Should I keep cantering? The basics aren't so bad - lesson 11ish

[kiwigirl]

Just an update for anyone who is interested!

Today lots of work on my balance and leg position (bloody leg!!) Anyway RI got me to stand right up in my stirrups whilst walking until I could put both my hands out to the side with palms up! Tried this in trot also but there was no way I could let go of the horses mane/neck strap to do that! But still seemed a valuable exercise.

Did lots of stretching type stuff also - trying to open my hips more - my god I am so inflexible! Will need to work on that.........

As it is only the 5th time I have ridden this horse I missed doing the basics with her when I started. Basically my first time on her was trotting with no strirrups. When she goes she goes and can be hard to slow down. So today I asked to do some trot to walk transitions and we even did some walk to halt transitions. This might sound boring as hell BUT I loved it and felt this new confidence with her.

The more I ride the more happy I am to work on some of the basics. So for anyone who is feeling frustrated at the beginning (I was!) take you time it is totally worth it.

No canter today. Does anyone think I should at least have a few strides of it each lesson jsut to keep me familiar with the it?

The RI I worked with today is great in listening to what I want to achieve.

 

[PonyGirlAsh]

I don't think you need to canter every time in the beginnning...in fact, it might be to your advantage not to. You want to make sure you keep gaining confidence as much as possible in these first vital lessons, and trying to canter every time may lead to frustration at times. So, I wouldn't worry if you don't canter every time, especially if you are on a somewhat new horse. You'll get to lots of canter in lessons soon enough!! Well done with your lesson though!

Oh, just saw...you are on lesson 11...it is totally individual, but I'd say maybe by lesson 20 (as long as they aren't like weeks and weeks apart or anything) you should be working more on getting the feel for canter every time. No need to rush it

 

[Libbyo]

Canter is just annother pace, when you are ready, canter, dont push it every lesson, just go at your own pace. I go weeks sometimes without a canter, then canter every day other weeks. Nothing matters in the long scale of things. Just keep the enjoyment up.

Libbyo

 

[RustyMary]

I only started cantering quite recently after several months of lessons. I was feeling a bit frustrated with not doing, but then once we started it was much easier because I had got the basics pretty well (always more to learn...*sigh*). I'm really with you on practising basic transitions - if you know FOR SURE that you can come down a pace or stop whenever you want, so much nervousness just disappears and confidence improves - I always do a few at the beginning of the lesson or when we start trotting, just to remind myself. It's all just great, isn't it! - I suspect riding is like skiing, the better at it you are, the more fun it is

 

[Nazdaq]

Ditto Rustymary, thats what I am doing, learning transitions, control in trot, perfecting my position etc. before I canter. I need alot more confidence first!