I need help with cantering?

Question

i have been riding for about 4 months but riden walking

b4 that on my 2nd lesson i was up to trotting now about 3 or 4 months later i am cantering in my last lesson was my first time cantering my hemet was to big and kept falling over my eyes

bc the medium one was getting worn by another girl so i had to have large so i kept on having to pull it up while cantering

but evreytime i went to pull up my helmet my horse would start trotting again next time i will get that medium b4 the other girl lol

but i noticed that i was bouncying up and down on the canter

how can i stop bouncinng i cant sit deep in the saddle i just keep doing that and i am very relaxed

can i have some tips on the perfact canter please?

Answer 1

Helmets aren't that expensive you should really invest in one that fits you...Like said above Troxel has good nicely priced helmets that have adjustable dials in the back for kids that are still growing. What if you fall off? You could really hurt yourself!

As was mentioned before relax your stomach muscles and breath! move with the motion of the horse... You should be giving the horse ques with your hands, feet and seat! I found it easier to NOT think of it as an up and down movement but as a front and back. If you over think it you will also bounce more too... Keep your feet and legs in the right position and don't grip the horse. When you feel the horse breaking into a rougher canter give the horse some leg and keep him forward. Good luck oh and it also helps if you imagine that your glued to the saddle or your sitting on a pile of pillows too!

Answer 2

when u canter have a  straight back, move your hips with the horse. to get a good canter have the right trotting diagonal and ask for canter in the corner of the areana. that way you will pick up the right canter lead if you pick up the wrong canter lead you horse will fall out of canter quickly, and i don't think your instructor will teach u flying changes just yet.

Answer 3

first of all, you need to get your own helmet.

tips to a perfect canter:

~sit tall and straight

~remember to breathe and dont freak out

~sit deep in the saddle

~let your seat flow with the rhythm of the horse

~relaxation is key

~shoulders back

~dont sit like you are sitting in a chair

~head/chin/eyes up

~toes in

~ your shoulder, hip, and heel should connect to make a straight line

~sit back

~try putting yourself in to the saddle or hold on to it for a while then let go

~make sure you are sitting and not trying to go into two-point or anything at the canter

hope this helps :]

Answer 4

The rocking movement of the caner should be comfortable to sit to, but many riders find it difficult to keep their seat in the saddle and end up bounding about. Stiffness in the hips and back is the main cause. Concentrate on sitting tall but relaxed, in the saddle and try to move with the horses movement. Imagine that you are siting on a rocking horse and let your hips and back absorb the movement. It will feel as though you are swinging backwards and forwards but when you ride at canter correctly your shoulders will remain still. Remember to take a deep breaths to help you relax (a horse can sense when it's rider is nervous). Avoid leaning forward or gripping with your knees and lower legs. Ask your riding instructor if perhaps they can lunge you so your can concentrate on getting the rythem of the canter and learn to it deep and secure in the saddle instead of concentrating where your going.

One other thing you could try if you hold confidence and are on a reliable horse is try riding bareback, this will help you improve your seat and get the rythem of the horses gait a lot easier.

With your helmet go to your local saddlery and buy one for yourself. I believe it is easier to ride if your wearign a helmet your use to and find comfortable

Goodluck all for the best

Answer 5

I had the exact same problem too. First you need to sit deep in the saddle but you probably will be to uncomfortable sitting down so you have to get the feel of the horse that you are riding and figure out how he moves. When you kind of know that then you ride with the horse instead of against him which is how it sounds like you are riding. When you are cantering you will want to move your body with the horse so the horse and you are both comfortable.

Hope this helps you and good luck with future riding.

Answer 6

get your own helmet!!! one that actully fits you!!! that is really unsafe that your helmet doesn't fit you!!

try to stit way back and relax. i dont think you are relaxing enough. and your hips should kinda roll (its hard to explain)

and if you feel that your horse is slowing down squeez with your legs to show your horse that you dont want to stop cantering.

you should ask your instructor to help fix your riding position.

Answer 7

well i dont think you should be bouncing at the canter but i'll try to help.

1. make sure you keep your heels down

2. sit up straight and dont lean forward

3. use the rhythm of tha canter to help you, ride like a guy...sounds funny but girls sit on their seat bones, guys sit on their butts, and actually it is more easy ride and alos you can rock with the canter.

but what do i know ive only been riding for 11 years :)

Answer 8

i don't know about cantering as i myself have just started. i learn't bareback, i then could understand the rythym if the horse. when in the saddle i sit deep, loosen my hips and just go with the flow.

as for the helmet don't risk it. you can get some really good helmets for the price of a lesson or two. make sure you get one that fits, i prefer helmets with a leather harness not webbing as it fits better.

this is my helmet, it's very comfortable and fits great. the lady at my saddlery recommended it to me;

http://www.dublinclothing.com.au/Aust/ra...

and here's another helmet but with webbing;

http://www.dublinclothing.com.au/UK/rang...

or even better previous helmet with leather harness;

http://www.dublinclothing.com.au/UK/rang...

or if you want a fancy helmet for showing if you get a horse;

http://www.dublinclothing.com.au/Aust/ra...

have a look at the website for more helmets

http://www.dublinclothing.com.au/Aust/ra...

http://www.dublinclothing.com.au/UK/rang...

