Cantering, and upset instructor!...please help!!

[CrazyfurAnimals]

Last Tuesday, I went to my riding lessons. Well, since it was my tenth riding lesson, my instructor said she would teach me to canter. I was really nervous, because I get scared just going at a fast trot. :o I agreed to try it though. Well, the horse did a REALLY fast trot, and I was horrified! Then I slowed him down, because I was getting scared. My instructor was very upset with me. She said that he was just about to canter, and I shouldn't have stopped him! I was just about to cry! :o My whole body was shaking with nervousness. I know you all are probably thinking I'm really crazy, but now I'm nervous for my next lesson. What exactly should I do when I get scared up on the saddle at a fast trot? :confused:

[Maci]

First let me say, your instructor was wrong to get mad at you! You're new to this, and good instructors have patience (whether it with beginners or experienced riders). It's harder for horses to go into canter (with a rider on their backs) while in a faster trot than their normal speed, because instead of going into a canter staying collected and responsive, they basically run around with you like mad-men! Go at your own pace! If you want to canter, ask to be lunged, that way you don't have to worry about steering, just going with the "canter flow". If your horse does go into a fast trot before canter, slow him down by half halting him (squeeze the legs, but keep the reins contact and steady) and establish a good trot rythem where he is responsive to you, before you try again! Mane grabbing also helps!

I know how you feel- almost every horse gets excited when they're cued to canter, and they just want to tank-off and go, but you musn't let them! Relax, breath and smile!

Hope This Helped & Good Luck!
Maci :)

[Wally]

A good quality canter does not come from a FAST trot.

You should learn to canter from a steady trot into a slow easy canter. If you are running at 90 miles and hour the canter that follows will not be a good one to learn on.

Your instructor is in the wrong, not you. You HAVE to be consulted every time you are expected to do something no matter how small. If you are scared, tell the instructor for goodness sake, if the instructor will not take your oppinions seriously and take your fears into consideration they should not be instructing you or anyone else!

If you get scared slow down until YOU are happy, to hell with pleasing the instructor, it's you who are the important one!

[Moonlightrider]

If you don't want to canter or trot fast or anything, you shouldn't have to and your instructor shouldn't get mad. Definately grab the mane if you need it. I always grab a handful before I ask a horse I haven't cantered before to canter. And like Maci said, do breathe. It's not good if you can't canter for the first time because you dropped out of the saddle from not breathing :D.

If you get scared to trot fast, slow the horse down. If a horse can canter out of a complete stop, he can definately canter out of a medium trot. It's one thing if he goes into a fast trot for a stride or two before breaking upward - he might not know what you want - but it's another if he's trotting so fast you're losing your balance AND your instructor wants it that way.

[horsemad]

I know how scary it can be to canter - particularly when it is from a fast trot, which can make you lose your balance before you even go into canter. I still get an attack of nerves when asked to canter on a new horse.

I agree with the other replies that your instructor shouldn't have got annoyed with you. If you didn't feel happy about going so fast, you were right to slow down. There is no point in going ahead with something that you know is going to frighten you. Some people may respond to that sort of approach, but if you are anything like me, being forced to do something you aren't happy with will only make you more nervous.

So don't let cantering become an 'issue' - if you want to go back to walking and trotting for a while until you regain your confidence, that's fine. Then when YOU feel ready to give cantering a go, try a few strides on a steady horse - and take a good handful of mane or hold onto a neck strap for reassurance! I'm sure you will be fine, and it will be no time at all before you are quite happily galloping into the sunset.....:)

Let us know how you get on - good luck!

PS I can relate to so many of these 'I have lost my confidence' type of posts - maybe we should all get together and form a 'Nervous Riders Forum' :D

[Outrider]

Everyone has the right of it. Your instructor is not much of an instructor. Remember, he or she works for YOU, not the other way around. You should go at a pace that is right for you and not the instructor. I would talk to this person and tell them your concerns. If they are worth their salt as a teacher, they will work a way to ease you into the canter. Good luck and Happy Trails!

[Sue F]

Excellent advice from everyone. No-way should the instructor be mad at you or intimidating. Like you I am new to riding about 4 months now and had a hard time trying to canter. some lessons were so frustrating I wanted to give up. what I do know about cantering is that when it starts initially it is very "bumpy" and the feeling is scary, however once the horse gets his rythym it feels fantastic and smooth. keep trying and go at your own pace. good luck.

[qwerty]

I have done a canter from a halt, so there is no nead to do a fast trot, or a trot at all...just make sure your aids are clear and strong so the horse will move into canter quickly. I always hated the fast trot at the beginning when I first started cantering as I felt like I was about to fall off!!! But, once th ecanter starts, it is sooo smooth! Just relax and enjoy theride with a big smile on your face! Have a look at the thread How to get canter right for some top tips!

