I'm very sorry about your grandmother! I hope your doing okay. Thanks for the video. You are a great rider and I love seeing these example videos. I find it easier to visualize and notice what your talking about when your demonstrating it by riding. Thank you again!
When you're out on a trail, there isn't an "inside" or "outside" leg anymore--you just have to decide which lead you want, and then use the same aid you would in an arena. So if you want a right-lead canter, you keep your right leg at the girth and move your left leg back a touch. For left lead, it's reversed. -Ali
Hi! I started to canter in the nature in group with other riders and when cantering, every horse i sit, starts the left-lead canter (going only straight forward). I give clear signs - left heel 15 cm back, right heel at the normal position and right rein pulling. Whats the problem?
Thank you so much Ali. I did what you said to do in the canter, and I enjoyed the canter sooooo much more. I might canter off the lunge line next week. Thanks!
This is one of the best videos I've found for explaining the canter...I know how to canter but it's always nice to be reminded of the basics so I really found this video very helpful! :)
Cantering takes a lot of practice. The relaxation will come when you are confident in your seat and comfortable with the horse's motion, and that only happens after hours and hours of cantering practice. Staying balanced in a matter of learning where your body needs to go. Doing trot work without stirrups (and maybe even a little cantering without stirrups on a lunge line) will really help that balance. Just keep at it! -Ali
I searched the Internet for the definition of the word 'canter' when I read it in one of Stephen King's short stories. So, I found the definition, but I still really didn't know what the canter was all about. Your video helped me understand this gait, and I now have great admiration for both the horse and the rider. Wow, suspended in mid-air, amazing! Thank you so very much for this educational experience!
Great question! On the trail, the best thing you can do is to just make sure you alternate sides regularly. So there's no "correct" lead or diagonal, but you don't want your horse cantering the whole time on his left lead or you posting the whole time off the right diagonal. -Ali
Cantering on a 15 or 20m circle or out of corners really helps horses pick up the correct lead. If you're able to do leg yields, riding down quarterline and then leg-yielding to the wall, asking for the canter right as you reach the wall, can also help. Good luck! -Ali
This is a great video but there is one thing that I have noticed that some of the veiwers are not sure what leg to use to pick up the left or right led and the anser is very easy . The first step in the canter comes from the outside hind leg so if you want to pick up a right led you need to time the left hind foot when it is on the ground and ask for the canter and you should pick up the right led . Hopes this helps ps sorry for your loss
Ive just started riding, my instructor is getting me to canter now and every time the horse goes into canter i panic and i feel like im going to fall off, i just cant keep myself in a comfortable and easy position, i cant wait to take your advice next lesson!
Check out Ali's other video on Controlling and sitting the canter - and the suggestion to try riding without stirrups - I tried last week in my lesson and found it really helped me get a feel for where and how to grip/hold my legs for the canter and seated trot.
@Cheesekake343 For getting your horse to pick up the correct lead, it's actually simple: look the direction you want to go after the jump. If your horse ignores this, then while you are in the air over the jump give the canter aid for the lead you want him to land with. As for a good headset, that comes after you've got proper movement. Too many people (me worst of all!!) worry about where the horse's head is before they get forward movement and rhythm. The head will come ;) -Ali
I was taught just give pressure with the outside leg for a different lead. Like, if you want a right lead, push with your left leg. Is this just as well as what you said? (:
When I canter I struggle a lot with 3 things,How to get the horse cantering on the right leg,How to stay in the saddle and not bouce,and how to have a smooth transaction from trot to canter. Thanks Laura
The lead is determined by how the horse is cantering, not which direction you are going. The CORRECT lead for what you described would be the right lead, but your horse could do what's called counter-canter and canter on his left lead. Hope that makes sense...! And horses' canters vary as much as each horse does ;) -Ali
I love your videos, they are so informative! Could you do a video on how to get your horse to pick up the correct lead from a trot and after a jump? Also, could you do one on how to get your horse into a nice head set in the canter? (we're pro at walk and trot, and canter on the lunge line, but I always feel like I'm pulling too much on his mouth in the saddle)
@AbieyieLovesYou Squeezing your thighs isn't how you cue it, you squeeze with your calves (did I say that wrong in the video?). I would work with your horse on walk trot transitions until he gets more responsive. You can also ride with a dressage whip to encourage him to move off your leg. Also, practice moving your calves/heels without it effecting the rest of your body--even practice at the halt and the walk. Good luck! -Ali
@grassblade999 depends the horse you ride, if you have a horse that is hard to get going and hard to keep going, you should kick behind the girth with the outside leg and keep it there but if you have a really easy going horse you can move it back to the correct position. Hope this helps!
