Cantering help please?! ?

Question

Hi everybody!

Everyone has been telling me that a canter is really smooth and swingy. i asked my trainer if i could try it and so i did. Its exactly the opposite of what everyone tells me! Can someone explain why this is? Thanks!!!

Answer 1

It could be just a rough horse or maybe you werent on the correct lead, if you are on the wrong lead that is really funky feeling keep up gain confidence work on your seat and you will find the canter to be quite enjoyable

Answer 2

Once you get the feel for cantering it's very comfortable. BUT the first few times can be quite jarring, especially in those first few strides transitioning from a trot. I'd say once your seat and balance is more developed you'll love it! I mean think of your very first trot. That was probably so bouncy that you might have even felt a little out of control. If you want to work on your canter, start with your seated trot to develop that nice deep seat, a flexible back, and soft hands. This will help you move with your horse when you try cantering again.

Good luck!

Answer 3

is the canter itself bumby? if it is its probably the horse. it will be a lot smoother on a better horse. and when you first start cantering it is a little different. when your horse breaks into it there will be bumpiness at first. when you have done it a lot (like me) your seat will improve.

Answer 4

yeah I'd say it was your seat too. Just try and keep your weight in your stirrups, sit really deep in the saddle with your shoulders back and try and go with the horses movement from your hip. Maybe ask your trainer if you could try some canter work on a lunge so you didn't have to worry about control and could just concentrate on your seat. You'll get the hang of it soon I'm sure.  

Answer 5

It could be that your seat isn't developed enough yet. It could just have been a rough horse. There are a lot of reasons that your first canter wasn't a great one. Make sure you have a very secure and steady seat before you try the canter. Also, ask about how smooth the horse is. I know for a fact that some horses are downright scary to canter because of how rough their gait is. I had a horse that was like riding on a speeding carousel horse when he canterd.

Answer 6

My first canter was a bit uncomfterable, I just kind of flopped around like a sack of potatos up there.  You need to get a seat for it, it takes a bit to prefect.  Maybe the horse just has a funky canter, but it was probably because you were not used to it.

Answer 7

The canter can be smooth and swingy, but my horse's canter isn't at all. It could be their stride, it could be their leg is sore, it could be a number of things. My horse's canter is a fast, huge stride and it has taken me two years to get him to even slow down. Make sure you are comfortable in that saddle, and if you get the chance try another horse, they have all have very different strides.

Answer 8

If it was your first time cantering, then its bound to be swingy no matter what;)

You just need to have your seat developed. Some horses have different strides- a girl in my lesson (and who's in pony club with me) rides a very tall horse that has a massive stride. Another girl has this gorgeous paint and when she canters it looks very smooth and straight (no rocking) canter. I now ride a paint with a canter thats very short and choppy but still pretty flat, so its fairly comfortable.

You just need to get used to it, once you ride more and do some canter work (don't forget to make sure you can do a sitting trot very well too) and you'll get used to it- it will seem very comfortable jumping too.

One of the mistakes I made first time was I would lean forward (it seemed like I could control the horse better) but I soon learned that sitting with your shoulders back, giving the horse its mouth (work on getting round later) and relaxing (do not get tense, if your horse is getting too fast then do some half halts) is the best way to get a nice canter. Once you get them more round and on to the bit, you still have lots of control.

Good luck=]

Answer 9

cantering is very fun but not all horses have a smooth canter.

Answer 10

Well it depends on the horses gait.

Maybe the people that told you that it is smooth and swingy are the people who have a horse with an amazing gait.

Some horses are very choppy, and just kind of bounce. That may be what your horse does.

My mare has a very smooth gallop and canter. So its extremely fun for me.

Answer 11

it could be the horse your riding.

how you are handling your reins or seat.

or tht ur moving against the horse and not using ur legs.

also ur not quite used to it yet.