Frustrated

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fine_and_dandy

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had my lesson today, FINALLY got somewhere with sorting my legs out (though they feel like they've been broken to get them there) and really got my horse working in a good outline....but....

i still can't get my canter right as often as I would like. i'm getting so frustrated with myself, which i know doesn't help the situation, but its just so ARRRRRRRRRRGH!!!

sometimes i get it and its ace and sometimes I have days like today where i just seize up everywhere and can't ride for toffee.

quite disappointed
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anyone know of anything that may help? other than putting a muscle relaxant through my body beforehand
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practice practice and more practice. it's the only way and you'll get there, just be patient and i know it's hard but try not to get frustrated coz that'll make you more tense. sending good vibes......
 
ok, well up until recently my legs just kept creeping too far forward and when i went into canter i was gripping with my knees and basically everything seized "upward" which meant it was really uncomfortable and i would lose my balance.

think this has come as a side effect of riding driving ponies out to exercise them as when we cantered and galloped, had nothing between my ankles and lower leg.

my leg position has got a lot better, i would say its about 85% there and im getting more of a reaction and upbeat walk and trot as a result. the problem is when i canter, i can be fine for about 3 strides and then my legs and the rest of me seizes up again. sometimes it might only happen once a lesson and then i'll nail it and the rest are fine.

just got really frustrated today because i just couldn't stop it from happening and i feel like i have gone 10 steps back from where i was on sunday.

my instructor is great and really working on it with me-we've found that making me canter in circles means i have to sit long in the leg and stops it from happening but i can't canter in circles my whole life!!!

was just wondering if anyone has had a similar problem and if they had any tips i could try....

and thank you for the good vibes
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I do exactly the same - I am reading Sally Swifts centred riding (i got it out of the library). It gives some realy good advise. Some of it is a bit airy fairy but a few of her visualisation excercises have realy clicked with me and have helped me to sit deep and get my legs long and secure without the gripping up knees. Hope you get sorted soon.
 
Pay attention to what you are doing with your back/pelvis when you're cantering - it's quite common, when the rider uses his/her legs, to stiffen in the lower back and hip joints, which makes it impossible to follow the canter, which puts the rider behind the motion and wanting to grip with the leg to stay in the middle of the horse.

The same thing can happen on a horse that pulls - the rider straightens/locks his/her elbows rather than taking the strain on a supple lower back and remaining soft in the hip and leg. Instead it is tempting to grip or stick the leg forward, again making it impossible to stay with the movement of the horse's back. That can be why circles work - they contain and soften the horse which makes it easier to sit and stops the vicious cycle.

Try to break your riding down into parts and figure out what your body is doing differently when you go straight. It may turn out to involve some part or process you didn't factor in at first.
 
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