# What do you see? Going for training level this show season



## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

*more photos*

a couple more and again ill be adding vieo and more pictures this weekend


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Anyone? Any tips? Good/Bad? Anything?


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

The only things I can pick on is shorten the reins just a hair more and think about the "give" being in your elbows instead of your hands so you don't start to lose the contact. Your upper body just looks a bit stiff in the shoulders. I think you can easily fix that by doing shoulder shrugs when you're warming up. It's not bad, just something that shows up in still pics. 

Overall you look great. Good luck with training level this year!


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Oh yeah, I forgot to add bend your elbows a little more to raise your hands just a hair when you take the little more contact. I know I keep using the works 'tad' and 'little', but that's how close you are to good contact. It's just a few more tweeks and you'll have a seriously nice connection going on there.


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## SaraM (Feb 14, 2014)

I think the stills look nice, probably a video would be easier, if you had one. It's a good feeling to get them to understand the forwardness, congrats on starting that. I like in the first walk picture, he looks forward and consistent with the trot frame. Is the canter coming along too?


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

*Thank you for the replies!*

Our canter has been a tricky one but hopefully in the coming weeks it should be improving a lot since he was adjusted and massaged a couple weeks ago and I can see and feel the biggest difference (good) in him by far.

In the trot he is still seeing what he can and can not do....I close a door and he looks for another way out by tossing his head, tensing up and all the typical young learning horse way of learning  But I can say in these two lessons I could realy feel him look for the conact, when he got unsure and tried to open a closed door and i would remind him no by half halt and inside leg he would settle right back into the contact and hold it a few strides longer..... he would really relax into the contact and breath. his back would swing and I could really feel his hind end come under each stride and was able to help push him more into the contact in spots of the circle where I knew he would be more prone to coming above the bit or where there was a slight distraction.

For sure this arena with is being covered and fully enclosed really helps both of us relax more.... a sense of security always helps!!

We did have a military helicopter fly over the arena (10 times louder and shook the walls....setting horses in the paddocks off ) something you will se in the video once I post it! and he handled it pretty well....and came back to work very nicely.

The video is a work in progress as it is a 24 minute video so it will take a long time to upload onto youtube and I have limited access to computers lol 

I am hoping that in the fallowing few weeks the walk and the trot will be come more and more steady with holding the conact and pushing from behind. I know that the walk will really help our canter. I know the tools I need to use for working on the canter and I am working very hard on doing nothing with my body, his job to work not mine! Easier said then done!!!

As Puck pointed put about shoulder shrugs- you will see in the video that is exactly what she had me do and BOY did that help me relax and remember to sit tall....also made my right shoulder VERY sore!!!

I would love more critiques if you have ideas and or thoughts!

THANKS!!


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

*Some Videos!*

Here is a short video of us troting to the left :wink:

Trotting Left 2/21/14 Beth Lesson - YouTube


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Here is the 2nd Video...Note a military helicopter flies over the arena and well...it gave up forward energry and he came back to me...this time last year I would have spent the rest of this lesson getting me re-focused and going again

Walk/Trot Left 2/21/14 Beth Lesson - YouTube


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## SaraM (Feb 14, 2014)

I think the video helps a lot! The thing that I notice the most, is that your hands are kind of busy. They move up with each stride, and I think you both would benefit from a steadier contact that doesn't bump his mouth. My trainer would put a grab strap across the front of my saddle for me to touch, so I would have a physical reminder when my hands were moving too much. 

If the goal is training level, maybe its not an immediate need, but I think his trot looks nicer in the forwardness post-helicopter business. It gets more active and a little less on the forehand. I would do a ton of transitions to get everything more stable quicker, but it looks pretty good!


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

SaraM- Thank you I have come a long way with my hands... I this is by far rhe best they have been. I think in a few more rides they will be even better.... 

Oh yeah that helicopter did actually help us a lot....funny how those things happen!!!


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Its still in the works of being uplaoded- as of now at 8:40 pm It sys another 20 mintues then processing...

Let me know what you think of this video?!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbuFT4upP8Y&feature=youtu.be


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## Flipper (Jul 25, 2012)

I think you look good, however, at times appear to be bracing against the stirrups, this is especially visible when he spooks and you brace. This makes it difficult for you to then give the leg aid in the appropriate place and leads to you holding onto his face a bit for balance. Also it means you are tensing your leg.p,a and therefore are not fully relaxed.

So try relax the leg down but not brace, not sure if this is because you are trying to stick your heel down, or just for security?


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

I was wearing my brand new tall boots so that is probably part of it. 
Also he did have a pretty big spook from the helicopter giving me more forwardness then I expected. My legs where actually very relaxed on him.....


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Does Any one else have anything else they see? I am really wanting to hear your thoughts and ideas of ways Oliver and I can improve. 

I really feel that we have conquered a lot. Esp with me letting go of my body. I know I have more letting go to do but its one day at a time to unlock these parts of my body and keep these doors closed while keeping Oliver going.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

well, some of the dressage experts here might have more concrete advice and perspective, but since you want any opinion out there, here's my impression:

I still see your leg out in front of you, and you levering off of your knee, which has the impression of you bracing into the stirrup , even at the slowest and most relaxed walk he offers you. I think what happens with this is that you miss the centralizing effect of having your core more engaged, and riding more from it, rather than your foot. it's really hard for me to describe.

i know that I sometimes struggle with riding as much from my core as I would like to becuase of the back issues i have, but when I do ride with my leg just draping down and my seatbones and core being the center of my energy, I get so much more out of my horse.

So, though I don't know how to verbalize the way to correct this, I see a brace in your body that puts you in a very slight position of "waterskier", and your horse meets your resistance with some of his own.

However, overall, I see a LOT of improvement, and I think you are finding the path on your own, by trial and error, and I admire that you are working so hard to find it and open to changing for the better.

I am sorry that that is such a totally lame critique and lacks any concrete suggestions for improvement. wait until the other folks, with more experience, come and give you a better explanation .

C


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## arrowattack09 (Jul 10, 2012)

I didn't look at the video, but from the pictures I can see a couple things. 

First and foremost, your leg seems to come forward. Your heel should be aligned with your hip at all times. Also, your toes need to come in. Right now, they point out a bit. Also, try to work on keeping your shoulders back. Your shoulders don't look too bad, but they could come back a touch.


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## Klassic Superstar (Nov 30, 2009)

Arrow, if you notice I am wearing spurs and he is a very lazy horse and was actively having to use my leg on him throughout both my rides to keep him up and forward.

Im sure the pictures caught me swinging my leg on and off him in order to help encourage him to move forward ( don't mean big swinging back and forth but just lightly off and on him)


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

He is very sticky in that video. I think a primary goal would be getting him in front of your leg. When you put your leg on, he needs to shoot forward, period. Not fussing with his hands and trying to pull you off balance. I like your rein length, but he needs to fill up that outside rein and is trying everything to not do that. Lots and lots of transitions, both between and within the gaits. Try switching them up every 8 strides or some other arbitrary number. He needs to be looking to you for what's next instead of thinking about how he's going to talk you out of working. Turn on the forehand, riding squares, and spiral in/spiral out will go a long way toward getting him onto that outside rein. Forward, forward, forward until he lets go of the tension and goes to work.


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