l have been going for 11 weeks and l have got up to canter.
thanks for the confidence boost! l keep curling up when im riding, how can l stop myself from doing this.
thanks olivia, heres my question:
it is in the added details obove. thanks!
im 11, so l cant excatly get a job. by the way, l dont know if you know this place. but l go to Hargate Equine.
all yourare soo good! so im putting this question to vote!
thanks everyone!

confidence! if you have got to canter in 3 months you must have loads.keep it up you are doing great.

Depending on ur Style, Western Pleasure, Hunter Jumping, Dressage, l would say try taking about 2-3 lessons a week first. l have a horse & compete alot & ride him about 4-5 times a week. Dedication is key in the Horse world! if u r not dedicated it wont progress far. l have given up some acrivities to practice. Ok so in the saddle exercises, when u r trotting make sure ur thumbs stay up & ur back is straight, also u want ur heel to be exactly proportional with ur shoulder, HEELS DOWN! Another thing grip with ur legs because steering is mostly in the legs. If u r planning to jump, first get ur canter down. Your bottom should not go up & down but shine the seat, which means back & forth keep ur hands a little down & able to steer.. well for more info. just ask lol. l have much experience

l think it is more of a natural thing. You either have it or u don't, kind of like dancing, but practice will only make u better. It depends on what u want to do though, if u want to jump & do barrels it takes a lot of practice & muscles especially in the legs, also u have to have a horse that is trained for it, u can not just expect any horse to know it is supposed to jump instead of going around. If u want to just be able to gallop, & canter for fun, it is another thing. if u r racing & want to go fast put ur weight forward it helps the horse out, l personally had Peruvian Pasos, who have a very gently trot, so a gallop & a canter feel practically the same, & l trained my horses from birth to work solely on voice commands. ''Wo'' my horse would stop no reigns necessary, & l never had to use a bit, just could throw a hackamore or bozell on '' if u have the ability to train ur house it is great, u can have that personal connection with them & the trust of knowing ur horse is not going to throw u off a cliff is always nice.

l work at a riding school & see riders from zero riding experience to grand prix level.
l am not sure what u mean by tips. Here is a couple, anyway:
1. Get as many riding hours under ur belt as u can. Financially, this can be difficult but the more riding u do, the faster u will improve. If u ride at a stable & have lessons, maybe try a trail riding place as well. Make friends with people who have their own horses, ask them questions, watch them working with their horses not only under saddle but on the ground. If you're young, maybe a part time job at a stable - I've been working on & off as a groom/coach etc since l was 14. While it is sometimes difficult to fit it in around uni, it is worth it.
2. Best quote I've ever heard: Riding is a journey, not a destination. You will not wake up one day & say 'wow - i'm a good rider now' it is a very gradual process & even the top level riders where l agist/work have bad habits & riding flaws.
3. The two greatest things I've learnt are: sit on ur butt & keep ur heels down. You get these two things down pat in all paces & u will be well on ur way :)

Keep practicing. Ive been riding for 12 years & u NEVER stop learning.
Keep ur heels down & ur chest out. Like taking a deap breath. BREATH!!
If u have an ottoman in ur house u can straddle it & get ur position down. There should be an invisible striaght line that runs from ur ear, to ur shoulder, to ur hip to ur heel.
Do not push ur feet out infront of you. When u r posting, when u sit, squeeze around the horses belly with ur calves. Not hard like ur telling him to go just like u r hugging him with ur legs.
Keep ur thumbs on top when u r holding the reins.
Practice keeping ur heels down.
Stand on the edge of a step with the big part of ur foot on the edge of the step & ur toes on the step (hold on to the rail) & practice flexing ur heels towards the ground then back to flat. Do a couple times a week to make ur legs stronger & ur heels will be easier to push down when u r riding.
If u can, practice riding without ur stirrups AT A WALK. Walk in circles & all around the arena with out stirrups. This will help A LOT with ur balance. Once u have been riding for a WHILE try it at a trot, Make sure u have a reliable horse so if u get off balance u wo not scare him when adjusting yourself.
The most helpful thing u can do is hang out at the barn u take lessons at & watch people. Especially ur trainer. Ride as often as u can. Some trainers will let u work at their barn in trade for riding.

If u r only going once per week, l would not expect u to be cantering after 11 lessons. For most once-per-week riders, it take about six months to get a good posting trot. Then u r ready to canter.

As for curling up, just about everyone does that from time to time. It is really easy to do if u r nervous or under pressure as ur body naturally goes to fetal position when u feel anxious. l sometimes start doing it when jumping, then correct myself. This is something that will get easier as u get more experienced, balanced, & confident, but it will probably never go away altogether.

More & more hours of riding will do not good if u do not have a good instructor that u trust to begin with, this is very important. Once u find a good instructor & see that u r making progress, l would ride as often as l could, & never think that u ever will get to the point that u will not nor cannot learn from someone.you can be watching someone do something wrong & learn from that as well. Keep an open mind & know when u might be ready to advance to another instructor.

heels down, eyes up, leg at the girth, and relax. work on your upper back and abdominals if you curl up; straiten your back, and make sure that your leg does not go forward or behind your girth. the ideal rider should have a strait line from her ear through her heel, and from the horses bit to the elbow should also be strait.
good luck riding!

always, always listen to ur instructor, they really do know best, even if at some point u might think u know better. be as confident as u can when riding, but be humble towards others at the barn, especially other riders. even if u are/become one of the better riders in the barn, no one likes a snob who tries to rub it in someones face. always help others in the barn if they ask for it, & pay attention to ur horse. groom it, tack it up, bathe it when asked to/needed. & always stay calm even in odd/scary situations, getting worked up if/when something goes wrong wo not help u or the horse. u r dealing with an animal & things r going to go wrong, it is just a matter of fact. but do not be fearful just because u think something might go wrong, just be prepared. being a good rider is not just being good at riding a horse, u have to be a good horse person too. hope ur horsey future goes well!

A major tip l can give you is to always look at things as a learning experience. Get the most out of your lessons, and remember, sometimes your worst moments benefit you the most.