# Cautiously optimistic...?



## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

I was schooling today, and was able to get some pictures of Diddly and I. I would appreciate a critique of myself and the horse. We are doing dressage, just to say. 
I am quite pleased with how he looks, because he is tracking up, and hes always ifv, never behind. I got some shock when I saw how far under his body his hind leg is coming in canter! I comes up to my bloody foot!!!!!! 
I'm also aware that my hands are too low. I don'tknow WHY I keep doing that. Every ride I make a conscious effort to fix that problem. I have a feeling that I got stressed because I was having my picture taken... It happens. 

Also, please ignore the fact that he looks like a sour pig. He isn't really objecting at all, just listening to me talking to him. He looks really awful when he actually has his ears back!
Anyway here we go:







































































So... what do you think?


----------



## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

friendly bump? 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

It's been a long time since I've seen photos of video fo you riding. I see some nice work , and Didley is tracking up , like you said. one thing that kind of puzzles me . .. is that a dressage saddle or an All Purpose? it looks like it's too far forward, and kind of has an uphill orientation to . also, you have some long legs. the saddle is either too small for you, or you may need to drop your stirrups one hole.


----------



## Clava (Nov 9, 2010)

Looking nice. I'd want to shorten your reins and raise your hands  lower leg could go back a touch (with a hole longer ).


----------



## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

Oh its an ideal dressage saddle  It looks far forward because sometimes it will slip forward on his shoulders if I forget to tighten the girth enough. It fits me fine, but I do agree I must lengthen my stirrups a hole... I was just thinking that.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

thanks clava! I am definitely going to work on all that tomorrow
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Huge improvement on where you both were
Agree on dropping the stirrups a hole and although your hands do look low at times not bad and he seems to work well with the lower hand so I wouldn't raise it too much
The Ideal saddles do ride rather small not sure what size you ended up with and since you only recently got it I don't think you'd want to part ex. yet!!!


----------



## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

Oh thank you Jaydee  I'm pleased to hear that. 
I will raise my hands a touch, but not by much, as I agree that he works well with them a bit lower. 

I got a 16.5" ideal Jessica. My butt is pretty small, so I fit it grand... I feel comfortable in it, however I have lately felt that my legs are difficult to get under me properly. 
However, dropping the stirrups will almost definitely help 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

how tall are you? the saddle looks like the flaps are maybe, just maybe, too small for your long legs. it isn't just about butt size.


----------



## Clava (Nov 9, 2010)

CandyCanes said:


> Oh thank you Jaydee  I'm pleased to hear that.
> I will raise my hands a touch, but not by much, as I agree that he works well with them a bit lower.
> 
> I got a 16.5" ideal Jessica. My butt is pretty small, so I fit it grand... I feel comfortable in it, however I have lately felt that my legs are difficult to get under me properly.
> ...


16.5 isn't a bad size for someone as slim as you and really the flaps shouldn't make much difference. 

Can you do some lunge work with no stirrups?, you will soon know if the saddle is putting your leg too far forward when you put feet back in the stirrups. Some no stirrup work would also help lengthen your leg and get it ready for taking them down a hole or two .

I love his head carriage, head nicely in front of the vertical  keep it there and don't ever allow it btv. Lovely open throat latch area.


----------



## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

I can indeed do some lunge work without stirrups. I will very likely do some on... Tuesday. That's when I'm next in my arena  

I'm extremely pleased to hear his head is where its supposed to be. We have struggled with getting enough hind end power to actually get him to do something nice with his head... 
I will update you all on how dropping my stirrups a hole today!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

Well, that went well alright! My instructor used one word at least a million times during the hour lesson. And that word was 'Fantastic'. He couldn't stop raving about how lovely diddly looked, and how nice my leg position was, (stirrups dropped!) and how smashing the walk was, and how most people will take their own lives for a trot like that etc etc. I am really not used to this. I'm used to "what the bloody hell was that? Look, that was just awful, I can't take this any more, I'm going home!" ( Happened once!) 

