Canter

[Kimberly]

Hello,

I have been taking lessons since July and was so excited that I finally got a chance to canter, but I had no idea what I was supose to do! I felt like I was bouncing all over the place and might fall off. I also kept leaning forward - maybe out of nervousness. What am I supose to do? Do you have any suggestions/techniques? Your help is very much appreciated as I am eager to canter!

[CLAUDIA]

Aaahh...cantering. You're doing something I was doing when I started cantering, leaning forward. Whatever else you do while you're cantering, don't lean forward. I've fallen off quite a few times because I lean forward. I've actually been taking lessons bareback, and it's helped me with that aspect of my riding tremendously.

Aside from that, you could try to focus on keeping your weight down in your heels, and refrain from standing on your toes. This will help you absorb the movement of the canter a little better. I don't know if the messages I posted when I needed help with canter are archived or not, but you could try to find them. I was given a lot of great advice. :)

Also, go through this website and find Heather's pages, "A Kinder Way to Ride," and read her advice for cantering and everything. It's very helpful!

Good luck!! :D

[shortnsweet]

Kimberley, I have a suggestion for you that I wish someone would have told me when I was struggling to ride the canter without so much bouncing...Think of your pelvic cradle as a big scoop...As the horse rocks thru the three beats of the canter, push your pelvis back, and then scoop it forward to keep it in contact with the saddle all the time....Be sure to sit up straight (keep your shoulders back)and keep your heels down. After you understand the basic way your body needs to move to follow the horse's motion, you don't need to emphasize the scooping motion so much, but, for me at least, it helped for me to remember to let my tailbone swing backwards....and then rock forwards...hope this helps!

[Elaine]

Well you know what may help is to relax. It is very hard to sit to the canter if you are nervous and feel like you are out of control. What may help is if you go through a process before you canter. think "Do I have good contact with the bit? Are my heels down? Is my posture correct?" If all these things are correct, then it is time to give a small kick with your outside leg. When the horse canters, you have to relax. If you are relaxed, your posture is correct, and you have good contact with the bit, you will find that it is much easier to sit to the canter. YOur hips need to be at rest for you to naturally go with the horses movements.
I hope this helps! Good luck!
Elaine

[lilly]

YEA! i'm finally helping someone else than asking for help myself! anyways, about cantoring, i know exactly how you feel. when i first started i felt like i was flying and i was ALL over the place. with time it gets better promise! like said before, find the rhythm of the horses movement. then relax and do the scooping motion sopken earlier with your hips. the main point is to get into sync with the horse--you really have to concentrate (or i do) and then let your hips go with it-it's kind of like a rocking but you HAVE to relax!! i was really stiff and it's so much harder when you're stiff. and lean back, not all the say, but sit straight in the saddle. some horses are more sensitive to where you lean than others so once again, feel the horse. i've also been riding sence July and i've been cantoring for awhile so i hope that this helps. after awhile you won't need the saddle horn (if you're riding western) well, have fun and tell em if this helps ya at all :) :)
~~lilly

[Karin]

These are 3 things I have been working at in the canter. Perhaps these tips will help you visualize a solution when your instructor shouts out a correction.

*Feel the horses movement=I close my eyes for a few strides down the long end of the arena. You'll immediately start going with him instead of against him. (Obviously only shut them for as long as you feel safe and where little steering is required). Also you're entire body will relax as you start working together. You won't have think about scooping, your body will naturally rock.

*Stop leaning forward=Pretend your Dolly Parton. It always makes us burst out laughing but if you try to mimick her posture, you'll end up sitting tall in no time. My friend just shouts out "Dolly!" now when I start slumping.

*Heels down=Try to reach the sand ring with your heels. Stretch.

Hope they help...Karin

Good luck.

[Kimberly]

Thank you all so much for your suggestions. I really think they will help and I look forward to trying them. Now I can visualize the movements with the scoop and I will definately try the Dolly Parton suggestion!

[Maisie]

I'd like to offer a little bit of advice about cantering, even though you may have found a solution already.
Okay, when you canter, think of bringing your seatbones up a little for each stride. Then, push your stomach out like you're pushing your guts against your skin! I know this sounds funny, but it helps!
Another thing. If your legs are too far forward, your body will have to lean forward too to compensate for that.
Think of sinking your ribs down to your hips instead of bringing them up. Good luck in canter!

[bettina]

First of all, perfect your position at the trot before you start cantering! If your position has any flaws in the trot, they'll be magnified in the canter. And don't get nervous when they break into the canter, that will tense them up, make them go faster and make them more bouncy. Just relax! And practice, cuz it helps. Try no stirrups. ;)

[Northern Dancer]

Get your riding teacher to lunge you at the canter. For beginning it's sort of freaky, my first canter was on a 16hh Thoroughbred and I tell you I was really scared. But when you get used to the "jolty" and fast depart then when you've done that several times. Sit down in the saddle, lean slightly back and relax, it's rocking chair if the gait is smooth. As you're riding instructor to be able to ride a horse with a smooth canter that helps A LOT!

[Chris]

Just posting the aids for the canter
- Sit Deep in the saddle, heels down, back stright and your sitting on your seat bones.
-Indirect Rein on the inside, inside rein brought back toward your opposite hip without crossing the whithers, bend only until you can see the inside of his eye.
-Leg aids are inside leg is used at the girth too bring his legs under him while your outside leg is moved back behind the girth and is used here to signal which hoof too strike off with.
-When your Cantering strighten your reins to free up his inside shoulder and relax, heels down, seat deep in the saddle, allow your hands and hips too rock with the motion.

[Botanyman2]

I've been riding for around 5 months and I'm also just starting to canter. The best way I can describe my initial experience is this: I felt like (and I presume I looked like) a stereotypical village idiot on a runaway washing machine. I'm only just starting to feel a little comfortable, largely as a result of finally keeping my heels down. Everyone said canter is a more natural feel than rising trot, but it isn't that way for me.