Any tips on sitting in the saddle at canter?

Question

On a hack i am fine with canter wear you sit up from the saddle but in the school i keep losing my stirups and i keep bouncing up and down when we canter. Unfortunatly my riding school doesent do lunge lessons only groups.Can you help.Thanks

Answer 1

OK, if you want to sit to the canter without bouncing around like mad, you need to relax your hips and let them move in time with the horse. It depends which horse you're riding because some have a very smooth gait and others are quite bouncy, so don't worry if you find it difficult, you may just have a bouncy horse! Do also relax your legs and keep your heels down (this will ensure you stay on if you come to an abrupt halt and means you don't have to grip like crazy with your knees) - you'll need to experiment to find out whether longer or shorter stirrups are best for you, everyone seems to have a different opinion.

Having said that, it is also very good practice to try riding without stirrups - it improves your balance no end and it will help you canter more comfortably as you will have to learn to relax, go with the horse and grip with your legs (i.e. calves) rather than your knees, my old instructor used to have us regularly riding without stirrups and it was very good for teaching us how to sit properly. Wait until you try jumping without stirrups, lol!

Another thing I learnt later on is that you can actually do a rising canter - like a rising trot. You probably won't be able to do this in a school because you don't get to canter for long enough or far enough but on a hack it should be possible. Once you're cantering and can feel the rhythym, try rising and sitting just as you would in trot but obviously much slower as the pace is longer. You'll soon see that you're thrown up at the right time, just like in rising trot. It's a super comfy way to travel and mega professional, the best place to see it is on the polo field, where players use it as they are streaking from one end of the pitch to the other.

Anyway, have fun, experiment and expect to fall off lots (I think they say you have to fall off 9 times to make a proper rider!)

Answer 2

Don't use your heels to grip the horse. He'll mistake that for kicking him on and you'll be in a gallop before you know it!
You should be able to canter in the arena without stirrups, so the thought of putting more weight into them is not right either. if you do that you will be lifting yourself out of the saddle, causing you to bounce.
You need to grip the saddle with your upper inner thighs. If you can imagine that your legs are draped over the horse like a towel would be. That's The amount of contact you should strive to have with the saddle and the horses back. When you ask for canter in the turn you should 'lift' the horse into it, when you do this in the correct diagonal you'll feel much more balanced from the outset. The other thing you need to do is....practise!

Answer 3

whatever you do do not grip with your knees this will make you bounce even more and possibly fall off.. all you need to do is relax lean back slightly, sit deep in the saddle and keep your weight in your heels and maybe even hold on to the pommel (the front of the saddle) another way is to take away the stirrups and hold the pommel this will help you relax and ride with the horses rather than against it. the problem might be the horses some horses have a natural bounce. hope this helps...

Answer 4

There are alot of good suggestions here, but I think the most important thing is to relax. Try and put more weight into your stirrups- try and feel your body's weight sinking down through your calves into your heels. You should also make sure that the stirrups aren't too long, because if your legs are too stretched out you will find it hard to put more weight in. If you count the rhythm in your head as the horse moves you'll be able to concentrate a little more on getting the timing right. Just try to keep your body relaxed so that it can move with the horse, your waist is supposed to give and bend to allow for the horses movement. And keep your shoulders back, this will help to deepen your seat, so you can stay in.

I'm surprised that the instructor hasn't helped you out with this !

Good Luck:)

Answer 5

variety one, keep your heels down and deep. The longer your leg, the longer you vacation. Stirrups ought to hit the bottom of your ankle bone, English, somewhat longer Western. you desire 2 inches between your pants and your saddle. Exhale, and remember to respire. attempt an previous quiet, smooth horse to initiate off on. something smaller to in tremendous condition your length. seem ahead, chin parallel with the floor, shoulders back, moderate arch above the waist. Stretch up. complete seat amassed canter is an similar posture (top body perspective) because the walk and sitting trot. mild seat or 1/2 seat is an similar because the posting trot--15 stages in the front of verical. yet be confident you retain your heels down, flex your ankles inward, feet no more beneficial than 15 stages out from parallel along with your horse.

Answer 6

Learning to ride western is a sure fire way to get you to sit deeper in the saddle, you're stirrups are longer in this style and therefore it's easier to keep you're seat... Another thing you could do is have more practise without stirrups, then if you do lose one or both, you're not gonna take the side door.
So sit deeper and push more weight into you're feet and pelvis, don't lean to far forward or back. This could also be down to nerves, because you are being watched, a way to get over this is to be filmed riding, once you can see how you ride you can see you're mistakes and rectify them yourself, without others interfering.
Good luck, ttfn ;o)

Answer 7

Your riding school is not teaching you correctly. You are paying for lessons and entitled to get what you pay for!
Think of the small of your back as a spring. Your backside wants to be relaxed and glued to the saddle, your shoulders want to be relaxed and failry still, and the small of your back wants to be flexible and rolling with the action.
Relax your upper legs and stop trying to grip with your knees. Push your heels down a little instead of letting them tense and ride up. Practice sitting to the trot and try to practice at the walk.

Answer 8

Get a real trainer... and sure as hell dont grip with your knees.. i would love to see some of the ppl who attempted to answer these questions ride.. just sit almost on your pockets and keep your back straight and relax and loosely wrap your legs around the horse and if anything start from basics and walk and trot without irons and work your way up... good luck..

Answer 9

Cantering for me is the most comfortable gait - I love it!! Also helps that my horses are the nearest thing to rocking chairs!! My advice would be to sit up straight - almost exaggerate your straightness - even lean slightly backwards, grip with your legs and enjoy the gait. Alternatively until you feel a bit more comfortable with it, it may help to hold onto the front of your saddle and kinda pull yourself into the seat.
Good luck!

Answer 10

Sit deep in the saddle, heels down, back straight. Move with the horse and practice doing this when on a hack as well as in the school.