# Maintaining a Canter



## RideroftheWind (Jul 15, 2009)

I recently started riding a different horse. She's a little black pony named Holiday, and she has a really bad reputation for kicking and biting people and other horses. So when I went to tack her up, I was a little nervous. But I quickly found that with a little love and gentle care, she's a real sweetheart.
She was great for riding too: no corner cuts, very responsive, very honest... except for one thing. She can't maintain a good canter without breaking stride. Unless my legs are death-grip tight around her at all times, she'll just go back into a trot.
It's not because she's stubborn (ok well maybe a little), she just doesn't like cantering. So as soon as I stop the leg pressure, she takes it as a go-ahead to stop cantering. She's still unsteady, as though she's unsure of whether or not she's allowed to trot. When I do have my leg on, she'll canter for me.
The problem is, I can't just squeeze her at all times. It makes my position all wonky, is uncomfortable for her, and makes her canter strides unsteady. My instructor suggested using a crop or spurs, but I'm not going to do that. When I'm riding with her, we have a sort of 'connection', and it's like we're working together instead of me just kicking her forwards. Crops and spurs will ruin that completely.
My goal is to be able to canter a full course of jumps with her without breaking stride and without having to squeeze her to death with my legs... but so far I'm not sure that's possible. Any ideas?

Oh, and she's a lesson horse, so I can't do any extra riding or lunging with her.

Thanks!


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

No 'connection' will be lost using a crop and/or spurs. It's not like you'd be beating or stabbing her. You may not even have to use them much after the first couple of times. Your legs will thank you & the pony probably will too.
Is there a reason you don't trust your instructor's judgement?


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## rosie1 (Feb 28, 2011)

Using a crop or spurs will absolutely not harm your relationship with your horse as long as you are using them correctly and not abusing her with them. They are aids and are only as harsh as the person who uses them same as everything else in the horse world. I would definitely carry a crop, then ask for the canter like you would on any other horse. When she picks it up release the pressure of your legs if she tries to break to trot give her a tap with the crop behind your leg to send her forward again. This horse needs to learn that cantering is like any other gait, you don't break gaits unless the rider says so
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## marybonus (Apr 27, 2011)

I am afraid I cannot help you much. I have been having the same problem with Yapa, the mare I ride. But, I do not dare carry a crop, since she has a tendency to get into a really fast, strong canter. I usually have to use my legs to control her speed. She goes from one extreme to the other, fast canter-trot. I am afraid that carrying a crop will make her even faster. Have not figured out what to do just yet. Still working on it. Any ideas will be welcome!


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## RideroftheWind (Jul 15, 2009)

natisha said:


> No 'connection' will be lost using a crop and/or spurs. It's not like you'd be beating or stabbing her. You may not even have to use them much after the first couple of times. Your legs will thank you & the pony probably will too.
> Is there a reason you don't trust your instructor's judgement?


If it were any other horse, I would probably agree with you. But Holiday is different. If you treat her like she's a stubborn horse, she'll be stubborn. But if you treat her like she's nice and sweet, she'll act nice and sweet. So if you use a crop with her, she'll just resist you.
I've worked so hard to gain her trust already, and I don't want to ruin it. I know that the moment I pick up that crop, it'll all be gone.
I do trust my instructor, but this time its different. See, I think that it is very important to understand the language of horses and always communicate with them both ways. If a horse tells me something, I listen. My instructor just sees Holiday as a lazy pony, but she doesn't share the connection that we have.
I guess you couldn't really understand it unless you were in my shoes, so you'll just have to trust me. I refuse to use a crop or spurs with her. But thanks for the reply, anyways.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## upnover (Jan 17, 2008)

The problem is that she doesn't have her own motor and doesn't know how to keep going. I assume people have all ridden her with a death grip with their legs and she now thinks that that is the cue to keep going, and now can't do it without. That's a terrible habit for a horse to learn as you've realized! 

