# Critique Donna please!!!--long and lots of pictures!



## chelssss(: (Jul 22, 2008)

Is she hotblooded or something? she looks very high strong and unwilling. alot of times horses who are hurt, will toss their head. like for instance, my horse when he is hurt in his withers because he has a sensitive back and wither area, he tosses his head.

she is a cute pony though.


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## eralcx3 (Jan 5, 2009)

Yeah, i was at a show once and the judge said that she is a high spirited horse, or atleast looks like one. I also have a bit that she seems to like. I tried about 5 diff. bits on her before settling on this one. It's the Stubben EZ control. She looks wild in a bunch of those pictures but when she is calm she actually puts her head down nice and engages her hind end. I still have to longe her before every ride though. The hardest thing to teach her so far is for her to stand still for me to get on her. I normally have to put her face front into a corner for me to get on her. She always starts to back up as soon as i start getting onto the mounting block. She has gotten a lot better though. We have also been working on a little bit of flying lead changes lately which she is really good at and does them on the straight when i don't want her to. =/ but thanks!!


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

Have you tried riding her without a standing martingale?
My mare when I first got her did the same thing (I later figured out it was because of the bit) but I rode her in a standing martingale and as soon as I took it off, she was better.

I do like the bit you have. I was going to ask if you use a single jointed bit, but I like the fact that you're using a double jointed (My mare was flipping her head because of a single jointed bit, as as soon as I put a double jointed in her mouth, she quit doing it)

If she's giving you trouble with letting you mount, I would spend about 30 min-1 hour just dedicated on that. If she moves when you try to get on, DONT GET ON! Just get your foot out of the stirrup and repeat. Even back her up (or make her move her feet) when she doesn't stand still. And make sure once when you do get up, she doesn't move until you say she can.

She is gorgeous though!


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## eralcx3 (Jan 5, 2009)

Yeah normally i try to get on and off of her atleast 5 times before i actually start riding her but sometimes that isn't possible when i have a lesson and it sometimes takes me atleast 10min. to get one her one time. Whenever she does move, she moves backwards though, not forwards so i dont think backing her up would help with getting her to stand still. She has been getting a lot better though.

I do ride her without the martingale every once in a while. Like if i had already rode her 2 days in a row or if im just going to be messing around in the ring, I won't use it. Other than that, I normally do. I HAVE to use it on trails though. She is just absolutely horrible on trails. Her only paces on a trail are walk, try to run and prance(since i don't let her just run off). haha I need to work on that with her but since its so cold and i normally don't get out to the barn until it's dark, it is hard to really work with her on trails.

I started out with a copper D-ring snaffle and she liked that a little bit, then i tried just regular D-ring snaffle and then went to a full cheek snaffle and she was a completely different pony then(in a very good way) but it was my trainers and i wanted one of my own but the girl at the store recommended the EZ control bit so i bought it and she was even better with that! She is just so smart though. I mean I have only had her for 4 months and if you saw her the day i got her and didn't see her until now, you wouldn't be able to recognize her or her personality. haha She is such a sweetheart, even though she looks crazy she has the BEST ground manners. When i go to pick her feet, she picks up her back feet before I even touch her leg, i love it!

Also! does anyone know any CHEAP way to help manes grow?? She had part of hers pulled out (probably by another horse) at the place i bought her at and it is still WAY shorter than the rest of her mane and i want it to all be even ASAP. You can kind of see it in the pics.

Thanks so much!!


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## dimmers_double (Jul 13, 2008)

i cant say much for a critique but you look like you know what you are doing. you keep your heels down and your butt in the saddle!!!!! Great Job!!!!!!!


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## ojoazule13 (Jan 10, 2009)

I agree with what chelsss said. She also has a very pretty head, I can see the morgan in her.


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## chelssss(: (Jul 22, 2008)

I just recently got a Back On Track/Thinline Contender Pad
The Contender II By ThinLine and Back on Track - Horse Rider Performance Saddle Pads - ThinLine
it is a little pricey but ive seen a GREAT improvement in my horse.
He's a thoroughbred and has the tallest withers and he has a very sensitive back and with that, it makes him not move forward like i'd want him to. And sometimes he looks like how your pony is. Short strided and unwilling to move. 
With this pad, it has thermal heat that comes from the Back on track part, and free movement, and closer feel on the horse from the Thinline part of the pad.
and now, the sensitive part of his back/withers do not bother him. It allows blood to flow throughout his whole back and makes him move more freely.


maybe you can try and invest in this.
i HIGHLY recommend it.


Here's the back on track product list: Back on Track horse products, horse blankets, horse leg wraps, horse boots, horse saddle pads for pain relief

and here's the Thinline product list:
Products > Therapeutic Saddle Pads > Therapeutic Saddle Pads for Horses - Horse Rider Performance Saddle Pads - ThinLine


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## eralcx3 (Jan 5, 2009)

Wow! That pad and blanket and everything look like they are VERY useful. I will talk to my mom and my trainer about it and see what they think. We were thinking that I just needed a wider tree in my saddle but I used a saddle with a wider tree and she acted worse! So maybe she does just have a sensitive back. I also need to start working on getting more muscle on her. Now that she doesn't have nearly as much fat on her, her back is starting to narrow out. Gotta get that top line back on her! haha It was funny when she was fat though because I could jiggle some of the fat right behind her shoulder and all of the skin and fat around her barrel would shake. hahaha But here are some more pictures I just found on my computer that I forgot I had. They are a little older than the ones of me riding her in the first set, as you can see she isn't clipped in these. Also, in the first picture i noticed I don't have my thumbs up. Woopsies! The last few pics of me jumping are on the Standardbred that I trained from October 2007-October 2008. He is 17 years old almost 18 now and did the sulky races. It took me FOREVER to get him to canter nicely, but he LOVES to jump. haha In the last picture we were getting ready to do a paperchase. They are sooo much fun!!


