Gripping with knees in canter - any help?

[eatonbraynat]

My horse is very unbalanced in canter so when we do it is a case of, rush from trot into some sort of fast canter, head up, but not massively, when i try and slow him he breaks into trot and then gets all het up so i have to settle him before asking again. We are working on this but i tend to grip with my knees which means i lose my stirrups, which makes it worse. How can i stop doing this??? Also my leg muscles really ache after only a few mins especially my thighs, is this normal or am i doing something really wrong????

 

[posie_honey]

i'd suggest canter work bareback = that'll sort you out
or how about without stirrups on the lunge with good RI?

 

[eatonbraynat]

i'd suggest canter work bareback = that'll sort you out
or how about without stirrups on the lunge with good RI?

Should i do bareback on my boy considering how he goes or on something more balanced??

 

[Silverspring]

I would also suggest lunge lessons so someone else can control direction and speed. He probably needs long reining and lunging to sort his own balance out, I assume he's still young?

 

[eatonbraynat]

I would also suggest lunge lessons so someone else can control direction and speed. He probably needs long reining and lunging to sort his own balance out, I assume he's still young?

He is 8 but has only started proper schooling and working about 4 months ago. Before that he had a couple of years off and before that was just hacked. Sorry to be ignorant but how will lunging help his canter will he not just cart himself round???

 

[FleabittenT]

As others have mentioned, work on the lunge? Riding without stirrups has really helped to improve my seat too.

My 6yo mare is also pretty green & unbalanced, and so finds canter really hard work! Like yours, transitions are messy & rushed, head comes up. My RI's helped so much, we're not doing any canter work for now, until the walk & trot are much softer and balanced. Instead doing lots of lateral & suppling work. Not sure if this is applicable for you, but working well for us

ETA - just seen your last post I think it'll probably take a lot longer for him to start building up the muscles to use himself properly, so would definately go back to basics a bit more if he was mine, before focussing on the canter. Hope it helps!

 

[posie_honey]

Should i do bareback on my boy considering how he goes or on something more balanced??

depends how brave you feel...
tbh prob not yet as it sounds like a combination of rider and horse - so maybe have lessons first - then once you have his transitions better then try work without the saddle

ETA - jsut read replies after i'd posted that! see the mare in my sig - she'd just been hunted in poorly fitting saddles until i got her as a 10yr old - so she'd been going braced hollow and head up for years and was totally upside down - it took nearly a year of work to get a good canter - most of it strengthening the right muscles before we even attempted to get a good canter in the arena

 

[tedster]

think bottom heavy like a sack of dough and try and imagine something pulling your legs down.. if that makes sence?? I was actually taught to ride with sponges under my knees to make sure I gripped lol very old fashioned so I had to learn not too grip when I got older and had an instructor that wasnt taught in the dark ages

 

[Kenzo]

Gripping with your knees will through you up out of the saddle and may in fact create a little hollowness with your horse is cantering.

Depending on the sort of the saddle you have, try bringing your leathers up a few notches and make sure your heals are down and open your thighs a little, also you'll need to position your feet so you toes are flicked out (like a penguin), so you can only feel your calfes against the saddle, it will feel strange at first and look a little silly (as in your feet position) and go with the movement through your hips but this will teach you not to grip with your knees.

A good way to practice is, you'll need 3 five pound notes , one under bottom, and one at each side between your lower leg and the saddle, your aim is not to loose them, nor tear or crease them!

 

[eatonbraynat]

Gripping with your knees will through you up out of the saddle and may in fact create a little hollowness with your horse is cantering.

Depending on the sort of the saddle you have, try bringing your leathers up a few notches and make sure your heals are down and open your thighs a little, also you'll need to position your feet so you toes are flicked out (like a penguin), so you can only feel your calfes against the saddle, it will feel strange at first and look a little silly (as in your feet position) and go with the movement through your hips but this will teach you not to grip with your knees.

A good way to practice is, you'll need 3 five pound notes , one under bottom, and one at each side between your lower leg and the saddle, your aim is not to loose them, nor tear or crease them!

Excellent tip thank you!!! So i open my thighs a little so as to get my knees away from the saddle slightly??

 

[Kenzo]

Excellent tip thank you!!! So i open my thighs a little so as to get my knees away from the saddle slightly??

Yes this will then enable you to relax your upper body, which will then allow you to gently rock back and forth comfortably with the motion of your horses canter. If you clam up through your knees, it goes all the way up through your leg into your seat and body, which then will give our horse mixed signals when your applying a proper leg aid.

Only grip with your knees as last resort...when you know your going to come a cropper