Help cannot sit to trot with my horse let alone control canter!!

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Quartz

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With my next lesson dawning and due to be a lesson of 45 mins no stirrups I really really really need some advice on sitting trot and canter. Basically have had my horse since March and have only had one lesson with no stirrups and it was awful, sitting trot too bouncy and the canter was just a disaster as he goes sooooo fast and does not stop. Of course my legs tense to stay on and as he is a very sensitive horse he just goes faster. So needless to say I am dreading it, and would love some tips on sitting to trot and not gripping with thighs during canter. For some background he is a 15.2 hands, 6 year old Selle Francais, very sensitive so does not accept any form of tugging in mouth or kicking. Thanks
 
Im having this problem aswell - at the same time trying to teach my horse how to canter as shes so green lol.

I had a lesson on friday, and I found my mares sitting trot so bouncy I thought I was going to bounce off lol ..

My instructor said - try think of having two £10 notes between my legs and the saddle and try keep it there, without getting any creases in the note and without sqweezing it really tight. Im not sure if it works but since then, when I ride out I no longer rise - I always try sitting trot.

Ive also got to practice the transition from trot to canter aswell and then slow her canter down lol.

Good luck with yours sorry if im no help! lol :D
 
blitznbobs said:
TBH I have a problem with an instructor getting you to sit like that on a green horse...

Blitz
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Me? LOL ive known my instructor for years, I used to help her bring on ponies for her riding school. I can sit to trot - but its just learning to sit to my mares trot as her paces are very different from what im used to.

Obv she wouldnt get me to canter my horse if I couldnt sit to her trot. So before hand we done lots of sitting trot exercises and then at the end of the lesson we had a little canter.

My horses last owner was also an instructor and he always sat to her trot instead of rising as he found it more comfortable. Its in canter shes green as she used to be a racer, so cantering in a school is a tad different to what shes used to lol.

Its great im looking forward to my next lesson with her, Maisie really enjoyed herself aswell she was listening to me so much doing our 20m, 15m and 10m circles.

Sorry ive rambled :D
 
If you are bouncing, it may well be that the horse needs to lift its back more in order to carry you properly. You will need a relaxed back and some decent core strength in order to assist the horse with this. I have a huge moving young Friesian, and cannot sit to his trot at all when he is not lifting his back, just get bounced straight out of the saddle, but when I ride him properly, and he lifts his back, it's like sitting on a very comfy and solid log, and is then incredibly easy to sit to. I don't do long periods of sitting trot on him, as he is young and growing, but youngsters should be able to be ridden in sitting trot for at least short periods.
 
Maiko said:
If you are bouncing, it may well be that the horse needs to lift its back more in order to carry you properly. You will need a relaxed back and some decent core strength in order to assist the horse with this. I have a huge moving young Friesian, and cannot sit to his trot at all when he is not lifting his back, just get bounced straight out of the saddle, but when I ride him properly, and he lifts his back, it's like sitting on a very comfy and solid log, and is then incredibly easy to sit to. I don't do long periods of sitting trot on him, as he is young and growing, but youngsters should be able to be ridden in sitting trot for at least short periods.
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How do I help him to lift his back?

Also any tips on relaxing thighs during canter so that not pushing him on?
 
Slow things down firstly.

If sitting to the trot is causing you problems, the last thing you want to be doing during your session is cantering as well with no stirrups, (if that's what you mean) because it's counter productive, specially if your horse is sensitive and rather forward thinking.

Because your tensing you'll be gripping which will make you rise slightly rather than sitting deep into your saddle and you'll bounce about, even if your horse didn't run off in a fast trot and had a wonderful sort of trot to sit to, you'd still have the same problem.

Just stick to walk and trot during your lesson (with stirrups to start with but ride longer, so you can both warm up and get the horse working as well as possible) then take your stirrups away, push on into a slow sitting trot for about 5 strides and back to walk, concentrate more on your transitions because if these are poor, your sitting trot will never be much better.

