Feel really dejected

[MB1201]

hi all,

I am a novice rider, only had about 13 consistent lessons at my new riding school. My instructor says she enjoys teaching me but after each lesson im always dejected about the same thing, asking for canter. My instructor tells me that I either lean back therefore sitting deeper or it looks like I'm just doing sitting trot, what am I doing wrong? It all feels the same to me, one minute I do something and the pony will canter but the next time I feel as if I'm doing the same thing and it just isn't coming. I've had 13 lessons now, and I'm asked to canter 9-10 times In each one, I'm lucky to get the horse into it for 2. My riding has improved, I haven't lost my stirrups for three lessons, I've started doing lateral movements and various circles and I'm doing that well. I'm just not sure what I'm doing wrong :S

How I'm asking:

I'm looking toward direction I'm going, ' pushing my seat forward' although I struggle with what this means, my instructors just saying push my seat bones forward but I can't do that without losing the feeling of my seat bones. I'm giving a tap behind the girth but the majority of times the horse will just swish his tail and carry on, but I know that it's most definitely a fault on my part

What my instructor tells me:
' push your seat forward ' and when I ask what that means she just said ' pushing your seat bones forward with more weight on your inside' but I just can't seem to do this without rolling onto my thigh/pelvis.

Any ideas? I Just feel so drained that I've been doing this for 13 lessons now, surely it should be second nature?

 

[swampdonkey]

I'm no good at giving tips on your transitions but just wanted to say that I learnt as an adult and I really struggled with canter for at least 6 months, maybe even longer.
Don't feel down about it, it will just happen one day and you will forget what you were worrying about.
I still could improve my transitions, we all could and I try to improve every time I ride.
relax, it will happen.

 

[daydreamer]

pff 13 lessons is nothing, I've been riding over 20 years and still get things wrong!

The thing to remember with riding is that every horse is physically different and even the same horse is different on different days. This is part of the appeal for me but does mean there is always something to improve on or learn and what works one day may not work another.

Trot to canter is a tricky transition because the horse is changing the way it is using it's legs quite a lot. You are going quite fast in the trot and to find the split second timing is very difficult. To make it even more challenging different horses go off slightly different aids and have different sensitivities.

As what your instructor is telling you now isn't working to be honest I would ignore it and try something different! I don't think trying to push you seat forwards is a helpful instruction as I would have thought it encourages you to sit heavy and round your back. I would suggest you just keep your seat still and soft, don't do anything different. Make sure you have a good, forward trot and just before a corner go sitting. Then slip your outside leg back a bit and give a tap with both legs gently (some horses are taught to go off the inside leg, some off the outside - you could try each in turn to see what works), I would also try saying "canter".

Other ideas are trying walk to canter - most well schooled horses can do that and it gives you more time to think about your body. Or you could try making the trot faster and faster until they canter - (not for long term use and won't help with transition but will get you doing more canter and maybe less tense about it) or try asking whilst in a light seat or having a lunge lesson.

I have to say I am slightly surprised to hear they have you doing lateral work already as that normally take a lot of co-ordination and body-awareness.

Good luck!

 

[orionstar]

After 13 lessons I think you're instructor is being a bit unfair to you and sounds like she's expecting a lot, and bombarding you with information that at this stage in your learning will not make any sense. Ditto Daydreamer, just sit still, make sure the trot is active, inside leg on at the girth and outside leg back in the same movement. Try not to worry about what everything else is doing until you get the transition each time you ask, and good luck with the riding

 

[Moomin1]

Oh blimey don't get dejected about that. I've been riding for nearly 30 years and I get shouted at by my instructor for tipping forwards on transition from walk to canter EVERY time without fail lol. I think I am going to end up giving my instructor a nervous twitch at this rate.

Honestly though, 13 lessons is nothing, don't beat yourself up. People who are riding at advanced levels struggle with things/habits etc even.

 

[SpringArising]

I don't know anyone who is asked to do lateral movements after thirteen lessons - it's completely ridiculous to expect that of someone with so little experience!

When your instructor says to push your seat forward when going into canter, it's quite literally just that. Think about physically pushing the horse into canter. At first it will feel (and probably be) very exaggerated, but once you have the hang of it you'll find that it just comes naturally and people won't even be able to tell that you're doing it. Think of it as trying to paint a line going forwards on your saddle with your crotch - that's the easiest way I can think to explain it!

It sounds like you're doing really well - it's much better to lean back slightly going into canter than it is to slop forwards!

 

[outinthefens88]

My advice - don't feel dejected about that.....

One day it will 'click' - have you had any lessons on the lunge to get the feel of what the transition feels like? (assuming R/S has a horse capable of doing this on voice command)...