Indeed, some horses who have been trained to ignore leg squeezes (by inattentive riders) may at first require a kick. The goal is to get them back to the point where you don't even have to squeeze--just lifting your inside hip could be enough ;) But that's the highest level of training. -Ali
Being scared is totally normal, but I would say that you should only canter when you're just a little nervous, not full-out scared, because you want it to be a good experience for the first time ;) So just take it a step at a time! Listen to what your trainer says, and ask lots of questions. Then maybe try it on a lunge line first--that way, if you get a little unbalanced, you can just grab the saddle and your trainer can control the horse. Sit deep and relax :) -Ali
hey ali, yh, she said ive got a really strong leg in trot, but shes taught me since i was 4 and ive been riding just over 12 years now, but my instructors very firm, and i try to gentle approach, like using your fingers with the reins instead on yanking on em, and i give small nudges, but she always wants full blown kicks, and she makes me use a dressage crop to reinforce it, the thing i really hate is if they argue a bit, she makes me put the reins in one hand and a sharp smack with the crop :(
Ive watched the video,and several others from differant users and your had to be the best, eg) In some of the videos they just dropped the lead rope and i was thinking 'eurm..isont that dangerous'? but anyway,Thanks for the help.
@aokamins11 Thank you so much! I always over think it and then i start to tense when i know i should relax more! I cant wait till spring so i can start riding again!
could you make a video o how to do flying lead changes? i am getting a horse hopefully soon and i am planning on doing hunter/jumper with the horse. but i have no clue how to do a flying lead change. like what do ihave to do with my aids to make the horse do a lead change while cantering. your videos are so amazing because you explain everything so well!! yo like my online trainer! lol. i watch all of your videos and they are all so very helpful!!
you may just need to encourage him more with your lower leg. Obviously, when you are out of the saddle, you can't use your seat to keep your horse moving forward. But if you give him squeezes with your calf muscles you can keep him going! -Ali
Amber Keeney canter is good and pretty fun but it takes a while to learn how to sit still and balance. sometimes u can lose our foot in the stirrup. if that happens don't try and put ur foot back in the stirrup until u go to walk or stop. when u do lose it foot in the stirrup while still cantering then just rap ur foot around the horse and stretch ur foot down around the horses belly. just some tips. hope it's helped
@@dianemannion5902 only managed to canter twice! Had to rehome my paint 4 years ago due to some unforeseen circumstances. But she is now owned by a 13 year old girl who shows her in western pleasure and takes wonder care of her! I havent horse back ridden since I rehomed her and I miss it so much!
@countrygirl101yall It depends on your seat, how bumpy your horse is, and what you prefer or if your horse has medical conditions which makes it hard for you horse to canter with the weight of a saddle and a rider.
@CEChelsea13 Thank you ;) I'm very glad these videos help!! It makes it worth the hours it takes to make them :D I certainly find it easier to see what I'm saying when you can watch it in a horse!! -Ali
thankyou! i have started more cantering and i now know how to sit the canter! :D i am so happy lol but i have one thing. i want to start entering the greentree stables gymcanas... i ride english so i wanted to no what should i do cause when i go around the barrels i am scared to turn sharp. how can i get my confidance up?
To be perfectly honest, I think that cantering western and cantering English are almost exactly the same! Especially dressage, because your stirrups are long like in Western. Cantering in a jumping saddle is different, because you can't use the weight of your legs to help you stay in the saddle, so you have to be much more in time and in tune with the horse's movements. Ask your teacher what she thinks is so different... -Ali
hey ali! I just wanted to ask if all horses respond to the inside leg squeezing at the girth and your outside leg squeezing just behind the girth to get into canter. Or do some horses just respond to a kick? P.S You r an amazing riding and you have taught me soooo much! Thanks for that! i love ur videos!
