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 Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2010 1:54 pm
I have been riding this hors ecalled Barney, and I seem to be coming out of the saddle in Canter, I ride different horses every time I go on the weekends, but I find myself cantering wrong?
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Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2010 6:08 pm
Well your seat doesn't seem to be all that off to me, although you could probably stand to lower your hands a little more. Perhaps when you canter you tense up and loose contact with the saddle? It used to happen to me. With out seeing a video of you riding, all I can suggest is for you to remember to sat relaxed, keep your shoulders back and "tuck your bum in" for lack of better words. Other than that, I can't help you.
As for Barney's breed, i'm not sure. He's definitely some sort of Cob. In fact, he looks a bit like a Gypsy cob with all the hair trimmed off. He adorable, whatever he is.
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Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 9:26 am
When I was learning how to canter, the best thing for me was to watch other more experienced riders canter and take note of what they did. Basically you want to follow the horse with your seat, and do this by kind of "shwooping" your butt through the saddle at every stride. Once you get it canter is very lovely to ride, but it can be difficult on a horse like you're riding that probably has a short quick stride. He's most likely a colored cob, aka gypsy vanner/vanner cob.
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Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 8:49 pm
(Brat! You beat me to it this time!!!)
My immediate impression from your picture is that you appear to be balancing off of your reins, which creates stiffness in your elbows, shoulders, and upper back. Tension in your back makes it nearly impossible to sit softly through a horse's canter, especially one with a big rolling stride, as I'd imagine your Barney probably does. Does your instructor ever have you ride without hands? This can be tricky in a group lesson situation, but my best advice would be to see if you can get a lunge lesson or two and work on getting your seat more independent, depending less on the reins for balance. I am ASTOUNDED whenever I get a lunge lesson just how much I depend on my reins for my balance, and I have been riding for a long time and often get compliments on my soft, quiet hands.
If a lunge lesson is not an option, see if you can think about pushing your hands forward and your elbows down a little. For the amount of contact you have in this picture, your reins too long. Lower your hands, push them forward toward the bit, and "drop" your elbows next to your sides, allowing your shoulders to relax and slide down by your side. Take a few deep breaths before you ask for the canter and take inventory of your body. If you're tense, deal with that first.
Another thing you could do is get into your two-point position in the canter for a few strides to get yourself into the rhythm of his gait, then let yourself settle into the saddle, using the "schwooping" motion that Brat mentioned and keeping your lower back very loose. Think of your breeches shining the saddle as they slide forward with every stride. Make sure your hip and knee are also relaxed. Working without stirrups can sometimes help with this problem also, because if you're bracing against your stirrups and your tense through your hip and knee, then that will make you "pop" out of the saddle in the canter.
As to his breed, some sort of draft cross definitely. Could be a draft/paint possibly. Also a very good chance that he's some sort of gypsy cob. He looks like a good, solid citizen, either way. smile
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Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 4:29 pm
Thank you all. I will try some of the things you have suggested. I knew I was cantering wrong, but my instructos never said anything about it, I was also told to pull back on the reins to take more control. And in this picture, I was in sitting trot, I always keep my reins short to steer the horse.
Anyway, the lesson after on Barney went really well, for some reason I found myself going with the canter, instead of out of the seat. I think I may of been relying on my stirrups alot when the canter wasn't my best. But I shall definetly use these suggestions next lesson. Thanks again.
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Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 4:58 pm
Also, I'm not really a beginner, I have been riding for about 3 years, 2 of those years on a pony called Chubby (I was short), the rest on different horses, and at my riding school we don't do alot of cantering and jumping. It also makes it hard being in a large group because the canter can't last long.
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Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 12:10 pm
Riding with contact for control is different than balancing on your hands, which, looking at your pictures, is what you're doing. Of course, as I'm only seeing snapshots in time, I can't really evaluate.
I didn't mean to imply that you were a beginner, and I'm sorry if I did. These are things that ALL riders of different experience levels have difficulty with at some point. I've been riding for over 13 years and I still pitch forward in the canter depart, brace on my stirrups, and look down A LOT. I still have lunge lessons occasionally as they are beneficial to any rider of any level. I was an assistant coach for my college's competitive dressage team and we had lunge lessons every other week for everyone on the team. Myself and the other first level rider would conduct the lessons, and then we'd teach each other. The year I went to nationals, the Head coach spent 2 months working with me on the lunge line to solidify my position.
