Help , Horse Riding Lessons?!?

Question

Horse Riding lessons , this is a new yard as i didnt get to learn at my old riding yard,

ive only been going for 3 weeks once a week, and im loving this new yard , the instructor rides classicly , like all other horse riders,

but the thing is i havnt cantered before but ive been cantering in these lessons , but im holding the saddle , im afraid if i just hold the reins ill fall of , what happened when you first cantered and only held the reins?

also when im trotting up + down my instructor sez i dont lean forward but im hunched over how can i prevent it ?

as naturally my back is straigh? =S im confused please give me some riding advice and help!

thankyou

Answer 1

Cantering can be really scary when you first try, so make sure you are on a quiet horse you trust completey. Instead of holding the saddle, get slightly off the horses back and grab hold of their mane. This does not hurt the horse and will help keep you balanced. For the trotting problem, think about keeping your shoulder blades touching, eyes up. Arch your back very slightly and pretnd you have a string attached to your head, pulling you up. lean forward very slightly, so your upperbody is at like, a 70 degree angle. when you post, instead of thinking that your just going up and down, think about swinging your hips forward. This will help you stay with the rythem so you don't have to concentrate on that. Good Luck, and don't give up!

Answer 2

Woooo.......you seem to be progressing at a fair old pace. I suggest you get confident with the level you are really at before you move on.

Tell your instructor that you want to perfect say, trotting, before moving on and you would like more time.

If they are a competent instructor, they will understand. If not, then consider changing instructors.

The last thing you need is to have your confidence dented - if that happens at this stage, you could well give up altogether.

Take it slowly and Good Luck !!

Answer 3

actually i was just like u. does the horse you ride feel bumpy cantering? or is it fast? honestly, what i did is not think "omg, i dont wanna fall off!" i just let go and got used to it. if your horse goes to fast, one of the problems is that you hunch forward and tighten up it gives the horse mixed signals, which might be going faster. trust me, if you lean back, your experience will be much better, because you r in control of the horse.another thing for the cantering, take babysteps until you r fully let go of the saddle. like start off with your hands resting on the saddle not holding on, then have your hands up a little more each week. when i first cantered, nothing happend. really, the reins arent for balance, the stirrups are, and as long as u keep your toes up and your heels down, it actually is easier to balance especially when cantering.

                                     hope i helped! :)

Answer 4

It's just a matter of practice and finding your balance, the more you practice cantering, the more confidence you will gain. You will find your posture improves over time and you will be able to let go of the saddle.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Your instructor is right. Don't lean forward. And if you say you are "hunched over" it is because, like you said, you are "holding the saddle" and that is why you feel off balance when cantering. It is something that is common among many new riders. But like others here said, you will overcome that with practice. I'm sure you know what you should be doing, but knowing what you should do and not feeling secure doing it is where you are but with practice you will begin to feel secure. Years ago when I used to teach, I used to use a stability ball as an aid to help teach riders the correct posture and the forward and backward rocking motion of the canter. Practicing that upright posture with a forward and backward bottom motion while setting on that stability ball seemed to help the insecure riders more easily overcome balance problems. Just try to keep your heels down and legs in contact with the horse and your upper body upright with your hips relaxed, loose, and fluid, allowing your butt to roll forward and backward in harmony with the canter motion. It's just like setting upright and relaxed on a stability ball while butt-thrusting the ball in a short forward and backward motion. You will get the balance with practice so just be patient and persevere. And I expect the horse will be helpful in teaching you balance while cantering because if you are badly off balance it will throw the horse off balance and the horse will stop cantering. Good luck with your lessons!

Answer 6

It helps if the heels of your feet are in a straight line with your back.  It's harder to canter if your feet are two far forward, or two far back.

     If someone looks at you from the side, they should be able to draw a straight line from your heels to your back.  This is proper dressage technique.

Answer 7

I started with western riding, so I had the horn to hold onto.  It was really hard when I switched to english and couldn't hold on at the canter.  It does take some getting used to.  However, it's nothing to be afraid of.  The first time I tried it, I didn't fall off or anything.  We cantered as normal.  If you're scared, grab the horse's mane and push your nuckles into the horse's neck to balance yourself.  Then if you start to lose your balance, sit back and pull the horse up and start over.  Your instructor wouldn't let you do anything where you could get hurt... she will be there to guide you through everything that you're doing... don't be afraid.

about the hunched over thing at the trot... to me, it sounds like you're letting your shoulders roll forward.  When you posting trot, remember to pull your shoulders back.  A good way to do that is to try to lift up your ribcage so the bottom of your rib cage is sticking out.  Try to push your chest out.  That's the best way to describe it.  If you push your chest out, your shoulders will automatically be back.  Make sure you keep your good seat though so you don't lean forward.

If you have any mirrors at your barn, have your instructor fix your position at the mirror so you can see the difference between what you're doing and what you should be doing.  That's a really good way to learn.  Good luck!

Answer 8

For your first question, I was nine when I first cantered (without my horse running away on me!) and I only cantered for a short distance. You should grip really hard (but don't hurt the horse) with your knees and just trust the horse. I stayed on when I first cantered, but I was a little scared. Then I grew used to my horse going faster and now it's one of my favorite gaits!

I have the same problem when I trot. Ask your instructor to teach you how to move your hips with the horse's gait when you're trotting. It helped me a LOT. My horse's trot became a bit smoother and slower and my back wasn't hunched over to keep my balance. Hope I Helped and Best of Wishes!

Answer 9

When you canter try to keep your upper bdy closer to the horse to prevnt falling off.

As for the trotting i;m not so sure

Answer 10

You need to take your time and get used to the feeling of cantering while holding onto the saddle until you are comfortable and balanced enough to let go. Ask your instructor if he/she can add a neck strap to your horse so you can transition from holding the saddle to holding something else that will give you some security. You definitely don't want to be holding the reins at this point as you can accidentally grab the horse in the mouth and hurt him. At the trot, just try to let your legs, hips, and lower back absorb the bouncing. Pull your shoulders up straight without stiffening. Try it first at the walk, and really feel through your lower body every movement the horse makes. It's easier to do with your eyes closed. Then let the horse trot and feel the different muscles it takes to keep balanced at the trot. With time your body will react instinctively and correctly to balance you at each gait. Practice, practice, practice! It takes time.