Learning to sit to big strided horse

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WelshFox

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How do you learn to sit, in trot and canter, to a very long striding large horse (16.3hh) when the rest of your horses are between 14hh & 15hh and compact with a short stride?

I am hoping to bring my mare back into work following lameness once the weather improves but I really struggle to sit to her canter as I feel she just flings me about all over the place, then I grip with my knees and it all falls apart. Also she is very forward and quite strong so I never feel as though I have control of her in canter (but some of that may come from the fact that my other horses are so short strided that she feels like she is going faster than perhaps she is).

I need to find a new instructor as my previous instructor didn't like her one iota and didn't have anything nice to say about her. No problem with her having her own opinion but that doesn't help me learn to ride her as she was always so negative.

It will be a good few weeks at least before we are looking at canter work but I'm trying to think in advance of ways to help me learn to sit to her huge stride.
 
I had this problem when i went from my little cob my boy i have now, my instructor got me to hold on to the front of the saddle in canter and basically lift both legs up from the hip, sit on my bum and then lower my legs back down, the key is not to grip with the knee's and do try and relax your lower back and lengthen the leg, it does take a lot of practice, it took me months to sit to his canter, his trot i dont have much trouble with as long as its very slow!
hope this helps a little.
 
I had this when I got my new boy - i went from a 15hh cob with a short upright stride to a 16hh wb with a huge ground covering stride. I did a couple of things with my instrucotr in lessons - i got a balance strap for my saddle and had a couple of lessons on the lunge (with and without stirrups). has made a world of difference as my seat is deeper and balance is hugely improved also got my sitting trot and canter transitions sorted whilst on the lunge and it it has all made it easier. We now happily canter 20m circles etc without a 2nd thought. Hope it works for you to!
 
Get a lunge lesson or two! Or have a pal that's good at lunging lunge you a few times! That way, you can think about your seat without worrying that you're out of control.
 
Yep, lunging will help, especially with no stirrups and preferably not holding on to anything.
Don't expect any miracles though as you may have to improve core stability first and get a little more flexible through your hips and lower back. But it will come eventually and then you'll wonder what all the fuss was about!
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Yep, lunging will help, especially with no stirrups and preferably not holding on to anything.


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I agree totally but having a balance strap/breastplate to hold on to when you first start does help to get your balance/confidence. By the end I was riding with no stirrups and with hands on my head or out to the sides!! Its important to take it slowly starting in trot and working up - also important to have an experienced person helping you.
 
Agree on the lunging.

Try holding on to the pommel of the saddle when you are lunging and think of pulling yourself down into it.

Try and move your pelvis with the movement & maybe think of leaning back a little?

Good luck - with practice you will get there.
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I can empathise with you, my 16.3h WB is very big striding, I found the only thing that helped me was doing alot of work without stirrups, I found that it really helped me balance and not get left behind.
 
Thanks all
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I managed to hack her briefly this morning and she was a star bless her, despite the fact it was snowing, freezing cold and she hasnt been ridden for a good few months now.

Once she is a bit fitter we'll head for the school and I'll take my husband with me so if we canter around without stirrups and I bounce out the side, he can catch her for me LOL.
 
I have a 14h welsh cob and a 16.3 selle francais with the most powerful rear end I have ever seen on a horse! When I got my big one I spent the first few weeks standing up in my stirrups to canter (I have a bad back) but soon got used to it. It feels strange as my pony is very choppy, especially in trot. My mare feels like she goes in slow motion.

Jumping them is strange as my pony puts in extra strides so I have to ride him a little backward down distances and my mare I have to ride foward.
 
I have a 14.1hh welsh cob and my big girl is an ID x so the difference is huge. I also ride a 15hh very compact Arab and a 14.3 appy x TB all of whom are very compact and short striding and then my big girl is just soo very different.

I can ride her well if I get my butt out of the saddle but when I try and sit, I just seem to end up tensing and all over the place. Makes me feel like a beginner again LOL.

We will get there, I hope
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