# Take a shot!



## JumpingJellyBean (May 22, 2009)

I'll give you a quick critique. You need to push your heels way down, and it looks like you have puppy dog hands.


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## Fire Eyes (May 13, 2009)

_She's a pretty horse, but quite over weight. Her rump is a lot higher then her shoulders, makes her slant down at the front. If you don't mind me asking, what are you carrying in picture #4?!_


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## SallyRC123 (Aug 22, 2008)

Whats that on your whip??


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## DarkEquine (Aug 29, 2008)

He looks a little downhill in some of the photos, but that might be the terrain? That's a funny lookin' whip you've got there!!!


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## Quixotic (May 22, 2009)

The very first thing I noticed is that you need to work on your hands. You definitely need to widen them. It appears as though you're riding in a large roundpen (although correct me if I'm wrong), which means you are essentially riding in one large circle. Ideally, you should be looking into your turns instead of looking straight forward. Also, your outside hand should have more contact in order to support her through your circle, and your inside leg should be used to push her out into your circle. Your inside hand should only be used as a guidance reminder if she is not responding to your other aids. You should never have to have your hands become that uneven by trying to give her direction. Put a bit more bend at your elbow, and pretend they're glued to your hips - this should help to keep your hands from moving forward and becoming uneven. Also, when you do have to use your reins for an aid, a take-give motion is more effective than a constant pulling back.

As far as your position goes, you need to sink more weight into your heels. It also looks as though you may just be standing in the stirrups instead of rising naturally with your horse. It might help to drop your stirrups & try posting without the help of something under your feet. This will force you to rely on muscle strength to post up, instead of relying on your stirrups.


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## Equuestriaan (Nov 5, 2008)

She looks kinda built down hill and I think you could work on her topline and develop those muscles so she won't carry her head so high when you ride her. I have no clue how you do that but I know it's a good thing to have a topline. XD When a horse has a topline you can usually see a muscle running along the top of their neck when they flex their neck.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

He does look to be a little downhill and it will make getting him to stretch over his topline a little difficult. That being said, you'll never build up the proper muscles if you work him hollow like he's going in those pictures. You look to be a good rider, so I'm sure your ready to turn things up a notch. If you fix your hand position, so that you have a straight line from your elbow to bit, it will go a long way toward getting your horse to reach into the contact and become soft in the bit rather than bracing against it like he's doing now. In those pictures, your hands are too low to create that line. Lift them up, usually a pinky's length above the withers, bring your hands forward so they are in front of the pommel, take up the slack, and that should create a more accurate line to his mouth. The "contact" itself should be just enough so that you can feel his mouth without pulling on it. (if that makes sense) Ideally you want your horse to move with his head slightly in front of the vertical. He looks like he has the impulsion necessary to drive him up properly from behind into the contact, so it's just a matter of shutting the front door a bit so he isn't running through loose contact. Start at the walk and establish the sweet spot of contact. Move up to the trot. Every time he starts to brace against the bit, come back to a walk for just one or two strides and then try trotting again. Any more and you're just letting him off the hook. Most horses get in after about 7 transitions and soften to the contact. The split second he does what you ask, soften you contact and reward him, so he knows that's what you want. He'll be using an entirely new set of muscles to do this, so be patient with him and reward him everytime he makes an effort. Good luck.


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## Flyinghigh12 (Feb 17, 2009)

Ok thanks alot guy's. It was really sad because I did have her giving to the bit really nice for 2 weeks, then all of a sudden this week she decided she'd throw her head and brace against it. Tomorrow I think I'm gunna start a full week of suppling to the bit. By the time my sister took pictures I had tired arms and I usually wear gloves when I ride, so it wasn't comfortable on my hands. She's really bouncy sometimes and that screws up my position completely... I'll I can say is I'll try to fix it this week, and hopefully my bf will take pictures on thursday then we can see where I'm at! This is good I finally get pictures to be critiqued!
Oh as for the whip thing.. its actually what we use to sack out the horses, obviously she wasn't afraid of it, lol. 
She was being a real brat, all the horses were watching and she'd get farther and farther from the outside. The roundpen isn't all that big actually, but yea I really need to get things together!


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## SilentBravery09 (May 22, 2009)

I do agree that she is over weight and downhill. My mare had a slight down hill build, and with a lot of work and a lot of patience you can disguse it in the way the horse moves, and with some help of saddle lifters.

I think this horse will benifit from a regular work out plan and some lounging, if you are experienced or have a trainer ask about draw reins, they may come in handy.


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## Flyinghigh12 (Feb 17, 2009)

So I think I found out what was wrong with her.. well I'm not exactly sure what it is but she has a lump on her neck, behind the ear where the big muscle is. Its a really big lump, I'm getting it checked out by the vet when he come's down. 
My horse is a she by the way lol. Also I think she is built downhill too and the round pen didn't help becuase it is slanted down, actually the whole yard is kinda on a slope. 
Ya we were finally going to work her this morning, that would make it an official thing to do every day lol. But then this... does anyone know what it might be from? Its a lump bigger than my fist i think, and its not like right behind the ear but on the neck part. 
She didn't seem sick at all, actually she seemed pretty healthy.. so ya, any help would be great, thanks!


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## Quixotic (May 22, 2009)

I know that some horses will get big lumps when they are stung or bitten by something & then have an allergic reaction. I don't know if this is the case with your horse or not, since I can't actually look at the lump.


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## Flyinghigh12 (Feb 17, 2009)

We got the vet to check it out and its just a pulled muscle. She's healing I'm doing stretches with her and messaging it to loosen the muscle up. The swelling is deffinitly going down.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

Definitely downhill. She isn't just heavy on the forehand, her forehand is actually lower, making it that much harder for her to use her hind end to propel her. Work a lot of transitions. A million of them. Halt, walk, trot, walk, trot, halt, walk, halt, trot, walk, etc, etc. Doing so will help rock her backwards. She won't be an uphill horse, but she can at least be even. =] Also, do a LOT of half halts.


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