Canter Work Series # 10 Excerpt from Book One
Quiet Hands in the Canter
Quieting the hands in the canter will be easier now that you have been able to quiet them in sitting and rising trot. The motion of the horse in the canter is much different than the trot, as you have already learned. By now you have been able to still your body in the canter and all you need to do is let your body ride between your hands to still them. It is the tendency of the hands to bounce up and down, and if not the hands, then the elbows will want to flop, so there is a lot to bring under control.
Just be sure your hands aren’t locked together in front of your seat, since this will block your seat by creating a barrier. So relax your arms, widen your hands, and put them more in front of you. Also, be sure that your elbows aren’t locked against your sides so that your body can move freely and separate from your arms and hands. To help still the hands you will need a neck strap or a tuft of hair from the mane so you can hang onto just like in the posting trot. This will enable you to feel how much the body rises up and down with the motion of the horse. The arms and hands should not follow the up and down motion. In the beginning, think of widening the hands and imagine riding your hips through the middle of your hands, keeping your elbows back and still but not stiff. This will help you get the feel of controlling your arms and creating quieter hands. If you have mirrors, it is good to glance at yourself and check and see how still your hands are because that will help you to feel what you should do. If you have followed the sequence in this book, your horse will be so happy that you mastered this final part of your body.
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