# Crit horse - NOT RIDER PLEASE - and where to from here??



## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

These are just a few photos from today  I'm not a dressage rider in any way, shape or form, and am attempting to train a dressage horse/show hack so that she has a nice solid flat foundation for when she starts jumping.

Without a trainer.

Yeeeaaaaahhhh. I agree with you. Dumb idea.

Anyway! Please ignore me, I have the flu so my position is even worse than usual and I have absolutely no idea what I was doing in a lot of these.

I use VERY little hand, but she likes to work behind the vertical. I've been working on bringing her up and getting her to work in a more correct manner and we're slowly getting there but as you can see it isn't 100% yet. Hind end engagement in the trot is not her strong suit on the ground and GETTING it isn't MY strong suit as a rider - but my god can she engage in the canter!! She's more of an eventer/SJ than a proper dressage horse but she's only 3 so she won't be doing any jumping for a while yet.

I am aware of all of my bad habits and as I said these photos are NOT an accurate representation of my riding, but I am pleased to say they ARE an accurate representation of how my horse goes. She is very green and not especially balanced still but we have straightness and she's seeking the contact for the most part so we're doing better than I expected.


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## xxxxxxxponyhorse1516 (Aug 17, 2013)

In pic 3 & 4 she seems to be leaning on the bit a little. In most other pics, she has a good outline and is on the bit nicely. Seems to be a bit flicky with her tail? There's a few lovely collected and extended trots in there! That's great for a green 3 yr old mare! Most people struggle to get ten yr olds into an outline, let alone being on the bit! She seems to have been broken very well. Did ye get her as a 3 yo or did ye break her? About the jumping: I've trained and broken many young horses in my life. Start very slow! Focus on poles, trotting and cantering poles, having two wings and put one pole in the middle, then make trotting poles with the mid pole at the bottom of the wings. Then, keeping the poles, put up a tiny cross pole. Gradually build this up to about 40cm on the first day. If she takes a huge leap over it, don't put it up huge and say 'Oh, she has the makings of a top class showjumper!' (Even though I know you won't just an example), the reason she is lifting high is because she's not sure how to lift her legs yet, or how to judge a jump! Hope this helped xoxox


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Thank you very much 

I've trained a few horses to jump so I do know where I'm going in that respect [and yes, have made the very mistake you're warning against... first one I trained to jump, I ended up training NOT to jump - oops!], she just won't be doing any of it for quite a while yet as she IS only 3!! So it's dressage only for at least the next year and a half, and I'm definitely not a dressage person. And I promise she isn't leaning, she's actually very light in the hand [without being too light]. My other horse leans like no tomorrow though so I do know the feeling - and HATE it.

The thing I love most about her is her adjustable stride! I can get about 6 different stride lengths in both her trot and her canter. At this stage she's just lengthening and shortening, not extending and collecting [see I have enough dressage knowledge to know what I'm going for haha just not how to get it], but she's 3. Plenty of time.

I took her on as a [very] long yearling. She was foaled 27 Sept 2010 and I got her 28 July 2012. She was given to me because, and I quote, "her sire hasn't thrown anything fast" - she's a TB. She never even saw the breaker before she was thrown out. I broke her myself in early February this year [thanks very much for that lovely compliment - she was my first!!]. After discovering the real reason she was given away [looooong story, I base my opinions of her past on what she has 'told' me] I had been planning to send her away for 35 days breaking/training once I'd gotten the groundwork done, but then one day I was doing groundwork with the tack on [not the first time, she'd had it on many times beforehand] and one thing followed another and I found myself on her back. And it all sort of went from there.

She can buck occasionally when she gets a fright [it's her form of forward spook I think, she never goes to run forward when she's scared - it's buck once, skitter sideways, or stop dead in her tracks], but she's been a really easy horse under saddle, by and large. Horses by her sire have a reputation for being easy to break and she's no exception. She can be a little hot at times, but I like her energy, her sensitivity, and her willingness to please. It's yet to be seen if her spookiness will hold her back on cross country, but with any luck she'll grow a brain in the next couple of years and stop freaking out over dumb things.