First of all, you need to understand how a crop/spurs work. When used properly they are very very effective in training a horse and improving communication between horse and rider. I very rarely get on a horse without on or the other, no matter how well trained or sensitive that horse is. 

To fix it.... Not sure how dull she is to picking up the canter in the first place but make sure that she is tuned up to your aids. A crop or a spur is the best way to do it. Cue her for the canter, asking softly once (squeeze), ask her harder if she doesn't listen (kick) and smack her with a crop behind your leg if she still ignores you (or use your spur). Don't let there be too long of a pause between the 3 if you need to use all 3. Then as soon as she canters soften up your body and just canter. The second she drops the gait do the same thing, again using the squeeze, kick, spur method if she's dull to your aids. Make sure your legs are soft once she canters. As soon as she drops to a canter do it again. And again. And again. The key is NOT to tell her every single step to canter, but to correct her every time she breaks. Eventually she will learn to keep going until you tell her otherwise.


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## amymarie57 (Feb 20, 2011)

natisha said:


> No 'connection' will be lost using a crop and/or spurs. It's not like you'd be beating or stabbing her. You may not even have to use them much after the first couple of times. Your legs will thank you & the pony probably will too.
> Is there a reason you don't trust your instructor's judgement?


I completely agree. The horse I currently ride is the same way. He requires a crop AND puny rounded spurs but I when I wear them my cues are much lighter and he's more responsive. This way I don't have to strangle him with my legs. I use way less leg and I don't even have to use the crop. It's just there as a reminder to him. I also think he requires these artificial aids because he is ALWAYS ridden with them his entire life before I came along. I thought it'd be nice to try and work through it and go without the spurs. It worked for maintaining the canter on the flat but when we started jumping you just couldn't go without them. Every horse is different. If he needs them/is used to/requires the crop or even spurs that is okay. It doesn't make you a bad rider to use artificial aids


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## upnover (Jan 17, 2008)

amymarie57 said:


> It doesn't make you a bad rider to use artificial aids



On the contrary I don't know a lot of upper level riders who get on a horse without!


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## RideroftheWind (Jul 15, 2009)

upnover said:


> On the contrary I don't know a lot of upper level riders who get on a horse without!


Well I am an intermediate rider and I know how to effectively use a crop and spurs. But just because I know how doesn't mean I have to use them. I never thought artificial aids makes you a bad rider, I just prefer not to use them. Especially with this horse. I know I can't make you understand my point of view, I just want you to stop trying to convince me otherwise.
So I am asking you all to PLEASE respect that. I'm not looking for an argument. I just need some advice. If anyone has advice that doesn't involve crops and spurs, I'd love to hear it.


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

RideroftheWind said:


> Unless* my legs are death-grip tight around her at all times, she'll just go back into a trot..*..................
> So as soon as I stop the leg pressure, *she takes it as a go-ahead to stop* cantering...............The problem is, *I can't just squeeze her at all times.* It makes my position all wonky, is uncomfortable for her, and makes her canter strides unsteady.



Here is your problem.

As long as you DO a death grip you are in effect TEACHING her that this is her only cue to canter.

So when YOU relax the aids she FALLS out of the canter because the support she IS USED TO is no longer there. She has gotten used to YOU supporting her and now never developed the balance to hold it.

You need to teach her to respond to lighter aids.


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## RideroftheWind (Jul 15, 2009)

Spyder said:


> Here is your problem.
> 
> As long as you DO a death grip you are in effect TEACHING her that this is her only cue to canter.
> 
> ...


Hmm... that is true. But I only recently started riding her (and she's a lesson horse) so I'm assuming shes been ridden that way a lot. How would I go about teaching her to respond to lighter cues? Thanks


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

RideroftheWind said:


> Hmm... that is true. But I only recently started riding her (and she's a lesson horse) so I'm assuming shes been ridden that way a lot. How would I go about teaching her to respond to lighter cues? Thanks


I am afraid you won't like the answer....

Until she realizes at at least with you she needs to get up and stop relying on you being there to support her you will have to let her know you are no longer going to be her 5th leg.

