Canter help please!

[Slave2Magic]

My mare has a really bouncy canter. If I ride in a forward seat I'm fine but this isnt really practical. If I canter without stirrups I'm fine. As soon as I canter with stirrups though I get bounced around like a rubber ball! Can anyone make any suggestions for a more comfortable canter please?

 

[scrumpygus]

If you can canter without stirrups this suggest that your leg position is the problem and doesnt allow you to sit deep enough - is it worth lengthening your stirrups for a while to imitate the position you get without stirrups? Perhaps you could then work them back up hole by hole?

 

[Kenzo]

Are you putting too much weight into your feet, because you have your stirrups, sounds like yo may be using them steady yourself and absorb the bounce which will just have a knock on effect with the rest of your body hence bouncing around out of your saddle.

Adjust your stirrups the length your leg would be if you were riding without stirrups firstly, sit tall and push the weight into your heals, open your hips and don't grip with your knees, sit back and deao into your saddle, and relax a little more so you absorb the bounce. Some horses do have a choppy canter, which can does improve over time.

Also take a good look at your saddle, does it lay correctly on your horses back, is the seat tipping you forwards at all?

 

[Flight]

If you can do it without stirrups then you can do it with stirrups you just need to work out what you doing differently. I would imagine that when you take stirrups away you grip with your thighs against the saddle. Try gripping with your thighs when you have stirrups and make sure you aren't hollowing your back. (please note thighs not knees as this can make quite a big difference)
Its a bit difficult to start with but really works when you get it right. Also helps to secure your position and slow down strong/fast horses.