Hands In Canter

[ahorseandadog]

Hi,

My daughter begged me to post this so here it is: she has just started cantering and is having a large problem. Unless she is holding onto a neckstrap her hands go up and down as she canters. Although she is not pulling, she feels that she is causing a slight discomfort to the horse and also that this is not graceful (she plans on being a dressage rider so grace is extremely important to her).

Any tips on keeping still hands?

Thanks

Extra Info:
She rides a variety of horses but the horse she mainly rides has a pretty bumpy canter.

 

[PorkChop]

How old is she? My daughter struggles with this too, though more in trot.

Ultimately the older she gets the stronger her core will get, which is how you get still hands

Riding with no stirrups, cantering with only one hand holding the reins, thinking about keep her thumbs touching are a few of the exercises my daughter uses. What does her instructor suggest?

 

[ahorseandadog]

She's 11 almost 12. The instructor says that she needs to relax into the saddle as she tends to tense up but otherwise nothing.

 

[nikkitodhunter]

I've struggled a lot with my canter position in the past, one of my big issues was tensing up in the saddle, like her instructor has mentioned - if she's worried about it, she is probably tensing and 'trying too hard' which becomes counter-productive. It stops you going with the horse's movement which affects the rest of your position!

I'd reassure her that as she gets a more secure position, her hands will improve - she's young, so her core strength is still developing, and if she's riding a horse with a bumpy canter then it's expected that it'll be a bit trickier! Not to mention, she's only just started cantering!!

I'd just try and reassure her that it will come with time, and to try and focus on the whole picture - staying with the movement of the horse, relaxing, not gripping with the knees, etc - and a lot of issues will improve with experience. It's great she wants to improve, but don;t get hung up on it

 

[smja]

If it's an option, I'd be asking instructor to lunge her riding in canter, so she can let go of the reins completely and really feel what is meant by an independent seat. Once she's felt that feeling, she'll have more of an idea of what she's aiming for.

 

[Deseado]

If it's an option, I'd be asking instructor to lunge her riding in canter, so she can let go of the reins completely and really feel what is meant by an independent seat. Once she's felt that feeling, she'll have more of an idea of what she's aiming for.

This absolutely; she needs to let her back relax and follow the movement independent of her hands. Until she can do this she's not ready to canter off the lunge.

 

[Barnacle]

Same kind of idea as the above, but I've found it helpful to get people riding (not just canter) on a loose rein. If the horse can be trusted to follow the track, she could try that and place her hands on her hips.