# Critique my warmblood mare! :) please! lots of pics!



## Valentina (Jul 27, 2009)

Cute - but can't judge confirmation by moving (under saddle) pictures - so what do you want us to evaluate?


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## countercanter (May 18, 2011)

I am asuming that since you didn't post any conformation shots that you would just like her evaluated under saddle. She is super cute, but she lacks engagement. You really need to push her up into the bridle and get her stepping underneath herself more. Her jumping style is ok, but she would greatly benifit from grids and bounces to get her jumping rounder and tighten up her legs.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

She's lovely! I love hearing riders import their horses instead of getting them locally-such a waste of time locally. Absolutely love her under saddle. She looks very alert and willing to work with her rider.

I think your equitation looks lovely, but needs a stronger foundation, and that reflects in your gorgeous mare. You have to push her forward and engage her from behind, and allow her to come into your hand(I also suggest shortening your stirrups). Lift your hand off your lap and and try to prevent that break in your wrist to allow for a better contact with your mare. Push her forward from behind with your seat and lower leg.

Good exercises to increase that engagement is doing a LOT of transition work. Walk, trot-trot walk, canter walk, walk canter. Circles, lateral work. 

Working with her now on those especially at her age is really important because you guys are still building her hind end and her topline. You guys look absolutely lovely. She is beautiful.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

My2Geldings said:


> She's lovely! I love hearing riders import their horses instead of getting them locally-such a waste of time locally.


Wow that's a wild statement. 


To the OP, your mare is lovely. I am sure you are going to do great together.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

AlexS said:


> Wow that's a wild statement.


No kidding. I guess I better tell JJ what a waste of time he is, since he's locally bred and -gasp!- a _mere_ TB. :roll:

Glad to know some people have unlimited funds, so they don't have to soil their hands on crappy, domestic bred horses. :-x

OP, can't tell much about her conformation from action shots, but she looks like a lovely mare.


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## GeminiJumper (Jun 12, 2008)

M2G: She's lovely! I love hearing riders import their horses instead of getting them locally-such a waste of time locally. 



AlexS said:


> Wow that's a wild statement.


 
I thought that was rather odd commment as well...


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## Countrylady1071 (May 12, 2010)

She is beautiful! She looks like a blast to ride.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## countercanter (May 18, 2011)

I too was not impressed with statement either. There are many VERY nice locally bred horses of all breeds that do just as well as imported horses.


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## FoxyRoxy1507 (Jul 15, 2008)

I for one know lots of locally, state bred horses that have done omg gasp BETTER than imported horses!


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

countercanter said:


> I too was not impressed with statement either. There are many VERY nice locally bred horses of all breeds that do just as well as imported horses.



I would hope it was does as a sarcastic remark...maybe???


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## coffeegod (May 6, 2011)

So, if we export those local horses do they then become sought after import horses thus worth time/effort?

Inquiring minds, you know....


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## AngieLee (Feb 20, 2011)

_I agree, i dont think you need to import horses to get good horses. but thats just my own persinal opinion. OP your horse looks great, i'm sure you'll become a fine team! _


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

Beautiful horse and she has a wonderful expression on her face, she will come along nicely I am sure. Got a bit of jump on her too eh?

In relation to importing horses, well, I was not aware of the _complete_ lack of local talent? 

Someone should probably enlighten 2008 US Olympic eventing team member Becky Holder so she doesn't continue wasting her time with locally bred horses. The poor darl is stuck with not only a locally bred Thoroughbred but one that was _off the track_ the poor soul. How she manages with such a mediocre horse is astonishing.

Yep, no talent there:


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

My2Geldings said:


> I love hearing riders import their horses instead of getting them locally-such a waste of time locally.


While I rarely respond to such provocative statements I find it to be an offensive one towards many of us with "local" horses. I guess may be you are just not very lucky and don't have many good ones where you live, however I've seen LOTS of absolutely lovely local horses competing at the high levels (WBs, TBs, Irish Drafts, etc.).

