What are the first mistakes when first learning to canter?

Answer 1

often people learning to ride think they need to speed up the trot until the horse breaks into a canter. Not so, that will lead to all sorts of problems. You need to balance the horse by using a 1/2 halt which is pretty much what it sound like. Give the aids for a halt - shorten the reins, sit deeply by pushing your heels down and squaring your shoulders. You will feel the horse collect a little (or slow down). Ask the horse to go forward by squeezing with your legs - inside leg at the girth and outside leg just a little behind the girth (by inside leg I mean the leg that is to the inside of the arena - if you are travelling to the right, your right leg is the inside leg and your left is the outside or to the wall/rail.. A horse that is balanced at the trot will transition into a balanced canter. Ask for the canter in the corner of the arena and you are more likely to pick up the correct lead.
Takes practice for it all to come together

Answer 2

The very first mistakes? Not trusting the horse and pulling up short on the reins when the horse most needs it's head/neck for balance. Seat and leads and all the other stuff will come later. Learn to canter on a good school horse and just learn to trust your mount. Some horses dive into the canter, some are a little wonky and some horses have an incredible rocking horse canter (that can almost feel like rearing & bucking). I think the biggest mistake we make when asking for the canter is not understanding the feel, getting a little scared an pulling back instead of allowing the horse to move out.

Answer 3

I cant tell you what exactly are the first but often people pick of the wrong lead, try to post at the canter and while trying to get the horse to canter which will difinately not work trust me i know, also pulling on the reins because they don't trust the horse, and a lot of people stick out their legs when cantering.

To make sure you don't lose your balance, sit down and relaxe your shoulders, look forward not down, follow the horse's motions with your reins (if you dont understand you can e-mail me), and stay calm.

Answer 4

Often when people first canter they don't get the seat correct so often 'bounce.' Another common mistake is being on the incorrect lead. Some people also get nervous and hold their reins too tightly while others hold them to loosely.

Answer 5

Leaning forward. If you are learning on a school horse then i'm sure the horse will go into the canter smoothly.

Sit up, look up too...Don't loook down..look where you want to go.

Good luck, where do you ride?

Answer 6

I have been riding for seven years. When I first learned to canter, I sorta fell off. I think that your balance is a key factor in riding...at all! If you didn't have very good balance, where would you be? On the ground probably! If you have anymore questions, email me if you want to!

Answer 7

Be sure to sit in, and not try to post. You want a deep seat and to sit your shoulders back, and let the horse take you. Stay behind the horse's movement.

Answer 8

Make sure that when sitting on the horse,you face the head.-not the tail

Answer 9

Being on the correct lead.