Riding in a large group does hold certain challenges. Some instructors make a much bigger deal out of the canter than others do. I grew up with one that didn't, and we spent a lot of time careening around and trying not to run into each other. We also fell off a lot. Some of the people I've worked for over the last couple years have taken a much more conservative approach, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Do your instructors ever talk about elasticity in the contact? About how much weight you should carry in your hands and what the contact should feel like? It shouldn't just be keeping the reins short to steer, or pulling back to get more control, you should be working a feeling of connection with the horse's mouth to influence his movement. I don't want to be pulling on the reins any more than I want my horse to be leaning on them, but I want a soft feel of his mouth at all times.
I also make my students ride without reins a lot though razz I'm a mean instructor. We talk a lot about riding and controlling the shoulder rather than the head.
(btw, I still ride ponies whee I'm pretty freakin' short. I've got my eye on a 13.1 welsh/poa cross that I'm thinking would make a nice hunter prospect, or maybe even a dressage pony. Nothing wrong with riding ponies. I also ride warmbloods, but I LOVE ponies.)
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Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 2:49 am
AriaStarSong Riding with contact for control is different than balancing on your hands, which, looking at your pictures, is what you're doing. Of course, as I'm only seeing snapshots in time, I can't really evaluate. I didn't mean to imply that you were a beginner, and I'm sorry if I did. These are things that ALL riders of different experience levels have difficulty with at some point. I've been riding for over 13 years and I still pitch forward in the canter depart, brace on my stirrups, and look down A LOT. I still have lunge lessons occasionally as they are beneficial to any rider of any level. I was an assistant coach for my college's competitive dressage team and we had lunge lessons every other week for everyone on the team. Myself and the other first level rider would conduct the lessons, and then we'd teach each other. The year I went to nationals, the Head coach spent 2 months working with me on the lunge line to solidify my position. Riding in a large group does hold certain challenges. Some instructors make a much bigger deal out of the canter than others do. I grew up with one that didn't, and we spent a lot of time careening around and trying not to run into each other. We also fell off a lot. Some of the people I've worked for over the last couple years have taken a much more conservative approach, and there's nothing wrong with that. Do your instructors ever talk about elasticity in the contact? About how much weight you should carry in your hands and what the contact should feel like? It shouldn't just be keeping the reins short to steer, or pulling back to get more control, you should be working a feeling of connection with the horse's mouth to influence his movement. I don't want to be pulling on the reins any more than I want my horse to be leaning on them, but I want a soft feel of his mouth at all times. I also make my students ride without reins a lot though razz I'm a mean instructor. We talk a lot about riding and controlling the shoulder rather than the head. (btw, I still ride ponies whee I'm pretty freakin' short. I've got my eye on a 13.1 welsh/poa cross that I'm thinking would make a nice hunter prospect, or maybe even a dressage pony. Nothing wrong with riding ponies. I also ride warmbloods, but I LOVE ponies.) Sounds like your a good instructor, my instructors never tell us anything to be honest, we can't canter without stirrups, or do anything without reins. The only thing I have tried is trot without stirrups, and the best they've said to me is 'Keep your thumbs on top of the Reins' lol. It must be awesome riding ponies smile I'm too big for them now apparently neutral
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Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 1:24 pm
Well Thank you smile Working without reins and stirrups is tricky when you're in a riding school situation. You have to balance the pushing skills factor with the safety factor. It's a lot easier when you're teaching private lessons and you can really control the situation. When I'm teaching at a riding school (I've taught at... 3 now) I make a point of REALLY getting to know all of the horses so that I know what their quirks are and can find the best ways to push my students boundaries a little within the safety confines of that horse. That can be hard to do if you're at a larger riding school though. I had the advantage that I was also in charge of schooling most of the horses wherever I worked when they weren't in student lessons, so it was easy for me to get to know them and figure out where their weak spots were. I have very rarely had to teach on horses that I haven't ridden myself, which I'm thankful for.
And as far as ponies go... find yourself a good fjord or halflinger smile Unless you've got legs that go on for miles, it's hard to get too big for those. The big horses are fun too though. I love feeling all of that POWER underneath me when I'm riding the warmbloods.
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