# Does my horse have what it takes? (pics and videos)



## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Here's a cantering video:


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## tikapup1 (Nov 22, 2012)

Are you the person riding him in the video? He looked like he had a pretty good head position in that video. Although if you wanted him to get his head lower, you could try loosening your back, almost thinking of "filling it", right now it looks a little arched, which is natural for a lot of riders. You want to make it full though, because it allows the horse to fill his own back, and loosen it, thus lowering his head. It helps me to think of filling my back with air when I exhale.


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Yes, I am riding him. 
I do think I have a problem with arching my back, but I can't help it.


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## tikapup1 (Nov 22, 2012)

Do you have a medical issue that prevents from doing that, I am sorry if you do, I know horse riding is really hard on the back sometimes. You should try doing it next time you ride, it might help. Pretty horse, I wish you guys luck.


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

No but I notice that if I just stand my back is naturally arched quite a bit. People have told me not to arch my back as much when I ride but I'm like I don't think I am! I feel that it's straight; well, it actually is for me but my straight is arched. So I really dont know what to do.
Thanks though!
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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Bumping
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## DraftXDressage (Aug 29, 2011)

You need a new farrier.


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## 27cfmd (Sep 3, 2012)

I really really like him! In the beginning of the video you had him moving slower which I initially thought you should let him move out a little more, but as I watched the video farther you did. He looks very good though! I like his head set and movement.


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Farrier?
His feet were long in the 2nd photo, they were due and the farrier came not long after I took the picture.
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## DraftXDressage (Aug 29, 2011)

He wasn't just overdue; his toes are about a mile too long, which is a separate issue.


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

What do you mean? They look fine now.
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## DraftXDressage (Aug 29, 2011)

OK. Best of luck to you and your horse.


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

No, I'm not trying to be rude. I really want to know what you're saying.
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## DraftXDressage (Aug 29, 2011)

If you look at all your pictures, compare the angle of his front pasterns to the angle of his rear pasterns, and then look at the length of toe on the front hooves (particularly in that second photo) compared to the rear hooves. That is why I am seeing an issue beyond just being due for a trim.


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

What kind of problem is it?
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## DraftXDressage (Aug 29, 2011)

He needs to have his toe brought back. I apologize, but I can't get a good enough look at his heels to see if they are underrun, though that frequently goes along with a too-long toe.

Maybe he was just coming off a bad trim and then overdue, but I don't think so. You can't really see his hooves well in the other photos, but his angles look similarly mismatched, so I am guessing the issue is there in those photos as well.


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Yes, he does have mismatched feet. And low heels. We're working on it.
Sorry if I seemed rude earlier. I wasn't meaning to be. Thanks for your help.
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## DraftXDressage (Aug 29, 2011)

Not a problem. Good luck with his feet.

EDIT: Sorry to drag that so far off topic. I don't have any advice to offer on your actual question.


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

That's okay. Thanks
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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Anyway, anyone else? 
Tomorrow I'm going to put some trotting videos on here.
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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Does he look really on the forehand to you?
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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Or is he okay
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## Cowboy Ringo (Sep 17, 2012)

I wish i could help, but i never was much on the canter.


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## TheAQHAGirl (Aug 10, 2012)

Hi howrsegirl123,

I answered your past question about your horse. 

Please I don't want to sound rude or anything but I honestly don't think he'll be at a level in which he would be competing with the big HUS horses out there. I'm the kind of person who says, 'bloodlines speak'. If I'm correct your horse is mainly a Western Pleasure horse. Simply bred to do it, in a way its like asking a reining horse to do dressage. Sure he can do it, but he won't be as good as the horses who were bred to do it. The HUS horses you see, like how they move, is just natural for them. You can't train them to do the long extended, flowy, slow legged, trot. It just comes from their breeding. HUS horses are typically horses that have Thoroughbred dams.

However, many HUS horses have TB dams, and have the sire be a western pleasure horse. Slow legged, deep hock, etc. + the size, legs, energy= your HUS horse.

I also know many WP horses who went on to become great HUS horses. The Krymsun Kruzer's sire is One Hot Krymsun, who is a WP horse. TKK is now a AQHA super horse, he did western pleasure, HUS, driving, hunter over fences, etc. Hes a true horse.

It really depends on your horse's ability too. I would love to see more videos on him. 

I suggest finding a local AQHA trainer, one who knows what he/she is doing and what he/she is looking at. There you can take off and see how far you can go. AQHA HUS headsets are pretty low, but I know got ticked about that (AQHA people--who do HUS) and I have been told they're working on it. But in my honest opinion, they are not too slow. Goodness! Its not like you want them galloping around the arena. I find that their speed is perfect. Plus, those classes are huge. My friend went to Congress and she had 8 splits in her HUS class, filled with 18 or so people. Its very crowded in those rings.

So that is my 2 cents, I would love to see more videos!

Good luck!


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Thank you, and I don't think you're being rude. I actually never wanted to go to the top with him, just maybe do local AQHA, and like I said, if not, I just want to make him better. 
I'll post more videos today.
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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Do you think he has the making of a low level HUS horse? Could he get a better headset, longer stride, and more impulsion?
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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Although he does have a good jog and he likes to do that, overall he's more of a 'go' horse. Not really fast, just likes to go.


