Balance in canter. HELP!

[Cornish on the Cob]

I can't seem to keep my balance when cantering. I am a nervous rider anyway but I feel like Im going to fall off all the time! Can anybody give me some advice please!

 

[joeanne]

Get someone to lunge you!
No reins or stirrups will teach you to "anchor" yourself into the saddle.

 

[ThePony]

The most important thing (and the thing which seems pretty impossible if you are nervous!) to balance in the canter is to simply relax and sit to the movement. If you are nervous then it will make you a little tense and can bounce you and make you tip during the canter - which will obv do nothing for your nerves!!

I would start with just a couple of steps of canter and try to relax your hips and allow your hips and core to go with the flow and absorb the movement. Def try to avoid any clamping of your legs too as this will make it harder for you. A nice flow of your weight down your leg into your heel will make it hard to clamp. Just aim for a couple of steps, then go back to trot and gather yourself together, then a couple of strides of canter again. As you feel more comfortable about a short canter, then you can keep cantering a little longer. There is nothing to be gained by cantering on and on while you feel out of balance and tipping, all you will do is tense more and make things worse.

Do you have anywhere you can canter on a hack? This can be easier, esp as the horse is often happier to work forwards so you can just sit pretty and chill!

 

[Baggybreeches]

Do you have anywhere you can canter on a hack? This can be easier, esp as the horse is often happier to work forwards so you can just sit pretty and chill!

Definitely the best idea, its much easier to canter in a straight line, usually I take novices out on my old mare and I go first canter for a few steps and then go back to trot, she starts and stops with the other horse so the rider doesnt need to do anything. I find this helps everyone.

 

[Cornish on the Cob]

The most important thing (and the thing which seems pretty impossible if you are nervous!) to balance in the canter is to simply relax and sit to the movement. If you are nervous then it will make you a little tense and can bounce you and make you tip during the canter - which will obv do nothing for your nerves!!

I would start with just a couple of steps of canter and try to relax your hips and allow your hips and core to go with the flow and absorb the movement. Def try to avoid any clamping of your legs too as this will make it harder for you. A nice flow of your weight down your leg into your heel will make it hard to clamp. Just aim for a couple of steps, then go back to trot and gather yourself together, then a couple of strides of canter again. As you feel more comfortable about a short canter, then you can keep cantering a little longer. There is nothing to be gained by cantering on and on while you feel out of balance and tipping, all you will do is tense more and make things worse.

Do you have anywhere you can canter on a hack? This can be easier, esp as the horse is often happier to work forwards so you can just sit pretty and chill!

I have one place on our hack which I like to canter which is about 100 yards uphill. Im fine with that but I feel silly not being able to canter on the straight! Also when my friend cantered in front up the hill the other day, Bridie decided to gallop which put me off balance even more! I dont know whether I was gripping on too hard which made her gallop or whether she thought she was in a race!

 

[ThePinkPony]

try a bit of standing canter, literally one lesson of this and my whole canter seat dramatically changed. i felt so much more at one with the movement.