The mosquitos here are REALLY bad at the moment, lots of standing water [it's winter in Australia], and she has really thin skin. She sort of scored the triple whammy for that. Red TB filly. Hence the tail. If bug repellent stayed on for more than 10 minutes at a time... -sigh-

Anyway. Hope I addressed all your questions 

I still think I'm completely mad to be attempting to put a good dressage foundation on any horse without a trainer. I'm solid when it comes to jumping, really only need to work on height and refining my eye so I can see my stride from farther out [but I can't do either now my jumping horse is retired], but when it comes to dressage I'm a novice at best.


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## xxxxxxxponyhorse1516 (Aug 17, 2013)

Ah, lovely. Yes, here in Ireland, for us there's not a lot of difference between extending, shortening, collecting, lengthening!xD If a girl rides her pony around and someone says 'Do extended canter! No, that was just lengthened strides!' The rider will most likely reply 'Ah, we'll be grand!!' Yes, you definitely know what you're talking about with young ponies! Now you've said she has a soft mouth, she's not leaning there anymore haha! I love the spunkiness of young ponies, they can be eejits around some silly things but can also be very funny I really love breaking my own, because I know it's been me that's handled it, and not some oul fool going around being too rough with it!


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## xxxxxxxponyhorse1516 (Aug 17, 2013)

PS It's great that you're not bringing her on quickly! I know a girl whose pony was jumping 1.20 courses at THREE. Jumping 1.30 at FOUR! Now he always refuses jumps...


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Haha, I think it depends on your discipline as well as where you are in the world. Eventing dressage, lengthening and shortening are sufficient. Pure dressage, you need true collections and extensions to get good marks. Australia has always been more of an eventing country than a dressage or SJ country but I think we're starting to trend a bit more towards pure dressage now, or at least that's what I'm seeing with riders my age, even at my riding club which is very much an eventing-centric club!

I love breaking my own too, beats fixing other people's mistakes. I've had no end of trouble with horses other people have broken in. I adore my older gelding but he's been the worst of the bunch! And getting worse, which is odd, because the filly is pretty much his exact opposite.

Edit: and, :shock: 1m30 AT FOUR?! Shoot, I know an Olympic event rider whose eventing horse is eight now, 4* prospect easy, "only" competing 2* [it was Pre-Novice at 6 nearly 7 when I stayed at said rider's stables, PN is about 1m05 max height]. Mind you, that thing is mental, said rider doesn't want to blow its brain by taking it through the grades too fast. But seriously.


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## xxxxxxxponyhorse1516 (Aug 17, 2013)

Yep, it's a ridiculous height. I don't really like her that much, so I guess it kind of served her right, in a way!!xD When competing in Dublin Horse Show, the pony knocked every jump it got to before refusing three times and she was eliminated at jump six. Yes, I see a lot of Australians and Oceanian countries competing in Badminton! Lol, you'll rarely see an Irish person going for dressage!! We're more of a racing, hunting and SJ country. I LOVE hunting! Do ye ever hunt over in Australia? This isn't proper hunting now, like hunting a fox and killing it, that was outlawed years ago. We just drag hunt now, basically galloping around fields over hedges, ditches and logs haha! Yup, poor breaking is the root of a good few riding problems in later life. Then, in some cases the horse is deemed 'Dangerous' and shot. I even love getting a few off my own broodmares and stallions, so I can even be there the minute my little foal is born! My pride and joy is my SJ stallion, Master Blue. He was born with long legs out of my eventing mare, by a showjumper stallion I used to have. I loved him, trained him, broke him and we competed for six years running in the RDS (The biggest horse show in Ireland) in Senior Equitation, speed rounds, Accumulators and JLT Dublin Stakes (All jumps in each class (Minus equitation) were 1.50!) Bluey and me won two Accs, came second in the Stakes won 3/4 speeds and won equitation! They were definitely the proudest times of my life Someone even offered me 50,000 euro for him! I said 'Not for everything in the world!'. He's 17 now, and jumped from 8-14 yrs. He's semi retired, I just do a few 1m and 1.10ms here and there


