# How to quit pumping at the canter? help!



## HeartMyOTTB (Aug 13, 2009)

Do you mean with your hands or with your body?

If your body, try focusing on waiting with your upper body. Think about bringing your shoulders back, or keeping them in line with you leg. Maybe your off balance a bit? Push down hard in you heels to keep you body steady and to absorb any shock from his _bellowing_ canter.

I used to have trouble keeping my hands steady and an old trainer of mine would make me hold the front of my half pad. It was actually harder than it sounds! It really have to think about what I was doing!


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## CowgirlShay (Dec 1, 2009)

o. sorry about that, it's my upper body that is pumping, but when I put my heels down and straighten up (shoulders back, chest out, ect.) i still have that rocking motion maybe i'm trying too hard? sometimes I think I grip too hard with my legs and it's making me pump? idk lol


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## SaddleUp158 (Dec 26, 2008)

I know I use to do this too, I know I still do sometimes depending on the horse I am riding. From what I have gathered I tend to pump when I am on a super lazy horse- essentially I am working too hard to keep him cantering. I have to consciously relax and sit up a bit and be ready to push the horse on with seat and leg (perhaps a crop) to reinforce that I mean for him to go forward on his own, not with me doing so much work.


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

Pumping is cause by a rider trying to induce the canter by a forward backward movement when the actually the canter is more a left or right side action.

Driving the horse through the side the lead is on usually fixes this problem. This would be by pushing the riders left side (for left lead canter) more down and forward with the right side following that motion. Trying to just push both seatbones down and forward at the same time forces the back to produce a wave like motion and from there very easy to lean forward just a bit and create a "pump" motion.


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## GottaRide (Dec 10, 2007)

Sit on your outside butt bone. Or try putting more weight in your stirrups.


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