She can do this with others but she better not get lazy and rely on you doing all the work.

A whip/crop is not for punishment but to let the horse know that you are going to give her ONE SET of aids and she needs to listen to the first set as there will no longer be a second set that will do her work. THAT is what a crop is for..a wake up call.

What you need to do is take one hit of the crop and re apply the aids in the same manner you did originally...not stronger ..but the same. Certainly use your voice also. Failure to respond results in again just ONE hit and re apply the aids. Initially this may take a few tries but she will get the message. Compliance to your aids must follow with praise BUT DON'T stop the aids...just a verbal praise followed by YOU allowing her to come out of the canter.

I can virtually guarantee if you follow this you should have an obedient pony that will do the canter, not because she fears the whip/crop but because she respects your ability.


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## rosie1 (Feb 28, 2011)

Does your horse respond well to a firm kick? If so you can try what everyone has said to do with a crop but replace the smack of the crop with a well timed kick. It may not be enough to give her the message if she's pretty dead to the legs but its an option if you don't want to use a crop. The most important part of everyones message here is that your horse needs to learn that constant pressure is not the cue for canter but that she needs to carry her own forward momentum until you ask her otherwise. So regardless of if your carrying a crop or using spurs keep that in your mind as you ride her, find a way that works for you, but always remain consistent every single time you ask for canter or she breaks from canter. The only way she'll learn otherwise is if you stop the death grip and tell her what is expected of her everytime consistently
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## RideroftheWind (Jul 15, 2009)

Okay well I might try the kick thing. She is actually very sensitive to kicks, but I didn't kick her as much because I was trying to make my cues more invisible.
But again with the crop thing, I've seen riders who are more experienced than I am get on her with a crop, and I can honestly say that I got a better canter out of her than they did. If anything, she's become numb to the crop. She hates people using it on her (she pins her ears and such) but she still won't respond any better. She's happy when you don't use it (which is how I gained such a strong connection with her) but she still cannot maintain a consistent canter.
Agh she's such a complicated pony...
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## rosie1 (Feb 28, 2011)

Just keep working at at, keep cantering shorter and build on it. So ask for canter, take your legs off, if she breaks show her that's not what you asked and is not acceptable and repeat, if she gives you 3 strides with your legs relaxed immediately praise her and bring her back to trot and just keep repeating and adding more strides as you can. Show her in black and white what is right and what is wrong and she'll get it, good luck 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## RideroftheWind (Jul 15, 2009)

Thanks for the advice. My riding lesson's on Saturday, so I'll see how it goes.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

upnover said:


> The problem is that she doesn't have her own motor and doesn't know how to keep going. I assume people have all ridden her with a death grip with their legs and she now thinks that that is the cue to keep going, and now can't do it without. That's a terrible habit for a horse to learn as you've realized!
> 
> First of all, you need to understand how a crop/spurs work. When used properly they are very very effective in training a horse and improving communication between horse and rider. I very rarely get on a horse without on or the other, no matter how well trained or sensitive that horse is.
> 
> To fix it.... Not sure how dull she is to picking up the canter in the first place but make sure that she is tuned up to your aids. A crop or a spur is the best way to do it. Cue her for the canter, asking softly once (squeeze), ask her harder if she doesn't listen (kick) and smack her with a crop behind your leg if she still ignores you (or use your spur). Don't let there be too long of a pause between the 3 if you need to use all 3. Then as soon as she canters soften up your body and just canter. The second she drops the gait do the same thing, again using the squeeze, kick, spur method if she's dull to your aids. Make sure your legs are soft once she canters. As soon as she drops to a canter do it again. And again. And again. The key is NOT to tell her every single step to canter, but to correct her every time she breaks. Eventually she will learn to keep going until you tell her otherwise.


