Canter --- need your advice

[gingersnap]

Hello Hunterland,

Request for some advice,
Adult ammy here who after years as a backyard rider discovered the Hunters in late middle age.
I ride a lovely and kind older thoroughbred.
But I cannot canter him for the life of me !
Now I was never great at canter, but with my currect ride I am simply unable to find my seat.
The canter also at least initially felt big and fast to me.
I am getting better with that, but no matter what I do, I bounce !
I would greatly appreciate any advice to improve the bouncing as I know that is hard on my horse.
Thank you in advance.

[lintesia]

Random idea – maybe spend some time in 2-point getting comfortable with the canter, especially the cadence and speed of it. While in 2-point, press your knuckles into the horse’s neck so that your arms can feel the back and forth of the neck movement. Then, as you get more relaxed, sit for a few strides then go back to 2-point. Try alternating 2-point for 6 strides, sit for six strides, 2-point for six, sit for six. As this becomes easy, reduce the number of strides for 2-point/sit. As I said, a random idea…

[pony_grandma]

This ^^^ and also posting the canter.

[fivestrideline]

Are you attempting to sit the canter? Are you using your own saddle, and does it fit you well? Nothing destroys your balance like stirrup bars in the wrong spot.

I’d start with walk-canter transitions only, working on sitting for a few strides and then going into a half seat (rather than a true 2 point at first). Sit the corner, half seat the straight lines. Like another poster said, pick a number of strides to sit and then go back to half seat. Don’t canter for very long at first - try to come back to trot or walk before you get tired and it falls apart.

How is your leg and stability at the walk and trot? Can you trot several laps around in two point without bobbling or leaning on the neck? Can you smoothly post the trot without stirrups and without slamming down on the back? If not (or not for long), start there. Also double posting the trot (up-up-down-up-up-down) is a good stability and strength exercise. Even just walking without stirrups (especially in 2 point) can help a lot!

[Orbit_Orange]

Are you working with a trainer? What do they say? Is the horse a lesson horse, been there done that, used to beginners?

One of the things I find most helpful for developing the seat is hours of lunge line lessons. No stirrups, no reins. Practice taking your thighs on and off the saddle, arms out to the side, then forward, then in front as if you’re holding reins. Learn to really separate your hands, legs, and seat. The lunger on the ground is controlling the gaits, so all you worry about is your seat and balance. You can do this at a walk/trot at first, then add in the canter as you get more secure.

[SillyHorse]

I agree that longe lessons are the way to go, but not without stirrups or reins to begin with. That is something you build up to, especially if you’re not confident cantering.

Learn to “roll” your hips with the motion of the canter. As you feel the rhythm, let your outside seatbone move in a little circle. On the third beat (as the inside front hits the ground), it comes down and back, then in the suspension it lifts slightly and moves to the inside and forward, to its neutral position. It’s almost like a bicycle motion, but with more horizontal movement and just a bit of up and down. You can practice this sitting in a chair. It’s not a big motion, but it will let you roll with the canter.

[Orbit_Orange]

The reins should never be used for balance or security, so I think its appropriate to lunge without reins to reinforce this and develop an independent seat and hands even in a beginning rider. I agree that it makes sense to start with stirrups until the rider has developed some strength and security in their seat. I have read that this is the Spanish Riding School does it–starting new riders on the lunge for several months before they earn the right to ride on their own, first without reins and then without reins and stirrups.

[ParadoxFarm]

I know this is more dressage focused, but Amelia Newcomb has some good videos on the canter. Maybe some of this can help in general with the canter motion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0R5KBrmbeQ

And another of her videos with a physical therapist who helps explain sitting the canter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0R5KBrmbeQ

I ride both H/J and dressage, and I usually find her videos pretty helpful.

[Posting_Trot]

How does the saddle fit you and the horse? If the saddle doesn’t fit you (either in terms of size, or stirrup bar placement, flaps, etc.), it will be hard for you to find a sweet spot to balance yourself during the canter. Cantering in two-point can work, though.

If the saddle doesn’t fit the horse, it can also throw your balance off.

Can you canter on other horses? Have you tried a different saddle on your horse?

[Against_All_Odds2]

I am working with my 8 year old on this. Tonight I am going to try telling her to pretend her pony’s ears are stinky and to push away from them lol. Shes a bit visual and at the moment she keep creeping her shoulders towards his neck and getting her heels way up so I am trying to shift her back.

[risuenaVT]

I always feel like the first stride of canter is the hardest, especially when you’re still getting used to it or if the horse really lifts up or jumps into it. It can kind of surprise you at first which can make you tense up and pull back

Do other people ride your horse and are they able to get him to canter? It’s possible he might have slightly different canter aids than you’re used to. There’s one I ride occasionally that needs a different ask from most of the other horses I ride and it was hard until my instructor got to know her and figured out what she needed and conveyed that to students like me.