Informative video :) thanks for your effort. I would like to ask a Q: while cantering i try to keep my lower body on the saddle but i do it for short reps and my knees pressing on side of the saddle.. I feel pain on my tailbone .. Is it normal? Any advise ladies and gentlemen
I would go back down to the walk and work on riding without stirrups. You just have to build your riding muscles back up ;) How's your sitting trot? I'd work on trotting with no stirrups too, on a lunge line first. Also, the fact that you're hitting the saddle hard tells me you're not letting your hips "roll" with your horse's canter. Don't worry, it's going to take some practice again, so cut yourself some slack ;) Hope that helps! -Ali
this helped a lot! i just started to canter but should i make my stirrups long or short while cantering in full seat? cuz last time they were a little long and i almost fell off....
When I ask a horse to canter, I try to stay connected to him so I can feel his movement. Then, it's all about anticipating. I feel when a horse is about to break into a trot, and before he does it I give him another leg aid, and click my tongue in a canter-like rhythm, so the horse understands that I want him to keep cantering. Try to feel your pony's movement and act before he makes a wrong move, give him more guidance.
Hi, I love yr vids. I recently got back into riding after a 6 year break. I never used to have any trouble w canter & I always had good balance & a relaxed seat, but this year I have found it embarrassingly hard. I've been hitting the saddle really hard & not sitting deep enough, which causes my core muscles/diaphragm area to jolt quite painfully when his feet hit the ground. I've been leaning forward during transitions & not sitting on my seat bones properly. Do u have any tips to remedy this?
Practice :) Start out turning in big circles around the barrels, and just slowly each time you ride work closer and closer. You'll get there in no time :D -Ali
ok, i will! i'm getting an instructor soon so she should help! but yeah i agree, fun!! :) and ok, but yeah, i don't wanna be going down!! :)) x thank you!x
(I'm imagining cantering to see if I squeeze with my thighs at all...) I guess a little, just to keep your upper leg firm. But DO NOT grip with your thighs at all--meaning, don't squeeze with them to hold you in the saddle. Does that make sense? You should stay in the saddle because your weight is deep, going through your heels and seat bones. You just don't want your thighs flabby and wiggling around, so that's why you lightly, LIGHTLY squeeze. -Ali
so to start i love your videos, but i do have a question and i hope you can help. im working with a TB gelding whos a little on the crazy side. hes been off the track for a while now, but still thinks hes there sometimes. when i ask for the canter he sometimes bolts or runs into it. if its not one, its the other. any sugestions on how i can fix this? thanks (:
@aokamins11 hey ali, ive been cantering for a long time, but ive always had a weak leg in canter, the problem i have is kicking/nudging when cantering is there anything you can recoomend because my instructor constantly says kick! kick! kick! and i just feel like my legs are behind me and i just cant bring them to kick, i dont lean thou, and roll/rock with the mtion my legs just don'T!!!!!!!
I'm just learning to canter, and have only cantered off a lunge line twice. whenever i canter, my feet are always bouncing up and down in the stirrup, so my foot itself is still in the stirrup, but i'm not actually touching the bottom of the stirrup. Do you have any suggestions on how to prevent this? Could this be fixed by improving my sitting trot?(i'm also very bad at my sitting trot...i bounce around everywhere!) or should i just be squeezing with my calves more?
I have a question about the leads. So, if I am cantering and my left side is closer to the fence, is it a right lead or a left lead? And also, Do most horses have smooth canters? Thanks.
Omg I’m so sorry abt ur grandma…. I’m watching this bc my cousin who’s eight and just started riding is cantering and me who’s been riding for two years and isn’t.
Aw, well thank you ;) First, a year is not that long to be riding--you should give yourself a break ;) I've been riding for almost 16 years, I think. That's a lot of hours in the saddle. So just keep practicing your sitting trot. Try riding without stirrups at the beginning of every lesson--that will help both your canter and your sitting trot. Good luck! -Ali
ali i was wondering if you can help me, i have tried a few times to canter but it always goes wrong and leaves me shaken, last time i did it, i couldn't slow the horse down, or stay in the seat, i find it really difficult, my friend told me to grip with me knees, but i don't really understand this, she said i also need to look up as my head is causing me to go forward, making it harder for me, any help or advice?
I think you should go back to the trot, and work on your position and confidence. Try riding without stirrups, and do some canter work on a lunge line. There's no rush to canter, and you want it to be fun! Also, don't grip with your knees, whatever your friend says. You stay in the saddle through your balance. Think about dropping your weight all the way through your heels. But do try to look up, she's right there! You go where you look, so don't look down ;)
I've been riding for years and I think that's the first time anyone has properly explained the canter to me and how I should sit. Thanks
I'm very sorry about your grandmother! I hope your doing okay. Thanks for the video. You are a great rider and I love seeing these example videos. I find it easier to visualize and notice what your talking about when your demonstrating it by riding. Thank you again!