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

We have a couple of small social hunts here but nothing crazy like you Irish mob! Hahahaha we get our thrills eventing. Keep an eye out for Heath Ryan and his grey gelding Aspire R; Heath's the rider I stayed with for a while. Aspire is nuts but he's incredibly talented, and Heath is just amazing. I've never seen anybody ride a difficult horse like he does.

EDIT; and it's a dream of mine to breed my next horse. Magic has a dodgy stifle [not that you can tell now, but we've had a lot of trouble with it! In work she's sound, out of work she's intermittently lame] but if she stays sound to the level I want her to get to, then I'll pull her from competition for a couple of years so she can have a foal to a nice showjumping stallion. If not, then I'll just have to lease a broodmare for a season.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

I like your horse. I can't improve upon ponyhorse's comments, but I can recommend that you spend more time working on transitions--lots and lots and lots of half-halts and up and down transitions so that your horse focuses on your commands. Also, it could be that she is leaning on the bit bc your hands aren't soft enough. You might try schooling with the reins held like a driver, you know, over the index fingers and down through the palms of your hands. This can increase your feel of the horse's mouth and soften your hands mostly bc most of us ride and not drive, therefore you focus more on following the mouth with your arms.
Hope this helps. =D


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Thanks  I definitely need to do more transitions, hers are really dodgy hahaha. She runs through her canter transitions and falls heavy on her forehand in her downwards transitions. I really don't feel that she's leaning on my hands though, at all. She's lovely and light in the hand. She just likes to work -shudder- low deep and round, trailing her back end, and deep behind the vertical. I have been working on that and it is improving. Not perfect yet but she's getting bored!

Edit; but yes I do need to work on my hands, I hate them. They love to be low and wide and that's WRONG DAMMIT. It only encourages everything I don't want - it encourages the low deep and round, on the forehand, trailing back end rubbish. I want the lovely uphill engaged hindquarter correct frame that I know she can give me, in flashes, when I'm riding right, for the instant she can hold it.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

You might try my 2nd set of reins made out of baling twine.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Thanks but I'd like to see what I can do with just my one set of reins  I just need to get back into regular lessons, my coach is amazing but unfortunately I'm strapped for cash at the moment, what with two vet bills to pay [her teeth needed attention and then my other horse went and hurt himself], so lessons are just going to have to wait.

I'm not a gadget person. Let that be said. I only consider gadgets when I'm being driven insane by something seriously irritating like head tossing and even then don't usually end up using them. Simple as a second set of reins made of twine or as complicated as a Pessoa lunging system, I just don't tend to use them.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

You have determination, so I'm sure you AND your horse will be improving. She's very nice already!
Keep us posted. =D


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Thank you  I definitely will! I'm trying to get her ready for her first show by late October/early November so hopefully in a couple of months I'll have some show photos for you all 

The show in question is usually run on an entries on the day basis. She'll be shown in show hack classes, in theory, it depends on how she goes. I may also print off her identity report from the studbook website and enter her in some halter classes [but THOSE are pre-entries only], so that I don't go to all the effort of prepping her and presenting her only to find she's too brainfried by the atmosphere for there to be any point even attempting to ride her.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

OK, so you only want the horse critiqued but the rider is the influence on the horse and if something sticks out to my trained eye, I cannot do one without the other because one is caused by the other.

Your horse is not truly tracking up and becomes heavy on the hand or behind the bit because you are fixing your hands. Your arms are jammed down and there appears to be no softness in your wrists or elbows. 

You are also tilting forward a bit to much. 

