How the heck does anyone cantor without holding the horn?

no offense to all who said it but riding bare back will not fix this as she is scared to let go of the horn as it is taking away her saddle will not help ...

what you need to do is breath and stay calm in the canter really roll your bub your bum should not even come out of the saddle you need to work on your balance this means no stirrup work, is sicks and it hurts but is really worth it.

start out by holding the horn then slowly take off one hand then once your ready hover the other above the horn ready to grab it if needed then slowly start moving it further and further away and don't forget to roll you bum and heals down and grab with your leg

your balance should not be coming from your arms but you back and legs keep a strait back do not hunch

take things slowly and move at your own pace, ride a horse you trust and that is fully trained also try doing this on a lunge line with your coach that way you can focus on you and less on stearing the horse i was lunged for 1 full year and now i have a great seat

good luck and keep confidant you CAN do it

also watch some Vids on like youtube of people cantering to help get a feel for it and see how there body moves with the horse

=]

Danny <3

I don't know- I have never tried to sing and play a horn at the same time. I suppose it's possible, though.( lol !!) Seriously though, Lisa, the secret to staying on at the CANTER ( that's the correct spelling of the word) is balance, not physical strength. The canter has a motion to it which can be compared to sitting in a rocking chair, because it has 3 beats to it.

I would suggest that if you are really worried about this, that you have your trainer or teacher put you on the longe line for a while, so you can practice sitting up and back on your own, without having to worry about what your horse is doing. What you need to learn to do is sit up straight with your heels down, and to move with the motion of your horse's body. Riding bareback is fine when you are further along, but right now, you need the security of having something to grab if you lose your balance- which you might in the beginning.

I had that problem when I started taking lessons but I can ride now without being afraid. Actually what made me not be afraid was falling off because I realized that it didn't really hurt that much. Basically the key to it is feeling confident and don't look down because that just makes you nervous seeing the ground going beneath you. What I actually did was I just held onto the mane instead of the horn, then when I felt good with that I would just sort of hover my hands and grab on when I felt like falling and then I eventually got comfortable enough that I could ride without needing the horn. Also make sure you turn your toes up with your heels down, it gives you more balance and when your heels are down if the horse stops you won't go flying over the head. Hope I helped!

Just build your confidence gradually, and it will happen. For now work on your seat. Keep those heels down, grip with your thighs and try to keep your butt as light in the saddle as you can...if you sit too heavy you will find that you are bounced all over the place, especially when you try a sitting trot. It takes a lot of strength in your legs, stomach and butt to do this, but all it takes is practice to get it. When you feel like you have a good seat try letting go of the horn, just for a few strides. If you feel safe let go a little longer. Remember, it will always be there the minute you start to feel unbalanced :)

You just have to practice and gain confidence. You have to develop your feel of your horse and, of course, your balance. To canter, you need to sit really deep in the saddle, the feeling will be like you are leaning back, open your knees (no gripping - gripping will throw you out of of the saddle), softly put your foot on the stirrup, relax, and move with your horse. Your body should mirror his body. Here's a trick. If you are holding your reins in your right hand, hook your left thumb onto your cantle on the left side and sit on your thumb and don't lose contact between your thumb and your butt. If you don't feel confident riding this way, use a piece of cloth or even a paper towel, the premise is the same. I know it sounds weird, but it really works and it will help you develop your seat and movement with your horse. Be patient and don't do anything you are not ready to do so you can be safe. Just work at it. It is not fun for you or your horse if you are banging against his back and he loses his balance too. If it is too uncomfortable, he - like you - won't want to canter with you.

You can do different things to work on your balance like riding bareback (with a good sticky pad recommended) or just drop your feet out of your stirrup and ride the last 15-20 minutes when you ride. Think about how your horse is moving and match his movement. It will just come to you one day and you will wonder what all the fuss was about. Relax and have fun.

OK, if you aren't comfortable cantering (it's called loping actually...since you are clearly using a western saddle.) without holding the horn, then you should probably work on your balance and seat at a walk/trot, and riding bareback before you lope again. It really sounds like you are just not ready.

Once you have good feel, and balance, and a good seat, it's really a piece of cake! just cue with a kiss, relax, and let your self sway with the motion. Eventually, you will learn how to lope with more of an up and down motion than a back and forth one, but while you are getting used to it, that doesn't matter.

Best of luck!

You don't even need to hold on all that tight with your legs. Just balance and move with the horse.

For practice, get your horse at a nice canter that is comfortable for you, then slowly let go of the horn for a few seconds. Keep increasing the time you let go until you are comfortable with it.

How do you think English riders stay on? We have no horn! We use our leg and thigh muscles. To improve these muscles try riding bareback or with no stirrups, and jump roping helps a ton too! When you develop a better seat you will begin to understand that you don't need the horn to stay on.

If you must hang on to the horn or the mane (this is handy if you are bareback), by all means do so until you are comfortable enough to let go even for a short time. Lengthen the time out as you feel more comfortable with the feel.

Well i canter on my girl bareback, and jump bareback, its all the matter of confidence and balance! When you canter just canter in a straight line and then let go of the horn! if you need to turn just hold back onto the horn. You will need time, but once you got it clicked that you dont need to hold on!. Just be patiant, and make sure you got your heels down but are relaxed. Youll relaize its easier for cantering without holding on then actually holding on! good luck!

if you need any more posotivness, or more confidence, just email me, im here for anyone that at least tries! just go with the horse!