[CrazyfurAnimals]

Thank you sooo much everyone!! Everything has been so helpful, and now I don't feel as bad as I did on that day. I'm still nervous, and I'm going to try my hardest to explain to the instructor that I would like to wait just a little bit for the canter. Maybe then I'll be able to regain my confidence. Thanks again everyone! Your great!! :)

[JumperGirl]

I have been riding for about 2 years, and I didnt learn cantering at all untill I had been riding much longer than 10 lessons.

The more trot work you do, the better the canter will be, try doing no stirrups work, We did that a lot, and now I have a good seat, and good balance, I feel very comfy at a canter now, just tell the instructor that if she wants you to take lessons from her, then she should teach you what you are comfortable with, not what she thinks you should do, youre paying her!

[Ipsa]

Ditto to what everyone else has said about your instructor.
Don't be worried when you do canter cos I've always found the canter is easier to stay on for beginners than when learning to trot. It will help when you do canter if its somewhere which will dictate a short canter as it is the slowing down and getting your balance back in the trot that can be tricky.
My son was bouncey in the trot when he was learning but loved to canter and I remember been like that too when I was learning. I have vague memories of cantering across farmland and turning the horses for home so they'd gallop, much comfier than trotting. wish I was that confident now.:o

[hilite]

I agree with everyone else here- you shouldn't canter until you feel ready for it. I didn't canter until I'd been riding about a year, and because my instructor spent so much time working me on the basics, cantering turned out to be a lot of fun. I know that if she had started me cantering on my 10th lesson I would be pretty miserable, because I wouldn't have been able to control the horse or have fun. :( Basically.. if your instructor tries to make you canter again (or anything that you don't feel ready for) don't. Obviously there are some things you're going to be frightened of doing but you need to do, but cantering so soon isn't one of them. Your instructor should be understanding and just teach you at the pace you want to go at- explain to her that you don't feel ready, and if she still doesn't listen, you should find another instructor. If she tries to make you canter in your lesson and you don't want to just don't do it- even though she's your instructor, you're the one who has the final say on what you do and don't do, and you shouldn't do something you don't feel safe with. :)

[Shadowfox]

I ride western, but maybe I can offer some advice to the cantering. In western the horse should go from a walk to a canter or from a trot to a canter. The horse should go from a slow trot directly to the canter when you cue it or from a nice walk directly into the canter when you tell it to. We are taught to never let the horse fast trot for more than four strides when going from trot to canter. This is your horse being lazy and ignoring your instructions.
Your horse knows the cue to canter but is ignoring you because other people let him get away with it. Pull the horse back to a walk (make sure the horse knows you know what he knows) then try again. By all means make sure the horse can feel your aids, if your legs are weak try using a crop or spurs to back you up. ASK FIRST! if your horse is lazy or inexperienced before you use aids.

[SweetHillsGurly]

that instructor was wrong for yelling at you. don't just go around at a standardbred-like pace hanging on for dear life. instead, get yourself together(the horse can feel if you're confident), ride strongly into a corner(but not too strongly) kick with your outisde behind teh girth, inside at the girth, blah blah blah, i'm sure your teacher told you that....... and give and take with your hands.

OR......


do the easy thing and get lunged. it works! i know;)

[Mossy]

I am sure that there are some riding "pupils from hell" who would complain if they were given a superb instructor. However the number of threads on this site which have worries about the instructor shoudl give the BHS pause for thought. A sample of students use this board so how many students are there who NR does not know about? How many do not know they are being taught badly? I spent weeks unlearning running into canter and Moss, who is ex working livery BHS school, will still run into canter, and on any leg that suits him, given a ghost of a chance.

[james]

I've only been riding for 3 months, so feel free to ignore my "expert" advice, but I found cantering much easier once my instructor had me ride for about 15 mins near the start of the lesson without stirrups (walking and trotting). Then, when we did some cantering towards the end of the lesson, I got it at 1st attempt (instead of 5th or 6th) as I was sitting so much better and, more importantly, was so much more relaxed as I fealt secure.

James

[Sue F]

To James: this is nothing to do with riding but I noticed you reside in Sandbach, Cheshire. I just spent 4 days in Sandbach on my holiday two weeks ago (I live in Canada). what a wonderfull town. good restaurants and pubs I fell in love with the place.
I also then went to Lymmington and Bournemouth loved it, loved it, loved it.

[james]

Sue F,

We don't get that many tourists in Sandbach, so glad you enjoyed our little town. I was explaining last week to 2 friends who live in Detroit and another who works there, but lives over the border in Windsor, why I was not not too disappointed to have not got the job I went for in Detroit earlier this year. I won't have to explain these things to you. You might enjoy looking at these (this was my "evidence" for staying put":

http://geocities.com/g4fjq/beeston.html
http://www.coldmoss.demon.co.uk/building.html
http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/tourism/images.htm
http://www.highpeak.gov.uk/gallery/index.htm

J

[Sue F]

James:

thank you for those lovely websites you made the right decsion to say where you are. I have saved the websites to keep looking at when I am feeling frustrated at work and would rather be in England and rather be riding. Hopefully I will be able to go back to Britain next year for a riding holiday - they look like great fun.