Hello, I am finding it hard cantering. When I am trying to get into canter it takes a really long time to get the horse going. My RI tells me to sit deep in the saddle and give big kicks. I have heard online that to get the horse onto the right canter lead, you have to put the outside leg behind the girth? I haven't learnt this yet.. is that normal? The lesson ponies I ride do a really, like really fast trot before going into canter, I find it quite difficult to sit but I can sit their 'normal' trot speed much better. The trot becoming so bouncy and having to do it for so long before they canter, messes up my balance and I end up bouncing when they canter. Along with loosing my stirrups! Has anyone got any suggestions on what I should do to achieve a nice balanced canter? Thank you for taking time out of your day to read my post.
Struggling with the canter
- Thread starter h0rse
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Unfortunately it’s all too common with riding school ponies, it’s not their fault it’s bit of a side effect of carrying novices all the time, RS’s want a pony who will ignore aids given by mistake initially.
Getting them really responsive to you in the walk and trot, in a no nonsense kind of way, can really help when it comes to asking for canter. Showing them from minute 1 that you expect them to move off your leg and don’t expect to have to ask repeatedly even just for walk - it can be really hard if they’re not used to it though. Be mindful of what the rest of your body is doing too, it’s very easy to tighten on the rein or to block their movement with your seat when kicking a lot, which gives a mixed signal. Perhaps ask your instructor about a lunge lesson or maybe using a whip to back up your aids, though it may not be appropriate at your current level but only they will know from having seen you ride.
Getting them really responsive to you in the walk and trot, in a no nonsense kind of way, can really help when it comes to asking for canter. Showing them from minute 1 that you expect them to move off your leg and don’t expect to have to ask repeatedly even just for walk - it can be really hard if they’re not used to it though. Be mindful of what the rest of your body is doing too, it’s very easy to tighten on the rein or to block their movement with your seat when kicking a lot, which gives a mixed signal. Perhaps ask your instructor about a lunge lesson or maybe using a whip to back up your aids, though it may not be appropriate at your current level but only they will know from having seen you ride.
My old pony used to do that trotting faster and faster thing, it's really difficult to handle. I think it was partly my fault, because I tend to ride with washing line reins. He was much better when I maintained a good contact in trot and didn't actually allow him to sort of spread out and trot faster and faster. So my suggestion would be to keep your pony trotting steadily ("with impulsion" as they say, meaning that he is putting some welly into it), don't allow him to speed up, sit down and ask for canter with a squeeze, kick or whatever else you have been told. That's hard enough to start with, never mind using one leg on the girth and the other behind the girth to ask for a specific lead!
If you hack out, you can practise this out hacking as well. It's much easier in a straight line.
If you hack out, you can practise this out hacking as well. It's much easier in a straight line.
I agree about learning canterng out on hacks.
None the less, things I was taught about cantering in a school.
The horse cant canter unless it can bring a hind leg right under its tummy to push off. So it cant canter from a spread out runing trot. As you get nearer to the corner get the energy up by using your legs. You are using the rein contact to compress the horse (keep it bunched up and shorter), not to slow it down. Then at the corner, give an almighty kick with both legs. Most RS horses know that this means canter. And if they hesitate, I say the word, Canter too.
At the same time as you kick into canter, relax your hands. Picture the horse flowing forward between your hands. You have to allow for there to be forward movement. But then keep a hold on the outside rein so the horse doesnt cut the corner.
At our RIs school we were always taught canter from walk. It means you dont need to sit a bouncy trot. Nor manage a corner. But this was never an art I really mastered and I would ask to ride dressage tests instead in order to canter from a circle of trot.
I was never taught how to ask for the correct lead. The RI told me to stop worrying. That the horse would choose the correct lead and she would tell me if it was wrong. It has never been wrong so far.
None the less, things I was taught about cantering in a school.
The horse cant canter unless it can bring a hind leg right under its tummy to push off. So it cant canter from a spread out runing trot. As you get nearer to the corner get the energy up by using your legs. You are using the rein contact to compress the horse (keep it bunched up and shorter), not to slow it down. Then at the corner, give an almighty kick with both legs. Most RS horses know that this means canter. And if they hesitate, I say the word, Canter too.
At the same time as you kick into canter, relax your hands. Picture the horse flowing forward between your hands. You have to allow for there to be forward movement. But then keep a hold on the outside rein so the horse doesnt cut the corner.
At our RIs school we were always taught canter from walk. It means you dont need to sit a bouncy trot. Nor manage a corner. But this was never an art I really mastered and I would ask to ride dressage tests instead in order to canter from a circle of trot.
I was never taught how to ask for the correct lead. The RI told me to stop worrying. That the horse would choose the correct lead and she would tell me if it was wrong. It has never been wrong so far.
Personally I would have a lunge lessons or two so you can concentrate on your position while someone else has the horse.
If you are losing your balance and stirrups, I doubt you can ask effectively and the pony isn't getting the request to transition, just to go faster.
You want a forward trot, not a going at speed trot. Another option is to ask from walk, you don't need to be trotting, you do need an active forward going ground covering walk, but you can learn to ask without the bouncing.
If you are losing your balance and stirrups, I doubt you can ask effectively and the pony isn't getting the request to transition, just to go faster.
You want a forward trot, not a going at speed trot. Another option is to ask from walk, you don't need to be trotting, you do need an active forward going ground covering walk, but you can learn to ask without the bouncing.
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