Also this will take the heat off the trot and trying too much to 'achieve a nice sitting trot', you'll find that if your both relaxed and you sit deep into the saddle, let your legs hang naturally with your heals down but not pressing down too much to start with as this will tense your leg, don't ever lean forward, sit up but again let body work as a shock absorber through your back, stomach and into your bottom, absorb the bounce and look straight ahead and just let her jog into a trot and then back into a walk, this will make it more comfortable for your horse so she won't want to spead off into a fast trot or canter.

If you get to grips with it this way, you'll find getting used to sitting to her 'normal trot' or however fast she wishes to trot, will come so much easier and safer.
 
Kenzo said:
Slow things down firstly.

If sitting to the trot is causing you problems, the last thing you want to be doing during your session is cantering as well with no stirrups, (if that's what you mean) because it's counter productive, specially if your horse is sensitive and rather forward thinking.

Because your tensing you'll be gripping which will make you rise slightly rather than sitting deep into your saddle and you'll bounce about, even if your horse didn't run off in a fast trot and had a wonderful sort of trot to sit to, you'd still have the same problem.

Just stick to walk and trot during your lesson (with stirrups to start with but ride longer, so you can both warm up and get the horse working as well as possible) then take your stirrups away, push on into a slow sitting trot for about 5 strides and back to walk, concentrate more on your transitions because if these are poor, your sitting trot will never be much better.

Also this will take the heat off the trot and trying too much to 'achieve a nice sitting trot', you'll find that if your both relaxed and you sit deep into the saddle, let your legs hang naturally with your heals down but not pressing down too much to start with as this will tense your leg, don't ever lean forward, sit up but again let body work as a shock absorber through your back, stomach and into your bottom, absorb the bounce and look straight ahead and just let her jog into a trot and then back into a walk, this will make it more comfortable for your horse so she won't want to spead off into a fast trot or canter.

If you get to grips with it this way, you'll find getting used to sitting to her 'normal trot' or however fast she wishes to trot, will come so much easier and safer.
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Thanks, this sounds like good advice and I could cope with this. The problem is being in a group lesson I have to go with what everyone else is doing (on the nice comfy school ponies!!) I usually end up having to circle around to stop in canter otherwise I bomb past them all. Am going to practice what you said this week. Thanks.
 
vallin said:
Have nothing useful to say, but if you fancy posting a pic of your SF (I'm a SF junkie :D ) I wouldn't object :D :P
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When I started downloading the photos to photobucket you were still online, so am probably puttiing all this effort in and you will never see them. Well here it goes... fingers crossed it works, have probably put wrong codes in!!!

P10601722.jpg


P1060051.jpg


P1050745.jpg


240510_1332.jpg
 
Quartz said:
Thanks, this sounds like good advice and I could cope with this. The problem is being in a group lesson I have to go with what everyone else is doing (on the nice comfy school ponies!!) I usually end up having to circle around to stop in canter otherwise I bomb past them all. Am going to practice what you said this week. Thanks.
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arr right I see, sorry I didn't realise you were having a group lesson, could be a difficult then, perhaps have a word with your instructor to suggest something to make it easier, otherwise maybe try a private lesson? or a different instructor that can cater to your individual needs a bit more.
 
Maiko said:
If you are bouncing, it may well be that the horse needs to lift its back more in order to carry you properly. You will need a relaxed back and some decent core strength in order to assist the horse with this. I have a huge moving young Friesian, and cannot sit to his trot at all when he is not lifting his back, just get bounced straight out of the saddle, but when I ride him properly, and he lifts his back, it's like sitting on a very comfy and solid log, and is then incredibly easy to sit to. I don't do long periods of sitting trot on him, as he is young and growing, but youngsters should be able to be ridden in sitting trot for at least short periods.
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I'd second this opinion.

back in the summer I was riding a pony with a terribly choppy and hard to sit to trot. The reason his trot was like this was because he was tense through his back.
I had to do lots of work on a long rein as well as things like turn on the forehand and leg yielding to free him up. Once he was free and relaxed his trot was easy peasy to sit to!
I don't have access to a school so all this was achieved out hacking.
I'm not the most accomplished rider either, so if I can sort it anyone can!

I notice that on your picture you have the horse in a chambon (I think)? does she have a high head carriage? If so this may indicate tension in the back. Pony mentioned above had a high head carriage to start of with (and will throw his head back up if he gets worried/stressed but I can encourage him back down with relaxation - long rein and bending)


Good luck with your mare.
 
