Think about leading with your hips/pelvis. Let the horse “pull” you forward with him (later you can work on being in better balance with him.) Think about growing your legs long, like you were standing on them. Drop your heels down when the horse drops down- don’t pull your heels up. Start with a very small canter. Visualize those WP riders who don’t move a bit (OK, their horses don’t move either but just try the visualization).
These things worked for me.
Thank you all so much! It’s really nice to hear some fresh pointers other than ones I’ve heard a thousand times!
I learned riding Western and bareback and then English, but when I returned to riding Hunt Seat after many years I could NOT canter worth a darn, bounced all over so up into the half seat it was for me. It didn’t help that I had a tight lower back from work injuries. Gradually I was able to canter seated on the intermediate horses that I could collect (not that I could jump from a seated canter anymore) and I really had a great time with the carousel canter of a SS horse - you hardly have to move at all.
I recall that I was first having troubles with the canter and we went out for a trail ride and did some honest galloping and that changed my focus enough to relax in the arena.
A few tips:
Breathe, I like the singing idea, especially if it is a silly song that will help you laugh and relax. For example, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtHr7gluh08
Close your eyes, If you have a round pen or small pen you can canter with your eyes closed and just concentrate on feeling the horse under you.
Think of a beach vacation, sunning yourself in a meadow or where ever your happy place is. If you have a friend that can describe it in a nice quiet voice it may help
If you are steady enough to pop over a crossrail, let the horse canter away from it and steadily increase how far you canter after the crossrail. It seems that people often get so worried about the crossrail, they relax really well after the crossrail.
Play catch, if your horse is quiet enough, have someone throw you a ball, crop, what ever, and then throw it back after a few strides (you may want to let a more experienced rider try this to be sure the horse will tolerate it)
Good luck!
Do you know how/remember how to move a swing? In order to get the swing moving you use the hinge in your lower back to allow your seat to move forward and back. You absolutely must relax in order to ride the canter properly. At one phase of the gait, your butt will slide back a little, do not fight that. Slide back, then tuck your butt under slightly with each stride. It might help if you ask the instructor if there is a horse with a super smooth canter, if the one you are riding now is bumpy.
Here is a good article:
http://www.meredithmanor.edu/features/articles/nancy/following_the_motion_canter.asp
Here are a few videos. The first one is from an odd angle, but whenever the rider gets to the far end of the arena you can see how that hinge in her lower back is working to keep her in the saddle. She is riding without stirrups by the way. (You may also want to try cantering bareback, that might help you get the rhythm of the gait better.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm7gX6SidWA
More ideas, I just started cantering/loping again after my come back, and was in a panic because I couldn’t remember HOW…after getting a lot of great advice like you have already got, I took the one bit that would stick in my mind…I hope you are old enough for this one
Shoulders of a Princess, hips of a harlot!
That became my mantra, because I can only get one idea at a time to stick.
Next I got one of those sit on gym balls, and watched a lot of youtube videos of cantering, ‘feeling’ the rhythm sat on my ball, while breathing, and keeping my princess shoulders relaxed, and my harlot hips fluid. When it came to cantering the real horse again, I had one hand firmly glued to the horn of my saddle, and just concentrated on breathing, and keeping everything loose, and it worked great.
Of course it does help that my horse has a great canter/lope, so comfortable and has to be really asked into it.
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