 
The above is my thoughts exactly.
Riding a horse while "squeezing" it is not good. Leg on does not mean squeeze. It means rather tap . I was called on this by a clinician years back who pointed out that my horse actually resented the leg ON squeeze that I felt I had to do because of his incessant warmblood heaviness. He was actually sucking back because he hated that. She said to kind of "flutter your ankle" on his side and do the on, ON and Crop ON , one ,two , three! way of building responsiveness. Now, I try to remember that "flutterjing my ankle" (the ankle bone is kind of sharp and it is a very noticeable action.

Try this and back it up with a crop, AND, most importantly, when she goes well at the canter, give her breathing room, NO leg GRIPPING.


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## RideroftheWind (Jul 15, 2009)

tinyliny said:


> The above is my thoughts exactly.
> Riding a horse while "squeezing" it is not good. Leg on does not mean squeeze. It means rather tap . I was called on this by a clinician years back who pointed out that my horse actually resented the leg ON squeeze that I felt I had to do because of his incessant warmblood heaviness. He was actually sucking back because he hated that. She said to kind of "flutter your ankle" on his side and do the on, ON and Crop ON , one ,two , three! way of building responsiveness. Now, I try to remember that "flutterjing my ankle" (the ankle bone is kind of sharp and it is a very noticeable action.
> 
> Try this and back it up with a crop, AND, most importantly, when she goes well at the canter, give her breathing room, NO leg GRIPPING.


Ah well, I try. :/ I mean, she's very responsive and can pick up an immediate canter from a walk if I ask for it properly. The problem is keeping that canter.

I actually hate constant 'squeezing'. That's why I posted this.  However, no crop. She absolutely HATES the crop (even if you don't use it and only carry it, she'll give you an aweful ride), but she's very cooperative when she doesn't hate you. So I try to stay on good terms with her. That's sort of what I mean by 'ruining the connection'. Do you think kicking will work instead of using a crop?

Either way, thanks for the reply.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

OH, I don't think it's silly to say that a crop will ruin your connection. She may be resentful and worried about it. But it might be what is required for her to be honest about keeping a gait. 
Is there any physical reason why she cannot canter any great distance?
Are you , by any chance, inavertantly giving her a signal to slow down, like being too rigid in your body? Or is it just school horse laziness? 

She is a school horse, no? It's hard for them to continue to be mentally engaged in their work when it's so much the same , day in and day out.
You might refresh her by taking her for a long hack and letting her really gallop up a big hill, maybe "race" with another horse.

YOu can also take you hand and give your own thigh a good, loud SMACK and see if this doesnt reinforce your leg, . I mean ask for GO! and if she gives you go (tiny go), then smack your thigh and literally say,"I mean GO!".
Raise the energy in YOU to raise the energy in her.

I do appreciate that you ride with sensitivity to this mare's personality.


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## RideroftheWind (Jul 15, 2009)

tinyliny said:


> OH, I don't think it's silly to say that a crop will ruin your connection. She may be resentful and worried about it. But it might be what is required for her to be honest about keeping a gait.
> Is there any physical reason why she cannot canter any great distance?
> Are you , by any chance, inavertantly giving her a signal to slow down, like being too rigid in your body? Or is it just school horse laziness?
> 
> ...


Yep, she's a school horse, so unfortunately I can't hack her. I don't think there's a physical reason... well apart from the fact that it's been a loooong time since she's cantered more than one lap around an arena without breaking stride. I guess most riders just let her get away with it. So it might be that she's a little out of shape. She's not overweight, though.

I'll try the slapping your thigh thing. Thanks!


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

Remember - horses reflect 100% of what we do in the saddle, and regardless of what any school horse has been allowed to get away with, they know a good rider on them, when they meet them. 

They know, that the rider who gets on them, can and cannot do - and if that ride is going to be easy peasy for them, or they'd better get on it and get it done. They aren't stupid. 

Stop blaming the lesson horses for being taught incorrectly, and start looking at the holes in your training, for the reason why you are getting the results you are getting. 


As taught by Ian Millar - "A good rider blames themselves, and a poor rider blames the horse."