As a relative newcomer myself, canter transition took me a while to get right (and there's days now when its not as good as it could be!).

I certainly wasn't cantering after 13 lessons, I do remember that - these things take time I am afraid.

 

[madmav]

Lots more miles under the belt. It's a bit like passing your driving test, that is just the start of the learning what to do. Next comes the experience. That's when you learn. Ride different horses if you can in different environments, hacking, schooling, bit of jumping etc. and have fun with it!

 

[Theocat]

I'm concerned that you don't seem to feel able to ask your instructor these things - if you don't understand something, definitely ask at the time.

I'm not convinced the 'pushing your seat forward' aid is going to work here - presumably you're on a horse suitable for a novice, which means it will ignore subtle aids or 'wiggling about'. As others have said, try keeping your inside leg on the girth and bringing your outside leg back, and giving a small nudge.

Personally I'd also ride with a different instructor for a few lessons as well - they all describe things in different ways and you might find a different person teaches you how to ask in a way that makes more sense to you

It sounds as though you're doing really well - don't feel dejected!

 

[Mahoganybay]

Please don't feel dejected, 13 lessons is nothing, I have about 30 years riding under my belt (oh dear, I feel old) and still struggle to go from trot to canter.

Here's what I find helps me, approach your first corner at the top of the school in trot making sure you are relaxed & the horse is working well. At that corner sit in the trot & give a verbal aid, I say 'are you ready'. As you approach the second corner slide your outside leg back, keeping your inside leg on the girth & say 'canter'! I don't sit deep here, I sit light in the saddle, once my horse canters I wrap my legs round him & then sit deep & back.

worth a try and I would also, like others have said see about changing the instructor.

Good luck.

 

[Wayne_Coe]

13 lessons is good going for lateral work! (At least you weren't sat on the horse in tears!)

I would say, just relax into the saddle.. your becoming frustrated and the horse is becoming confused. Once relaxed into the saddle, lean back (sometimes we have a natural tendency to tip forward), apply leg aids and ask for canter... you've already said you got 2 strides of canter? Just keep the leg on as we sometimes forget that too!

Dont overly worry about it, one day it will all fall together!

 

[MB1201]

13 lessons is good going for lateral work! (At least you weren't sat on the horse in tears!)

you've already said you got 2 strides of canter? Just keep the leg on as we sometimes forget that too!

Dont overly worry about it, one day it will all fall together!

No this is the problem, I'm asked to canter 9-10 times in the lesson but I will only succeed in the transition twice, once I'm into canter I have definitely improved and I can sit properly in the saddle with legs on, I get around almost the whole arena, it's the transition I find difficult

 

[MB1201]

pff 13 lessons is nothing, I've been riding over 20 years and still get things wrong!

The thing to remember with riding is that every horse is physically different and even the same horse is different on different days. This is part of the appeal for me but does mean there is always something to improve on or learn and what works one day may not work another.

Trot to canter is a tricky transition because the horse is changing the way it is using it's legs quite a lot. You are going quite fast in the trot and to find the split second timing is very difficult. To make it even more challenging different horses go off slightly different aids and have different sensitivities.

As what your instructor is telling you now isn't working to be honest I would ignore it and try something different! I don't think trying to push you seat forwards is a helpful instruction as I would have thought it encourages you to sit heavy and round your back. I would suggest you just keep your seat still and soft, don't do anything different. Make sure you have a good, forward trot and just before a corner go sitting. Then slip your outside leg back a bit and give a tap with both legs gently (some horses are taught to go off the inside leg, some off the outside - you could try each in turn to see what works), I would also try saying "canter".

Other ideas are trying walk to canter - most well schooled horses can do that and it gives you more time to think about your body. Or you could try making the trot faster and faster until they canter - (not for long term use and won't help with transition but will get you doing more canter and maybe less tense about it) or try asking whilst in a light seat or having a lunge lesson.

I have to say I am slightly surprised to hear they have you doing lateral work already as that normally take a lot of co-ordination and body-awareness.

Good luck!

I've mind of tried sitting trot and then asking, but my instructor says that sitting trot and asking won't get me any where, with the horse that I ride you do need more exaggerated moment otherwise he thinks your asking for more speed, thanks for the tips, hopefully I can post in a few months time saying I'm doing effortless transitions lol :,)

 

[be positive]

I've mind of tried sitting trot and then asking, but my instructor says that sitting trot and asking won't get me any where, with the horse that I ride you do need more exaggerated moment otherwise he thinks your asking for more speed, thanks for the tips, hopefully I can post in a few months time saying I'm doing effortless transitions lol :,)

If you are in a group lesson it can be difficult to make progress on a specific issue you are finding harder to do, only having 9 or 10 attempts each lesson is not enough for you to get the feel required, if you are in a private lesson it should be easy to have a lesson or two where you focus on transitions, once the horse has warmed up, I would be aiming for you to do numerous transitions and very short canters until it came more easily to you, by numerous I mean literally as many as it takes 20+ on each rein, some from walk if the horse is well schooled you should both find that easier, once you get it right you will feel more positive and not have to think about it so much.

