How do i keep in the saddle when cantering?

Question

when im cantering i keep bouncing out of the saddle how do i keep myself in the saddle and not bounce?

Answer 1

I might suggest lungeing with you onboard. You don't have to worry about control but can just get used to the gait.

Answer 2

Put your heels down. Find a comfortable spot in the saddle. It should come pretty natural. Keep your heels down and and sort of thrust your legs forward. Not so much to where you look like a flaming idiot, just until you find your seat!

Good luck!

Answer 3

keep your heels down and grip on with your legs onto the saddle and hold on tight

Answer 4

My trainer has her students do a couple of really helpful exercises. Take  the reins in one hand and raise the other hand straight in the air, slightly behind your head. This helps put your weight deeper into the saddle and makes you look up (also a simple way to help sit the canter better!) The other thing she has us do, which you can also use in combination with the first, is to take your feet out of the stirrups and put both of your knees in front of the flaps. This exercise works the same way as the first. Obviously you can't do this stuff in the show ring, but once you put your body back into the correct position you will find that you can maintain the feeling of sitting deep and not bouncing. Good luck!

Answer 5

My trainer tells me to pretend like I'm trying to polish the seat of my saddle with my butt and to distribute my weight all down my legs and into my heels and not just to my butt.

Answer 6

The key to staying in the saddle while cantering is to balance your weight evenly in your legs/heels, and your butt. You want to relax and swing your hips with the motion of the horse, but you also want to be controled at the canter so you must put just a little bit of weight into the stirrups to stay balanced.

Answer 7

my instructor tells us to hold on to the front of the saddle and pull your hand up, so that your shoulder goes back and you therefore sit deeper in the saddle, it really works.

Answer 8

what kind of riding do you do

western or english

I only riding western

If you ride western  hang on to the horn and ride with  the canter

Answer 9

hold on to the cantle ( the end of the back of the saddle seat )

sit deep

push your feet in the stirrups

ride alot.. sounds dumb.. but you get better

posting helps a little too

get balance

ride with the horse

Answer 10

Staying relaxed on the horse does not mean flopping around in the saddle with loose muscles. Balanced riders must develop a feel for where their body is positioned relative to the horse’s center of gravity (and they must be able to do this while looking straight ahead, not down). They also need to develop “muscle memory,” an unconscious tensing and releasing of the right muscles in just the right increments that enables them to maintain their equilibrium in motion at any gait or on any line they are riding without gripping with their legs or grabbing at the reins to stay on.

There are a number of exercises that riders can use to help themselves develop the “muscle memory” they need to stay in balance with their horses. These include:

Frog position. Riders draw their knees up to help them find the middle of the saddle and to stay there without gripping with their calves.

Dog position. Riders lift their thighs away from the saddle (like a dog lifting its leg) to help them find the center of the saddle without gripping with their thighs.

Up two, down one. Instead of normal up-down posting to the horse’s two-beat trot, riders stay up for two beats, sit for one beat, and keep repeating this pattern. This constantly changes the diagonal that the riders are on and prevents them from using the rhythmic thrust of either hind leg as a crutch to maintain their balance.

Riding without stirrups. Riders can work on this alone but they will achieve faster results if an instructor or knowledgeable riding partner puts their horse on a longe line so they can work without either stirrups or reins. Start at the walk (in both directions) and gradually work up to the trot and canter as balance improves.

hope this hepls and happy riding

Answer 11

well it all depends on how the horse moves first of all.

you could have a super slow horse but its just how he moves his legs.

1.) what you should do is squeeze your legs, just enough to keep him going when your doing the next step.

2.) then lift up your hand(s) to your chest and jiggle the reins for about five seconds. you want to jiggle the reins enough so you are in contact with the bit and his mouth. you dont want him to stop. if he slows down, squeeze your legs a little tighter.

3.) this does two things: it puts his head down, and it hollows out his back.

with his back being hollowed out, he will ride a little bit smoother, and that should make it a little easier to stay in your saddle.

another thing i would do to stay in the saddle is lower your heels even more than usual. with your heels being so low, it will pull you into the saddle and help you stay in it.

i hope i helped you! :))

add details if you have anymore questions.

Answer 12

my old trainers mom used to tell us to reach (with out butts) to the cantle, this will help you get a feel for the motion and make it easier to stay in the saddle.

also make sure your leg is correct with a strong heel.. if it isn't do lots of half seat and then work on your canter.

Answer 13

I had that problem too... and I solved it by doing a few simple exercises! A lot of it is in the way that you hold your legs, make sure that your heels are back and your legs are squeezing the horse so you don't have to worry about him breaking. Think that your butt is made of Velcro, and you want to SIT in the saddle. Make sure you balance your weight. Also, make sure that when I say SIT, you stay upright, because when you bend over from trying to sit all the way down, the weight is put funny and your horse trips a bit.

Hope this helped, and good luck!

Answer 14

Don't grip with your legs

Lean back slightly

Relax your back and stomach muscles and let your hips roll with the motion

Breath

Answer 15

I know exactly what your going through I use to have the same problem and I still do.  To help me I took my feet out of the stirrups.  It helped me get my balance and it also helped me prevent leaning.  Also to help with balance is take your feet out of your stirrups and use these positions #1- put your hands in straight up in the air #2- put your hands out in front of you #3 hold your hands out beside you.  This should help and if you are still having troubles maybe try a trainer!  Good Luck!