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

I think he enjoys hunt seat better, not necessarily HUS, just overall English.


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Bumping
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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Bumping
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## barrelracer111 (Jan 1, 2013)

I would say give him some time i always train for a year before i do anything with my horses!!!
good luck!!


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## Beling (Nov 3, 2009)

He's lovely, I think he has a ton of potential. Yes, I think he's on the forehand, but you can work with that: lots of transitions, serpentines, leg-yielding, to help get him more "up." I love his easy-going manner! But in his case, I wouldn't make things easy! No more two-circles the same size in a row; mix it up a lot and get him thinking, don't let him know what's coming, get him really listening to you.


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Thank you, I'll try that!
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## Ray MacDonald (Dec 27, 2009)

To get more impulsion, rythmically squeez your legs when he is cantering and then add some bit to make him keep the speed but up the energy. Also raise your hands a little bit to help with lightening of the forehand.


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## HeatherRae (Jan 1, 2013)

Nice conformation and nice body. I think he will do well but if you are going to want to show him with the western saddle i really think that you should work him in it as well. I have done all sorts of english and western riding and showing and know that if you dont work them in what you are going to show them in then you confuse the horse.


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

HeatherRae said:


> Nice conformation and nice body. I think he will do well but if you are going to want to show him with the western saddle i really think that you should work him in it as well. I have done all sorts of english and western riding and showing and know that if you dont work them in what you are going to show them in then you confuse the horse.


I actually want to show him hunt seat, maybe do a little western.
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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Okay, so I'm thinking about taking him to his first AQHA show next winter. It'll be a lot of hard work until then but I really think he can do it! What do you guys think? Should I go for it?
Another question...this is my last year as a youth and my membership expires in September. What do I do if I want to show in December?
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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Maybe next week I can get another video of me riding him, and I'll post it here.
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## spurstop (Mar 22, 2012)

Your age as of January 1 determines your age for the year. If you are a youth on January 1, you will be a youth all year and will need to renew your card as such.

I know you don't want to hear it, but you really should put some stock into finding a trainer to help you. You said that the person you bought him from is a trainer, so why not start there? At least they could give you some names of people who could work with you. You are in KY, there are trainers, I promise you that.


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## existentialpony (Dec 4, 2012)

I'd say he's on the forehand in the video you posted. To help my horse use his hindquarters more, I do lots of hill trotting, and in the arena I do lots of transitions, half-halts and circles. Another thing I do (especially at the canter) is make myself sit deeper, in that I will literally hold my butt into the saddle if I feel he is too unbalanced in order to slow him down and squeeze him through with my legs. Try working at the trot before you try to collect his canter.

Otherwise, he is a pretty boy.  I like the idea of him for hunter.


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## 40232 (Jan 10, 2013)

Any horse can have potential for lower levels as long as he is sound. Try looking at videos of what you want to train him for, and mirror that. That's how I learn. Plus a good instructor is always a plus


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Thanks everybody! 
More advice is welcome!
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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Beling said:


> He's lovely, I think he has a ton of potential. Yes, I think he's on the forehand, but you can work with that: lots of transitions, serpentines, leg-yielding, to help get him more "up." I love his easy-going manner! But in his case, I wouldn't make things easy! No more two-circles the same size in a row; mix it up a lot and get him thinking, don't let him know what's coming, get him really listening to you.


The other day I did a lot more mixing it up with cantering. I did tighter turns, cantering, walk for a couple strides, canter again...just trying to get him quicker. He did really well!
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## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

I agree with what's been said about him being bred as a WP horse. For him to be competitive in the HUS at the QH level he would need different confirmation. Not to be rude, but even most local AQHA shows are very competitive. If you want to show at that level I suggest a QH trainer. I think he would do very well at the open local or 4h level. 

I would love to see videos of him jogging and loping around as a western horse. He looks like he would be cute western.

I like him so so much better the second direction. Something you might want to try is not to push with your seat. If you watch you can see you are "humping" the saddle with your lower body. Try to sit back, relax, and move up and down with the motion of the horse. Horse's don't move front to back, the move up and down. 

He is on the forehand and is very "in your hands" in the video. Its not an "impulsion" issue that you have, you have plenty of forward. Almost too much forward. He needs more self-carriage and a more consistent topline head set. I would really focus on hip moving especially at the lope. To get him to sit back on his hock and push. 

He is a cute mover tho! Like i said i would love to see him western


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

So to get him back over his hindquarters I need to sit back and relax more and do more transitions, direction changes...right? I really want to try this stuff next time I ride...I would love for him to have more self carriage. So if there's anything else I can do please tell me!
.Delete.-I've been really wanting to get a jogging video. He can't lope like a WP horse, but he can jog! As soon as I can I'll get one, which may be a while because it's way too wet here to ride!
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## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

With him using himself properly I bet he could lope! Maybe not as slow and as pretty as some other WP horses but he sure would look cute doing it. Most of the time if a horse can jog they can lope
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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Will me sitting back and deep help him come over his hindquarters?
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## oh vair oh (Mar 27, 2012)

Your seat alone will not make a huge difference in his body positioning.