Sitting trot and asking should get you canter, trying to get an inexperienced rider to give seat aids on a slightly reluctant school horse will be confusing for both of you as he must be ridden by so many different people they cannot all have the same way of asking however hard your instructor tries, a person with very strong legs probably has less trouble than someone less strong, someone with good timing will have an easier transition than someone a little slow to react, consequently the horse will become less in tune to subtle aids.

 

[honetpot]

I have not taught adults but I have taught children to ride. First of all it may not be you, the horse that you are riding may not actually understand or want to listen to the aids to canter, after so many novices it may have the mental attitude, so make me. Cantering in a school is actually far harder work for it.
Canter is a change of pace and not necessarily speed, the sitting trot before canter is a physical cue to the horse that a change of pace is going to happen, either to go into walk, or change up into trot. If you keep rising the trot gets faster, you will end up unbalanced and its actually harder.
I do not know how much you are paying for your lessons, but I would have one at a really good school on the lunge, or on a mechanical horse so you concentrate on you and not have to worry. I had lunge lessons after 10 years of riding and it opened my eyes to how much you can learn, I have also been on the mechanical horse and that really helps and makes you more aware of your body.
As adults we feel bad about not getting things quickly, but riding is really hard, you have to learn to control your body whilst controlling another animal at the same time. In the old days most of use learnt to ride out hacking where you just followed this horse in front, if it stopped you did, which may seem dumbed down but it allowed you to have a ride with out pressure of getting it right all the time.
I would try another somewhere else, it may not be any better but it may with perhaps a different horse or a different instructor. Also buy a good basic book about riding, it will not teach you to ride but it will give you a better idea whether what you are being taught is correct.

 

[MB1201]

I have not taught adults but I have taught children to ride. First of all it may not be you, the horse that you are riding may not actually understand or want to listen to the aids to canter, after so many novices it may have the mental attitude, so make me. Cantering in a school is actually far harder work for it.
Canter is a change of pace and not necessarily speed, the sitting trot before canter is a physical cue to the horse that a change of pace is going to happen, either to go into walk, or change up into trot. If you keep rising the trot gets faster, you will end up unbalanced and its actually harder.
I do not know how much you are paying for your lessons, but I would have one at a really good school on the lunge, or on a mechanical horse so you concentrate on you and not have to worry. I had lunge lessons after 10 years of riding and it opened my eyes to how much you can learn, I have also been on the mechanical horse and that really helps and makes you more aware of your body.
As adults we feel bad about not getting things quickly, but riding is really hard, you have to learn to control your body whilst controlling another animal at the same time. In the old days most of use learnt to ride out hacking where you just followed this horse in front, if it stopped you did, which may seem dumbed down but it allowed you to have a ride with out pressure of getting it right all the time.
I would try another somewhere else, it may not be any better but it may with perhaps a different horse or a different instructor. Also buy a good basic book about riding, it will not teach you to ride but it will give you a better idea whether what you are being taught is correct.

Thank you everyone. I am obviously improving as my instructor thinks that I will do better on a larger, more responsive horse - Shes been at the school for years and knows her stuff so I trust her - so obviously she thinks that I am riding well enough to be put on something more because she knows that technically i know how to ask for canter, and she does sometimes agree that the pony can be stubborn. I'm doing well on this horse as he's an absolute Saint, puts up with my mistakes and helps me learn, he is forward going but sometimes takes the mick if he knows your not confident. So I'm going onto a new horse in my next lesson, maybe something will click? And we'll find out if it's still me or just a stubborn pony lol

 

[MB1201]

Guys would it help if I put a video on YouTube of me asking and seeing what I'm doing wrong? I've deleted most bad clips but still have some, do you think you can give pointers as to what I'm doing right and wrong?

 

[VickyVaporeon]

Please don't feel dejected! Everyone learns at different speeds, we're all different. Obviously what your instructor is teaching isn't working for you, especially if you don't understand the terms he/she is using. Maybe you can suggest having a lesson solely based on learning the correct seat, maybe go on the lunge (if you haven't already) to get used to changing between trot and canter.
When I first started lessons I wanted to make sure I knew about seat positions, I set myself some "homework". I found this video, which I thought was brilliant so its worth giving a watch! Improve your seat with Erica Poseley: http://youtu.be/qCA0KD3evtQ
Good luck for the future