To the OP: while I'm not good at critique and not even gonna try one I want to say you have a very nice looking horse!


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## QuickStep (May 19, 2011)

My2Geldings said:


> She's lovely! I love hearing riders import their horses instead of getting them locally-such a waste of time locally. Absolutely love her under saddle. She looks very alert and willing to work with her rider.
> 
> I think your equitation looks lovely, but needs a stronger foundation, and that reflects in your gorgeous mare. You have to push her forward and engage her from behind, and allow her to come into your hand(I also suggest shortening your stirrups). Lift your hand off your lap and and try to prevent that break in your wrist to allow for a better contact with your mare. Push her forward from behind with your seat and lower leg.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the compliment, when I first got her, I couldn't have any contact on her mouth without her breaking, but the past year or so I have been working on grids, and getting her to build her hind end and move off my leg. We worked with side reins for a bit to strengthen her neck and get her to understand what framing meant and make it easier on me to get her to move forward! lol. It's gotten a lot better and she is quite responsive when working in transitions, and (not to brag) but I must say, our equitation courses are pretty good  (haha) 
But yeah grid work has been key and we're stepping it up before show season to work on getting her knees a little bit tighter.

As for the comment about local horses being a waste of time, I completely disagree. My old pony we got for a deal at a little farm with no show experience and he ended up teaching me so much and carried me around the show ring every time! We did very well and placed in the Royal a few years ago. I also showed my coaches horses that had the nicest knees ever and such cute movement...she got all them from a local barn and we cleaned up! 

The only reason we decided to go to Europe to look was because I couldn't find a horse that I was clicking with. We looked at many beautiful movers but I didn't feel like I would have fun riding them and it was important for me to like the horse we were buying. For the price budget we had we did not want to waste a cent, and wanted to be sure we looked everywhere before spending money on a horse that I might not grow to like.

So yeah local horses can be great and most of the horse population showing in Canada, are probably not imported horses.


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## OffTheTrack (Sep 23, 2010)

I like that she is very feminine...you can tell she is a mare. Lovely girl. I hope you have loads of fun with her.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Quickstep no need to explain, it is not you importing that is getting the reaction, it was the response to you that there are no local decent warmbloods.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Lovely mare Quickstep - I hope you two do well together. Not really much to critique from the photos though, maybe pop some confo shots up? 
And no - don't take any of the import comments and attack on your importing her. It's great that you have the means to import a horse, and if you find one that you click with and are totally happy with, then that's brilliant. 

Just comments like locally bred horses are a waste of time, really get people's backs up. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford to go to Europe to buy. Maybe not so unreachable in America as you're a bit closer to Eur, but for me in Australia, importing something is 100% impossible unless I get mega rich - you're looking at minimum AU$20 000 just to fly the horse over and have it in quarantine. Plus the sale fee of the horse.
There are multitudes of very nice horses being bred locally now.My current boy is a locally bred WB gelding by a locally bred - interstate - stallion. I am currently riding in a clinic with an interstate/international coach and he LOVES my boy. Not bad for a locally bred horse


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Quickstep, can you post more pics of your mare? I'd like to see a few more!


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## QuickStep (May 19, 2011)

Sure! Here are some more pictures of our flatwork, i need to get some more of over fences








Collected trot and leg yields:


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

She is a pretty girl. I bet you are going to have fun with her at the shows.

I agree she needs a little more work on engaging her hind end.


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## drafteventer (Jul 6, 2009)

She's so pretty and feminine 
No critique just wanted to tell you that!


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## brackenbramley (May 29, 2011)

you certainly do not need to import a horse???? I remember a good old saying horses for courses! beautiful mare looks like you are enjoying each other  shes got quite a pop on her!!! i agree with comments on more engagement and perhaps impulsion on the flat but loved pics  your well suited


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## supermissdeedee (May 31, 2011)

Beautiful horse but I have huge trouble about comfro under saddle, so take some pictures of her squared head up from all sides and I will help ya!

Also she seems to be a beautiful mover!


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