Learn to carry your hands so there is a straight line from elbow to the horse's mouth, keep your wrists and elbows supple and soft, drive her forward more even if she is going over bent, if your arms are soft then she will come up with her head.
Personally at her age I would be working her more forward and long and low. She looks a very nice stamp of horse and one that you should be a le to have a lot of fun with as she gains experience and strength.

It all has to come from your seat. The fact you say you use very little hand means nothing if your arms are unyielding.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Both are bad habits of mine Foxhunter and I have been working on correcting them. Unfortunately I'm having saddle dramas at the moment which is exacerbating the issue. I have a very VERY narrow horse. My little Fieldhouse saddle that has been too narrow for every other horse I've put it on is significantly too wide for her. I have found a saddle that is a perfect fit but have to sell the two less-than-perfect saddles that I have. In my other dressage saddle I have a much more upright position but the hands are still a problem.

I'm not a perfect rider, I am well aware of this - hence asking specifically that the rider not be critiqued. Plus I have the flu which means I'm riding worse than usual.


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

Agree with FH. You cannot critique the ridden horse when it is the rider that directly influences.

You need some contact with the bit. Soft hands is fine, but at this age your horse needs to learn what contact is and accept it. You don't need to pull her up and round, but she needs to begin the learnings of half halts rather than having her head placed. 

I find it very important with young horses that you go long and low. If she tucks behind the vertical, and you get looser rein contact, ask for more from behind. I know you said you have flu in these pics and I never ride amazingly if I am I'll, but you really can do more with a correct seat and back position.

Dipping behind is not bad, so long as it doesn't become habit. She won't have the top line strength to continuously have a 'correct' outline.

Lots of transition work will help to activate her hind legs so she will become more natural in her head carriage. At this age I prefer to really take things slow in walk and trot rather than stride out, it helps improve the quality and their own strength rather than striding out and having a weak gait.

Also, I understand you need to sell two saddles for the one you need, but if it is too wide, can you not wait?


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Thanks  We do have contact, I just realized I may have implied we don't but we definitely do. She will actively seek it. We have been doing long and low but I've attached a pic of what happens [NOT me riding], hind end just... stops working. She doesn't have the strength yet to stay connected behind when she stretches down in front.

Could you please point out to me, with the second photo attached, what tells you she isn't tracking up properly? I need to know what I'm going for before I can get it!!

Edit; also, she's happy in the little leather dressage with a riser, but I'm not. Without a riser, doesn't fit at all. I rode her in my other saddle today and she was happy but I hate the thing, too bulky, can't get my leg on.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

That, is not long and low. She needs to be stretching down more and although you have a contact it should be encouraging more outward stretch. 

I just feel that she could be more a time behind if she were to stretch out and use her back more. Hard to say from still shots but as she is carrying her head, eerience tells me this is so.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

the thing with long and low is that the nose MUST be in front of the vertical.

super cute mare, though! and you are doing ok. Don't worry about hearing from others things that you already know you need to work on. They are some of the most common faults, meaning we all either have them or have had them, and knowing that it's something that needs work means you are very aware of your riding habits, and that is really good! Body awareness is essential to riding.

you are lucky to have such a nice mare with great potential.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Foxhunter, that's what she does when given enough rein for long and low. If I drop all contact she will stretch forward and down but it's a very flat forward and down and isn't doing anything either. Sure she's not as engaged as she could be but it's a lot better than the alternative. She likes to hollow when given her choice on how to work.

I'm not a dressage rider so I'm under no illusions here - there's no way I'm going to get this right without help!! Definitely need to get back to regular lessons...

Thanks Tiny!! I'm definitely lucky to have her. I do worry that her physical issues, the bad stifle in particular, are the reason she isn't working as well as she could/should... time to have a bodyworker out again methinks.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

I would get her checked over.. Funny, we have a guy coming in to our area nicknamed the bone breaker.. Supposed to be amazing!

