Sitting to the canter better

[saddlesore]

Going to make myself sound like an idiot here but I’ve actually been riding for 35 years ? I find my cobs canter difficult to sit ‘into’ as he’s very mobile through the back (slightly hyper mobile) and I find myself moving far more than I’m comfortable with. Any tips for improving my seat/his canter? I should add that he’s a cob but forward thinking and a tad ‘onward bound’

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

If he is a bit forward could you be a bit tense?

 

[shortstuff99]

Is he working fully over the back? If he isn't that can push you out. You can work on that by going into a light seat, get him working over the back and start to introduce sitting but keeping the back the same. If he is truly over the back I would just make sure to keep yourself 'still' even if it feels a bit blocking as you moving a lot may be pushing him on.

 

[ycbm]

Best description of sitting to the canter I was ever given is to ride it like catching a bouncing ball in your hand. You don't just close your hand on the ball, as it hits your hand, you raise your hand slightly to slow and control the rise of the ball, before pushing it back down again.

If you can picture catching and controlling the motion of the canter like that, it might help, like it did me.
.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

I find that riding bareback really helps me to balance and move with the horse.

Best description of sitting to the canter I was ever given is to ride it like catching a bouncing ball in your hand. You don't just close your hand on the ball, as it hits your hand, you raise your hand slightly to slow and control the rise of the ball, before pushing it back down again.

If you can picture catching and controlling the motion of the canter like that, it might help, like it did me.
.

I like that analogy. I can definitely see that.

 

[Lintel]

Lots of bareback, lots of no stirrups.

Lots of abs!

Bloody kills especially if your horse has a bigger more powerful canter but it's excellent for core development. The stronger your core is the easier you will find it!

 

[saddlesore]

Thanks everyone! Lots of no stirrup work and 2 point seat coming up. He’s the only horse of mine that I’ve found so difficult and I just don’t get why but I suppose they’re all different ?

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Thanks everyone! Lots of no stirrup work and 2 point seat coming up. He’s the only horse of mine that I’ve found so difficult and I just don’t get why but I suppose they’re all different ?

I had one with the most enormous canter stride and I felt like I was being catapulted out of the saddle.

If it’s any consolation, apparently it didn’t look like it felt from the outside, and no one watching us ever picked up on how unbalanced I felt.

 

[Myloubylou]

I found holding onto a neck strap helped me find a more secure balance, she’s got very different stride to my other one & I felt couldn’t sit to it. Our canter work improved very quickly so no longer feel the need to

 

[[131452]]

Look up Mary Wanless explaining how to sit in canter. Basically as the horse's back leg comes forward and creates the impulsion that would bounce you forward in the saddle , that's when you give with your lower back and think about moving your pelvis back towards the back of the saddle. It creates this movement that at first feels like it going against the horse ,but is in fact enabling your lower back to move in time with the horse and not be thrown forwards.

Since breaking my back I tend to guard my back when I ride and not give with my lower back - as a result I find canter hard.
I find a cobby canter harder than a say WB canter as I find the bigger movement easier to soften my back to.

 

[saddlesore]

Look up Mary Wanless explaining how to sit in canter. Basically as the horse's back leg comes forward and creates the impulsion that would bounce you forward in the saddle , that's when you give with your lower back and think about moving your pelvis back towards the back of the saddle. It creates this movement that at first feels like it going against the horse ,but is in fact enabling your lower back to move in time with the horse and not be thrown forwards.

Since breaking my back I tend to guard my back when I ride and not give with my lower back - as a result I find canter hard.
I find a cobby canter harder than a say WB canter as I find the bigger movement easier to soften my back to.

Thanks for this, I think this is part of my issue. I had spinal surgery last year and I wonder if it’s making me more rigid even though I feel relaxed if that makes sense. I feel very self conscious about it ?

 

[[131452]]

Thanks for this, I think this is part of my issue. I had spinal surgery last year and I wonder if it’s making me more rigid even though I feel relaxed if that makes sense. I feel very self conscious about it ?

You may well be guarding your back like I do, which is understandable in your circumstances. Your back might also be stiff like mine is, I'm working on getting more flexibility into my lower back and learning to move it with confidence.
One thing I've found helpful has been having lunge lessons as then I can just focus on sitting and don't need to worry about steering or speed or anything. I usually feel more secure even after one lunge lesson.
But do look up Mary Wanless, how she explains things really works for me.

 

[saddlesore]

I will do it sounds really helpful thanks ?

 

[oldie48]

Not wishing to go against those who suggest bareback or no stirrup work, it really does depend on why the canter is difficult to sit to. Mr B had a forward going but tight in the back canter, if I had ridden him bareback or without stirrups, he would have tightened even more and become even more difficult to sit to. The secret with him was to get him properly through and soft in his back, then amazingly, I found his canter easy and comfortable to sit to. Sometimes it helps to do walk to canter transitions because the horse is more likely to engage the hind end. The other thing I've tried fairly successfully with a more forward going horse is to ask the horse forward but hold with the seat or inner thigh. It's a bit of a balancing act and it makes my thighs scream a bit but it certainly changes the quality of the canter and once softer in the back the canter does become a lot easier.