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## RideroftheWind (Jul 15, 2009)

MIEventer said:


> Remember - horses reflect 100% of what we do in the saddle, and regardless of what any school horse has been allowed to get away with, they know a good rider on them, when they meet them.
> 
> They know, that the rider who gets on them, can and cannot do - and if that ride is going to be easy peasy for them, or they'd better get on it and get it done. They aren't stupid.
> 
> ...


Excuse me?!? I'm actually rather insulted. Are you calling me a poor rider? For your information, I've seen many people get on that horse, even advanced riders, and she hasn't give any of them a good canter. But she's given me a better canter than what she's done for them. You want me to look at the reasons that I am getting the results I'm getting? Okay, I'll look into the reasons why she gives me a better ride than she gives them.

I don't use a crop and spurs, because she hates them. I believe in working with the horse and not against her. I don't treat her like she's just a stubborn mule like most people, I actually give her a chance. And most of all, I DON'T just blame her! I don't just think, I _know_ that she has been trained incorrectly, but that's not her fault. I'm not just going to settle for that. I posted this question because I need to change _my_ riding to get a better canter out of her.

It's true - horses are not stupid. When I get on Holiday, she knows she needs to work. She tries very hard. She's sweet and honest. But when she canters, she's unsteady, like she doesn't know if she should trot or canter. I see her do this for everyone, because no matter how clear your cues are, she just doesn't know. Maybe it's my fault, that's true. But if it's my fault, I want to know how to fix it.

I am perfectly willing to admit that there are some things that I should change about my riding. I'm not a perfect rider. I know that. But I also know that it's not 100% my fault, as you seem to think. It's both of ours - mine and the horse - and we need to work together to figure it out.

So if the reason she doesn't give me an amazing canter is because I have big holes in my training, then in that case everyone who has ridden her has big holes in their training. You can ask anyone who's ridden that pony, and they'll all tell you the same thing.

I'm so sick of this. I posted this thread because I wanted legit answers, and all I'm getting is arguements. You guys are treating me like I'm some kind of troll! There are a few people who actually gave me good advice, and thank you to those who did. But most people just argued with me. I didn't mean to start an arguement, I just wanted advice! Can't you respect that?


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

Why don't you get a video of you riding this horse so we have a better understanding of what you are and are not doing.

It is very hard to give assessments when we have only a description and can't see things you may not even be aware of.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

Yep, lets see a video of you riding. That way we can decipher what exactly is going on.


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## RideroftheWind (Jul 15, 2009)

Eek. Sorry but I can't post any videos online. However, I can get some pictures after my next lesson. Would that help?


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

RideroftheWind said:


> Eek. Sorry but I can't post any videos online. However, I can get some pictures after my next lesson. Would that help?



Yes please post pictures if you can't do a video. The more pictures you post the easier it may be.


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## RideroftheWind (Jul 15, 2009)

Oh, bad news... I just found out that my next lesson is cancelled. It'll be a while before I can get any pictures or videos of me on that specific pony. However, I do have some of me on other horses. They're only from a couple weeks ago. Can you look at them anyways, and see if there's any obvious errors that I'm making that might affect how I'm doing on Holiday? Thanks. (and sorry for the bad quality)

This first one is on a bit of an angle. It's just at a walk, so you can see my overall position.










This one, too, is just at a walk. It was at a show. I know one of my hands is back, that's because I was turning (or about to, anyways). And yes, I noticed that my heel came up, so you don't need to point that out. 











Okay, I lied. I do have videos. I managed to dig them up, so here they are. This one is of a simple canter. I know it looks like my back is slumped, but I was wearing a heavy jacket that covered my back. I can assure you, my back was not actually that rounded.

cam515.mp4 video by sandstorm8922 - Photobucket

This one's just at a trot. I'm not sure if it'll be much help, but you might pick something out of it. Again, my jacket makes my back look very rounded, even though it was not (I always make a point to put a tiny arch in my back while riding). It makes me cringe just to see how bad it looks...

cam505.mp4 video by sandstorm8922 - Photobucket

This is the last video. It's just a very tiny little jump, since we were just warming up. I don't think you can see much, but if you can, please critique.

cam527.mp4 video by sandstorm8922 - Photobucket

I know the videos are short and hard to see, but right now they're the best I've got. I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks!


