Scared to canter!

LittleMissHorsey2885

LittleMissHorsey2885

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I've bee riding for almost 3 years now but awhile back I started to canter, but my instructor rushed me into it. Having a women chasing you with a whip (to make the pony go faster) is very scary. I just about got over the fear when I had a lesson where I got into canter but the pony wasn't listening to my steering how do you get over a fear and steer. Also I haven't cantered for ages so the fear is building up.:eek3:
 
You need to find an instructor that you trust. Maybe ask for a lunge lesson - that could help with your confidence.
 
Oh dear .. That's not a good way to learn to canter. Same advice as above. You need an understanding instructor who helps you. You could also check to see if there's any riding simulator places near you where you can learn how to move without the fear of horse running off with you or toppling off. I have to confess that when I started riding a couple of years ago I found canter really scary and fast at first .. Good luck
 
A lunge lesson with a different instructor would help but a lesson on a mechanical horse could also be useful, as you will have no fear of being run away with and will be able to get used to the movement.
 
Teaching an ex-racehorse only five years old that it CAN canter on both legs my boss's plan was to chase it with a lunge whip to force it to switch legs - it's very scary !! You need to make sure your instructor puts you on a reliable old school master who you trust to look after you. We used to have school horses that would stop when they felt the rider becoming unbalanced - that's the kind of horse you need !! Explain your fear clearly to your instructor and aim just to do one or two steps of canter at a time and build it up. When I was teaching my sister to ride she was a bit nervous and I explained to her that canter needn't be fast - indeed horses can canter slower than they trot so speed isn't necessarily something to fear. It's a very unique motion but by building it up slowly as I said you'll get used to it. Perhaps even try it on the lunge just to get used to feeling the movement if you're anxious about steering. Don't be too hard on yourself - just take it one step at a time.
 
Do you only ride in the school or do you go out on hacks too? Sometimes it is easier to learn to canter on a hack, nice hill, straight line, steady horse. You don't need to worry about turning and have a bit more time to organise yourself and get used to the movement of it.
 
Explain how you feel to your instructor, see what they say. It may be that you don't look half as bad as you feel and they haven't realised.

I agree a lunge lesson or mechanical horse lesson would be good.
 
3Beasties said:
Do you only ride in the school or do you go out on hacks too? Sometimes it is easier to learn to canter on a hack, nice hill, straight line, steady horse. You don't need to worry about turning and have a bit more time to organise yourself and get used to the movement of it.
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This ^^. That's often the easiest situation for a person to get used to cantering.
 
3Beasties said:
Do you only ride in the school or do you go out on hacks too? Sometimes it is easier to learn to canter on a hack, nice hill, straight line, steady horse. You don't need to worry about turning and have a bit more time to organise yourself and get used to the movement of it.
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I thought about doing that but I get scared about the amount of space there is for the horse to run off.

Thanks for the help everyone:)
 
LittleMissHorsey2885 said:
I thought about doing that but I get scared about the amount of space there is for the horse to run off.

Thanks for the help everyone:)
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Any woodland trails around your way? I own part of a forest which is incredibly thick either side of the trails. I had my trails cut out to only 6ft wide for exactly this reason so that no-one could disappear off into the wilderness.
 
EllenJay said:
You need to find an instructor that you trust. Maybe ask for a lunge lesson - that could help with your confidence.
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Lunge lessons on a steady pony/horse are helpful for building confidence, together with an instructor that encourages you and fills you with confidence, not one who scares you.
 
My instructor was trying to push me into a faster canter with a pony who wasn't listening to me, but i was happy enough. It ended up with me on the floor cause the pony spooked at the sand she threw at it. Lesson: go at your own pace.
 
You need the right horse and the right instructor. Dont let anyone kid you otherwise,we have all felt this at some time. That moment of existensial dread when you suspect that your faithfull steed is about to turn into a complete fruitloop. Personaly I have less of a problem because my faithfull steed Bob the nota cob is permanently in a state of fruitloopery and so nothing he does comes as a surprise:eek::rolleyes:
 
I would be vexed at an instructor that was wielding a whip at a horse with a novice on board who was learning to canter. A calmer environment would be better, possibly with a different horse that doesn't need so much encouragement, and dare I say it, a less old school instructor. He/she sounds scary.
 
