Sitting to the canter.....

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WishfulThinker

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Apart form the overbending I also have a problem sitting to his canter. I am trying to relax through my body and 'go with the flow' but even though I try and absorb it through my ankles etc i still seem to be coming down at a funny angle.
Instead of my pelvis doing a circle, its like a reclining D (but in reverse)
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I know you will probably suggest a lesson on the lunge, but his lordship goes a but funny when being lunged/ridden at the same time, his brain cant seem to handle it.

I have gotten over the hurdle of being scared of cantering, and I can push him on and up into it, but unless I am in a light XC position, I'm bumping. I did once have someone give me a wee lesson, but they werent an instructor and they had me leaning/sitting so far back it felt like I was sitting more on my bum bones and Coxyx than the 3 points ur mean to sit on.

I need to crack this or his canter will never improve. I know I can do a less bumpy canter on my mates horse, but he does have a rockin ghorse canter, Beau is kinda level, with a wee flick up at the end (if u can visualise that)

So, other than a lunge lesson and a balance handle/neck strap any other hints/tips/suggestions??
 
Try some work without stirrups - not just in canter. Put a neckstrap/balance strap on to help keep your balance. Think about opening your hips and letting yourself sink down into the saddle rather than leaning back also lengthening your leg and letting it sit softly on and around the horse. Sounds like you are bouncing because you are tense - you need to relax and soften and learn not to grip.
Good luck
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Agree with the work without stirrups, is the best way to build on your balance and your strength. It seems that you may be gripping with your legs/knees because you are tense. You need to lengthen your legs, open your hips and tip your pelvis forward into the motion and relax into the saddle rather than tensing and gripping with your knees.
 
He is ok in walk and trot. Only done no stirrup canter by accident before falling off jumping.

I have actually started taking Bachs remedys to take away any nerves, and they are definately less. But given that my complete loss of confidence was due to a mad bolting canter episode, speed does scare me, but I know now that I can stop him a lot more easily than before, and that has taken away a lot of my nerves.
I am riding with my stirrups at 'dressage length' they are hitting just below my ankle joint, so I dont have the scope to tip toe myself out of the saddle (this was the problem before).

I do have collapsed ankle though, so I am a very heels down rider. I do wonder if maybe they are TOO down, and thus leaving no more movement and becoming locked?

I have been doing those funny exercises that they get you to do when your learing to ride - legs up and out etc to open up my pelvis.
 
It sounds like from what you are saying that your problems are stemming from the fact that you are tense or nervous. I completely understand as Louis used to be a nut-case when I first got him and any time I felt him about to speed up I would tense and my upper body would tip forward and my knees would grip. I think maybe you need to work on relaxing your body so that your legs hang more and your stength and balance is coming more from your body e.g. your stomach and core. I actually took up pilates and I found this really helped to build up the right muscles and strengthen up my stomach and back.
 
The secret is when you sit taller, your back is softer and can do that circling movement. I used to tell people to pretend they were made of marshmallow, and make themselves feel very light. The more you try to sit down the harder it will be for you! The best place to learn is on a very slow canter out on a hack, you need a long long track so you can canter for ages without touching the horse, just get into canter, sit tall, imagine there is a string on your head lifting you up and sit lightly...
You will see this method works if you watch Spencer Rocks video in Gallery, this is how she learned to canter..
 
rather than thinking of the canter 'swinging' think of the feeling of jumping,as if you were on a spacehopper this will give you a much clearer idea and feeling of opening the hips as the hind leg comes under and the squeeze up as the hind leg pushes off the floor the canter is more like a wave with peaks and troughs and through suppleness in the hips you will be able tto follow that movement.do some work off the horse with a fit ball and maybe some yoga this will help you without the added complication of the horse so you can start to recognise how your body reacts and then you will apply that to the horse. Riding without stirrups is great if you are confident but can create more tension if you are not
 
Have you considered having a lesson on an equisimulator? No risk of the horse running off and gives you plenty of time to learn the movement YOURSELF without the added complication of a horse. These things are pretty advanced too... some of them wont remain in "canter" unless you are sitting correctly enough to allow the movement.

Also, out of interest, when you say you had a lesson that made you sit back on your seatbones - can you gauge just how far back you were? The reason I ask is that the notion of the three point seat (ala Sylvia Loch for example) is still quite disputed amongst even some of the classical trainers (Heather Moffett for example argues that its not a good term to use as it encourages riders to tilt their pelvis too far forwards onto their pubic bone). You do need to be relatively back on your seat bones to avoid the bouncing.

Regarding your stirrup length. While the ideal length for the more classical seat is to let your legs hang free and simply raise your toes slightly to find the length, this does require a pretty independent and balanced seat. If you're riding longer than your seat is capable of, then you will unbalance yourself. Your lower leg will grip upwards to try and stabilise you and this tension will immediatly cause you to bounce in the saddle.

Its hard to say *exactly* whats causing the issue without seeing you ride to be honest though.
 
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