Keeping legs quiet in canter

[Trinket12]

Does any one have any tips or out of saddle exercises they could recommend to help me keep my lower leg quieter in canter? I don't think I'm really bad, they're not waving around like an octopus, but I would like to work on it and improve!

 

[Cowpony]

Do alternate sitting and rising in trot - so sit for 8 beats, rise for 8, and once you can do that reduce the number of beats you do each. Then go into canter and sit for 4, go into light seat for 4. Then reduce as before. Gives you a rock solid lower leg.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I do seem to write this a lot ...........riding without stirrups

 

[Bernster]

Meh mine swing around like a pendulum 😖

 

[JFTDWS]

Without stirrups, and two point work, definitely. Though to be fair, they pretty much cure everything, in my book!

 

[Trinket12]

Thanks! We’re already doing some no stirrup work in lessons and two point in walk, trot and canter. So it sounds like I just need more practice!

 

[Shay]

Standing in your stirrups really helps too - not in two point, or just rising but actually standing upright. (Use a neck strap so you are not initially balancing on the reins). Stra at walk. When you can stand upright in both trot and canter you will have a stable lower leg.

 

[Keith_Beef]

I do seem to write this a lot ...........riding without stirrups

Standing in your stirrups really helps too - not in two point, or just rising but actually standing upright. (Use a neck strap so you are not initially balancing on the reins). Stra at walk. When you can stand upright in both trot and canter you will have a stable lower leg.

Surely combining both these would be DOUBLY effective! Standing up in no stirrups.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Standing in your stirrups really helps too - not in two point, or just rising but actually standing upright. (Use a neck strap so you are not initially balancing on the reins). Stra at walk. When you can stand upright in both trot and canter you will have a stable lower leg.

See I do this I don't have the nerve to go without stirrups on my 2 I would be eating dirt for sure

 

[TheOldTrout]

Meh mine swing around like a pendulum 😖

Mine too

 

[Pearlsasinger]

See I do this I don't have the nerve to go without stirrups on my 2 I would be eating dirt for sure

You should really find that no stirrups has the opposite effect, making your seat deeper and improving your balance, immediately.

 

[Pinkvboots]

You should really find that no stirrups has the opposite effect, making your seat deeper and improving your balance, immediately.

I know it does but if they do a spook and then accelerate it is so quick, and since I have broke my ankle I so don't want to come off as my confidence is not what it was, I would happily do no stirrups on the lunge and feel much safer!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Having broken my ankle myself, I do understand how you feel. Probably best to stick to no stirrups on the lunge, for now, at least, you still get the benefits.

 

[Trinket12]

Standing in your stirrups really helps too - not in two point, or just rising but actually standing upright. (Use a neck strap so you are not initially balancing on the reins). Stra at walk. When you can stand upright in both trot and canter you will have a stable lower leg.

We did this the other week! I did not enjoy it, I did manage about three steps in walk before I had to grab hold of the strap. We did also try trotting with no stirrups and not on the lunge line... it did not go well. While I did stay on, for some reason my right leg was creeping up and backwards and looked like a chicken wing! When my coach stopped laughing, we got the neck strap and lunge line

By the fourth go of no stirrups in trot, I was feeling more stable. But I'm not giving up that neck strap anytime soon!

 

[oldie48]

A completely different approach is to work on general suppleness and encourage your horse to be softer in the back, it's amazing how quietly you can sit on a horse that is using his back nicely especially if he has quite big paces.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

A completely different approach is to work on general suppleness and encourage your horse to be softer in the back, it's amazing how quietly you can sit on a horse that is using his back nicely especially if he has quite big paces.

True but that is beyond the capabilities of most people who are worried about their legs moving/flapping etc. Most horses find it difficult to be soft in the back when the rider doesn't sit still and allow them to be. A bit chicken and egg, admittedly but I think the riding has to be addressed first, personally.

 

[milliepops]

Something else to think about is whether your horse is really in front of your leg and taking you along. It's much easier to sit quieter if you aren't also having to motivate your horse at the same time
Can you sit on your seatbones and just let your legs drape down the horse's sides, or do you feel like you have to keep reminding him to canter? that will really affect your ability to work on your position

 

[JFTDWS]

But I'm not giving up that neck strap anytime soon!

William Fox Pitt still uses his, so while he feels he needs one, I'm quite sure the rest of us should too

 

[Trinket12]

Something else to think about is whether your horse is really in front of your leg and taking you along. It's much easier to sit quieter if you aren't also having to motivate your horse at the same time
Can you sit on your seatbones and just let your legs drape down the horse's sides, or do you feel like you have to keep reminding him to canter? that will really affect your ability to work on your position

He's 31 so needs lot's of reminding Also his owner allows him to get away with murder, if he stops she lets him. He's a little better with me, but he's definitely more whoa than go! We were cantering poles the other day and I asked a question as we were going, which prompted him to trot, walk and then stop! It's because when his owner has a question to ask, she stops whatever they're doing and goes and stands with him wherever the coach is. So now when he hears someone talking, that's his cue for a rest

I shouldn't malign his character though, he has his 'quirks' but is safe as houses and I have learnt way more on him in the last 6 months than I ever did on Trinket (well other than how to sit a spook )

 

[oldie48]

True but that is beyond the capabilities of most people who are worried about their legs moving/flapping etc. Most horses find it difficult to be soft in the back when the rider doesn't sit still and allow them to be. A bit chicken and egg, admittedly but I think the riding has to be addressed first, personally.

True but riding without stirrups requires some skill or the rider just ends up gripping with their knees and bouncing which can then make the horse tighter in his back and even harder to sit on. I totally agree, a bit chicken and egg! MPs point about being in front of the leg is also very relevant especially now that I have seen the horse is 31 and will stop if given the chance.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

True but riding without stirrups requires some skill or the rider just ends up gripping with their knees and bouncing which can then make the horse tighter in his back and even harder to sit on. I totally agree, a bit chicken and egg! MPs point about being in front of the leg is also very relevant especially now that I have seen the horse is 31 and will stop if given the chance.

Indeed, it might be better for OP to develop skills on a mechanical horse or on the lunge on a different horse.

 

[Trinket12]

True but riding without stirrups requires some skill or the rider just ends up gripping with their knees and bouncing which can then make the horse tighter in his back and even harder to sit on. I totally agree, a bit chicken and egg! MPs point about being in front of the leg is also very relevant especially now that I have seen the horse is 31 and will stop if given the chance.

He's pretty good on the lunge, because my coach is right there! The last couple we did, I felt more balanced and relaxed into it. But it sounds like I just need to keep at it with the no stirrup stuff and work on my core exercises outside of my lessons.