If you are serious about getting him on his hocks, you should start schooling your side-passes and haunches-ins. 

When I have a horse that's heavy on the front, my goal at the lope is to get the horse off the inside shoulder, bend the core, usually by side-passing at the lope. Then I might continue on at the counter canter, straightening the horse out and pushing up the hind end. Then I'll do another side pass on the diagonal to get back onto the correct lead, and then once the shoulder is up, I'll ask for the hindquarters to come up in the haunches-in at the lope. Drop the reins and bam, you've got a little rocking horse.

Of course, that's the end goal. Everything starts out at the walk. But I can tell you, it takes more than a seat position to get that good canter.


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

I know it takes more than seat position, just wondering if that would be of some help.
So counter cantering and lateral movement is what you're suggesting?
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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

So I should start with the lateral exercises at the walk and build up to the canter?
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## oh vair oh (Mar 27, 2012)

I mean, good seat position is good seat position. You want your head, shoulder, and heel in line. Just being out of the way is good.

I do some straight work and lots and lots of lateral work. 

I want to set every "button" on my horse that I can. The shoulder is button 1, the ribcage is button 2, and slightly behind the girth controls the hindquarters, button 3. I want to be able to operate all buttons independently, and together to create a variety of movements.

If a horse is heavy on the forehand at the lope, that means he is closing his shoulder and not tracking the hindquarters underneath himself. So the solution would be to open the shoulder (button 1, inside leg), and then ask for the hock to come up, (button 3, outside leg). With energy, of course. 

I teach all these buttons at a standstill (pivot, sidepass, and turn on the forehand).
The walk, sidepass, shoulder-in, haunches-in. 
Then the jog, and the lope eventually.

It's also very helpful if you find yourself on the rail at a show and have to track your horse up without touching the reins. You simply add the leg cues and they should know to adjust their body position and work.

You can start the foundations of the shoulder-in and haunches-in at a walk doing a circle. Push the horse out using the inside to make the circle larger, then encourage the horse to push in to make the circle smaller.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I thought I had seen this video a long time back , asking for a critique. Did you post it before?

Anyway, I agree with Delete in that you are "pumping" in the saddle and this is annoying the horse. He is holding himself back and moving in a protective, stilted manner. You are moving too much forward and back, which end up being that your timing for going down into the saddle is a milisecond late, and you are bumping down when he is already coming up. He is moving too much up and down because he is kind of rigid and humping a bit . I think his annoyance is eveident in his swishing tail.

Another person said to kind of glue your seat to the saddle. Of course, no one can "glue" their seat to the saddle. But, you need to have enough adherence to be able to find and match his rythm and not be that milisecond behind it.

So, think of having adherence from your seat bone/crotch area, down to the inside of you knee. Your lower leg is just hanging there. If it weren't for the stirrup, it would fall on the ground.

To feel adherence, you create "tone" in your leg. Not a severe grip in the knee, but the whole fork of your seat from crotch to knee , will apply a bit of pressure to the saddle, just enough so that when the horse walks (do this first at the walk) there is NO rolling of your thigh with the motion. Your thigh doesn't roll because it is part of the saddle and move for and aft, side to side, in exactly the same motion and speed as the saddle. Yes, there is some tightness in the leg, but not a death grip. and, remind yourself to not squeeze you anus closed . Forgive me for using such a crude term, but if you squeeze your anus closed you will be tightening your butt muslces, too, and in so doing raise your seatbones off the saddle. NO! you want the thighs to be toned, ON the saddle and moving with the motion, butt cheeks relaxed and loose. IT CAN be done, I promise you.

AS you ride at the walk, think about the top/front of your thigh as kind of "leading". Focus for a bit on the joint where you thigh meets your pelvis, on the place that is kind of at the very forwardmost place._ There's a big tendon that is used to draw the leg against the horse._ YOu should feel that this tendon is engaged. Feel it with your hand down there (kind of crotch area, so folks might get wierd ideas, but do it). Now, as you feel that thigh and that joint, let THEM follow the motion NOT your waist. Your hips are the thing that bends, openning and closing, to follow the motion, NOT your waist. YOU stay as upright as a tree is on a hillside; it doesn't matter how steep the mountaing, the tree is always vertical.

Please try this and let me know how it goes.

ETA The tendon is the one you will feel if when standing up , you lift your leg upward, not inward.


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Thank you tinyliny for your response! I will definitely try this.
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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Thought you all might be interested to know that I found a trainer! He's actually our farrier, and gives my sister reining lessons. What I didn't know is that he trained a friend of mine's horse (and her) in HUS and that horse is amazing!! He's won all sorts of AQHA stuff. He also trains reining horses.. So I'm really excited about getting with him! Hope he can help me out!
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## Ray MacDonald (Dec 27, 2009)

Looking forward to seeing more videos!


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## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Ray MacDonald said:


> Looking forward to seeing more videos!


I would love to get more videos, but lately it's been too wet to ride in the arena...hopefully next weekend though. Or definately after I've had a few lessons!


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