Ask Me Help Desk - Canter - Scared to death

Please help me?? I had a nasty fall about 10 weeks ago, a since then cannot get myself to canter. I`m not a pro, still learning, but have cantered in the past on casual outrides, and stayed on top. I see myself as a very novice rider, but I know I`m able to canter, just can`t get myself that far. I do still need to learn all the correct do`s and don`ts, but how if I can`t experience it myself??

Every time in the past that I`ve fallen off, I got right back on, the last time I couldn`t even move my legs, what about getting back on the horse. In general I`m a go-getter, it FRUSTRATES me to be so scared of something I know I `ve done successfully before!

Please, I really do hope that you have some "miracle advice" for me, cause I don`t know which way...

Are you riding english or western? Are you riding your own horse or school horses? Are there other horses available for you to ride other than the one you had the bad fall from? There's really no miracle cures that I can come up with, but if you give some more info, may be able to offer some suggestions that might help.

I started with dressage now, before that I only went on casual outrides. I`m was looking to buy a horse, and have this sweet mare on a trial period now. Although she really doesn`t have a mean hair on her body, she is very unbalanced and has a horrible uncomfortable canter. She`s not the one I fell from though. Because she is so unbalanced, I decided not to buy her, so I`m currently looking after her for her owner. I found myself a great gelding that`s coming to me in four day`s time. Although he is also very cute and relaxed, he`s a bit more fiesty than my mare. ( He came off the track in January. ) But his balance also needs a bit of work.

There isn`t other horses available at my stables for me to ride, as it is all private horses. Someone told me to canter on the lungeline for starters, but my mare can`t even keep herself steady in the canter on the lungeline, how the heck am I going to survive when she trips with me on her back??

I do have a wonderful trainer, and she doesn`t want to push me before I don`t feel ready, but gosh, I think it`s time to pick myself up now! Usually I`ll just get in and do something, push the fear aside, and go for it. It`s SO FRUSTRATING for me not being able to do that now! My whole body just "freezes"...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lollales

I started with dressage now, before that I only went on casual outrides. I`m was looking to buy a horse, and have this sweet mare on a trial period now. Although she really doesn`t have a mean hair on her body, she is very unbalanced and has a horrible uncomfortable canter. She`s not the one I fell from though. Because she is so unbalanced, I decided not to buy her, so I`m currently looking after her for her owner. I found myself a great gelding that`s coming to me in four day`s time. Although he is also very cute and relaxed, he`s a bit more fiesty than my mare. ( He came off the track in January. ) But his balance also needs a bit of work.

There isn`t other horses available at my stables for me to ride, as it is all private horses. Someone told me to canter on the lungeline for starters, but my mare can`t even keep herself steady in the canter on the lungeline, how the heck am I going to survive when she trips with me on her back???

I do have a wonderfull trainer, and she doesn`t want to push me before I don`t feel ready, but gosh, I think it`s time to pick myself up now!! Usually I`ll just get in and do something, push the fear aside, and go for it. It`s SO FRUSTRATING for me not being able to do that now!! My whole body just "freezes"...

Hello,

You need to stop being upset or frustrated with yourself because that just makes the problem worse. I agree with your trainer, you shouldn't be pushed (by yourself or by the trainer) until you FEEL ready. Work on walk and trot and halt and dressage geometry (riding straight lines, corners versus circles) transitions on the mark, etc. There will come a time when you feel CONFIDENT and are bored with just walk and trot and WANT to canter. When that time comes, your body will no longer "freeze" as you ask for the canter - you can just relax and ride the canter.

I would also avoid a horse "off the track". Stick with well trained horses until you are fully "back in the saddle". Don't bite off more than you can chew! You had a bad fall and weren't able to get back in the saddle right away. Take the time it takes to recover, not just physically but also emotionally.

Short-cuts never work with horses. What looks like the "slow" path is always the fastest way to your goals because it means you are working on the foundation. The better the foundation, the faster you will progress once you move on. The more you skip on the foundation, the more problems you will have trying to move on, and the more you will be held back later because you skipped working on the foundation until it was solid before you moved on.

Good luck!

Jc

Something else to keep in mind, especially with dressage, is that the horse has to be well balanced at the walk and the trot before starting canter work. If you ever find yourself working with a green horse, like the ones you're describing, it is usually appropriate to hold off on any canter work under saddle until the horse itself has a better foundation. In fact, it may not be a bad idea to start working with any such horse on the lunge (without a rider), to teach himself balance and rhythm, etc, and get him cantering properly on his own before attempting it with a rider.
If you do find yourself in a situation where you're just hacking out and want to try a little canter while going straight, just let it pretty much happen on it's own, maybe while going up a hill behind another, quiet horse. In a case like that, you're not thinking about it so much and nothing is being forced, either on you or the horse. Just something to think about.
If you're serious about buying a horse, I'd stay away from a green one at this point. You'd be so much ahead of the game if you got yourself an older school master who can teach you. Doesn't have to be an upper level horse or something really expensive, just a horse who's been taught really good basics and who has already learned correct balance, etc. It may take some time and patience on your part, but the result will be oh so worth it!

Thank you so much. I`ll try out your guys` advice a bit, and let you know what happens. I also started to work more on the sitting trot without stirrups, just to get my confidence back again, and my own balance more into shape. Been doing it for two days now, and I have to say I already feel a small bit better about riding again... I decided to give myself a month at least on bare basics, and then see what I feel like. Or will that be the wrong thing??

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lollales

Thank you so much. I`ll try out your guys` advice a bit, and let you know what happens. I also started to work more on the sitting trot without stirrups, just to get my confidence back again, and my own balance more into shape. Been doing it for two days now, and I have to say I allready feel a small bit better about riding again... I decided to give myself a month at least on bare basics, and then see what I feel like. Or will that be the wrong thing???

You're doing the right thing by waiting and working on your foundation.
You can also check with your instructor on other exercises you can do, such as working on super correct circles, changing your posting diagonal every so many strides, and maybe even some lateral movements, that will further help your and your horse's balance. The better everything is before you try the canter again, the better the result will be on both the part of you and the horse.
Also, when you do go back to canter, if the horse is unbalanced in it, you may just want to canter a few strides, straight, and then do an easy downward transition, and repeat this pattern for awhile, until the both of you get more relaxed and balanced. However, on this, go by what your instructor recommends, as he/she is the one that sees what's going on with the two of you and should have the best grasp of the situation.
Always remember the best foundations build the structures that are the sturdiest!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lollales

...I have to say I allready feel a small bit better about riding again... I decided to give myself a month at least on bare basics, and then see what I feel like. Or will that be the wrong thing???

You are on the right track! Don't push yourself to canter until you feel ENTIRELY better about riding again.

Take this time to focus on geometry. This is an area where you can really improve your scores in dressage competition, and most people don't put the effort into learning how to do this. A dressage judge recently commented on an Eventing forum about the 2 loop S serpentine - most riders don't make it with a square corner, then starting a 1/2 circle at A (or C), and then changing the bend at X, then riding another 1/2 circle (to C or A) and then riding into the corner AFTER the final letter. They tend to either ride into both corners, or neither corner (circling at both ends of the arena). Learn how to ride movements like this correctly, how to ride into a corner then start a circle at A or C, and how to finish a circle (or 1/2 circle) at A or C and ride into the following corner.

Circles and corners - these are key to scoring well at the lower levels. You can beat riders who are "better" by being more precise!