Hi Kathy,
Thanks for reading this and for your comment. It sounds like you’ve got good explanations. I find that adults think that learning to ride is all about knowledge. If they learn everything, then they will have it down. Many people underestimate the amount of time it takes in the saddle to really learn how to ride. It’s too bad, too, because those hours are so worthwhile.
Thanks again,
Barbara

You’re welcomed,Claire. I hope it helps. Barbara

Hi Claire,
Thanks for your questions. First- kudos to you for taking two lessons a week and working on your riding for 6 months now. It sounds like your horse has a good character. It sounds as if he’s seen a lot of things on the trail but has little education. My guess that it is more his good character that makes him bombproof than his experience.

You’re right, a horse horse learns to canter shortly after it is born. I know you expect the BUT, so here it is. He knows how to canter carrying his own balance and weight, just like you know how to run without anyone sitting on your shoulders. Think about the changes you would have to make to carry a live creature on your back, run, maneuver, and take its non-verbal directions. This is the same for your horse. He has to develop a new balance with your weight and the weight of the saddle and since horses in the natural don’t work in arenas, he has to develop a new balance for turns and circles, too. In addition he has to learn to respond to certain cues/aides. Since you are still learning, he will also have to learn to accommodate your balance, which may be in opposition to his, your cues, which might not always be correct, and a lack of confidence. (These things come with time for the rider) And once your horse learns how to canter well, you’ll need to learn how to help him canter his best. At 16 hands he’s a big guy and balance and coordination may take a little more work that it would for a smaller horse. My suggestions for your horse is to have a trainer or experienced rider work with him so he can develop the muscle, balance, and skill to canter well with a rider. Remember too, it takes time. He’s been cantering his own way without a burden since he was a baby.

The best way to get over a fear of cantering is to spend time on a trained horse who is excellent at cantering. You’re headed in the correct direction with this by taking riding lessons. Learning to ride is a lifetime process. That’s part of what makes it fun because we can always learn more and move on to other riding activities. 6 months is a very short time to be riding and you should feel good that your instructor says you are ready to learn to canter. This is a positive achievement in a short amount of time. Learning intellectually about a subject is a good start but it does not replace the hours required to make you familiar, develop your balance, your seat, your reflexes, and your timing. This can only come from time in the saddle practicing the physical aspects of the topic. The canter is a little intimidating because it is faster, the horse seems stronger, and it is easier to become unbalanced. You have to make decisions quicker. Some riders worry they will lose control of the horse. This is why you need to canter a lot on a trained horse, one that won’t be disturbed if you make a mistake, a been there done that type of horse. A confidence builder. Time in the saddle at the canter will develop your seat and also you will learn to relax and move with the horse. If you’re nervous, you might also be holding your breath when you canter. Try blowing breaths out and relaxing into the saddle. You sound like a good student with a good teacher. I have no doubt that you can do this. My suggestion is not to try to learn about cantering on your nice horse. Let him learn from an experienced rider and you learn from an experienced horse, then when you’re both ready you can learn together.

The sitting on the pockets thing. Horses are such smart individuals and ones that are ridden by lots of people can usually evaluate their rider. Even though you are told sitting on your pockets will stop the horse, there are a lot of other things that come into play when halting. Sitting on your pockets (in it’s various forms) is first taught because we want our rider’s weight well into the saddle when the horse stops. And some horses are taught to stop by pressure on their back. Other things that come into play are what you unconsciously did with your legs, your reins, your head, your balance but the biggest thing with aides (sitting on your pockets is a seat aid) is timing. Timing and control of all the other parts of your body comes with time in the saddle. Hours, repetition, experiences.

I sense that you are someone who wants to get to the bottom of things with the right answers as soon as you can. This is good but you need to develop patience with yourself. You are making good progress. When you were a baby learning to walk you practiced it for hours every day. Now you are learning a new skill without the opportunity for hours a day of practice. Don’t make the adult mistake by thinking that because you understand something you should be able to do it right away. Riding is about developing feel, reflexes, and building memory in your body. Be kind to yourself. Enjoy the journey. Pat yourself on the back and feel good about the progress you are making.

Enjoy your time in the saddle and best wishes to you for continued success.
Barbara Ellin Fox

I have started riding the first week of June this year. My horse is a somewhat green (he was a trail horse before I had him [so he is bombproof but doesn’t know how to really do anything]), 16 hand, quarter horse, palomino. I have been riding 2 times a week for, at minimum, 2 hours. My trainer says that I am ready to canter and my horse isn’t. I would like to know what him not being ready to canter means… wasn’t he kind of born to?

I also have a small fear of cantering. I have been doing research and that doesn’t seem to help. On other subjects that I am worried about that normally does the trick. Do you have any advice for getting over this fear?

Whenever I ¨sit on my pockets¨ as my trainer calles it, to stop, it never works. I always end up having to pull on the horses face, and I feel bad for the horse. Am I doing this wrong? Is it the horse (I have ridder several that this has happened with)? Any advice?

Claire

Hi Riding Student,
Good for you! I’m glad you returned to your lessons and it sounds like you have a good instructor. It might help you to think of posting as being in 2/4 time. The biggest key is to get in balance so that you aren’t constantly having to regain it. Think about keeping your heel under your hip and your weight sinking into your heels. You could ask your instructor to put you on a longe horse, too. Balance takes a while because most people aren’t used to balancing on an moving animal. Hang in there. I know you’ll do well. I’d love to hear how you’re doing in a month. Thanks for commenting. Barbara Ellin Fox

I’m 25 and have taken 5 lessons fall 2017, went out of state for a few months, and resumed my lessons just last week. I felt as though I forgot most of what I learned back in the fall at that point I was still practicing posting. So I’ll refer to my lessons as though I began just last week. I’m currently taking two lessons a week, 30 minutes each. After my second lesson I’m finding it a bit easier to post in place but difficult to keep up with the horse’s rhythm when he’s trotting. There all of these muscles I never really used this way before. Thankfully, my instructor is very patient and encouraging. She has this calm to her that makes me feel at ease and confident. I just hope I can post on my own (she leads the horse while I practice posting) within one month. That’s my goal.

Week 2 Lesson 3

Hi Jacob,

I’d say you’re progressing well for only a year’s worth of riding lessons. Those lesson may seem like a lot but when you think about it it’s just a little over one full day in the saddle if you had a lesson every week. In order not to flap your arms you’ll need to work on becoming independent in the lower part of your body so when you use your legs your arms don’t need to move. Some of this comes with time but also with exercises on the horse, like toe touches. Make sure your opposite leg stays still and doesn’t move when your body does. You should ok anything you do with your instructor. Ask if he or she will allow you to press your knuckles into the withers when you use your aids to canter. That should help to keep your hands still for right now. Another exercise is to breath out as you use your legs. THis can help your upper body to relax and stay still. Best of luck to you. I’d love to hear how your doing with your lessons.
Barbara