Also some horses are just harder to sit than others. I struggle with short, choppy strided horses and I discovered yesterday that I can also struggle with long strided, powerful horses - I wound up doing a lot of light seat and two point yesterday because I could only sit so many strides on her. But with time and familiarity, I do usually figure it out eventually and my muscles and body can adjust, but you have to work at it and give it time.

But it also definitely helps to be in regular lessons and working with a trainer who can help you work through it and give you tips on how to improve

[gingersnap]

Gingersnap here,

Oh my goodness thank you all for your kind and thought-filled responses.
So much to digest.
I do not post often, mostly a lurker and cringed a bit after I clicked Send.

My horse is a lesson horse that I now lease and we are working with a trainer.
We are in regular lessons.
An old race horse and a complete gentleman who wafted into my life.

After a number of months in a school saddle, we now ride in my own saddle that was fitted to both of us by a saddle fitter.

My trainer has suggested half seat and the horse softens and prefers that over me sitting the canter.
I have trouble keeping him going for too long that way as my leg is still not that strong.

Cantering from walk may be difficult for this horse.
Initially it was hard to get the upward transition into Canter from Trot, but we are pretty much there now.
Also, he is probably not a candidate for lunging.

risuenaVT — Yes, the first stried is a bit overwhelming, but I am getting more used to it.

SillyHorse — Thank you for the points offers. I am trying that. Your suggestions are very helpful and i will try in my next ride.

I do watch Amelia Newcomb videos and she has been incredibly helpful in helping me to get the canter in the upward transition from trot. I will look at the videos suggested.

I am so touched by your kind responses.
I never expected this.
You have given me some tips to help me push on.
I have actually ridden for many years, but not at the athletic level that this discipline requires.
I feel so blessed to be part of this community.

Gingersnap — the first pony I ever saw.

[ParadoxFarm]

Continued good luck! You’ll get there with practice.

[dags]

Hello! Fellow canter struggler here

The alternative is that I can two-point pretty much anything, all day long. A defense mechanism learned by growing up on sensitive thoroughbreds that did not allow for much movement on their backs.

That said, I can sit a good canter just fine, and your guy— an old, sweet schoolie type, just may not have a great canter to sit, so don’t beat yourself up about it.

BUT, if walk --> canter seems a pipedream, and you have worked on and seen improvement in trot --> canter, then there’s room there to improve the canter you’ve got. Room to get him working through his back a bit more, so there’s actually a back for you to sit on, and not a hollow depression that’s disengaged from the movement of the hind-end.

For an old guy, this may be a very slow muscle-building process that he might not be very keen on if he otherwise gets by just fine, thank you very much.

But just keep working on those transitions. Spend some time working on the walk, building power in it, and feeling how it moves your hips around. The failed walk/canter transitions are usually a symptom of a weak walk. Put that walk in balance and you’ll be amazed at what kind of canter comes out the other end.

[Pico_Banana]

I’ve worked with one trainer who I think has a good system for this kind of situation. When you are trotting, she will have you count - out loud if you want - 1, 2, 1, 2 following the trot steps. Before you start to canter, start counting 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 in the rhythm of the canter. It helps to prepare your body to switch the rhythm.

And then when you do transition to canter, try to keep his canter as small as you can make it without breaking into trot. It’s easier to figure out what you need to do with your own body when things are slower.

[gingersnap]

Hello again.

Thank you for the recent comments and encouragement.
ParadoxFram, dags and Pico_Banana —

Yes, the horse I ride does not have a great canter in terms of movement, but the steady personality, always picking up the correct lead and staying up on the rail means the world to me!

I have started to work on the walk as you have suggested,
I am working on getting a really nice upward transition from trot as then I usually get a better canter.

The suggestion to count the steps is really good and I am going to try that.
The 1,2,3 even saying it you begin to feel the movement.

I really appreciate all who took the time and trouble to respond.
I am encouraged and feel as if we will get there !

[Scribbler]

I have a big Paint mare and she has an infinite number of types of canter in her repertoire, and you never know which one you will get! Her best canter is wonderful upright collected high energy, and she has a glorious hand gallop, and we have briefly reached Mach speed on trails (in pasture turnout she can pass the OTTB for short bursts, but doesn’t have their stamina).

BUT … you can also get the worst ever “pronging” canter from her if she’s sucking back, it can even feel like she’s bucking, but I’ve watched from the ground as people ride through it and it’s just that she’s on the forehand. That canter is ugly to sit and ride. And if she stops short from that canter, newbie riders have gone off over her shoulder because the canter has already unbalanced them.

For her, the secret is more forward. It can be counter intuitive if she’s feeling rough, you don’t necessarily think faster is better. But like with walk and trot, you need forward with energy before you can work on the horses balance.

[Live_Wire]

I struggle to find my seat at the canter, too. Especially one that’s underveloped, whether its green or unbalanced due to fitness.

Believe it or not - riding western pleasure was my AHA moment. For whatever reason I could really feel the mechanics and slow down enough to loosen my core/back/hips enough to really follow the motion.