# Critique her movement?



## teamfire (May 27, 2011)

Link's not working for me ^^


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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)

Oops sorry! I forgot to take out the percentage symbol.


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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)




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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)

It's fixed.. I must've had the wrong link.


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## Falicity (Jul 13, 2011)

I don't know enough about movement to give you a critique, however I will say that I think she needs to move forward more. At times she is almost dancing on the spot


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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)

That's another thing she's been working on with her, just getting her to lengthen her stride. There's definitely a lot of work to be put into her, but she's very willing, not resistant in the slightest and is very happy to listen to your cues. I thought she was nice both on the ground and in the saddle.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Free up her head (I want to yell this from here) and let her move into the bridle! She is being ridden front to back and the result is a short stride, resistance (note head raising and hollowing the back) and head tossing.. hind quarters that drift to the outside and then back to the inside.. stiff movement. 

She looks like she COULD move nicely but she needs to be allowed to. I want to say sit up straight and give her more rein.. and let her move. squeeze her into the bit and give a gentle squeeze and release with your hands (like squeezing a sponge). Release immediately so there is no head raising or head tossing. Try it at the walk first.. so YOU can feel it. 

I would love to see this same horse in a loose side rein, properly set up lunge line and see her move w/o a rider.


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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)

Thanks, Elana! And yeah, that was definitely an issue here.. primarily mine. It was mainly because I was a bit uncomfortable at first but towards the end, I did give her much more rein. She was super willing but I do know I held her back a bit. 

I agree with the side reins. My instructor has a set that we've used on Major so I'd definitely hook them up. Honey still needs to work on balancing herself, but I know I need to adjust my riding to accommodate her needs.. as I'm so used to a natural framed, lazy beyond words QH.

I really appreciate your advice though. I'm going back down this weekend to try her out again, hopefully with my instructor.. and I'll keep everything you said in mind. I'll also see about getting a video of her on a lunge line.


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## Black Beauty 94 (Dec 26, 2011)

I cannot comment much on her movement, but I have a few suggestions that may help

1) Free up her head-- teach her to drop her head with one seesaw (back and forth of the reins) along with leg pressure instead of pulling on her head.

2) Ask her to move forward while staying collected. Push her with your legs and let her move out without getting strung out.

Good luck!


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## Black Beauty 94 (Dec 26, 2011)

Watching her also in the canter, your reins are very long but they are tight on her, I feel like your arms should be a little more forward.

Also, try giving her a break from the circles, go around on the rail as well instead of always doing circles


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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)

Thanks!

I was basically just listening to what her owner was telling me to do, haha. She told me to use the reins as side reins.. which is why they were out so far, but they could've been looser. My trainer has a set of side reins that I could likely attach to the girth when riding as well.


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## Black Beauty 94 (Dec 26, 2011)

Yep-no problem. I would not do that, to tight side reins while riding can cause a horse to flip over-! 


Jore said:


> Thanks!
> 
> I was basically just listening to what her owner was telling me to do, haha. She told me to use the reins as side reins.. which is why they were out so far, but they could've been looser. My trainer has a set of side reins that I could likely attach to the girth when riding as well.


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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)

They would be quite loose. I've used them on Major, in a lesson, and there was plenty of slack (although not enough for him to possibly get tangled).. they were just there to help him remained balanced. 

I think I'd likely focus a lot on her groundwork at first though.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Canterklutz (Jul 20, 2012)

Black Beauty 94 said:


> 1) Free up her head-- teach her to drop her head with one seesaw (back and forth of the reins) along with leg pressure instead of pulling on her head.


Umm...yikes! :shock: A horse should never be taught to drop its head by seesawing on the reins.


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## Falicity (Jul 13, 2011)

Agree with canterklutz COMPLETELY ^^^


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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)

I usually just play with fingers lightly to get a horse to drop their head.. so it is best to just stick with that? I'm hoping my instructor is still going to be willing to help me out with her, but if not, I'm likely going to switch to a different barn.


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## Canterklutz (Jul 20, 2012)

"Playing" with the reins is basically using irritating little motions which cause the horse to duck away from the pain. It's not really engaging the mouth. The horse needs to be forward first and foremost. It is behind the rider's leg and is being worked backward (as in front to back). Try to put the foundation together first (forward, straightness, balance, etc) and worry about the head later. The head will come down naturally as a result when all the pieces are put in line and the rider's hands are steady and inviting. I hope that makes sense.