Agree with everyone, what an appalling instructor, and a horse rushing in trot is going to find it harder to canter anyway! I agree absolutely change instructors and some decent lessons in a controlled environment, but definitely go out for some hacks, if it's your pony, get one other person who you trust to come out with you, explain how you feel, ask to go for a ride somewhere on a nice bridleway track that goes uphill, have them go in front to set a nice steady and controlled pace, and just ask them to do a few strides at first then come back to trot. Above all, before you ask for canter, breath in and hold your breath tense every muscle in your body, hold for three and then let it all out so you will be a relaxed as possible when you canter, and when you do, remember to breath x you will be fine and you will find canter will come much easier in this environment but being on a hill, much steadier and easier to control x
 
madmav said:
I would be vexed at an instructor that was wielding a whip at a horse with a novice on board who was learning to canter. A calmer environment would be better, possibly with a different horse that doesn't need so much encouragement, and dare I say it, a less old school instructor. He/she sounds scary.
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Vexed? I'd take her crop off her and thwack her upside the head, stupid woman!
 
Agree! Wouldn't discount cantering on a hack with the right person, if they say they are going to Canter you canter while they are still trotting if that makes sence:) QUOTE=Mike007;12365241]Dear OP, you dont have a problem ,you have a bad instructor.[/QUOTE]
 
I used to feel exactly the same so scared to canter. My riding vision of me riding well on my dream horse was always of me cantering down a beach, so when I was on the school I was trotting around and must have started thinking of that vision next thing I knew I was catering! After expelling a few bottom burps I never wanted to walk and trot again.
 
Breathe. Sing to yourself or count strides out loud so you can't hold your breath.

How good is your sitting trot? Always hardest to canter when starting off balance.

Also need a steady sensible horse who will canter easily. I've just graduated to a slightly whizzier horse who canters really easily and can get more onward bound so I always do my first canter in the lesson having done a circle so pointing away from the long side until I know he's listening. Also the group lesson canter to the back of the ride scenario can lead to anticipation and cutting corners so the instructors desl with the whizzier ones first or have everyone trotting in a circle at one end so there's no anticipating when its your turn.
 
I love cantering, but it still terrifies me at times! I've found that cantering on a hack my seat is far better than when I am in the school, but even 2 canters in the school up the long side and my legs will be like jelly!

I would definitely say get an instructor who understands that you are frightened, and just take a breath and go for it. Also, make sure you try it on a horse who has good brakes so that they stop when you need them to. Some of the ponies where I ride don't like to canter round corners, so you know that they will slow as they get to the end of the school, and I can just concentrate on my positioning rather than worry about trying to steer around the corner! lol

I think my pony probably would go round the corner, but she's an old, wise, lady who seems to feel when I am ready to stop without me even asking her too. Such a good girl (but VERY grumpy on the ground! lol).
 
Try singing Kumbaya - you have to breathe deeply & it relaxes you. Once you start cantering you can sing "someone's cantering lord" & you are guaranteed to laugh.
 
Do you want to canter? What actually worries you about cantering? Do you feel secure whilst riding in walk and trot? If your at a riding school why don't you for one week try a different riding school ask on the regional boards for recommendations you never know you might start enjoy yourself, I don't think anyone should pay money for riding they don't enjoy.
 
If I am teaching a first timer adult to canter we do it on the lunge. I would pre- prime the horse by doing walk canter walk transitions before the rider mounts. The walk canter walk is the most comfortable way to learn, but requires a "proper" horse, as in one that is trained and balanced. This takes time and training so the lessons on this paragon of virtue will not be cheap. It is not just the initial training, but the trainer keeping up with it between novice lessons.

I think most people find it difficult to keep their balance on a horse that is not balanced or soft through the back, so it seems counter productive that most people seem to be taught on horses that are not really suitable.

With a good horse and trainer your progress will be fantastic.

But probably not cheap! Try a lung lesson at a large training yard and explain what you want before you go.
 
I also think this is where lessons with a good and sensitive instructor on a schoolmaster come in. Once you are scared you need to take small steps on a well schooled horse imho.
 
Counter-intuitive, but I found it clicked for me when my instructor put me on a whizzy (by rs standards!) horse. I wasn't having to work so hard to get him into canter, so I was able to concentrate on my side of the equation more.

I second the suggestion of the riding simulator. It really helped me with my sitting trot, which in turn helped with my canter.
 
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