# Critique Bacardi Blues (semi-pic-heavy)



## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

Ok I did this and I took too long so it logged me out. Now that I'm starting all over. . . :evil::evil::evil:

Note(s): Blu is NOT as uphill as it seems on the left side. I PROMISE! No excuses. He is pulling quite a bit in the video. Please ignore, he was running around the pasture and is anxious. Ignore me. Critique all you want. Good, Bad, & Ugly. THANKS!!

Conformation
Left Side



























Right Side


















Hindquarters


















Video
(other vid is uploading)
http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FPOzElqjofvM%2Fhqdefault.jpg&color1=0x006699&fs=1&rel=1&title=Bacardi+Blues%28lunge%29&border=1%22%3E%3C%2Fparam%3E%3Cparam&avg_rating=0.0&video_id=POzElqjofvM&length_seconds=41&allow_embed=1&swf=http%3A%2F%2Fs.ytimg.com%2Fyt%2Fswf%2Fcps-vfl101326.swf&sk=_hXBmTTLm258UQvrqR4xJccJ5UXOy2aXC&color2=0x54abd6&allow_ratings=1&hl=en&cr=US&eurl=

Just For Fun
I told you guys he looks like a giant foal!!!!









Foal : see the resemblance! 









Random Adjustment


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## horseluver50 (Mar 19, 2009)

Is is one beautiful horse!!
He looks very well built, and muscular...
I love the last picture  

Also, the video doesn't work, it says it is private...


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

Lunging
Trot









Lope


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

Thank you 

Oops! Let me fix that...


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

He's not a bad looking horse, but the one thing I really don't like are is tiny feet; either they are really that small, or they are trimmed too far back. Either way, such small feet on a big built horse can predispose him to foot problems like navicular. 

He also has issues in his movement, atleast on the ground he's on; he looks alternately lame on his legs, especially the right front, and left hind. He may need some shoeing, or corrective trimming to help him regain proper footing, and balance on your ground. He lands on his toes, as well, and drags his hind feet alot.


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

His feet are small. Its not trimming. Farrier's coming out tomorrow. Yay! Finally...

He is a bit pigeon-toed and my farrier usually does a great job adjusting that. Hopefully this new farrier will too. 

Can you kind of explain what makes him seem lame? THANKS!


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## SilentBravery09 (May 22, 2009)

In his last photo and in the video when you asked him to canter he cross canters/fires... 

That halter has pressure knots on it too and you are pulling alot on his face... has to be uncomfortable for him...

Its also very bad ground to lounge on he almost ate dirt...


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

Cross Canters?

I'm not pulling on his face. He's pulling away from me so I tug it in ever now and then if he pulls too much to keep his body bent and his nose tilted in. 

The ground is fairly soft, its just uneven. When he trips its because he was pulling away and I tug/released to bring him in a little more.


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

I really want you guys to know I'm not making excuses. I'm really not. 

May sound like it and I'm sorry.


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

I noticed too that he was cross cantering (when he's on his left lead, his left front and left hind should be further than his right front and hind.) Ok, that seems confusing.

Look at this video of Vega cantering. She shows it better than I can explain.


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

So its like his gait isn't 3 beats...or...his feet just aren't in the right order?


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

Ohhhhhhhh! Left lead on front and right lead in back...

Could this be a balancing issue? He was running around the pasture and was fine. I know he's not lame. Any other causes of cross-firing?

Leg Yields right?


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

yes, that's correct! left lead up front, right lead on the back.

My mare used to do it when she was younger and not balanced. Anytime she would pick the canter up and cross fire, i'd make her trot and ask her again.

Are you able to get a longer lunge line? That might be his problem too that he's unbalanced because he has to canter a smaller circle.

Just realized I never included the video. Sorry!
[URL=http://s218.photobucket.com/albums/cc153/appylover031303/Vega%20Sale%20Video/?action=view&current=VegaSaleMovie.flv]
[/URL]


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

My line is 15ft. The only reason I have it at that length is so that he learns to bend and so he learns not to keep pulling away from me. He does have a harder time loping in a smallish circle but I don't think its too small?

Blu even has difficulties loping in the round pen. I'm thinking his balance is off....


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

It could be that he hasn't developed the correct muscles to canter correctly on a circle.