If you really want to see how she should be working, but also build her up to do so under saddle, lunging is the way forward. Lunge roller and side reins. Tight enough that she doesn't look like a giraffe but loose enough to stretch down. You may need a couple of sessions a bit shorter so she realizes what they are for. Lunging is great if done correctly and not over done. If she has a bad stifle try and use whole school as much as possible, not just a 20m circle.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Any chance of a video?


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Thanks Duffy  will do that today I think.

Foxhunter I have a few short videos on my phone... don't know that they're enough to actually be able to see anything of value though. I won't tell you which is the bad stifle ahead of time so as not to skew your perception. Let's just see if phone will upload to youtube...


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

OK we have these, only about 20 seconds each:











Sorry, they're a bit dodgy! She's not working nearly as well as she can in the trot video.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

First off, I like the way you are riding and I do like the horse. 

Here's my take on the short clips.

First off, at the canter, you need to have her more forward, I would not be, at this stage, sitting in the saddle so deeply but have my weight more forward to allow her to use herself.

Secondly, I think the problem is arising from the fixation of your hands. This stems from you not allowing your elbows and wrists to be supple. I would bet that if I took hold of your wrist whilst riding alongside you, they would be as stiff as a board.
Carry your hands higher, so that your thumbs are on top and each thumb pointing to the diagonal ear. The only pressure on the rein should be from your thumb and forefinger the rest of your fingers are there to active movement when wanted. 

It is a common misconception that people think they have good hands with a light contact when they are stiff in the wrist and elbow. 
Think of being a piano player, arms supple! 
When working youngsters I will usually carry my hands a lit higher than I would on a schooled horse..


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Thanks 

I really REALLY struggle with my bloody hands! It's stupid, I have a REALLY strong core [I get told to DISengage it because my core muscles are on too strong!] so I don't know why I struggle so much. My old coach, the first one to point out my hands as an issue, told me I did it because my core wasn't strong enough... so I worked on that. Crunches... so many crunches...

My other horse is REALLY heavy in the hand and likes to pull you down and forward so he doesn't have to work properly. He's 18 now and mostly retired though so that won't be an issue anymore. I wonder if that's why I brace through my arms? Because I attempted to get him to lighten up for so long? The other thing is that while I've been 'riding' most of my life, I've only been RIDING for about 3 years. So I'll have a lot of nasty habits from my 'hang on and pray' years. Either way whatever the cause I need to fix the problem. I mean we're only doing show hack classes and low-level dressage in the near future but still, if I want her to get to 1* eventing, she needs correct dressage work. Which means I need to learn to ride properly.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

So I've been working on the hands thing, am yet to get fresh photos/video though, and I've been doing more long and low work with Magic, or rather, trying to. She likes to plonk along all flat like a trail horse, but we are getting flashes of what feels like decent long and low. Which is sort of highlighting how much muscle she doesn't have. She doesn't LOOK like she's lacking muscle but if she can't hold any form of roundness for more than two strides [any form other than the false frame I've trained her into] then clearly that muscle isn't actually there.

Within the space of one ride I realized she wasn't working correctly at all and was, rather, dropping behind the contact. Due to my fixed hands I couldn't feel that. But since working on my hands she has started to take up the contact a little better. I'd like a bit more weight in my hands but I'm not sure if that's just because I'm used to a heavy-in-front horse or because she's actually still too light...


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

See if you can get more video. I will see if I can pick up on things.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Will do as soon as I can  I don't often have anyone to video, it's hard enough to get photos!! But should hopefully have some shots from today shortly...


