Riding Transitions Newbie Questions!

[LadyDarcy]

Ok, bare with me, some completely noob questions coming up!

So I've had group lessons for 10 weeks so far.

We've learnt walk, rising trot and started sitting trot.

So far I feel confident with the horses, mounting and dismounting. I've never had my horse walk off where I don't want him or her to, like some of my group did haha.

So a few questions

So when my horse is walking but a gap is starting to form between us and the horse in front, how do I get him to walk faster without making him go to trot? Or just generally, to go faster or slower in walk or trot, without completing changing to a different er, what's the term, pace? You get me, I hope.

Our instructor says to give them a kick to speed them up, but it doesn't work for me. So when I do kick nothing changes, and if I have a crop they go into trot instead. I try clicking and telling them to walk on, but to no avail.

A similar thing happens when in trot and I am now getting too close to the horse in front and I want to slow down my trot but not walk, but if I pull on the reins we normally end up back in a walk instead of a slow trot. It must be annoying for the horse, and it is frustrating for me.

I've gone into canter on occasion by mistake when riding Darcy (my fave horse at the centre hence my Username!). I have no idea what I did to make him do it!

Please help me!

Thank you so much!

 

[wallflower]

To push the walk on, think about squeezing your horse with your heels rather than kicking him on. Make sure it's a gentle squeeze and that it's even on both sides of his tummy. Once he has started to move off from the squeeze, stop doing it instantly.

To slow your trot, slow your rising and give a half halt (squeeze the rein). Make sure your rising and sitting is even and balanced. Make sure your feet are still.

You probably went into canter by accident because your legs/feet were not still whilst you were sitting and you accidentally gave the aid (inside leg on outside leg back). But kudos to Darcy for being a responsive ride!

 

[LadyDarcy]

Thanks, I will defo try that.
Yes Darcy is pretty responsive compared to the other riding school horses I've noticed. His stirrups have cages which I find really comfy (especially as I have long feet) as I have a problem with losing my stirrups on occasion.

 

[MisterRex]

Sounds like you're learning quick
If you're getting left behind a little bit you can give his tummy a little squeeze and clucking your tongue could cue him on a little bit. As well as this you can 'allow' with the reins a little bit (move your hands towards his neck just slightly or loosen your grip on the reins a tiiiny bit). I don't know if you've been taught to use vocal cues but when I first learnt to ride we were told to encourage the horse with a "walk on!" in a bright tone- but this might just convince the horse that you've got conviction, haha.
Stirrup cages are an absolute life saver when you're starting out, just remember to keep your heels pressed down as much as you possibly can. Just put all your weight into your heels if you can, I find I don't lose my stirrups if I do this
Good luck, Darcy sounds like a great horse!

 

[LadyDarcy]

Thanks!
Yes our horses seem to respond to vocal cues, so perhaps an louder voice might help. Losing my stirrups drives me mad! I need to get to a comfortable riding position

 

[Princess16]

Oh I've loved this thread as I'm having difficulty keeping my horse forward going especially in rising trot. Will definitely try squeezing heels rather than kicking on. Thanks !

Now sorry to hijack thread Darcy but any tips for cantering when nervous about the transition ?

 

[MisterRex]

Keeping trot going can be really hard work, and kicking them often can make them a little 'deaf' to it, so it's best to give a little squeeze otherwise they'll start acting numb.
The very moment your horse speeds up, even a tiny, tiny bit, stop asking and give him or her praise. It's like if your parents keep bothering you to tidy up, and you start tidying up but they keep asking you over and over again. You'll get frustrated and start ignoring them probably. But if they ask and you start tidying and they say "Oh great, thanks! Keep at it!" You're gonna feel pretty motivated. Horses are the same

Now, cantering! :
Well school horses that are considered advanced rides enough to canter are often pretty raring to go, so they usually don't need too much convincing to get going!
The main thing is to remind yourself to SIT DEEP and sit up straight! When I first started cantering I would really push myself into the saddle because I felt a lot safer, you want to feel like you're sitting in the saddle, not on it! It's also fine to grab a lock of the horses' mane or ask for a neck strap. I still hold the horse's mane and i've been cantering for about 8 years
I have a little mantra for cantering, just remember- sit deep, look up, squeeze! If you're just starting to canter you shouldn't need to worry about the lead leg, just bring your outside leg back and this is honestly a perfect time to really get yourself in that saddle comfortably. I know i'm stressing the whole "Sit deep" thing but you should really feel a lot safer if your seat is stable before you even get into the canter.

