Controlling and sitting the canter
As a followup to the basics of the canter, this video talks about how to properly sit a canter, and maintain control while in a faster gait.
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Comments on Controlling and sitting the canter
Hi Ali!
I have already send you 2 comments, this is my 3 one. So after watching this video, I tried to let my hips move with the horse in my next lesson, but I just cant do it! Any suggestions?
Thank you for taking your time!
Marcela
Well, only giving yourself one lesson to try to do something isn’t much! Like everything in riding, it takes lots of practice. I would also recommend doing a little bit of riding at the walk without stirrups. If you then just relax in the saddle, your hips will move naturally so you can get the feel of it.
-Ali
Ali Thank you for taking your time to answer my questions, and you did it fast! Thanx for the tip and I was just talking about the first lesson after your video, but I do try it every lesson I have.
Keep up the great work!
Marcela
Of course! My pleasure.
-Ali
Ali
For a short time now I have been cantering and my horse is very fast. Because I am quite new to cantering I almost stand up and lean forward when I am cantering and I learnt in your videos to not! However, when I started to move my hips with the horse’s movement I failed quite miserably! I hae tried for quite a long time now so I am wondering if you have any tips! Thank you!
Aisling
Honestly, it’s just a lot of practice! You have to get the feel of the horse’s movement, and learn how to let different parts of your body move independently. Riding without stirrups can help you develop these skills.
-Ali
Hi Ali
Just wondering when I’m catering and jumping i can’t keep my heels down so one time when i went to jump my feet slipped and i lost control of my pony and i fell of (lucky i and my pony didn’t hurt anything) But to prevent this from happening again how can i get my self to keep my heels down
Please Help!!!
Lauren
Great video! I am finding all these so helpful! Practice is the best advice – my canter is getting better and better each week. Near the end of each lesson I “work on my canter”. I dreaded it at first, but each time the skill comes together a little bit more. I had a new substitute instructor this week who reminded me to keep my arms fluid and follow the motion of the horse in addition to my hips and that helped a lot too.
When I jump my horse Molly she gets very excited even over little jumps! I have tried shorting her stide but she keeps getting faster.
Please Help!
Daisy
Noah used to do the same thing ;) I would go back down to trot poles. Try putting about 8 in a row, properly spaced out for Molly’s normal trot, and practice riding in and out of them while doing your normal work. Molly should stay nice and even through them–if she gets faster in the middle, half halt and tighten up your core muscles. DON’T pull, just light pressure on the reins and be really firm in your post speed–don’t let her speed it up. Once she can do the trot poles evenly, put a tiny cross-rail at the end, a few steps after the last pole. Ride the poles exactly the same way as if the jump wasn’t there. When she can do that, then you can try cantering the cross rail with a few canter poles in front of it. If she still gets faster, circle in front of the jump, and don’t go over it until she can approach it balanced and even.
Hope that helps!
-Ali
You are so right–practice is the key ;) Good suggestion about arms, too.
-Ali
I have tried what you suggested and it worked! Finally she can approach a jump without going completly wild! ;)
i need info on how to ask ur horse to canter and gow to get on the right trotting lead
Every time I canter, I end up taking too much stirrup. I think it’s because I’m gripping too much, but no matter how hard I try to keep my heels down and relax, it isn’t working. Do you have any tips?
Thanks so much. <3
hi Ali one of my horses names is todd and when i canter him i attend to lean forward and grab on to the mane and attend to pull the reins so he moves his head back and forth so i have to slow him down but its only on him that i do that on and his canter is really smooth but he is veryyyyyy tall!!i was wondering if you had any tips for me to do for me to quit doing that please help mee!!:) sincerly:a really big fan of yours!!:)
Hi Ali,
I Tried to watch your video but it didn’t work, once it did on my friends laptop i was really confused because i saw another saying the complete opposite! When I canter i ALWAYS fall off plus i can’t seem to get the rythm right. I ride every other week but im starting to ride every week now, would that effect my riding and, how cxan i make myself more into rythnm?
Thanks so much,
Horsecrazygirlz
To Ali,
I have been practicing canter with my new horse but he wont cooperate. What should i do?
Well, unfortunately “not cooperate” isn’t very specific so I’m afraid I can’t give you any good advice…But good luck!
-Ali
I’m sorry the video isn’t working, I checked them all and they are fine on this end… It may have something to do with your friend’s laptop’s internet settings or something. The more riding you do, the better you get, so riding every week is much better than every other week. Getting the rhythm of the canter is hard–it takes lots of practice. Getting lessons on a lunge line can really help.
-Ali
I know you checked out my video on “the basics of cantering” but that’s the best way I have of explaining how to canter…
-Ali
I really try to focus on my breathing, as that can relax my whole body. You can try breathing in for two strides and breathing out for two strides, to also help you feel the rhythm. Also, don’t just think about keeping your heels down but also dropping your weight into them.
Happy trails!
-Ali
I’m not completely sure what’s going on with Todd, but all horses move their heads when the canter… If you are holding mane as well, you shouldn’t be able to pull on the reins… Hmm. I’m afraid I’d have to see what was going on to be able to offer any good advice.
-Ali
Hey, Ali! Need a bit of help here! My boy has a really, and I mean really, bouncy canter and I have the hardest time sitting it! I’ve watched this video millions of times along with others and I’ve even asked it of facebook to a couple of the “groups” that I’m in. So I was wondering what advice you could give me. Thanks!
thanks ali i will try to practice and see if i can stop leaning forward!!
Hi Ali I’m having trouble controlling the horse in canter which means i can’t get the approach to a jump right its really annoying that i can’t do it what can i do to get the approach right and control the horse better
Unfortunately, I’d need to see how you canter to be able to help you “control the canter” better, as I don’t know what’s going on. Have you tried the tips and exercises suggested in this video?
-Ali
Do you have any tips about smooth downward transitions? I have a hard time going from a posting trot to a walk smoothly. Love your vids!!
So I have a video on upward transitions (clearly I need to do one on downward) but a lot of the premises are the same. Smooth downward transitions require the horse to be balanced and carrying himself properly, and the rider to be balances and gentle in his aids. To go from a posting trot to a walk, it’s often best to practice sitting for a step or two while you ask for the transition. Use your seat and hips way more than your hands–if your body “walks,” the horse will automatically walk too.
-Ali
Hi Ali,
When cantering do you keep a little bit of loosened rein or a shortened rein with a straight line?
Thank You for all these videos!!!