So recently my coach said that I pump with my upper body when I’m trying to get my horse to get going in the canter…It’s hard to stop when I don’t even know when the habit even started! Does anyone have any tips on how to stop? My trainer said to sit still, and think of my upper body and lower body as separate parts 
help…?
I have some videos let me know if you want to see them and I will upload them to Youtube.
It’s not an uncommon problem. PM me with a link, I’d be happy to take a look.
(20 + years USEF r licensed H/HEq/J judge, USHJA Certified Trainer)
Sent it to you(:
A trick my trainer told me (because I do the same sometimes!) is to imagine a thread coming from the top of your head, and stretching your spine up.
If you’re having trouble thinking of your upper and lower body as separate parts, there are some things you can do on and off the horse to help you get that feeling.
Sit on an exercise ball or even just a wheelie office chair, with your back straight and your feet on the floor. Move the ball/chair around, front to back, side to side etc just by moving your hips and your seat. Try to keep your shoulders still and quite
When you’re on your horse, at a walk, try to influence his direction with just your seat. On a loose rein shift your inside hip forward and see if you can bring him in off the rail with your seat aids while keeping your shoulders nicely aligned over your heel. Lather rinse repeat in both directions, with serpentines, figure 8s etc. It’s a nice exercise at the walk because it’s VERY easy to feel for yourself whether you are all over the place with your upper body.
Is your horse a bit on the lazy side and behind your leg? I sometimes feel that I pump with my body as well, and a clinician last year called me on it. She said my horse should be carrying me forward and that he needed to be sharper off the leg so I didn’t feel the need to pump. I am working on getting him sharper so that I don’t have to work that hard. It can be tricky as I don’t him too sharp - I’m an ammy after all!
First of all, your horse isn’t responding instantly to your leg. You can work on that. Give your leg, if no response, give cues harder, if no response, immediately a sharp whack with a dressage crop, right at the leg.
so sharpen up the resonse with that work.
but the pumping, you need to get on a longe line, no reins, sitting up, arms out like an airplane, and canter and stop and canter and stop over and over from your seat and legs. The person on the longe line can help get the canter going until she is responding just to your legs. You really can’t pump, sitting up straight arms out.
[QUOTE=katiegrace;8426750]
A trick my trainer told me (because I do the same sometimes!) is to imagine a thread coming from the top of your head, and stretching your spine up.[/QUOTE]
Good visual. Sally Swift (Centered Riding) offers this in her book.
Pretend you are the Queen and your horse is the commoner lucky enough to be carrying you. HE DOES THE WORK.
I’m also an upper body pumper. It is a common response to a lazy or slow to respond horse. Sometimes it works for the moment, but it will create other problems down the line. Sitting up straight and deep might help. I also use the visual of a string pulling straight up from the top of my head. You can also try to ask for a canter from a half seat. Without the connection in a deeper seat, the desire to pump your body is lessened. It’s also not effective and harder to do from a half seat. Your horse really will respond much better if your upper body is quiet. Feeling the difference is a great motivator.
Many people pump with their bodies because they (with out realizing it) lock their elbows. Practice sitting the canter and exaggerate pushing your hands forward with the rhythm (and your horses neck movement) while holding your body still. Once you have confirmed that your arms can indeed move while your body stays still, you can can practice doing likewise during your canter departs.
I find myself pumping when I need to push my horse forward. Which pumping will not accomplish. I find that really working on having my horse responsive to my leg really makes it better.
Drop those stirrups. It’s about impossible to pump with stirrups.
Focus on keeping your seatbones in the saddle and swing with your hips.
I have found that the harder I work on staying still, the more movement there is because I am stiffening my body trying to hold still. Here are some tips:
A) Get your horse in front of the leg
B) Make sure you aren’t pinching with your leg anywhere- let your leg softly wrap around your horse’s sides
C) Relax your lower back/hips and actually envision more movement in your hips while using the imaginary string method mentioned above
Those work for me 
Drop your irons, that’s the classic rider fix but you have some horse issues too. More transitions in your flatwork, particularly walk, canter, walk, canter going no more then 6 strides before changing up or down. Make horse do it when asked too, you need to get a stronger leg and horse has to respond when asked so spur and stick to back up your aids, he needs to learn its not optional.
Esoecially if you only spend a few hours a week riding, hitting the gym is not a bad idea either.
Another tip: strengthen your abs!!!
I have a long and (in)glorious history with pumping, roaching, and other upper-body issues. It wasn’t until recently that I realized that at least 75% of those problems were due to weakness in my abs.
I especially recommend these ones as back-kind and core-strengthening:
http://www.acefitness.org/exercise-library-details/1/14/
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20679637_3,00.html
http://www.shapefit.com/exercise-guides/abs-exercises-scissor-kicks.html
Good luck
(Also second the lunge line work with hands out to the sides - if you can get someone to help you do that, it’s fantastic for quieting your upper body.)
I agree with all who said your horse isn’t forward enough, which causes you to try and “help”. Trust me, you’ll never see someone pumping who’s on a hot blooded horse…they’d be in the next county!
Pick your cue: Leg/calf, cluck, whatever and if your horse doesn’t move out prompty (which I’m sure he won’t) he gets a smack with your stick or dressage whip. Not a spur. Spurs are for sideways or increased bend. The stick is for go! I swear if you consistently aid and then smack, you will cure your pumping in a few days - at most. This will only work if you are 100% consistent!
Well, here’s what George has to say about it.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/383580093240263532/
That ought to fix it!
Practice, practice, practice.
I would absolutely continue to video yourself. Then you can also monitor what you are doing. It’s good feedback.
I used to have the same bad habit when barrel racing. I called them “pumping flapping chicken arms”. 
It’s takes a mindful effort to stop doing it, and be thinking about what you are doing with each part of your body.
Your ultimate goal is to look like you are just sitting up there on your horse, not doing a thing, because all your cues are invisible. Part of that comes from making your horse more responsive to your aids, and also learning/training to use less and less.