I am cantering tomorrow! Had to look at this because I learn quickly and I wanna impress my teacher! Wish me luck! ^_^
Uh its been 7 years how are you doing now
Very helpful! I have a lesson tomorrow and I didn't mind this refresher, thank you, and very clear!
Omg u ride at firefly
When you're out on a trail, there isn't an "inside" or "outside" leg anymore--you just have to decide which lead you want, and then use the same aid you would in an arena. So if you want a right-lead canter, you keep your right leg at the girth and move your left leg back a touch. For left lead, it's reversed.
-Ali
Hi!
I started to canter in the nature in group with other riders and when cantering, every horse i sit, starts the left-lead canter (going only straight forward). I give clear signs - left heel 15 cm back, right heel at the normal position and right rein pulling. Whats the problem?
I am sorry for your loss :( Grannies are the best, she will watch over you :) thank you for the video you are a great teacher!
Thank you so much Ali. I did what you said to do in the canter, and I enjoyed the canter sooooo much more. I might canter off the lunge line next week. Thanks!
I love the way you move with the horse, and the way you sit! Beauiful Job
This is one of the best videos I've found for explaining the canter...I know how to canter but it's always nice to be reminded of the basics so I really found this video very helpful! :)
thank you this is so much simpler to understand and very well explained i find alot of other videos just spew mumbo jumbo and i cant keep up
thanks! i actually started cantering english this week and you're right! it feels pretty much the same! this video helped a lot, thanks, Ali!!
agreed. Also on the how to sit and control the canter video. Very well done! I have been cantering wrongly for years, thank you!
Thanks so much for making this video. I'm just starting to learn how to canter.
Cantering takes a lot of practice. The relaxation will come when you are confident in your seat and comfortable with the horse's motion, and that only happens after hours and hours of cantering practice. Staying balanced in a matter of learning where your body needs to go. Doing trot work without stirrups (and maybe even a little cantering without stirrups on a lunge line) will really help that balance. Just keep at it!
-Ali
I searched the Internet for the definition of the word 'canter' when I read it in one of Stephen King's short stories. So, I found the definition, but I still really didn't know what the canter was all about. Your video helped me understand this gait, and I now have great admiration for both the horse and the rider. Wow, suspended in mid-air, amazing! Thank you so very much for this educational experience!
Wah. ..pleased to meet an alien
I'm learning to canter and this has helped alot. Thanks !!!
your videos help so much! i cant wait until i can ride again
Thanks for this video, nice to just show the basics!
Great question! On the trail, the best thing you can do is to just make sure you alternate sides regularly. So there's no "correct" lead or diagonal, but you don't want your horse cantering the whole time on his left lead or you posting the whole time off the right diagonal.
-Ali
Brilliant lesson! Very clear explanations and video. I think I finally see what the lead is about after all these years.
+Zip Pain sub4sub???
Cantering on a 15 or 20m circle or out of corners really helps horses pick up the correct lead. If you're able to do leg yields, riding down quarterline and then leg-yielding to the wall, asking for the canter right as you reach the wall, can also help. Good luck!
-Ali
This is a great video but there is one thing that I have noticed that some of the veiwers are not sure what leg to use to pick up the left or right led and the anser is very easy . The first step in the canter comes from the outside hind leg so if you want to pick up a right led you need to time the left hind foot when it is on the ground and ask for the canter and you should pick up the right led . Hopes this helps ps sorry for your loss
Ive just started riding, my instructor is getting me to canter now and every time the horse goes into canter i panic and i feel like im going to fall off, i just cant keep myself in a comfortable and easy position, i cant wait to take your advice next lesson!
Wow you seem like an angel. Thanks for the amazing video
Thanks this vid helped alot! Even though i already know how to canter i still needed some refreshing on the basics
I love cantering it's so smooth but its not as easy as it looks though
Check out Ali's other video on Controlling and sitting the canter - and the suggestion to try riding without stirrups - I tried last week in my lesson and found it really helped me get a feel for where and how to grip/hold my legs for the canter and seated trot.
@horrorbitch Indeed, she's keeping an eye out for me now ;) Thanks for your support! And thanks for the kind words ;)
-Ali
@Cheesekake343 For getting your horse to pick up the correct lead, it's actually simple: look the direction you want to go after the jump. If your horse ignores this, then while you are in the air over the jump give the canter aid for the lead you want him to land with.
