Having canter problems, really need some advice please

[tabithakat64]

Yesterday I fell off Fudge, I have been hacking out in walk and trot with my friend and her old horse as I have been trying to ge Fudge fit and work on his confidence, after having some time off and a couple of scary experiences. He was really good yesterday taking the lead more confidently and not napping so when we went in the field I trotted off as usual (I'm working on him being able to do this leaving his friend and either stopping and waiting or trotting or walking calmly back to them) and decided as he'd been so good and we were both so confident I'd canter back (probably a bad idea in hindsight), he cantered straight away but his canter was so bouncy it literally threw me right out of the saddle, other than winding myself and some badly bruised ribs I am unhurt, I got back on a rode home and Fudge seemed unfased.
Since he got his new made to measure saddle his canter has been incredibly bouncy (he looks like a beach ball) but this is the first time I've fallen off (haven't fallen off for years and not off of Fudge at all), he is green and I need to keep a rein contact to prevent him stumbling and/or napping and bucking so I wouldn't feel happy holding the saddle, I have a breast plate which I will put on next time I want to canter, will wear chaps and practice cantering up hill, have thought about riding someone elses horse who is more balanced, having lunge lessons on a schoolmaster, and getting someone else to ride Fudge to see if they have a propblem, do any of you have any other suggestions of how I can make myself more balanced and stable in the saddle?
There is only the friend I have been riding with and one other person who doesn't ride that often who is happy just to walk and trot, so I really do need and want to be able to master cantering on him on the flat as well as uphill. Plus I brought him because I could hack out in groups and go as fast as I wanted because he calmer and more predictable than Lady.
I love him to pieces but is he really going to be happy hacking out in walk and trot and not having any fun if my balance is now so bad I cannot balance both of us enough to canter and gallop?
Somehow it seems unfair to keep him if my balance is so poor that I cannot even canter. I had so many plans of all the things we would do together that I've never been able to do with Lady because of her past (shes a rescue pony) and temperment and I've worked so hard to improve Fudges behaviour and confidence I just feel so angry at my 'disability' because riding and horses is the one thing I really love and now I can't even do that properly

 

[Silvia]

Hi tabithakat64,
Sorry to hear you came off, hope you are not too sore. I am also a rider with balance problems, working on canter out of the school at the moment so I am very interested to hear how you are getting on.
Two things come to mind reading your post:
Cantering towards his buddy Fudge might be inspired to go faster than you can handle and therefore hard to sit.
the other is that you mentioned that Fudges canter has only become boucy since you have a new saddle. Maybe he is not as comfortable with his saddle or maybe it is just not the right shape for you.
What sort of disability do you have?

 

[tabithakat64]

Hi tabithakat64,
Cantering towards his buddy Fudge might be inspired to go faster than you can handle and therefore hard to sit.

Your prolly right, in hindsight it was a silly thing to do.
Have had the saddle checked and it fits both Fudge and I perfectly apparently.
I have ME and arthritis, my co-ordination and balance is pretty awful, it also affects my concentration and sensation and I have a lot of joint/muscle pain and poor grip, it's usually something I just get on with, but the prospect of not being able to ride properly and maybe even having to sell Fudge if I can't sort my canter problems out as really got me down.

 

[Silvia]

Don't bee too depressed. I know that not being able to do something you want is frustrating - but riding "properly" is really not all about being able to canter a young, napping horse out on a hack. I think you put yourself in a very difficult situation, so don't be too hard on yourself. Your coming off was probably just bad luck and would have happened to most riders, disabled or not.
Fudge sounds like a nice horse - and he won't mind if you don't canter and gallop. I have been riding for over ten years and it is only recently that I can manage a few strides of very controlled canter. Before that i went years without ever cantering the horse I owned. And I don't think he missed it.I made sure he had enough turnout, lunged occasionally and even now I have an able bodied rider riding my horse every week.
Try to make cantering easy for youself and Fudge and don't ask too much too soon. Why don't you find a short, straight uphill stretch pointing away from home and see how it goes there.
Don't give up, you'll get there.

 

[8-legged-pony]

Have to completely ditto Silvia here, don't be too hard on yourself. Just because you had a set back does not mean you can't ride properly, and I'm sure Fudge isn't going to look down on you because you're having trouble with your balance at the canter at the moment! Maybe it's a good idea to have a lunge lesson on a quiet schoolmaster, a) to help improve your balance, and b) to prove to yourself that you're perfectly capable of sitting to the canter!

As for cantering Fudge, it might take time to get yourself to a point where you're happy to canter/gallop him anywhere you want, but don't give up, you will get there in the end. What's Fudge like cantering behind other horses? Does he stay in pace with them without trying to overtake or speed up? If so you could try cantering uphill (I always find cantering uphill easier than on the flat, if it's harder for you then try the flat first) behind another horse who will take a reaonably slow pace, and then instead of worrying about controlling him and his speed, you can concentrate on your own balance, starting out with holding onto a neck strap for that extra bit of security.

What's Fudge like on the lunge? I don't know how balanced you are on a circle, but would it be worth having some lunge lessons on Fudge, that way you can practice sitting to his bouncy canter whilst not worrying about having to control him, and you'll have the added bonus of someone on the ground as an extra eye to help you with his canter.

Once again, don't give up! I'm sure Fudge really won't mind just doing walk and trot out on hacks. I'm still too scared to canter Spyder out after coming off him (It's been 3 years but that's not the point!) so he has to stick to walk and trot and we still have lots of fun . If you are concerned that Fudge will want to canter out occasionally maybe you could find someone to take him out once in a while so he can have a canter until you feel confident enough with your balance to take him out yourself. If you do find other horses easier to sit to as well, maybe you could swap with a friend every now and again, and canter their horse out, and they could take Fudge?

I seem to have written an essay so going to stop there, hope I've helped a little bit, good luck, and give yourself a bit more credit - you sound like a pretty darn good horsewoman to me!