So, an overall good feeling from todays lesson, however it was ever so slightly tainted by the fact that my instructor spotted diddlys heels, or should I say, lack of... Diddly has always had pretty crappy heels, but when he was shod, he had some support, so his joints weren't under any stress. However now that he's barefoot, his joints are going to be under pressure. My instructor just said "Where in divelment are his heels?!" He had never noticed before hand when diddly had shoes on. So I am going to have to get cock and wedges shoes put on him, and shorten the hind toes up alot, in order to get the stress off of those hind legs. His front feet, thankfully are quite nice... Not much heel on him, but there is enough. Barefoot was only ever temporary anyway to strengthen his feet up and spread his heels out before putting some more shoes back on


----------



## Clava (Nov 9, 2010)

CandyCanes said:


> Well, that went well alright! My instructor used one word at least a million times during the hour lesson. And that word was 'Fantastic'. He couldn't stop raving about how lovely diddly looked, and how nice my leg position was, (stirrups dropped!) and how smashing the walk was, and how most people will take their own lives for a trot like that etc etc. I am really not used to this. I'm used to "what the bloody hell was that? Look, that was just awful, I can't take this any more, I'm going home!" ( Happened once!)
> 
> So, an overall good feeling from todays lesson, however it was ever so slightly tainted by the fact that my instructor spotted diddlys heels, or should I say, lack of... Diddly has always had pretty crappy heels, but when he was shod, he had some support, so his joints weren't under any stress. However now that he's barefoot, his joints are going to be under pressure. My instructor just said "Where in divelment are his heels?!" He had never noticed before hand when diddly had shoes on. So I am going to have to get cock and wedges shoes put on him, and shorten the hind toes up alot, in order to get the stress off of those hind legs. His front feet, thankfully are quite nice... Not much heel on him, but there is enough. Barefoot was only ever temporary anyway to strengthen his feet up and spread his heels out before putting some more shoes back on


 
I'm sorry but shoes do not provide any more support than the ground does!! Don't put wedges on if you can avoid it. bare hooves are not supposed to have much heel especially on the hinds, if he is not struggling with the surface there is no benefit in shoeing. Instructors are not always the best people to advise on shoeing (but then farriers aren't always either), but listen to your horse, an instructor might just be used to seeing a shod hoof which is not the same as a bare one.


----------



## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Picks look good. You already know about your hands, so work on that. Saddle is too small for you. I doubt you can fit a finger behind your butt no less 4. 

As for the hooves. long toes will buy you no heel 100% of the time. The long toe actually pulls the heel forward. Your horse might have plenty of heel, but it might just be underrun and pulled forward. No way to tell without pics. Sounds like a better trimmer is in order if this one is leaving the toes that long. Find a good trimmer to get the hoof growing in a more balanced shape before you put shoes back on. Feel free to post hoof pics, side and bottom for further advice on those.


----------



## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

Thanks for the advise. 
Myboypuck, I can fit 5 fingers in front and behind me on the saddle... 

My farrier is actually very good, however he is SOOO busy and extraordinarily difficult to get. As a result, sometimes Diddly is overdue, so his toes get long. He wears the toes down in front, however he doesn't wear them down behind. However I'm going to ask about getting his toes trimmed back more anyway, which will help those heels.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

Actually, Clava, you appear to be spot on... 
I looked at pictures of barefoot hind hooves, and the healthy ones are pretty close to what Diddlys hind feet look like tbh. The amount of heel appears to be the same as what he has. Handily enough I have a friend who has lots and lots of barefoot ponies and a barefoot horse. I can pick up their front and hind feet in comparison. I will get my farrier to bring the toes back, which should also set his heels back under him a bit more and make it a completely healthy hoof 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

MyBoyPuck said:


> Picks look good. You already know about your hands, so work on that. Saddle is too small for you. I doubt you can fit a finger behind your butt no less 4.


Where are you seeing that? :shock: She looks to have a mile of room there


----------



## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

In the first few pics, she looks like she's sitting half way up the cantle.


----------



## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

MyBoyPuck, again, when sitting in the saddle, I can easily and comfortably fit 5 fingers in front and behind me on the saddle. I had the saddle fitted up the north by the best fitter in the country, and I have not gained or lost weight since then. I know exactly what a too small saddle feels like... Before I had that saddle, I had previously had a 14" on my pony candy. I felt uncomfortable in that alright! 
I have sat in the 17" version of my current saddle and I feel lost in it. I don't like it one bit. So trut me on this one... The saddle does fit my bottom


----------



## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

CandyCanes said:


> MyBoyPuck, again, when sitting in the saddle, I can easily and comfortably fit 5 fingers in front and behind me on the saddle. I had the saddle fitted up the north by the best fitter in the country, and I have not gained or lost weight since then. I know exactly what a too small saddle feels like... Before I had that saddle, I had previously had a 14" on my pony candy. I felt uncomfortable in that alright!
> I have sat in the 17" version of my current saddle and I feel lost in it. I don't like it one bit. So trut me on this one... The saddle does fit my bottom


Easy there, take a breath. I was just answering Golden Horse's question.