Does he canter fine when ridden and in the pasture?

The bigger the circle the better IMO when it comes to lunging. I know in my video its small, but i have since then been using a 25ft. lunge line (I dont use all of it at once, but I like that I have the ability to go as large as I want basically and as small as I want too.

Does he know how to bend undersaddle?


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

He does pretty could undersaddle. I'm thinking of trying some leg yields.

Like I said he was galloping around the pasture before I lunged...


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

BluMagic said:


> My line is 15ft. The only reason I have it at that length is so that he learns to bend and so he learns not to keep pulling away from me. He does have a harder time loping in a smallish circle but I don't think its too small?
> 
> Blu even has difficulties loping in the round pen. I'm thinking his balance is off....


 
I never canter a horse on a longe line shorter than 24 ft...he could be drifting out because he is extremely uncomfortable with the length of line you are using on him. 

He drops further down on his hip and shoulder, on the side I said he looks like he's gimpy on; again, it could be because of the short line, and him being unable to really balance himself...try a longer line and see what happens; post a vid too...I don't want to just be 'seeing' things when it could be just a simple adjustment in how you work him, that's wrong. 

You could work him on a syrcingle to help him develop a proper frame, and balance; again, you will need a longer than 15 foot lead, because he needs space to be able to balance and start using his body correctly.


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

My line might be 20ft I'll measure here soon. I can't remember how long when I bought it. But I'm pretty sure its 15..


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## ShannonSevenfold (Oct 11, 2008)

Nothing to say really about him, but I think he's gorgeous. I'm no good at critiquing (sp?).

But seriously,
Didn't you get dizzy making that video?? I got dizzy watching it. haha


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

Haha. Nah, I just keep my eyes on him and not the surroundings. Helps alot. 

THANKS!


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## DarkEquine (Aug 29, 2008)

Lol, we refer to 'cross cantering' as being 'disunited' in Australia! I was confused there for a sec!!!


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## mayfieldk (Mar 5, 2008)

Conformation:

Your boy has got some screwy front legs unfortunately! He's back at the knee as well as being pigeon-toed, so watch his front legs religiously because they're going to be the first thing to go, if anything ever does. He looks like he has an old injury/ringbone in the back left hind as well.

Somewhat upright shoulder, but not horrible. Lacking back muscle, and severely lacking correct rump muscle. Work hard to get him working off of his hind end because, as his muscles tell, he isn't at the moment, and the more pounding forces he takes on his front end, the faster his legs are going to blow out. Weak where his loin ties in.

Nice short back, his back legs look nice when he stands like he's supposed to, and overall the balance of him doesn't fall to the left or the right, and I like it.

In the video, he moves very stiffly, could be foot pain, balance, strength issues, etc. You are not helping him bend by pulling his head into the inside of this circle that is way too small for him; the bend is not about the neck. It's about the body! Get a bigger rope if you're going to work with him like this.

He does take a few funny steps in the front where his head bobs for a few strides, but it wasn't anything consistent. I'd like to see him move out on a better surface with _at least_ ten more feet of rope. Not only are you not doing him any favors with the small rope, you're tearing up his tendons/ligaments. The torque on his joints gets worse the smaller the circle is *and *the more unbalanced the horse is, and with his front legs the way they are, that's the last thing you want to be doing. Bigger circle, girlie! And pronto!

For the cross cantering, I would like to see if he does it on a bigger circle. If he does, then it probably has something to do with that funny looking left hind leg, and is pain-created. If he doesn't do it on a bigger circle, then I'll assume it's balance/hoof issues (because they definitely are needing to be done at the time of this video), or strength. Remember, putting him on a smaller circle doesn't make him 'work harder'. If I ask you to pick up 100 pounds and you can't do it, you're going to hurt yourself trying to, no matter how 'hard' you work. It's the same for the horse! If you make him do something he is physically unable to do _correctly,_ he is going to get hurt.

Good luck with him, he does look like a good boy and probably has a cute face under that mask! Show us some more videos with him stretching out on more rope.


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## BluMagic (Sep 23, 2007)

Will do. I haven't had a chance to measure that rope yet but I will definitely get to it. I will try to get more videos next week because I have a basketball tourn. this weekend. THANKS A BUNCH!! It means so much


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