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I think you need to do only short periods of sitting trot without stirrups to start with, otherwise you will get tired and your position will go to pot. Speak to your instructor before the lesson, and explain that you will do small amounts of work without stirrups but then will retake your stirrups to continue working with the rest of the ride.

By the way, my daughter's horse is 3/4 Selle Francais and he has a very springy trot too - daughter always groans when instructors make her work without stirrups on him!
 
My instructor always tells me that anything you can achieve in walk, you can achieve in any other pace.

What I do is try to slow my walk down whilst also ensuring he is working from behind. Almost saying 'slow the walk down' leaning slightly back and squeezing a little with my legs whilst giving little half halts down the rein. Once I mastered this I applied it in both trot and canter.

I don't know if this will work for you but it does for me so thought I would put it out there!

Nice horse too btw! :)
 
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The horse's back has to be soft in order for you to be able to sit to it. It sounds like he isnt schooled enough to be ready for that amount of sitting trot tbh. You should work mainly in rising and sit for a few strides at a time when he's soft, round and using his back
 
Ebbw said:
I'd second this opinion.

back in the summer I was riding a pony with a terribly choppy and hard to sit to trot. The reason his trot was like this was because he was tense through his back.
I had to do lots of work on a long rein as well as things like turn on the forehand and leg yielding to free him up. Once he was free and relaxed his trot was easy peasy to sit to!
I don't have access to a school so all this was achieved out hacking.
I'm not the most accomplished rider either, so if I can sort it anyone can!

I notice that on your picture you have the horse in a chambon (I think)? does she have a high head carriage? If so this may indicate tension in the back. Pony mentioned above had a high head carriage to start of with (and will throw his head back up if he gets worried/stressed but I can encourage him back down with relaxation - long rein and bending)


Good luck with your mare.
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The reason he is in a de goge (or whatever it is in French!!) is because my instructor told me to put one on him, even out hacking. He does throw his head up a lot. However, I have stopped putting one on for hacks and instead just give him a really really long rein and he seems to prefer this. Otherwise he pulls the reins out my hand to stretch his neck out. Could this be an indication then of some back tension? Will try the leg yielding and turning on the forehand as you mentioned. Thanks
 
TheMule said:
The horse's back has to be soft in order for you to be able to sit to it. It sounds like he isnt schooled enough to be ready for that amount of sitting trot tbh. You should work mainly in rising and sit for a few strides at a time when he's soft, round and using his back
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Hes only young, and before I brought him he was competing in Club 1 cross, show jumping and dressage. However, for the past six or seven months its been just me ridiing him (two of which were just hacks during the summer )and maybe he needs someone of a higher level to teach him a bit more. Thanks for your advice, will give the whole hour group lesson without stirrups a miss I think, as don't want to make situation worse or loose confidence. Thanks
 
TGM said:
I think you need to do only short periods of sitting trot without stirrups to start with, otherwise you will get tired and your position will go to pot. Speak to your instructor before the lesson, and explain that you will do small amounts of work without stirrups but then will retake your stirrups to continue working with the rest of the ride.

By the way, my daughter's horse is 3/4 Selle Francais and he has a very springy trot too - daughter always groans when instructors make her work without stirrups on him!
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I actually tried work without stirrups yesterday afternoon in preparation. No one else was there so I could do as you said above, a small period without stirrups trotting and then retaking them when my balance was going or my ribs felt like they might fly out through my mouth!! Doing it on my own was not as bad as it was my own pace, and kept the stirrups close by instead of crossed over my saddle so could get them back easily. Still worried sick about lesson, so thinking of passing this time, although I may try your suggestion and talk to instructor first. Very indecisive I know but thats just me!!
 
This is going to be no help whatsover but I've never been able to do a decent sitting trot but now I have and Andalusian and I could carry a cup and saucer round and dring a cup of tea whilst he's trotting.

Its given me so much confidence I even hack out bareback and I havent attempted that for 30 odd years!
 
OP, have a look at Enlightened Equitation facebook page. Scroll down the wall to the QUOB videos.
Some lessons with an EE instructor or similar might help you.
 
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