And also, if things don't quite go to plan the first time round and you can't quite get your horse or pony to canter, it's best to bring them back to a calmer trot. If you keep chasing them around the school you'll both get frustrated and it won't be awfully comfortable for you

 

[Princess16]

Keeping trot going can be really hard work, and kicking them often can make them a little 'deaf' to it, so it's best to give a little squeeze otherwise they'll start acting numb.
The very moment your horse speeds up, even a tiny, tiny bit, stop asking and give him or her praise. It's like if your parents keep bothering you to tidy up, and you start tidying up but they keep asking you over and over again. You'll get frustrated and start ignoring them probably. But if they ask and you start tidying and they say "Oh great, thanks! Keep at it!" You're gonna feel pretty motivated. Horses are the same

Now, cantering! :
Well school horses that are considered advanced rides enough to canter are often pretty raring to go, so they usually don't need too much convincing to get going!
The main thing is to remind yourself to SIT DEEP and sit up straight! When I first started cantering I would really push myself into the saddle because I felt a lot safer, you want to feel like you're sitting in the saddle, not on it! It's also fine to grab a lock of the horses' mane or ask for a neck strap. I still hold the horse's mane and i've been cantering for about 8 years
I have a little mantra for cantering, just remember- sit deep, look up, squeeze! If you're just starting to canter you shouldn't need to worry about the lead leg, just bring your outside leg back and this is honestly a perfect time to really get yourself in that saddle comfortably. I know i'm stressing the whole "Sit deep" thing but you should really feel a lot safer if your seat is stable before you even get into the canter.

And also, if things don't quite go to plan the first time round and you can't quite get your horse or pony to canter, it's best to bring them back to a calmer trot. If you keep chasing them around the school you'll both get frustrated and it won't be awfully comfortable for you

Thanks again. I have a private lesson tomorrow so will bear all of this in mind. You've been really helpful. Totally get what you are saying about keeping kicking as horse becomes numb which I think is very true of RS horses. Also tend to think they just follow the others whilst in group lessons so hopefully being on my own my horse will be more sensitive to my actual aids.

Wish me luck! I'm determined to conquer it

 

[LadyDarcy]

So how do you squeeze them while doing rising trot for example? I'm so busy trying to stand and sit that trying to squeeze at the same time sounds really hard??

 

[pennandh]

So how do you squeeze them while doing rising trot for example? I'm so busy trying to stand and sit that trying to squeeze at the same time sounds really hard??

The trick to that is to squeeze as you sit down, when your leg is already moving inwards a tiny bit because of the way your muscles are working. Pull it in a little further than it moves on its own, and there's your squeeze - dead easy!

 

[LadyDarcy]

The trick to that is to squeeze as you sit down, when your leg is already moving inwards a tiny bit because of the way your muscles are working. Pull it in a little further than it moves on its own, and there's your squeeze - dead easy!

lol! Okay, I will have to think about that thoroughly at my lesson next friday! Lots to keep in mind now, thanks for all the tips!

And I apologise for using the incorrect spelling of bear in the OP! I always use the 'get naked' bare haha, sorry!

 

[MisterRex]

^ Definitely, couldn't have worded it better myself.
A lot of riding is down to muscle memory, so it definitely gets easier over time. If your horse is a little tubby then it can be difficult to start with but it's not too hard to pick up!

Don't worry about it, spelling isn't the most important thing in the world and I understood you perfectly. Good luck with your lesson!

 

[MisterRex]

Thanks again. I have a private lesson tomorrow so will bear all of this in mind. You've been really helpful. Totally get what you are saying about keeping kicking as horse becomes numb which I think is very true of RS horses. Also tend to think they just follow the others whilst in group lessons so hopefully being on my own my horse will be more sensitive to my actual aids.

Wish me luck! I'm determined to conquer it

You're very welcome
I used to feel that a lot too, having a private lesson once in a while is really beneficial. It's nice to just have some time with the horse listening to you and only you. You might also find it's easier to get him to listen to the aids you give. Some very lazy horses are even worse in private lessons but either way it's experience

I bet you'll do great, and have fun!

 

[Princess16]

So I had my lesson and managed to get a few steps in canter but it wasn't as smooth as I would have liked. I sat deep but found myself clenching my thighs (reflex reaction I guess because of speed). The thing I struggled with was sitting deep enough and squeezing on at correct/ right time. Too many things going on as well as transferring reins and holding pommel with one hand.

Gosh why do you lot make it look so easy

 

[MisterRex]

Cantering can definitely be a bit of an overload at times! If it's a bit overwhelming (and it really can be) sometimes just focusing on staying on is the best thing Cantering is pretty tricky to get a hold of and even I sometimes lose my balance for absolutely no reason and deck it, haha. My advice definitely isn't foolproof and what works for me might not work for you, so the best person to trust is yourself. It does get easier with time and you'll definitely work out what to do with yourself to get the most comfortable canter with more practice.