More Canter questions!!

[faye]

Some more canter questions for you guys!!
When my instructor ask me to canter, she would ask me to place my outside leg behind the girth, and give in the reins, but she tell another student in my class (a little more experienced) to just scoop the seat??? which is the correct way? another question is about hand position. am i suppose to follow the head movement forward and back, or stay relatively steady ??any help would be appreciated!! thanks

[jitterbug]

Faye,

If I were you I would listen to your instructor but don't give with your reins to much, also the reason they tell the other person another thing is that they are refinning their aids. You will learn this later. As for hand and arm movements just relax and go with the horse let him/her take you.

Good Luck :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)


[This message has been edited by jitterbug (edited 04 April 2000).]

[Kristy]

Different aids for different horses.... Some horses like the other student was riding might've been more responsive to seat than legs while your horse may be more responsive to leg! :-)

Your hands should move WITH the horse.. Keeping a steady contact but if his HQ's are engaged enough the head should move as much... use "freeze frame" to collect is a good one!
Hope this didn't confuse ya more! :)

Kristy

[Maisie]

Hiya! Well, first thing, you should NOT scoop with your seat! Have you read Heather's pages on the canter? I think it's known as the 'driving seat' and it's very crude and ineffective. That horse your friend was riding could have been a little sensitive, but that is NO reason for you to scoop with your seat! It's very uncomfortable! Try this: fold forwards and then ask someone to rub their fingers back and forth along your spine. I'm sure you won't like that, I don't!

And yes, you should allow your hands to move with the horse's movement or he'll be all scrunched up with no freedom to move...

[Jess]

I have heard a lot about putting your leg behind the girth. I don't know if it's just a thing we do in the US, but I always keep my leg the same... I think it keeps better position. Then squeeze and nudge with the outside leg. As for hand position, we are taught to follow the motion to a point, with our hands and elbows, but not so much that you look bad doing it. Good luck with your riding.
jess

[bettina]

:eek: DON'T SCOOP WITH YOUR SEAT!! Your instructor was extremely wrong when she said that. It looks *really* funny, and I have yet to see a horse canter when a rider scoops with her seat. It's like posting at the walk to get your horse to trot. It's insane. To get the canter, don't give with your reins. Hold with your reins, ask for the canter by keeping your inside leg still at the girth and apply the outside leg behind the girth. THAT is the right way. Don't scoop without your site!! No sane rider will do this, believe me.

[Allie]

Jess- I've never really had to move my leg back to canter (I'm in US). I just get the horse at about a 45 degree angle to the wall, then a gentle nudge with your outside foot is all it takes. I think it largely depends on individual training styles, and maybe on what discipline you ride.

Allie

[Heather]

Bettina is right- don't give with the reins, this will encourage the horse to fall on his forehand and run into canter.

Just brush the outside leg back with little pressure, as if the horse has been taught lateral work the quarters will move in and you will get a crooked strike off. Think of using your inside leg in an inwards and slightly forward squeeze, as if brushing the coat the wrong way. The more the horse becomes accustomed to this, the more he will respond to almost just this signal alone. On my schoolmasters here, you have to do no more than slightly flex the hrose to the inside with the einside fingers and apply the inside leg in this way, and you will get instant walk to canter.

Maisie, you are absolutely right too. Scooping with the seat just hollows the back and disengages the hindlegs,so canter is nigh on impossible.

The other day, I read a lovely analogy used by our greatest British dressage and event rider and trainer Christopher Bartle when talking about the 'driving seat'. He said it reminded him of his son when a baby, sitting on his potty and pushing it across the floor with his bum! Nice one, Chris!

Heather