As for a good headset, that comes after you've got proper movement. Too many people (me worst of all!!) worry about where the horse's head is before they get forward movement and rhythm. The head will come ;)
-Ali
Beautiful canter! You make it look like anyone can do it.
This helps a lot thank you so much!!!
That was great thanks. You described it very well.
You should definatly be a riding instructer!! You explain things so well
I was taught just give pressure with the outside leg for a different lead. Like, if you want a right lead, push with your left leg. Is this just as well as what you said? (:
Thanks my trainer always start me out on a lunge line when im trying new things :} ill try to keep my cool and live in the moment.
hows it going now?
When I canter I struggle a lot with 3 things,How to get the horse cantering on the right leg,How to stay in the saddle and not bouce,and how to have a smooth transaction from trot to canter. Thanks Laura
The lead is determined by how the horse is cantering, not which direction you are going. The CORRECT lead for what you described would be the right lead, but your horse could do what's called counter-canter and canter on his left lead. Hope that makes sense...! And horses' canters vary as much as each horse does ;)
-Ali
Thank you! I started cantering 1 month ago and I need to know how to get better
awe rip Ali's grandmother :(
You ride canter really well
your videos are awesome
Thank you so so so so so so so so much! This helped me ALOT!
@horseobsessed120 :D Sorry about the delay!
-Ali
I LOOVE to canter! It's so much easier then I thought it would be, hahaha x3 (it's very smooth, I've never fallen off) :0)
I love your videos, they are so informative! Could you do a video on how to get your horse to pick up the correct lead from a trot and after a jump? Also, could you do one on how to get your horse into a nice head set in the canter? (we're pro at walk and trot, and canter on the lunge line, but I always feel like I'm pulling too much on his mouth in the saddle)
wow, thanks!!! That's a huge compliment! So glad I could help :D
-Ali
@AbieyieLovesYou Squeezing your thighs isn't how you cue it, you squeeze with your calves (did I say that wrong in the video?). I would work with your horse on walk trot transitions until he gets more responsive. You can also ride with a dressage whip to encourage him to move off your leg. Also, practice moving your calves/heels without it effecting the rest of your body--even practice at the halt and the walk. Good luck!
-Ali
Today I had my first lesson on how to canter. The horse I was riding was OTTB, I almost fell of... he was so quick :)
iwonabr first time I cantered, I had a great seat! But not anymore lol, how r u doing now
iwonabr oh, wanna here my story of my first canter? The horse was not having it and he bucked XD
@grassblade999 depends the horse you ride, if you have a horse that is hard to get going and hard to keep going, you should kick behind the girth with the outside leg and keep it there but if you have a really easy going horse you can move it back to the correct position. Hope this helps!
+Anastasiya Bykovskaya sub4sub???
Terrific instruction..thanks
Indeed, some horses who have been trained to ignore leg squeezes (by inattentive riders) may at first require a kick. The goal is to get them back to the point where you don't even have to squeeze--just lifting your inside hip could be enough ;) But that's the highest level of training.
-Ali
thank you! this vid has been helpful! my pony has troble staying in the canter...w/o breaking 2 the trott...what should i do?
Being scared is totally normal, but I would say that you should only canter when you're just a little nervous, not full-out scared, because you want it to be a good experience for the first time ;) So just take it a step at a time! Listen to what your trainer says, and ask lots of questions. Then maybe try it on a lunge line first--that way, if you get a little unbalanced, you can just grab the saddle and your trainer can control the horse. Sit deep and relax :)
-Ali
This was always so hard for me to catch onto my teacher would always be like UR LEAD UR LEAD. I wanted to just enjoy the ride 😂
I hope to canter soon xx
Haha a great idea for all of life, not just riding!! Good for you.
-Ali
hey ali, yh, she said ive got a really strong leg in trot, but shes taught me since i was 4 and ive been riding just over 12 years now, but my instructors very firm, and i try to gentle approach, like using your fingers with the reins instead on yanking on em, and i give small nudges, but she always wants full blown kicks, and she makes me use a dressage crop to reinforce it, the thing i really hate is if they argue a bit, she makes me put the reins in one hand and a sharp smack with the crop :(
ok. thank you. :)
i lvoe all your videos! they are very helpfull!!