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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)

It definitely does! I'll be sure to keep that in mind. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Copperhead (Jun 27, 2012)

To get the head to drop appropriately, the horse needs to respond to the outside aid halfhalts on the sit portion of the rising trot (inside rein holding, inside leg driving that horse into the outside holding leg and the outside rein and seatbone halfhalt), and then the positioning rein on the inside when you rise (outside rein now holding, outside leg holding with slight drive, inside leg driving and inside rein encouraging the bend around inside leg). Everytime you sit, the positioning inside rein should be released slightly. Everytime you rise, the halfhalting outside rein should be released.

Natural softening will occur when the horse is driving from the hind end, responding in balance with the halfhalts, and bending their barrel around the inside leg. Quiet hands will encourage it. 

People see an over exhagerate example of this and try to duplicate the idea by seesawing, which is just the back and forth movement of the reins without the other aids. Tickling the reins is just another surface movement you use when you don't know how to properly use the aids. Some horses bend to it, others refuse to.

The softening issue shouldn't be addressed until the horse tracks up and is moving freely under a rider. This horse has a big stride that she isn't being allowed to use. This could be Jore's fault or it could be the horse's owners fault if she is ridden like this on a daily basis. Big strided horses can be a bit intimidating because they feel like they are running away, when really, they are just moving out to whats natural to them.

This is more of a riding critique. Watching her move in the video tells us very little since her natural motion is being restrained by the rider (again, Jore's doing or just what the horse has been trained to do).

Overall I think she's pleasant and willing under the circumstances.


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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)

Thanks, Copperhead!

I take the majority of the blame for how she was going.. we were both pretty tensed up because we weren't used to each other. I'm also quite used to a horse who needs constant leg so the concept of zero leg was a foreign concept!

My second visit went _so_ much better though. Her head was down at the canter, she was rounded up and at the trot, the difference was quite something.  

I agree about the big strided horses being intimidating at first. When I first hopped on and she started walking, I was taken back by how fast it was.. so I took back on the reins. When I relaxed a little bit, I loosened them and she just kept going at the same pace. 

We both weren't going our best, but I'm going to try and get another video of her sometime to post.. hopefully when she officially belongs to me and she's at the barn.  I'd like to keep a forum journal once I get her.


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## Copperhead (Jun 27, 2012)

Jore said:


> Thanks, Copperhead!
> 
> I take the majority of the blame for how she was going.. we were both pretty tensed up because we weren't used to each other. I'm also quite used to a horse who needs constant leg so the concept of zero leg was a foreign concept!
> 
> ...


You're very modest in your opinion of your own riding and you take critisism very well. It makes it very easy for us to talk with you since you don't get angry or defensive about things.

If you're using zero leg on her and she's scooting the way she is, she could be avoiding work by running from the leg. I had a horse who did this. Everytime I put my leg on, she'd take off. I finally spent the entire hour with my legs clamped on her so she realized that no matter how fast she went, I wouldn't take my legs off. After that hour, she accepted leg and responded well to them. I don't suggest that with your mare, though. Just don't let her scare your leg off.

It may be a bit of both but we wouldn't know unless we saw her ridden by someone else too. Don't take all the blame for it. She came off the track not too long ago, right? She looks good and wants to give you that headset, she just has to figure out the halfhalts and tracking up along with a steady, balanced pace. You two will get there in time.


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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)

She definitely got a bit quicker when I put my leg on.. it was hard at the start to remember to keep the leg to a minimum, since I'm so used to nagging Major to keep a good pace. 

I'd really like to keep her somewhat sensitive to my leg, but able to track up at the trot.. although I'm sure that it'll come with time. As for others riding her, I might go as far to say that my ride on her Sunday was much better than the seller's.. her canter was so lovely! I almost couldn't get over it.

I'm thinking maybe her running from the leg comes from her race career? I think she'll figure it out pretty quickly but we'll probably focus a lot on transitions and getting that trot down pat before doing a lot of canter work.

She had her last race in late 2008, I believe.. so she retired around six and a half as she was born on March 18.. in New York, which I found pretty interesting. I think she was basically a pasture puff so to speak for a couple years until the seller snatched her up to make her a broodmare but started her just a few months ago because she felt like she was going to waste.


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## SunnyMeadeFarm (Sep 3, 2012)

My only comments are she seems really tight in her movement, her strides are short and bouncy, and not as elegant as she could be, what breed is she? she looks TB-ish to me, if so it's characteristic for them to be that way, she seems like she need to be loosened up and her legs need to be more forward. I agree with the others saying her head is very controlled, just try to give her more than circles, it looks like she wants to go and do something fun! try an around the stables ride to get her warmed up and getting her excitement out so she can focus, if she is TB they are like that.


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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)

She's a Thoroughbred, and was raced up until she was six. I'm definitely going to work on getting her to stretch out and track up, I think that's going to be our primary goal.

The vet told me that she seems to really love working so I'm going to try and vary things up as much as possible for her training.


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