[MySnafflebit]

I get so frightened of cantering of jumps. Not only is my canter seat very good, but I don't feel like I have much control at the canter and I tend to lean forward. Any suggestions?

[idlewild]

I would recomend lots of work in two point and without stirrups at the walk and trot. Then move that same work to the canter. If you can, get someone (perferably your trainer) to lounge you at the canter where you can canter without hands so that you learn to develope a better position and not rely on your hands for balance.

Then my next suggestion would be canter poles. Set up a "course" of canter poles. Then pratice cantering over the poles. When you are confortable with that you can make piles of poles out of 3 poles. Canter around over those until you are confortable, then make them into little bitty x-rails. Just do lots and lots of that, don't think about the pole ("jump") just focus on your position.

Remember that your job as a rider when jumping is: Line, Position, Rhythm.
It's the horse's job to jump the jump, not yours. If you focus on keeping a straight line to the jump, keeping your position, and keeping a steady rhythm in the trot/canter then you're good.

Hope that helps!

[JBandRio]

Originally Posted by MySnafflebit

Not only is my canter seat very good, but I don't feel like I have much control at the canter and I tend to lean forward. Any suggestions?

Don't jump until your seat and control on the flat are good It's really that simple.

Once you get there and decide to try again, the best thing for everyone involved is to set up a little gymnastic that starts with 3 trot poles to an xrail to a pole on the landing side. This allows the approach to be well-controlled, and lets the horse land at a canter and "jump" a pole. The progression would be to raise that pole to be another xrail, so you trot in, jump, 1 canter stride, jump. Your job is to get into and stay in 2-pt position from the start of the trot poles to the end of the 2nd jump. The progression from there is to raise the 2nd jump to a small oxer, and then to increase it from a 1-stride to a 2-stride.