Thank you very much! I am very glad my videos can help :D
-Ali
@SaddleUpDolly You are very welcome ;)
-Ali
Flying lead changes are a fairly advanced move--I'm actually not very good at them myself! Maybe I can have a friend explain how to do them...
-Ali
Ive watched the video,and several others from differant users and your had to be the best, eg) In some of the videos they just dropped the lead rope and i was thinking 'eurm..isont that dangerous'? but anyway,Thanks for the help.
@aokamins11 Thank you so much! I always over think it and then i start to tense when i know i should relax more! I cant wait till spring so i can start riding again!
could you make a video o how to do flying lead changes? i am getting a horse hopefully soon and i am planning on doing hunter/jumper with the horse. but i have no clue how to do a flying lead change. like what do ihave to do with my aids to make the horse do a lead change while cantering. your videos are so amazing because you explain everything so well!! yo like my online trainer! lol. i watch all of your videos and they are all so very helpful!!
nice video!🐎
you may just need to encourage him more with your lower leg. Obviously, when you are out of the saddle, you can't use your seat to keep your horse moving forward. But if you give him squeezes with your calf muscles you can keep him going!
-Ali
ive never cantered before, hoping to do it soon
Amber Keeney same and good luck
Amber Keeney canter is good and pretty fun but it takes a while to learn how to sit still and balance. sometimes u can lose our foot in the stirrup. if that happens don't try and put ur foot back in the stirrup until u go to walk or stop. when u do lose it foot in the stirrup while still cantering then just rap ur foot around the horse and stretch ur foot down around the horses belly.
just some tips. hope it's helped
Its amazing !!!!# it makes you feel free and makes a clear mind
Hello from 6 years in the future hows the canteting going?
@@dianemannion5902 only managed to canter twice! Had to rehome my paint 4 years ago due to some unforeseen circumstances. But she is now owned by a 13 year old girl who shows her in western pleasure and takes wonder care of her! I havent horse back ridden since I rehomed her and I miss it so much!
Hi,Would you mind making a video about how to catch and turn out a horse,I need to learn it for my BHS 1. Thanks Laura x
@countrygirl101yall
It depends on your seat, how bumpy your horse is, and what you prefer or if your horse has medical conditions which makes it hard for you horse to canter with the weight of a saddle and a rider.
@CEChelsea13 Thank you ;) I'm very glad these videos help!! It makes it worth the hours it takes to make them :D I certainly find it easier to see what I'm saying when you can watch it in a horse!!
-Ali
thankyou! i have started more cantering and i now know how to sit the canter! :D i am so happy lol but i have one thing. i want to start entering the greentree stables gymcanas... i ride english so i wanted to no what should i do cause when i go around the barrels i am scared to turn sharp. how can i get my confidance up?
To be perfectly honest, I think that cantering western and cantering English are almost exactly the same! Especially dressage, because your stirrups are long like in Western. Cantering in a jumping saddle is different, because you can't use the weight of your legs to help you stay in the saddle, so you have to be much more in time and in tune with the horse's movements. Ask your teacher what she thinks is so different...
-Ali
great explanations!
+Karen Aaron sub4sub???
hey ali!
I just wanted to ask if all horses respond to the inside leg squeezing at the girth and your outside leg squeezing just behind the girth to get into canter. Or do some horses just respond to a kick?
P.S You r an amazing riding and you have taught me soooo much! Thanks for that! i love ur videos!
Informative video :) thanks for your effort. I would like to ask a Q: while cantering i try to keep my lower body on the saddle but i do it for short reps and my knees pressing on side of the saddle.. I feel pain on my tailbone .. Is it normal? Any advise ladies and gentlemen
I would go back down to the walk and work on riding without stirrups. You just have to build your riding muscles back up ;) How's your sitting trot? I'd work on trotting with no stirrups too, on a lunge line first. Also, the fact that you're hitting the saddle hard tells me you're not letting your hips "roll" with your horse's canter. Don't worry, it's going to take some practice again, so cut yourself some slack ;)
Hope that helps!
-Ali
this helped a lot! i just started to canter but should i make my stirrups long or short while cantering in full seat? cuz last time they were a little long and i almost fell off....
***** Didn't helped for me :) I always have to move them xd
+Sarah Steudel sub4sub???
