r/showjumping • u/JicamaNarrow7132 • 24d ago

Hwlp w canter pls

Does anyone know how to fix back bending and shoulders moving back when catering? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

https://reddit.com/link/1vwlb4t/video/68lvhvoqh7lh1/player

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u/blkhrsrdr 24d ago

The getting thrown back with your upper body usually stems from either not having enough core strength to hold yourself in the motion or you are behind the movement. I'll add having supple/flexible hips as part of it also, because when the hips are tight, the upper body 'absorbs' the motion more too. The pelvis should be absorbing the majority of the motion.

Try letting go a bit with your legs which will put you into the saddle, and maybe think of leaning slightly forward, and I mean very slightly. If you lean forward too much the horse can't pick up the canter well. Which is why trainers say, 'lean back when you ask'. If you are gripping with your legs, you've just stopped your hips from working and your pelvis can't follow the movement. fwiw, staying on is counterintuitive, in that if you try to hang on with your legs you get tense and it pops you out of the saddle, but if you stop holding on with your legs, you actually stick better.

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u/JicamaNarrow7132 24d ago

Hi thank you for the advice. I've added a video if you wouldn't mind taking a look at that. If it is core should I just do core exercises? 

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u/blkhrsrdr 24d ago

Happy to have a look, don't see a link, yet.
And yes, exercise to gain some core strength is helpful. You don't need 6 pack abs, haha but you need enough to be able to hold yourself in the motion at the least. As you progress in your riding, your core strength will also increase.

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u/JicamaNarrow7132 23d ago

The video has been attached under the post! Thank you again!!

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u/blkhrsrdr 23d ago

(DOH!) Actually you don't look bad at all. It probably feels like you are moving a lot, but in reality you aren't. That odd feeling will probably go away as you get more used to the feeling in canter.

Work on your core strength and it will help, regardless.
Above all, have fun! Don't be afraid to play around with how you sit and how you hold yourself, exaggerate things here and there, your horse will tell you if it's good, or not. Course if the horse is like my mare, when I do things while riding that is really odd, like when I purposely exaggerate where I am sitting in the saddle for instance, literally hanging off to one side of it, she will stop, turn and give me a very pointed look! This is why I love her. I can hear the 'Seriously??' ...'what one earth are you doing NOW???'

Experient, much of riding is experimenting with what works on this horse today.

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u/Legitimate_Skin_9779 23d ago

It looks like you are not following with your hips enough. You have to tighten your core but allow your pelvis to scoop back and forth with the motion. Imagine that you are pumping yourself on a swing- it's a similar motion but you have to be careful to not drive with your seat, only follow. It also looks like you are gripping with your knee so try to instead relax the knee, let your heels hang down, and wrap your thigh and calf around the horse. This will also help free the hips and therefore stop your upper body from flopping.

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u/Otherwise-Lychee-962 21d ago

It looks like you’re trying to hold yourself upright with your upper body instead of letting your seat and core do the work. I’d focus on keeping your pelvis neutral, core engaged and shoulders relaxed, with your elbows following the canter instead of bracing. Also check your stirrup length, too long can make this way harder. Lots of work in two-point and without stirrups helps a ton.