Needing advice for sitting back in a bouncy and heavy canter.

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whoopsy

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I ride a lesson horse who has a VERY bouncy and heavy canter, she also tends to keep her head down and canter with her head sort of?

My trainer is always telling me to sit back. I’ve improved my seat quite a bit and never feel off balanced just coming out of the saddle in the canter a bunch. When I first started cantering a few years ago I leaned forward significantly and now sit straight.
I’m being told to sit back and sit tall at the same time? This horse’s canter feels like you’re constantly going down a slope and you hit some speed bumps along the way— today for maybe 3 strides I sat back more than usual, still coming out the saddle slightly but not enough to throw me off. It felt like where my hip is was kind of folding over and onto my bum.
Is this normal for the time being until I get used to sitting back like this? I never feel like I’m really in control with her canter as my feet feel they’re swinging a lot (but not on video so I think it’s just her bouncy canter) and I’m coming in and out of the saddle and going forward everytime I don’t expect a movement.

Any advice on improving this?? Exercises off the horse I can do to improve muscle or sensation? Or just riding this way until it becomes habit?
 
Make sure your weight is firmly in your stirrups, as in you are actively pushing your heels down. That will give you a lot more stability and leave you balancing lightly in the saddle, able to absorb whatever is going on beneath you better.
 
I'd suggest you do a few things:

Firstly find yourself a Pilates class and learn to strengthen your core muscles. You might also find some bounce-ball exercises helpful in achieving better balance and core strength.

Secondly go and have a lesson on an "artificial" horse; a friend of mine hadn't ridden for 3 years (since she'd lost her last horse in fact) and wants to get back into the saddle so she can back her youngster. She went for a "rocking horse" lesson the other day, and said she found it very beneficial indeed.

Thirdly, book a lunge-lesson on a schoolmaster. This won't need to be very long!! Just to get you to sit down into the horse rather than bouncing around.

Hope this helps.
 
I'd also work on getting the horse to raise it's head and collect a bit more, and also try to relax through your hips and lower back. The tendency is to tense up/curl forward. Keep your feet a tiny bit forward and your weight a tiny bit back and into your spine/tailbone. When I started canter work with my youngster that was how she was, kind of falling into it and very downhill, but as she's got more balanced and stronger that's completely resolved. (I'm only speaking from my own experience here and may be talking rubbish).
 
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