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These two skills are not as they sound horse riding skills but are actually handy mtb skills when descending and climbing rocky, rooty and rutty terrains where there is limited clearance for your pedals and cranks.

Ratcheting

OK imagine you are descending a really steep descent. It starts to level out. Your speed is coming down. Momentum from gravity is slowly easing off. Next it gets rocky. Like really rocky. Or maybe rooty or you are riding in a rut. You pedal down to get some speed and momentum to carry you through the terrain but your pedals keep hitting into the side and you move sideways and off balance.

If for example the rocks are on both sides or you are quite literally in a rut then the best way through is to ratchet. Simply put! , you keep your cranks pretty much horizontal and well out the way of the rut or rocks. Whilst in this position pump your pedals up and down (not far down so that you would hit the obstacle). This will enable you to keep momentum and travel through the natural obstacles.

If the rocks are just on your left you can do a sort of half ratchet. Here you keep momentum by pushing down with your right foot where there is clearance. Then lift your right foot, but pedal only half way down with your left foot just until both pedals and cranks are parallel. Then push down with your right again and as before then come down with your left foot until it is just half way and your pedals are parallel. By repeating this you will ratchet you bike through all sorts of sticky and rough terrain. For rocks on the right do the opposite. Practice this before you get to rocks to get the motion smooth. Stil keep looking ahead not down at your feet.

Canting

Ratcheting is all well and good whilst going downhill or downhill to flat and keeping some momentum and control going. Whilst managing rocks and roots up hill the limited pumping action of the ratchet manoeuvre with parallel cranks is likely to not be enough to beat gravity and a standstill is likely to be imminent. Tricky

So a little trick is whilst going uphill on the down stroke of the pedal lean or more "cant" you steed sideways a little. This will free up more space and clearance of your pedals, cranks, chain ring and rear mech and give you more pumping leverage and distance enabling more force and so you will move forward and up (not sideways and over;)

It's all fun. Wear a helmet, gloves and enjoy