Is it a big leap from rising trot to canter? I'm eager to try it!

[Tracheostomy]

I've been riding for about 8 weeks and have had about 6 lessons and one 2 hour hack through a village and forest.

I love trotting but I like it better when the horse trots faster - I'm almost willing him to go into a canter but I know it's early days for me yet and don't want to canter run before I can walk so to speak.

I'd love to learn to canter however. Is it a massive leap? how does it feel compared to rising trot? what are the dangers of cantering compared to rising trot?

It's been a loooong time since I learnt to ride but I love moving from trot to a controlled canter. It's much smoother, so hopefully when you do, you'll love it too!

it's too easy to rise to the canter at first, until you get used to it - I think the danger is probably when you come back to trot, if it is quite a bouncy horse?

OK, well, firstly, having read your other thread, you need to get in control of the horse enough to be able to stop it reliably. If you can't get your horse to do as it's told in walk and trot, you've bugger all hope in canter, and then it could be dangerous - plus being run away with is really not at all fun. Secondly, don't go into canter by trotting faster and faster - the horse gets unbalanced then. You need to maintain the same controlled, balanced trot you've been in, then sit for the last couple of strides, and give the aid to canter. It's easier initially to pick up canter out of a corner, as then the horse is more likely to go off on the right leg. I can't see that it's riskier than rising trot if you're in control, tbh, apart from the fact that any falls will be at a higher speed. It feels sort of rocky, and very comfy. But seriously. If you can't get your horse to stop when asked, without another horse in front, or to go where YOU tell it to, not where it decides, you NEED to sort that before even considering canter. At the very least, doing otherwise would be a quick way to stop enjoying it at all.

Sorry, that sounded well bossy, didn't it .

I have to agree with IMcHunt. You need to spend a bit of time making sure you are in control of the horse before thinking of going any faster. To be honest I find it very shocking that the RS took you out on a hack with no brakes and having never cantered - very dangerous in my opinion. Your RS should also be teaching you on the lunge where the instructor has control of the horse and you concentrate on your position.

Canter is more exciting . The horses often find it more exciting too . That's the main difference!

(Apart from all the technical details of course...).

Don't run before you can walk. so to speak
IMcHunt speaks sound good sense.
You have a riding instructor. They're paid to do that job for a reason. When you are ready, they will teach you to canter. Patience.

As the others have said before cantering is great but you have to ask for it correctly by sitting deep moving with your hips and squeezing with your outside leg slightly behind.

When cantering you should sit deep in the saddle and find the rhythm. Eventually you'll be able to sit out of the saddle if necessary (jumping, galloping etc) but that is more advanced.

Best if you start in lessons and probably in a school. Your teacher may put you on a schoolmaster to start with that will give you smooth transitions and could possibly put you on the lunge.

Dds friend was riding our pony and was the same as you. I had her on the lunge so I allowed her to sit and kick on to canter to show her how it feels. She wasn't ready, her seat wasn't secure. She started bouncing and got on the opposite bounce to the canter. She was coming down as the pony was coming up. She ended up being bounced high into the air, totally off blance and ended up clinging to the ponies neck until the old chap stopped. She could easily have come off a less sensible pony!