| Yes, I can. Without actually seeing you ride it is hard | | | | working at the canter and at your upward and down |
| to determine why you are afraid - but I will touch on | | | | ward transitions. Now that you feel comfortable on |
| all the common reasons horse riders can sometimes | | | | the lunge line - go back on the rail off the lunge line |
| be afraid to canter. There are many reasons why | | | | and canter one full round - each direction at canter. |
| riders might be a little afraid and this problem is more | | | | Before you know it - you'll be cantering up a storm. |
| common than many people may think. | | | | If working on the lunge line is not working for you, |
| You may be afraid to canter because you have had | | | | ask your for instructor to provide a lesson horse, a |
| a previous fall. How often have you heard you are | | | | nice slow school horse who would be more suitable |
| not a rider until you have fallen ten times? I have | | | | to canter on. Take a few lessons on the lesson |
| heard this saying many times. Many riders are quite | | | | horse and start to feel comfortable. Once you are |
| lucky and have no serious injuries from falling. Others | | | | comfortable - go back to lessons on the lunge line |
| have had serious falls and it does require some time | | | | with your own horse. |
| to build up their confidence again. | | | | Another idea, if the two ideas above do not seem to |
| You are not alone. The first thing you must know is | | | | work for your situation, then start to learn some |
| that canter is not necessarily faster than trot. It is | | | | emergency dismounts. Emergency dismounts can be |
| just a different way the horse's feet hit the ground. | | | | very helpful and many riders learn them when they |
| Canter is actually easier to sit to than the trot. If you | | | | start to canter, in their lesson programs. An |
| can trot you can by all means stay on during the | | | | emergency dismount if practiced will become |
| canter. First, I would recommend a few lessons at | | | | automatic when things are gong wrong. On the other |
| the trot by a qualified instructor. Once you begin | | | | side of the spectrum, some instructors do not teach |
| feeling comfortable at the trot, put your horse on a | | | | them simply because they do not want their riders |
| lunge line at the trot and drop your reins. Your | | | | bailing every time one little thing goes wrong. |
| instructor will obviously be at the other end of the | | | | An emergency dismount works like this. Keep your |
| lunge line. Start to feel your horse's rhythm and start | | | | horse on the rail and ask him/her to trot, once your |
| concentrating on yourself. | | | | horse has a steady rhythmic trot, kick your outside |
| Now that you have feel comfortable at the trot | | | | leg out of the stirrup, lean forward and swing your |
| without reins, pick up your reins staying at the trot | | | | outside leg back and over the saddle - the opposite |
| and on the lunge line, then ask your horse to canter. | | | | of when you would get on. Then push yourself away |
| Canter a couple of circles around - both directions | | | | from the horse and grab the reins to stop the horse. |
| and stop your lesson or continue with something else | | | | Another option is just to loop reins through your arm |
| that does not require the canter. For your next | | | | so when you land you still have a hold of them. The |
| couple of lessons, I would do a regular warm up at | | | | emergency dismount is quick and you should be |
| trot and then back on the lunge line at canter. Spend | | | | ready to fully commit to it when you begin. |
| at least 20 minutes on the lunge line per lesson | | | | |