he seemed fine.

Don't think i'd be too worried after a lesson on him, he's just an unknown entity at the moment! :p

[hanbrad]

well purple
this is my thread
and i am comfortable riding , i can trot rising and sitting
but if my RI thinks im ready then i am :D ha no offence

[Purple Hugs]

too true, sorry to intrude! :cool:
just you asked a question I've been thinking about!
Enjoy your canter! I'll get there in time.. ;)

[tolka]

hanbrad, purple hugs. Dont be in a rush to go into a canter. Perfect your balance in walk and trot first it'll pay off 10 times in the long run. The best thing my instructor ever did was put me on a lunge lesson walk trot and canter with no riens and stirrups (while taking my legs away from the horse at the same time :rolleyes: ) With the spooks etc you deal with in the long term your always going to be thankfull of developing your balance sufficently in all gaits. Once you do canter theres nothing to it providing you've done your ground work first.

[sweuzo]

a good riding instructor won't start you cantering unless they feel you are ready... and tbh if your talking your first 3 lessons ever, i would definately say your not ready for canter. however if you have ridden before and know the basics you may be ready. you need a relatively good seat in trot to canter imo. and yes canter i find easier than trot, but 'pushing a horse into canter can be difficult if you don't have your position relatively 'right'.

i cantered after only a few lessons, but it was BAAAAAD canter, and i rode quite alot when i was younger, having an 8year gap before returning to riding so i wasn't a complete beginner.

if anybody lets you loan a horse without being able to walk, trot, canter, all with a relatively good seat they must be mad, and i don't think anybody would do it. Loaning also requires stable management knowledge, which if you have only just started riding, and only in lessons i think you would have very little of if any.

Usually they will teach you what is required of you, if you don't know (and even if you do sometimes) when they agree to loan you a horse, but still you will have to be able to ride as above.

But i could be wrong, this is just what i think and from my experiences.

Also with a loan horse you will more than likely have to get insurance.

saying you can ride bombproof school horses doesn't mean you can ride a 'normal' horse, but every horse is different.

[Method_Acting]

wow, i was riding 10 months before i cantered! [with 1 lesson a week]
don't be in a rush :)

[SupaTania]

I've been riding a year, had a go at cantering after 6 months, then i fell off the horse at a trot (she spooked and i gracefully sailed dislocating my shoulder).

Soo, learning to canter now, but just moved barns, (same instructor, brand new horses) So i don't know when I'll continue cantering. But i'm having a GREAT time trotting fast and jumping crosspoles.

Learn at your own pace, work on your balance. if your not balanced and your cantering, you'll regret it when you go around a bend out the side door. :D

[ruthb]

Did you see a brilliant episode of Faking It, when Tim Stockdale taught a lap dancer to be a showjumper in a month? She had a little canter within about 10 minutes!

[Peace]

Did you see a brilliant episode of Faking It, when Tim Stockdale taught a lap dancer to be a showjumper in a month? She had a little canter within about 10 minutes!

Well, she'd already had lots of practice keeping her seat while atop a big hairy beast, hadn't she? ;) :D

For the rest of us, it's better for all concerned if the rider learns balance first. :)

[Samsky]

I wouldnt dream of letting anybody canter until they can trot without stirrups securely and have had a fair bit of practice at trotting without stirrups.

[ponylover88]

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