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

My post 10 is somewhat on the mark.

You are a passenger and while you have your lower leg on, your upper body is "just going along with the horse". You are in effect being a passenger.

Your seat is very loose and what should be your most important riding aid ( the seat) just isn't there. In the picture you posted re pulling your arm in, well you should not be turning a horse on a direct rein unless the rider is a rank beginner or the horse is.

The connection via the rein contact is inconsistent and it seems other than giving the horse the odd "correction" ( the end of the jumping video) or as in the other videos a slight tug here and there, the horse is pretty well just doing his thing and you are happily going along.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I think that is a rather harsh assessment . It's hard to see much detail in the videos, such as your hands or whether your leg is on or not. 
I see a fairly nicely balanced hunter rider and a very nice school horse. I dont' see any obvious rider behaviors that I would say are clearly why the pony won't sustain a canter. She may not be actively affecting the horse at all times, but she certainly isn't interfering with it at all.


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## RideroftheWind (Jul 15, 2009)

Spyder said:


> My post 10 is somewhat on the mark.
> 
> You are a passenger and while you have your lower leg on, your upper body is "just going along with the horse". You are in effect being a passenger.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the feedback. But what do you mean by 'my seat is loose'? I'm not really understanding.

Also, another thing about your critique did not make sense to me. In the second paragraph you told me that I shouldn't use my reins as much. In the third paragraph you told me I should use them more. I though the rider has to have only slight signals, to keep them invisible...

Another thing is, I've heard that an experianced rider can sit on the horse and not look like they're doing anything, but still have complete control. Though I'm not sure that's the case with me, I know that it would be nearly impossible to simply be a 'passenger' on that horse. She tends to either be slow, lazy and stubborn or acting like an excited racehorse. Finding a happy medium is the job of the rider, and it's not an easy one. (You can tell that she's paying attention to the rider if you look at her ears. One of them is aways flicked back and listening to me.)

I'm not saying that your critique was wrong, I just don't really understand. Please explain? Thanks.


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

RideroftheWind said:


> Thanks for the feedback. But what do you mean by 'my seat is loose'? I'm not really understanding.


Basically you are not in synch with the horse. I realize that you are a hunter rider and therefore do not SIT on the horse but even they will have a quiet seat and will use their calves more. In the canter you seat bounces up and down in the saddle. If you ride dressage that seat stays in the saddle...if you ride hunter then it maintains a quietness with no bouncing.

In the trot the posting looks forced.



> Also, another thing about your critique did not make sense to me. In the second paragraph you told me that I shouldn't use my reins as much. In the third paragraph you told me I should use them more. I though the rider has to have only slight signals, to keep them invisible...


In the trot video on the first minuet the rein was on then off then on then off. In the corner you had the horse looking to the outside and it went crooked because at that critical moment of cornering you had the reins dropped and the horse was unsupported.

The part I referred to with you using the rein too much was in reference to the picture. You simply pulled the horse to make a turn. This is called a direct rein and used when the horse does not understand the riders aids to move off the leg. It is also used by beginner riders as they also don't know leg aids yet.



> Another thing is, I've heard that an experienced rider can sit on the horse and not look like they're doing anything, but still have complete control. Though I'm not sure that's the case with me, I know that it would be nearly impossible to simply be a 'passenger' on that horse. She tends to either be slow, lazy and stubborn or acting like an excited racehorse. Finding a happy medium is the job of the rider, and it's not an easy one. (You can tell that she's paying attention to the rider if you look at her ears. One of them is always flicked back and listening to me.)
> 
> I'm not saying that your critique was wrong, I just don't really understand. Please explain? Thanks.