----------



## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

MyBoyPuck said:


> Easy there, take a breath. I was just answering Golden Horse's question.


Don't worry, I swear I'm not biting your head off! I'm just making sure you understand that the saddle fits me well. I won't kill you,I promise. Its an easy mistake to make, and from looking at some of the pictures, I can see where you are coming from.


----------



## SaraM (Feb 14, 2014)

Ok, a few things I see. Your saddle does look too far forward, if you look at that first picture, it definitely looks in the way of his shoulder. I'm not saying it doesn't fit, it may have just been too far forward when you were putting it on that day.

Your sitting up straight, I like that, but you're rounding your shoulders too much. Bringing them back square would probably lift your hands like everyone's talking about. 

I love the last two trot pictures, those look great, he looks very forward and supple, very straight through the bridle and really nice. But the first trot picture, he's definitely not; picture two is not 'ifv good' in my opinion, it looks like he's leaning forward through your hands and lazy through the trot. If I had to guess, I'd say the canter work gave him energy and improved his trot vastly to what we see in the last pictures. I think that's the case with most horses starting out, and if that's true, then canter first! Do whatever you normally do at the walk, then jump right into canter work and get that energy up right from the start before you start schooling trot work. I know people are all about 'warming up slowly', but theres a line between warming up / allowing your horse to be lazy for the first 20 mins (what if you go to a show and only have 15mins of warm up? Your horse might just say, nah I have ten more minutes before I absolutely have to work). You can't say 'Ok Diddly, I know I said it was ok to trot badly earlier, but now its different'. So make his trot like those last pictures all the time!

Ok, the canter looks forward, that's a good step. But, it looks like he's racing around and not bending that hind end for collection. The first step is forward, and I think you have that, so now its your job to get him to sit down and take more of that weight on the hind end WITHOUT losing that energy level. Its a delicate balance, you need that jump through the canter, keep that, but really sit up straight and make him collect it back. I'm sure your trainer can help with that feel. The second canter picture, he looks unbalanced again, but also looks counter bent or at least twisting through the neck. Transitions through the canter (collect, extend, collect, extend ) and canter shoulder in are great for building strength to sit at the canter. Its hard work, so take it slow.

He really looks so much better though, make him look like those last pictures all the time!


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

interesting idea to help a lazy horse at warm up by using canter first.


----------



## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

Wow Sara, thanks so much for all that info!!! 
His back is very strange, and his saddle tends to slip forwards if I forget to tighten my girth enough... Which happened the day the pictures were taken  

My instructor always uses the saying "to improve the trot, go into the canter" and you seem to abode by the same rules. 
You are right that I can cantered before the second set of trot pictures, so that probably helped him  

I unfortunately can't do any canter lateral work in that arena... The entire arena is essentially a constant curve and barely bigger than a 20 metre circle  so lateral work, even in trot, is difficult. I can just about do some in walk, but he finds it so hard, and for learning they really need a nice big open space. I will have to wait until I find a field or an arena to ride in before practising.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## SaraM (Feb 14, 2014)

I think most young horses get excited by the canter, so yeah it's a great tool to improve the gaits and really simple. If you have to ride in a small area right now, I'd work on the trot work first since you said that's also hard for him, you don't want to skip too many steps. You can do any lateral work on a 20m circle too, maybe you will need space to do them correctly, but literally anything can be done in that space. But it's difficult so start slow. Do some steps of shoulder in, then power up his trot again, a few more steps, forward power. Do shoulder in, switch to haunches in, switch bend to counter shoulders in, don't let his trot die ever. Work on extended trot, then collect him back into a real collected trot, transitions like that. Transitions of following th bit down in a stretch without dropping the back or balance, then bringing it back up, etc. Counter canter in small areas like that are great strength builders. 

Basically, don't ever let yourself think you can't do that in a small area, your horse can do it, just ask him to.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## SaraM (Feb 14, 2014)

Also, lateral work is more difficult at the walk. You're lacking impulsion, the most important part of lateral work, so yeah it's going to go wrong. There's more time between each stride to twist and do things wrong; that doesn't mean you should stop- it means you should do it at the trot or canter because it's easier for him, and drop back down to the walk once he understands and you have better quality of walk.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------

