“Dear H&C, I started riding in July, and am currently learning to canter. However, I am struggling to keep myself down in the saddle and keep bouncing - I don’t quite understand what my trainer is telling me to do. I really want to move onto jumping and would really love to start competing, so could you try to explain how I can keep my seat down and be able to canter properly?” Megan

H&C’s Jenny Rudall replies:

"Hi Megan, thanks for your question. You are not alone, many people struggle when first learning to canter. One of the main points is trying to stay relaxed and to not grip with the legs. Improving your riding fitness and your sitting trot can often help with your strength in the canter.

If you do not understand your instructor, I recommend asking them for further clarification, and if this fails perhaps try having lessons with someone else. Everyone teaches slightly differently and you may just need someone to describe things for you in another way for it to click. I often teach people who struggle with the canter to adopt a light seat (or two-point position) to avoid bouncing, and I teach this first in the trot to build-up strength.

Lunge lessons

If you have a suitable horse I strongly urge you to have lunge lessons - as this way you can learn independently of the horse and really concentrate on yourself. Try finding an establishment which caters better for beginners and who can put you on the lunge. 

Below are some simple steps to help you improve your canter and the transition into it.

Step 1

Ask your horse to go in to canter you must first ensure that your position is correct and balanced in the rising and sitting trot. The best place to ask when learning is in the corner of the arena to help encourage the horse to strike off on the correct leading leg and to help with his balance.

Before going into the canter, ensure you have an active, forward-thinking trot and that the horse is off the leg and you are balanced.

Step 2

As you arrive at the bend from which you will be asking for your canter, encourage the horse into the bend with your inside leg, this will also help him with his balance and bend and prepare him for the transition.

If you feel he is listening and ready, go into sitting trot without becoming heavy on the horses back and place the outside leg behind the girth.  If you lighten your seat at the same time, your outside leg has given a clear signal and you are allowing through your arms the horse should then able to step into canter.

Step 3

To stay in the canter, sitting up tall is essential, this enables your bottom to move with the horse as he goes into his transition and helps you move with the horse in the canter. In the canter it’s important you allow your hips to swing back and forward with the movement of the horse. Allowing the horse's head to move is also important and to keep the horse in canter it may need to be continually given little taps with the leg. A lazy horse will need a bit more leg.

Some horses will naturally carry you forward in the canter when you want to finished with the canter, deepen the seat, pulse with the rein and ask for trot, then straightaway back to a rising trot to help the horse balance.

I hope this helps and it really is a case of lots of practice – remember if horse riding was easy everyone would be able to do it. Try to get some lunge lessons and we would love to hear how you get on. 

Good luck,"

Jenny