Nice to have the horse flick their ears back at you but unfortunately you need to rider more than the ears. Nowhere an any of the videos did I see a horse either round or balanced. Nowhere did I see a horse that either accepted the bit or worked with it to listen to any aid you may have given.
Contrary to what tiny said this in not a hunter frame as nowhere did I see a nice long frame with a relaxed hunter stride, but rather an inverted one with no real acceptance of the bit and short strides that would not garnish any ribbons in a hunter class unless all the horses beng judged were school horses.

What I did see is a typical school horse that is used to doing things and doing them simply because "that is what it does". The other horse in the arena is doing the exact same thing.

I would expect to see exactly this if I went to watch a lesson on the barn's school horses. 

Horses like these are actually in high demand as they help the rider gain confidence and those riders that are willing to make a huge leap to an privately owned horse will get a confidence boost to do so.


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## RideroftheWind (Jul 15, 2009)

Spyder said:


> Basically you are not in synch with the horse. I realize that you are a hunter rider and therefore do not SIT on the horse but even they will have a quiet seat and will use their calves more. In the canter you seat bounces up and down in the saddle. If you ride dressage that seat stays in the saddle...if you ride hunter then it maintains a quietness with no bouncing.
> 
> In the trot the posting looks forced.
> 
> ...


Fair enough. The only thing is, when I was cantering, my seat was only lifting a couple inches out of the saddle. I wasn't thumping on the horse's back either. I don't know if it looks like that in the video, but as the rider I know I can feel how hard I land on the horse's back and I was not thumping. So I don't know what you mean by bouncing.

Also, you told me what I was doing wrong but you never told me how to fix it. Need I remind you, good critique includes feedback on what the rider is doing correctly, what the rider is doing incorrectly, and how to fix what is incorrect. Though I'm sure you didn't mean it that way, your replies to my pictures and videos came off more as an insult than helpful advice. For example, saying 'your posting seems forced' but not telling me how it does or how to fix it makes it seem like you're just insulting me. That's only one example, but I'm not going to list things.

Of course, I'm very sure that you weren't trying to be rude or hurtful. I'm probably just taking it the wrong way, I'll admit that. But all the same, your reply did make me feel quite bad about myself. I don't want to start a fight, and so I am attempting to state my opinion in a respectful and mature way way. In return, I ask that you do the same. (not that you arent already) All I can ask is that if you wish to tell me what I'm doing wrong, please give me advice on how I can fix it and improve.


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## RideroftheWind (Jul 15, 2009)

Oh and also, I recently entered a hunter show. The horses were not all schooling horses. I got second place. (/\)


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

RideroftheWind said:


> Fair enough. The only thing is, when I was cantering, my seat was only lifting a couple inches out of the saddle. I wasn't thumping on the horse's back either. I don't know if it looks like that in the video, but as the rider I know I can feel how hard I land on the horse's back and I was not thumping. So I don't know what you mean by bouncing.
> 
> Also, you told me what I was doing wrong but you never told me how to fix it. Need I remind you, good critique includes feedback on what the rider is doing correctly, what the rider is doing incorrectly, and how to fix what is incorrect. Though I'm sure you didn't mean it that way, your replies to my pictures and videos came off more as an insult than helpful advice. For example, saying 'your posting seems forced' but not telling me how it does or how to fix it makes it seem like you're just insulting me. That's only one example, but I'm not going to list things.
> 
> Of course, I'm very sure that you weren't trying to be rude or hurtful. I'm probably just taking it the wrong way, I'll admit that. But all the same, your reply did make me feel quite bad about myself. I don't want to start a fight, and so I am attempting to state my opinion in a respectful and mature way way. In return, I ask that you do the same. (not that you arent already) All I can ask is that if you wish to tell me what I'm doing wrong, please give me advice on how I can fix it and improve.



You have a coach I assume you pay good money for so I suggest you look to them for advice.

Good for you on your second place.


