How can I keep my legs in the right position while cantering.?

Question

I ride a 19 year old Arabian mare. She has a very fast canter and I'm working on slowing her down. I have a good seat and I keep my heels down. However, I think I'm urging her to go faster because my legs keep swinging back and forth. If I try to steady my legs on her sides she only goes faster. Also, while my feet are flailing around the irons slip to my ankle and the heel of my boot. Any suggestions???

Answer 1

I recommend working w/o stirupps because although bareback is very good if you have any emergency you still have the saddle there plus then you already have applied your position to the horse wit a saddle on. Try posting w/o stirrups etc this will makes your legs stronger and in turn keep your legs from swinging. And o try to sit as still as possible on the horse while cantering no pumping with the legs or arms and concentrate on feeling the rhythm of the canter and going with it instead of against it

Hope this helps!!!

Answer 2

Riding bareback teaches you the natural feel of your horse. Doing this will make the saddle feel like "something really awesome"...but riding in the proper position only takes practice.

Answer 3

Find your balanced seat and ride it at a walk, trot and canter.  This may sound silly, but try it, it will give you your balanced seat...it will also give you lots of sore muscles until you get used to your balanced seat....have someone hold your horse, if your horse is not good at standing still while you are moving around "up there".   Stand up, as tall as you can in the stirrups...stay up there, push your feet back about as far as you can, keep them there...now, sit straight down, your riding bone should hit the saddle first...what is the riding bone?  It's the bone between the front thinghy and the back whatsis...don't know how to put it any other way...now, bring your legs (knees comfortably bent) back under you, straight under you and drop your heels...you will feel like a hiney , but it will give you a balanced ride...once you achieve that, it doesn't matter if you are walking, trotting, or cantering...you will be balanced and prepared for any movement that your horse makes...furthermore, you won't be flailing your legs around...and no, you do NOT grip your horse with your calves...you don't have to, you are balanced....You see, you not only need to be balanced from side to side, but from front to back....give it a try...it will feel cumbersome and awkward and make lots of your muscles hurt, but when you get it mastered, you will understand completely what I am talking about...than and only then will you be in the driver's seat when it comes to controlling the speed of your horse.

Answer 4

sounds like your not relaxed. my instructor told me you loose your irons because your legs are tense. so sit straight lift your sternum which will put your weight in the right place . dont push your heels down lift your toes. (try it it worked for me) your leg cant tense if your lifting your toes.

Answer 5

Try putting your sturrips up, my stirrups are long and wont go up any higher and i do the same thing, but i am awesome with my friend saddle which is smaller with the same horse. Maybe ride western and learn to move with her gait, thats what i do, i get used to the horse then move to english, which i have trouble in.

Answer 6

squeeze with your calfs girl! make sure your not pinching with your knee as this results in your leg position to slip back when both cantering and jumping.

Answer 7

I DO THE EXACT SAME THING!!!! It is soooo hard to be able tp keep my legs back, I am a western rider so it is real hard because english riders ride with there legs back anyways.....try turning your legs out and squeezing your calfs to her side..my horses are trained of my legs so when i squeez my horse gets slower so turning your legs out and keep your heals down and squeeze with your legs, more leg than hand always remember that