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## Teekin (Apr 9, 2012)

As I am not allowed to speak about the rider I will just comment on the horse. The very very Core Basics are missing on the horse. ( they may be there but I can't see them in the pics shown) There first tenant of any type of riding is the horse must be free of tension, relaxed in other words. This horse is not, she is annoyed and fighting the riders locked upper body which includes the shoulders, elbows and wrists. The horse's back is down in most pictures, this means the horse is not engaged over the back and thus not "through". A horse who is not through can not carry, maintain self carriage. 
The 2nd tenant of riding is rhythm or tempo. The horse needs to be ble to maintain an even tempo around a 20m circle. This horse can not seem to do so at the trot or the canter, the rhythm is very broken, no 2 strides are the same. It is not fair to ask a horse to do any further work until the first 2 Basic tenants of training are nailed down.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Thanks 

As mentioned she is VERY green! It was an off day for both of us but my view is that off days show us where the holes are and so clearly I need to work on rhythm and relaxation... a lot... in BOTH of us. I believe in allowing the horse to find its own rhythm but that being said I haven't had a horse yet that had good rhythm under me [not even the FEI dressage horse I've been lucky enough to be allowed to ride] so I feel like I am to blame. Well... I can't dance to save myself... wouldn't surprise me! No natural rhythm whatsoever.

I do find she is quite relaxed under saddle on most days BUT she will fight me for about five minutes before she settles down and starts working. Even since I've been working on my hands/upper body, working on relaxing and carrying my hands properly, she's been doing that. I'm not sure whether that means I'm not actually doing what I think I'm doing, or whether she's just an opinionated mare. 

Either way I need to get lessons and it would do her a lot of good to have a few training rides under my coach. Unfortunately money gets in the way and I'm not allowed to have her at pony club until the year after next so can't even cash in on the free lessons I'm supposed to get through them! Not on her, and not on my other horse, because my other horse just isn't sound enough for a full day of work.


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## Teekin (Apr 9, 2012)

Pony- you can not "work on your hands" it is the same as "working on a headset". Everything comes from the core. I could improve your hands 200% by giving 1 longe line lesson because it stabalizes your core. Whoops. I can't address this in this thread, sorry.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

My hand issue definitely does not come from my core  I understand that normally that is the case but I am extremely strong through my core, to the point where I get told to DISengage it because it's on too strong and my horse can't move properly! My coach, when I can afford lessons, is a horse trainer and competes in Equestrian Australia official dressage on horses she has trained, so I think she knows what she's talking about 

The coach who first pointed out the hand issue also brought up the core thing, as well as my former severe lack of lower leg stability, as reasons why my hands are a problem, but when I was still riding under him I worked my butt off, worked my core until I couldn't move for two days after a workout, strengthened my lower leg so that now I can jump 3'7" with a strong and steady lower leg, and thus neither is an issue anymore.

However if you want to come to Australia and give me that lesson you're more than welcome to 

What my issue is, is that I tend to collapse through my ribcage. My sternum comes down and back, and my shoulders roll forward, and my arms and hands end up braced. This is, in me, not a core strength or stability issue, but rather an upper body issue caused by my horrible posture on foot. My shoulders are both stuffed because of my posture, I get bad headaches on a regular basis, and my neck is always tight and sore. It's a physical problem on my account, one which I believe I can fix, but meanwhile, while I'm in the saddle, I need to concentrate on sternum UP and OUT, which then brings my shoulders back, and allows me to carry my hands properly. It IS something I can work on.


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## Teekin (Apr 9, 2012)

Blue eyed pony-- Your CORE is your upper & lower abdominal, diaphram, oblique abs, intercoastal muscles between the ribs, pertoral muscles, and the deep muscles that stabalize your spine as well as the muscles that allow you to shift your pelvis. If you collapse in your upper body then NO you are not in control of your Core. A Stiff core is not the same as a Strong core. Is Glass Stiff? Is glass Strong? Ok how about woven Silk? is it stiff? Is it strong? How about woven Nylon like they make Nyla bones out of? Is it stiff? Is it strong? You can NOT be stiff, you must be flexable enough to follow the horse but strong enough to stay stable in the tack. If the motion of the horse is thorwing you around and you stiffen that is Lack of strength. Strength allows you to sit quiet and seemlessly follow the horse. 