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## RideroftheWind (Jul 15, 2009)

Spyder said:


> You have a coach I assume you pay good money for so I suggest you look to them for advice.
> 
> Good for you on your second place.


Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of critiquing?


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

tinyliny said:


> I think that is a rather harsh assessment . It's hard to see much detail in the videos, such as your hands or whether your leg is on or not.
> 
> I see a fairly nicely balanced hunter rider and a very nice school horse. I dont' see any obvious rider behaviors that I would say are clearly why the pony won't sustain a canter. She may not be actively affecting the horse at all times, but she certainly isn't interfering with it at all.


I see what Spyder saw. 

There are quite a few things I saw that I can point out, but I wont - why bother. 

~~~

To the OP, I think you need to have a good discussion with your Coach, and discuss about taking dressage lessons. Improve and solidify that lower leg, your seat, and your core. 

You want to know how to keep the horse cantering, I will just re-emphasize what you've already been told - Either take a crop and spur with you, or learn how to use your seat and your lower legs. 

Again, sit down and discuss this with your coach. All the best to you.


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## RideroftheWind (Jul 15, 2009)

MIEventer said:


> I see what Spyder saw.
> 
> There are quite a few things I saw that I can point out, but I wont - why bother.
> 
> ...


I am going to discuss it with my coach, but she is only one person. It'll be a while before I get to see her again anyways. So I'd love to hear from you in the mean time.

I apologize - maybe it is coming off like I simply don't want to listen to any advice. Or at least, that's all everyone thinks of me now. But you have to understand, that's really not what I intended. Honestly, the only thing I don't want to hear is people telling me to use a crop and spurs, and I've stated that from the very beginning in the original post. I do want to hear your critique. But I also want to know how to fix what I'm doing wrong. Otherwise asking for critique is pretty much pointless.

Yes, I told Spyder I didnt understand a bunch of thigs, and he (or she) explained them to me. I can't argue. There was still one thing about my canter that Spyder said that I still didn't understand, and I'm still open to explanations. But to become a better rider I have to learn from my mistakes. Just listing off everything I'm doing wrong and leaving it at that doesn't help me do that.

Again, I apologize if I set that kind of image for myself. I do hear what you want to say. I might need to clarify some things, but I still want to hear it.


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## RideroftheWind (Jul 15, 2009)

I'm actually really sorry, and this is to everyone. I didn't think that saying what I said would make such a big impact. I was just stating my opinion, but maybe I did that the wrong way. Right now I've been trying to undo everything, but you can probably tell that's not working so well in my favor. I do want to hear what people have to say. I've been on this forum for quite a while and this never happened. I guess it was all just one wrong thread and it all fell apart. I never intended for this to happen, and I'm going to stop it right here. So say what you want to say and I'll shut up and listen, even if I don't agree. Because I'd rather listen to things I don't agree with than have everyone here dislike me.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

No one here dislikes you, frustrated perhaps, but not dislike. I applaud you for asking your questions, and I applaud you for taking that one step forward in posting pics and vids. 

Lookit - don't get me wrong, I'm no perfect rider either. I have holes in my training, but it takes a rider to admit their faults, before they can progress forward and improve. As my Coach says - "why work on what you already know, and work on what you don't?" or "Why work on what you can do, and work on what you can't". 

But - before you can do that, you have to know what it is. You can't fix what you don't know is wrong. 

So, tell me, what is it that you see in your video's, that you can improve on, what you are lacking, and what you need to fix. Let's take that step first, and then we can help you as best as we can, so that you can take the information, and approach your coach with it, and ask her "why haven't you targeted this?" 

The issues I have with some lesson barns, not all - there are some pretty darn tootin' amazing barns out there, are that Coaches say "good job, great, that was nice, ok, next" instead of targeting the holes in their students riding skills, to help their students grow, and improve and learn. 

So yes, you do need to talk to your parents, you need to shed light in the situation, and then you need to sit down with your coach, and discuss the needed steps to take, to help you grow, mature and improve.


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