When I ask a horse to canter, I try to stay connected to him so I can feel his movement. Then, it's all about anticipating. I feel when a horse is about to break into a trot, and before he does it I give him another leg aid, and click my tongue in a canter-like rhythm, so the horse understands that I want him to keep cantering. Try to feel your pony's movement and act before he makes a wrong move, give him more guidance.
Hi, I love yr vids. I recently got back into riding after a 6 year break. I never used to have any trouble w canter & I always had good balance & a relaxed seat, but this year I have found it embarrassingly hard. I've been hitting the saddle really hard & not sitting deep enough, which causes my core muscles/diaphragm area to jolt quite painfully when his feet hit the ground. I've been leaning forward during transitions & not sitting on my seat bones properly. Do u have any tips to remedy this?
After you ask, and the horse begins to canter do u move your outside leg back up to the girth or keep leg on behind the girth?
Thanks so much!
i did my first canter yesterday and the horse was going to fast and i thought i was going to fall! but it was fun haha!!
Practice :) Start out turning in big circles around the barrels, and just slowly each time you ride work closer and closer. You'll get there in no time :D
-Ali
ok, i will! i'm getting an instructor soon so she should help! but yeah i agree, fun!! :) and ok, but yeah, i don't wanna be going down!! :)) x
thank you!x
(I'm imagining cantering to see if I squeeze with my thighs at all...) I guess a little, just to keep your upper leg firm. But DO NOT grip with your thighs at all--meaning, don't squeeze with them to hold you in the saddle. Does that make sense? You should stay in the saddle because your weight is deep, going through your heels and seat bones. You just don't want your thighs flabby and wiggling around, so that's why you lightly, LIGHTLY squeeze.
-Ali
so to start i love your videos, but i do have a question and i hope you can help. im working with a TB gelding whos a little on the crazy side. hes been off the track for a while now, but still thinks hes there sometimes. when i ask for the canter he sometimes bolts or runs into it. if its not one, its the other. any sugestions on how i can fix this?
thanks (:
When or how do you move in the saddle?
@aokamins11 hey ali, ive been cantering for a long time, but ive always had a weak leg in canter, the problem i have is kicking/nudging when cantering is there anything you can recoomend because my instructor constantly says kick! kick! kick! and i just feel like my legs are behind me and i just cant bring them to kick, i dont lean thou, and roll/rock with the mtion my legs just don'T!!!!!!!
I'm just learning to canter, and have only cantered off a lunge line twice. whenever i canter, my feet are always bouncing up and down in the stirrup, so my foot itself is still in the stirrup, but i'm not actually touching the bottom of the stirrup. Do you have any suggestions on how to prevent this? Could this be fixed by improving my sitting trot?(i'm also very bad at my sitting trot...i bounce around everywhere!) or should i just be squeezing with my calves more?
In a canter no feet come of the ground that's only in the gallop I thought sorry for complaining!!!!xxxx
I have a question about the leads. So, if I am cantering and my left side is closer to the fence, is it a right lead or a left lead? And also, Do most horses have smooth canters? Thanks.
Omg I’m so sorry abt ur grandma…. I’m watching this bc my cousin who’s eight and just started riding is cantering and me who’s been riding for two years and isn’t.
Plus I’m ten
Aw, well thank you ;) First, a year is not that long to be riding--you should give yourself a break ;) I've been riding for almost 16 years, I think. That's a lot of hours in the saddle. So just keep practicing your sitting trot. Try riding without stirrups at the beginning of every lesson--that will help both your canter and your sitting trot. Good luck!
-Ali
ali i was wondering if you can help me, i have tried a few times to canter but it always goes wrong and leaves me shaken, last time i did it, i couldn't slow the horse down, or stay in the seat, i find it really difficult, my friend told me to grip with me knees, but i don't really understand this, she said i also need to look up as my head is causing me to go forward, making it harder for me, any help or advice?
iv ben told before to go I to half seat in a canter is that right?
im gonn lrn how to canter in a month or two and im kinda scared any tips?
I think you should go back to the trot, and work on your position and confidence. Try riding without stirrups, and do some canter work on a lunge line. There's no rush to canter, and you want it to be fun! Also, don't grip with your knees, whatever your friend says. You stay in the saddle through your balance. Think about dropping your weight all the way through your heels. But do try to look up, she's right there! You go where you look, so don't look down ;)
thank u 4 ur help!!!
I am such a nervous rider! Any tips in getting my confidence back? When I fall off I never get back on! Help!!!
So glad!!
-Ali