Canter help please (sorry long!)

[jenbleep]

Ok hopefully this will come out right!

I had a lesson this afternoon - at the moment I can only afford one lesson a month, and in between lessons I am schooling on hacks, and might manage to take her to the school every other week (I have to hack there and hire it).

My instructor today said that there is definite improvement

she was looking softer, more balanced and although she was still on the forehand to begin with she is always trying for me, and towards the end she did feel much more bouncy and lighter

No for the problem - I am finding it increasingly difficult to improve her canter

She has a massive back end, not much in front, on the forehand and croup high (I'm talking generally here!) So when she canters her bum goes up, pushes me forward and I end up bouncing all over the place

In my lesson today I was actually standing in canter

I was told by my instructor to open my shoulders and relax, but canter has never been my best pace

Don't ask me why - I think learning to ride at a trekking centre gave me bad habits......if we cantered it was always out hacking, so I can safely say my two point seat is pretty good

My instructor had us doing some canter exercises - one going across the diagonal in canter, back to trot then picking up canter just before we hit the track again - this killed me

Any other exercises tips to improve her canter - and my position please?

Sorry for rambling - thanks for reading

xxx

 

[lauraanddolly]

I can't offer any helpful advise really, other than to say I'm in kind of in the same boat! Canter has always been my worse pace too, I too would put myself in my 2 point cos its easier, but now in my lessons i'm having to sit on my bum and actually ride the canter instead of just letting my forward going horse canter the way she wants to, only had a couple of lesson so far but it is improving.
My instructor says for me to imagine that there is a £50 note under my bum and I don't want to let it go. Helps me to keep my bum in the saddle.
Hope it continues to go well for you!

 

[jenbleep]

That's a really good tip actually!

I have all these tips in my head that people have told me but when I am being pushed all over the place I tend to forget them and concentrate on CC you see

 

[jenbleep]

Does no one else have any suggestions.............