Answer 9

keep your legs squeezed and click your tongue every so often to keep him going and then bend your knees and lean foward.  sway with him not against the movement.    good luk it works  me!

Answer 10

When I'm teaching my students how to sit the canter I tell them to imagine that their riding a sliding rocking horse or a sliding rocking chair. You want to grip with your knees and your calves so you stay securely on the horse and can dig in your heals (lightly with increasing pressure until you regain your desired speed. If you dig too hard you may cause the horse to speed up and get away from you) if you can feel the horse transitioning to a trot. But your muscles from your knees up to your stomach should be loose but not floppy. Don't think about the movement... "Feel" the movement letting your hips rock back and forth (front to back) with the swaying movement of the horses canter. Only move your hips with the horse. Press your body down into the saddle as you rock with the movement. Its fun (and productive) to challenge yourself to consentrate on following the movent of the saddle like I said above and see if you can ride the canter without letting your b*tt loose contact with the saddle. Some times it helps to have your instructor lunge you at the canter so you don't have to worry about steering while your trying to learn your seat. If you get a chance to do this while your cantering, close your eyes and only concentrate on feeling the movement of the horse beneath you. I find that exercise helps my students get a better seat faster with less distractions. You should go out and buy yourself your own helmet so that you never have to worry about geting one that won't fit you. Practise and eventually you'll get it! Hope this helps!

Answer 11

Usually when people first begin to canter they bounce around as they sit forward and tense up because they are nervous about what may happen . To canter perfectly you need to get the correct transition with enough energy to begin with , but make sure your horse isn't going to fast for you , check he is on the correct leg aswell . Then you need to make sure you look ahead and breathe . If you look down then you don't know where to steer and the horse may just nap because you aren't in control enough . Holding your breathe tenses your muscles up and so you cannot follow the horses body to canter comfortably . Then you need to sit back . Experiment . Eventually you will find a perfect seat for you where you just kind of , glide =] also if you canter or gallop whilst hacking out , it is much comfier to go into cross country position . This is essentially the same as bending at a jump , except you just lean on the horses neck and look up . Hope I helped . Good luck =]

Answer 12

First off if your helmet is slipping it WILL NOT protect you if you fall off, you need to go to the store and get one that properly fits your noggin. You can get a Troxel for at most 50 dollars and it could save your life. Dont try to get their before th other girl because if the large doesn't fit her it will be dangerous for her. Suck it up and go get your own helmet.

Most people I know, that just start out cantering assume a vice grip with their legs which in turn makes their back and bum ridged and as a result they cant follow the horse. You must be loose and follow the horse, make sure your leg is on the horse but not holding him in a bear hug and just relax and your butt will follow the movement of the horse. People will tell you to think of your bum as an ice cream scoop and scoop the saddle. I find when people are told this they try to actually do this and force their bum to do this movement and it looks awful. Don't think about it just relax and ride the motion of the horse.

EDIT:  Do NOT lean forward like the person below me said to do. It will rotate you on your crotch which will hurt and thus make you more ridged. It also stretches your back muscles, if anything lean BACK and slump it will relax your back muscles and make it easier to follow the horse.

Answer 13

the best way i learned to canter was bareback, i got up on my horse and rode around the arena without a saddle and just a bridle, and i taught myself how to move with the rythum of the horse and the rocking motion and also how to move my hips. it really helps. so try it. its the easy way cuz your in close contact with ur horse and you can get urself comfortable with the rocking motion.

Answer 14

Many people have already said good things (not the least of which is the GREAT advice about getting a proper-fitting helmet), so I just have one thing to add:

Think of your arms and the upper part of your body as completely separate from your butt and legs.  Think of your butt as NOT lifted by your upper body, but deep in the seat because that's where gravity demands it to be.  Your arms, however, float and move with the motion of the horse's head.  This mindset will enable your body to relax, and will help you sit back -- seriously!  If you don't think of your body as able to move in different directions, your body is going to act like a stiff board, and this will result in tension that will of course lead to stiffness in the back, leaning forward, bouncing rather than relaxing in the seat, and generally freaking your horse out.

I know that everyone visualizes basically the same thing in different ways because we're speaking of abstract things, but this one makes perfect sense to me.  Good luck in your riding and have fun!

Answer 15

Remember to keep your shoulders back and your back straight. Relax yourself and be sure that you are in proper position. Imagine that you are painting the saddle with your seat, this has really helped me to canter without bouncing.

Answer 16

ok - i had the same excact problume when i first started cantering. ok first thing keep ur back straight and dont lean forward. it will confusse them. and ( this is what fixes everything ) SUCK IN YOUR STOMACHE but dont old your breath, i dont know y sucking in helps but it really worked miracles for me !

         o and also - try to imagine your but has wheels and the saddle has tracks- you have to rock with the movement ( move your hips with the horse)

    hope you get it down ;)