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Looks like you're doing fine with her. I agree about the martingale though... However, I'm not a fan or too many straps in the first place. I've ridden lots of high-spirited horses in the past and never had a martingale available even if I had wanted it. We all learned how to control our horses without it and in the end had great rides with all the horses. Just keep her head down as you are working on. You'll be fine.


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## chelssss(: (Jul 22, 2008)

Also if youre having trouble with saddle fitting, like i am with my thoroughbred, go onto the courbette saddlery website. They allow you to send them a withers tracing. get a peice of wire/ or undo a clothes hanger and place it on the center of her withers and press down and make the shape of the withers and then trace the wire on a piece of cardboard or even a paper plate, & you can send it to courbette and they can give you the correct sizing of tree, etc your pony needs. I'm sending mine in this week.

Courbette Saddlery Company, Inc., Withers Tracing
I hope all this helps, your pony is a cute pony with alot of potential, and that Standardbred is a pretty bay! i like the jumping pic! he doesnt look like he's 18.


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## eralcx3 (Jan 5, 2009)

Thanks for the advice everyone! The last two times I have rode my pony I have not used the martingale and she is being perfectly fine. So I think I am going to just use it every once in a while just as a reminder to her. Plus, I won't be able to use it in hunter shows. Me and my mom were going to measure her wither with the wire and go out to look for a used saddle that would fit her. I don't want to get a really nice saddle just to fit her because I am going to be seling her around the end of Summer probably. She is just a project for me so I can get more money for her so I can get this Trakehner filly that is due April 22 this year. I will not be taking him/her until it is weened, obviously. haha


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## chelssss(: (Jul 22, 2008)

Well i give you the best of luck with her, she looks like she has ALOT of potential in her future! let me know if you know anything else!


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## eralcx3 (Jan 5, 2009)

Thank you!! I rode her yesterday for my lesson and she did amazingggg. We were doing flying lead changes and simple changes and stuff since we couldn't jump because of the snow. But she got it every time! and we were working on keeping her collected and at the same pace. You could tell she was working really hard because she had that white foamy spit ALL around her mouth, some of it even got onto her whiskers and froze. It looked funny. I'm think once I get her calmed down a lot more I am going to try and teach her a little bit of dressage too! Thanks again to everyone!!


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## chelssss(: (Jul 22, 2008)

Oh thats great! you'll have to keep us updated with pictures!!!!


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## eralcx3 (Jan 5, 2009)

Don't worry i will! I just need to start remember the camera and have someone take pictures. I will get new ones ASAP. All the ones on here are from atleast a month ago.


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## morganshow11 (Dec 19, 2008)

she's very pretty my standardbred gelding is the EXACT same color, the kind of look alike a little!!!! no critique.


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## eralcx3 (Jan 5, 2009)

Yeah, that standardbred is actually supposed to be almost black, but the sun bleached his hair BIG TIME. You should see his coat in the winter, its pure black, but once summer comes he is more of a bay. Standardbreds are such sweet horses. He was the second one I had ever worked with .I for some reason always fall in love with them.


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## toosexy4myspotz (Oct 7, 2007)

As far as not standing while being mounted. With my first horse, everytime I would go to put my foot in the stirrup she would back up or bolt. So, when she done that I immediately pushed her into very tight fast paced circle. stopped her when I felt she was ready I done this everytime she offered to move while being mount and she eventually got the hang of "if I stand still I dont have to work hard" but the circles need to be quick and tight.


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## pepperduck (Feb 14, 2008)

She's adorable, and looks like a blast to ride. I'm glad that you have decided to take off the martingale, since I think that a lot of your problems are stemming from her kind of bracing against it. Maybe you guys were just having a bad day, since she looks super excited in these, yet in the others ones you posted she looks much quieter. In these pictures you really need to look up. If your horse acts up, don't look down at it, that isn't going to help anything. Always look up to where you are going. In a lot of the pictures you also seem to be bracing against your stirrups and against her mouth. Move your leg back, and try to use more seat to control her then hand. And relax! You look so tense and nervous! Remember, horses can feel that and feed off of it!. 

Also, this is kind of a pet peeve of mine.. you are thinking about starting to teach her dressage? If a horse is jumping, they should know basics in dressage. They should be able to do a shoulder in, haunches in, etc. They should be able to extend and collect. All of this will help you in jumping. If a horse has a solid foundation in flatwork it is much more beneficial to them, especially when you start jumping.


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## saraequestrian (Dec 4, 2007)

she doesn't look excited to me, she looks... uncomfortable. 
I would check, double check, and triple check your tack to make sure they fit right. 
My horse used to look like this and it was because her saddle didn't fit right. now she never looks like that 
other than that she's cute!


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## eralcx3 (Jan 5, 2009)

Yes, I know I need to start looking up ALOT more. It's become a bad habit of mine, again. I used to do it all the time and then I stopped and now I am doing it again. I have been working on it though.

That may have been a bad day, I honestly don't remember but the past few times I have rode she has been almost a dream to ride(without the martingale). The only thing is that she listens better to my seat than my legs. But eventually I will need to her listen to my legs also for when I sell her. Also about my leg, that is in the trot and the way her trot is, it makes my leg go forward, also when i am trying to get her to slow down and I have to sit far back(she doesn't always listen very well) it makes my leg go forward but yes, I know i need to work on it. Thanks!


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