Top tips for trot-canter transitions

[Pippity]

I'm really struggling with my trot-canter transitions. I would put it down to riding school horses being lazy but a) my walk-canter is fine, and b) I struggle with non-rs horses too, so I'm pretty sure it's something I'm doing wrong.

So, inside leg on the girth, outside leg behind the girth, inside hipbone kind of pushed towards the horse's ear (as much as I can manage with my sitting trot being pretty dreadful).

Actually, I'm pretty sure that the answer's going to be to improve my sitting trot, isn't it? Oh, god, poor horses and their poor backs...

 

[ainouu]

When I learned this as a kid in riding school, I remember the instructor making us do sitting trot for ages to get it comfortable before even trying canter. There we were bouncing up and down on the poor horses but after a while I got the hang of it and managed to get a more relaxed, comfortable seat. That really helped with learning canter because if you're bouncing a lot, you can't control your legs properly.

Also make sure you open your hands a bit and don't pull back because otherwise you're giving the horse mixed signals.

 

[Pippity]

That's a good point - I think I may be holding them in without realising it.

Trouble is that, at 11.5 stone, the poor horses really feel me bouncing... (Oh, god, it's another rider-weight thread! Run away!)

Does anyone have any experience of riding simulators? I'm wondering if it might be worth getting the worst of my bouncing out of the way on one of those, seeing as there's one near-ish by.

 

[TrasaM]

This could have been posted by me a few months into my riding journey! Poor horse from me too
I had a lesson when I was away on holiday a while back and the instructor told me to stay in rising trot whilst I gave the canter aid and not sit until I felt the horse's canter stride. By that time I'd become used to the bump bump bumpety bump, canter! damn you CANTER! method Aaaagh.. Try again on the next corner!

Yes it's easier if your sitting trot is established reasonably well. And as ainoou said stay relaxed in your hips and don't tense your arms and block the horse. It will all fall into place though.. Don't worry

 

[pottypony1]

Yes work on sitting trot. Try lots of riding without stirrups, if its hard work then it shows you really need to work on balance so keep doing it until it becomes a breeze!

 

[PleaseVenus]

I struggled too because of my sitting trot. I did lots of work without stirrups and found that helped a lot

 

[Pippity]

Right, I've got a lesson booked on a riding simulator so I can focus on my sitting trot without having to worry about the damage my bouncing is doing to the poor pone's spine. Fingers crossed it'll give me a place to start improving from.

I already do about half of my riding without stirrups (I'm a weirdo, I love it!) but I might start working on trot-canter transitions without them, if I can get up the courage, and see how that goes.

 

[TrasaM]

Right, I've got a lesson booked on a riding simulator so I can focus on my sitting trot without having to worry about the damage my bouncing is doing to the poor pone's spine. Fingers crossed it'll give me a place to start improving from.

I already do about half of my riding without stirrups (I'm a weirdo, I love it!) but I might start working on trot-canter transitions without them, if I can get up the courage, and see how that goes.

Wish I'd done that too. Would love to hear how it goes.

I actually found it easier to get the horse to canter without stirrups. I'm still working on the downwards transition without stirrups though

 

[tinap]

I've just bought a book, '101 schooling exercises' for the daughter. She's experienced but on a new youngster & she's finding it a wealth of information & help even for things she has done for years & years. It's got some great transition exercises in it too xx

 

[Leaveittothediva]

Hi there, Lunge lessons really helped me with trot - canter transitions, i.e without reins in trot and canter and without stirrups also in canter. Having a lunge lesson really lets you focus more on your position, rather than the horse. Hope this helps, all will be well.

 

[mandwhy]

A riding simulator sounds like a great idea for finding your balance - I am having issues with this which are confidence related and I think it will help me to relax as long as I don't fall off the simulator :-O is that even possible? Haha I'm going to look into it.
There are a couple of good heather Moffat videos on YouTube about sitting trot etc, they are done on a simulator and she sort of holds the person riding in the correct position if you see what I mean, which actually sounds quite useful when I can barely hear what an instructor is saying let alone implement it!

 

[madmav]

Good point re hearing what the instructor is saying. On a windy day in an outdoor school, their words are heading out into the heavens for me. No good.
Also, re trot to canter. Try putting a pole down in corner of school when asking for them to strike off. And lunging. Decrease circle until they give canter on correct leg, then release as reward when they do it. Had ex-racer cantering on correct leg within one lesson using both those techniques.