How Can I Improve My Riding???!!!

AprilBlue

AprilBlue

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hi, could any of you give me any usefull tips in riding? i have been riding for nearly 4 years and i haven't got a horse of my own *sigh*. I would rather more comments of how to improve my trot to canter transitions because i tend to tense up and i CAN'T relax untill the horse is cantering and then i'm fine. when i reach the corner of the school and i ask for a canter, i freeze and i only squeeze once and i can't do more because i am soo tense!!! i think it's because of excitement but i don't know. some of the horses i ride need a bit more than one squeeze to canter but instead i get a fast trot. it is entirely my fault and i am trying but how can i try to relax??!!

i will accept any comments on improving position ect.

thanks:D
 
more lessons! lunge lessons on a schoolmaster would be good as you can really work on your position and do work without reins/stirrups leaving the control to the person lunging/instructing.
 
Agree with Ofcourseyoucan. I really struggled with getting into canter. I came to the conclusion that lunging would have been a better way of learning as you can relax and concentrate on getting your position right without having to worry about the gettingthebloodyhorsetocanter phase. I got it in the end but couldn't help thinking that it could have been a lot easier if I didn't have to worry about the transition phase. Good news though ..once you get it you've got it :)
 
Try a different riding school - doesnt mean you have to stop going where u are but A different horses B different instructor with fresh pair of eyes to help and C hopefully lunge lessons = )

Do you think you are competent enough to part share a horse? then you could have lessons/instructor of your choice? You could also have videos of yourself taken there are some good people who will do video critique for a cost.
 
TigerTail said:
Try a different riding school - doesnt mean you have to stop going where u are but A different horses B different instructor with fresh pair of eyes to help and C hopefully lunge lessons = )

Do you think you are competent enough to part share a horse? then you could have lessons/instructor of your choice? You could also have videos of yourself taken there are some good people who will do video critique for a cost.
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yeah, i am competent enough and i spend most of my free time helping out at my rs but i just havent got the money for a share/loan. im saving up though:D
 
AprilBlue said:
i get to the corner of the school, do a deep sitting trot and squeeze but because of excitement, i tend to freeze up and get tense
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Deep implies you are pressing down, making it v hard for horse to transition up to canter, squeezing with both legs blocks the swing of the rib cage and freezing blocks all your movement so makes you an uncomfy passenger. Try taking a slightly forward seat, inside leg on the girth outside leg slightly back but you ask only with the inside leg. Some horses find it easier to do walk to canter as they can bounce into it rather than running flatter and flatter before falling into it :)
 
Take your stirups away for a lesson then you will have to relax or you will bounce off. Could you get your parents or a friend to video a bit of your lesson so you can post on here for some help?

Good luck :)
 
AprilBlue said:
i get to the corner of the school, do a deep sitting trot and squeeze but because of excitement, i tend to freeze up and get tense
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So your position in canter is ok it's just the getting into it at the SCARY corner!! I developed a deep hatred of corners for this reason :) Try long steady breaths in and slow breaths out. It'll help you and the horse relax and might distract you from the scary corner 'must get horse to canter oh no will he do it oh noooo it's going wrong' type of things. You Can Do it :) go show 'em girl :)
 
Have you tried asking just as you have gone through the first corner? I struggle on one particular RS horse to canter and was advised to ask slightly later - just after the corner while you still have a bend. It worked for me and I was told it made it easier for the horse. I'm a numpty tho so could be misinforming you. :)
 
dafthoss said:
Take your stirups away for a lesson then you will have to relax or you will bounce off. Could you get your parents or a friend to video a bit of your lesson so you can post on here for some help?

Good luck :)
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This, we used to have regular lessons without stirrups at my old riding school & it helps massively.
 
You can put a pole at 45degrees in the corner of the school which helps the horse transition to canter. Then you can relax a bit and get used to the feel.
Lunge lesson is good. breathing is good too, singing aloud means you have to breathe.:cool:
Good luck and let us know how you get on.

If you have a jumping lesson you will spend most of the lesson in canter but with your focus on the jumps; by the end of an hour you'll most likely have forgotten to worry about going into canter.;)
 
TrasaM said:
So your position in canter is ok it's just the getting into it at the SCARY corner!! I developed a deep hatred of corners for this reason :) Try long steady breaths in and slow breaths out. It'll help you and the horse relax and might distract you from the scary corner 'must get horse to canter oh no will he do it oh noooo it's going wrong' type of things. You Can Do it :) go show 'em girl :)
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Exactly this- open your mouth and breathe down to your diaphram and then use your stomache muscles to push it out again. Try it on the ground first. this will also help with your core.
 
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