Darlin, I won't name drop but I am pretty happy to train or show under anyone. My day to day coaches Allways have Horses ( yup, plural) at WEG and the Olympics. They do pretty well. My main cliniction is a member of the German National team but I did most of my formal training in the French State stud. But to each their own. Good luck.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

I find I only get thrown around in the sitting trot and only ever on certain horses. And "thrown around" is an exaggeration even then. I find my lower leg fails me on my gelding in the sitting trot, but it's easy for me to sit my filly's trot [not that I do it much, she's too green for that, I only ever sit trot on her when I'm on bareback as if I try to post bareback she refuses to trot]. The filly has a MUCH bigger trot than my gelding. Easiest of all was a very fancy dressage horse I was given the incredible opportunity to ride twice just over a year ago... the bigger the trot, the easier I find it to sit to.

I've had bad posture all my life which has caused a spine alignment problem meaning it is incredibly difficult for me to sit up straight. That being said I refuse to let myself use physical problems as an excuse. They can be overcome, to some degree. I _will_ fix this. It will take time, but it will happen.


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## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

blue eyed pony said:


> We have a couple of small social hunts here but nothing crazy like you Irish mob!


*cough cough* Another Irish person present!


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

CandyCanes said:


> *cough cough* Another Irish person present!


Bahahaha, all the world's insane but thee and me, and even thee is questionable XD

I have Scot in me, and you could say my whole family has a rather... unique sense of humour. Including living by and quoting the above gem at any opportunity.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

We were trying a new saddle today and it doesn't quite fit so she wasn't a happy camper. I've noticed that my hands are a bit better [I think?] but please ignore her, she wasn't impressed and when we started filming I had just spent a good twenty minutes fighting with her to go at an acceptable speed.

PLEASE excuse my horrible lower leg swinging about all over the place :/ it's normally better than that, but I normally ride with a slightly shorter stirrup. Being more of a jumping person I'm used to a short stirrup so a saddle like that one that sits me really really long isn't helpful.

I also usually ride in joddy boots and half chaps and find my lower leg is better with them on than those gumboots!

Aaaanyway, the point is the hands, not the lower leg. I know they're not perfect yet but I feel like they're better.
















And this one, excuse the quality [was taken with my old phone] - old video of my now-retired showjumper. I know I collapse after the jump [core issue] but I'm sharing it just to show that I do have a decent lower leg with a short stirrup. That fence is about 3'3 or 3'4 high and 4'8 wide, and yes, he did knock it - my fault - we cleared it the first go but didn't get that on film.


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## existentialpony (Dec 4, 2012)

I know that you don't want anyone to really critique your riding too much, but I just wanted to say-- I really think that you should!  I bet you could benefit from the input of people on this forum.

And the other thing is: don't worry about disclaimers and defenses. You have nothing to be ashamed of or worried about! Who the heck are all of us on this forum, anyway?


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

I think I could too but unfortunately I tend to get defensive if my riding is critiqued by someone I haven't paid to do it and who I can't see with my own eyes has the qualifications. I won't have a coach who doesn't ride for that very reason, I have to be able to SEE that they know better than I do. So because I don't want to be rude, I ask that I not be critiqued, just my horse, especially since I can see most of my own flaws. It's the horse that I don't have the best eye for.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

^That is all fair and makes sense, but sometimes horsie faults are a direct result of what their rider is doing. Just food for thought~


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Oh, I have no doubt that Magic's faults are my doing. Especially her tendency to duck behind the bit. Any flaws in this horse's training are my own. Other than a handful of rides I'm the only person who's been on her back, and I'm definitely the only person who's had anything to do with her training. Unless you count the one ride where a friend of mine got on and decided to work on her "frame", this friend's horses all work in a false headset but I am taking responsibility for Magic's because a) I asked my friend to get on and help me train her, and b) one ride shouldn't have that big of an impact, it's what I do with what was done on that one ride that has the impact.


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