Cantering..please answer!!?

Question

im cantering for the first time on tuesday

any tips??

Answer 1

Here's How:

Begin with your horse or pony calmly trotting.

Sit a few beats.

Slide your outside leg behind the girth and apply pressure with both legs (or heels if the horse is reluctant). Your inside leg stays on the girth. This encourages your horse to begin the canter with the hind quarters and correct lead, and bend around your inside leg.

You will feel your horse lift his shoulders, and drive with his hindquarters. Keep slight pressure on the inside leg to maintain the horse’s forward motion. Shorten your reins slightly to maintain gentle but steady contact as the horse lifts its head.

Allow your hands to follow the motion of the horse’s head and neck always keeping gentle contact with the reins, as the horse strides into the canter or lope. Western riders will not ride with contact but follow the motion without pulling on the reins.

Sit deep into the saddle, keeping your hips loose and following the rocking motion of the horse. Keep your shoulders back and sit upright. Don’t allow your upper body to sway.

Check your horse is on the correct lead. As you become more experienced you’ll be able to feel the motion of the lead foreleg pulling your hip slightly forward. But in the beginning it will be easier to use your peripheral vision to check the shoulder and foreleg. Tipping your head down to look will pull you out of correct position.

To correct the lead, sit deeply into the saddle, apply slight leg pressure, closing down on the horse and resist the forward motion of the horse’s head. Continue to squeeze back on the reins until the horse is again trotting. Ask the horse again, to canter starting at step one.

To go from a canter back to a trot, follow step 7, but instead of cueing for the canter soften your hand and leg aids and begin to post.

Always practice cantering (and all other gaits) going in both directions of the ring or arena. You’ll probably find one side more difficult and so may your horse.

Tips:

Increase the likelyhood of starting on the correct lead by cuing for the canter as you are trotting into a corner.

Keep your back and hips flexible. Don’t stiffen up.

Look where you are going.

Don’t forget to breathe!

Learn to identify the correct lead by feel by riding your horse while it is being lunged.

Answer 2

Congratulations!!  Cantering is a lot of fun.  Make sure your body is in the right position and your feet are firmly in the stirrups...ask you instructor what your proper cue is, shorten your reins and go for it.  Keep contact with the mouth..feel the motion and move your seat in rhythm to the horses stride...you should also make sure that the horse is on the right lead the inside leg should lead..if not cantering on the wrong lead in a circle will feel weird and uncomfortable.  I'm sure your instructor will give you more pointers.

And don't get discouraged... you know by now that practice makes "perfect"!! Remember when you trotted and posted for the first time!!

Enjoy...and good luck!!

Answer 3

keep your seat by leaning back just a bit. i just cantered for the first time a couple weeks ago and i sat up straight,  relaxed back into the seat, and stayed confident and relaxed.  good luck, and once you canter you'll be addicted because it is so very fun!!!

Answer 4

Cantering is so much fun.  It looks a little scary, but it's so easy!!!  My advice is to just stay relaxed, and don't freak out.  It's just like riding a big rocking chair!!!

Have tons of fun!!!

Answer 5

Don't fall off.

Answer 6

It is always scary the first time you canter but once you do you will feel awsome. It is way less scary then you think it is. Just sit up staight, and kissing also helps getting it started.

Answer 7

im western soo....i learned everything since i was 4.so fun!um trot then go on to canter you have your seat yet if not wen u get ur seat after your get used to the feeling of the gate get some friends and a lead rope frieng stand in the middle u on ur horse.canter on your horse while your friend   holds the lead rope while u run the circle.i know this sounds funny but hold your arms straight out.it will help you have your balence

Answer 8

just move with the horse, stay calm, and have FUN!

the first time i tried i kept bouncing on the horses back, but once i got in the rythem, it was awesome! im sure you'll love it!

Answer 9

Has your instructor taught you how to sit a balanced seat?  If so, cantering is not more of a challenge than a walk or a trot.  Just remember, you have it in your power to keep your horse from cantering faster than you are comfortable with...are are not just a passenger up there for the ride, control what is going on and you will feel the control that you have and you will be able to adjust to the new gait a little better.

Answer 10

email me at [e-mail] and answer this question:do you have a English or western saddle if you have English you all ready know posting so you just tell the horse to canter and do posting while it canters if this doesn't answer your question email me p.s. if you have a western saddle you just tell it to canter and you will get the feel for it and like i said email me!!!!!!!hope this answers your question!

Answer 11

It can be scary your first time.

Some tips would be when you start to canter stand up in the stirrups so your butt isnt in the saddle but not really high. That when when he bounces at that speed you wont be sore.

Hang on, and lean foward a bit.

Try doing it slowly. Just canter for a few secs, go back to walking or trotting. then do it again.

When i first cantered with my mare, it was the first time ever. but it was lots of fun! open field and everything

!

Answer 12

For your first canter, I would say to forget about all the how to's and just let your body roll with it...have some fun and don't worry so much.

Answer 13

Just relax and go with the movement your instructor will instruct you on how to sit it, what ques to give and other information needed. Usually for the first time cantering trainers will put you on a lounge line. Useful tips listed below.

*Move with the horse

*If your horse slows down or gets unmotivated in the canter you can tell when the horses gait starts to get bumpy and give some leg to keep going

*Breathing a regular pace will also help you relax your stomach muscles and make it comfier to sit.

*Don't over think what you are doing or it will get stressful because its your first ride!

*Last but not least enjoy your first canter! Don't worry about making everything perfect the first time you ride the canter!

ENJOY & HAVE FUN!