# Critique AQHA gelding



## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Said a while back I was going to post another video so here it is (post-hock injections.) I would like a critique on my horse please. Not our best ride but it's what I've got for now. The video is over 7 minutes long so it's fine if you don't want to watch the whole thing. I show trotting and cantering both ways and a bit of jogging.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUZf6ybAMN8


----------



## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Bumping


----------



## Bensto (Aug 15, 2015)

Hey! Do you intend for this horse to be a hunt seat horse or a western horse?


----------



## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Mostly hunt seat, we'll do some pleasure classes too.


----------



## Bensto (Aug 15, 2015)

FIrst things first, for hunt his head is a little bit lower than it should be. Second im not sure if your wearing spurs or not, but every time you bump him with your leg he tells on you by swishing his tail. Other than that, looks good!


----------



## Bensto (Aug 15, 2015)

On a second look at the video, he looks lame in I believe the left front.


----------



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

For hunter under saddle, especially AQHA shows, his head is NOT to low, it's about right. He doesn't look lame to me, but he could move out more and into the bridle a wee bit more. He looks great!


----------



## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Bensto said:


> FIrst things first, for hunt his head is a little bit lower than it should be. Second im not sure if your wearing spurs or not, but every time you bump him with your leg he tells on you by swishing his tail. Other than that, looks good!


I am wearing spurs, but the only times I really bumped him was when I cut across the arena.


----------



## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

waresbear said:


> For hunter under saddle, especially AQHA shows, his head is NOT to low, it's about right. He doesn't look lame to me, but he could move out more and into the bridle a wee bit more. He looks great!


Thanks, still working on getting him to move out more, especially at the canter.


----------



## Bensto (Aug 15, 2015)

howrsegirl123 said:


> I am wearing spurs, but the only times I really bumped him was when I cut across the arena.


If you watch closely in the video, its doesnt matter when you "really bumped him" Your your foot hits him every step.


----------



## Bensto (Aug 15, 2015)

waresbear said:


> For hunter under saddle, especially AQHA shows, his head is NOT to low, it's about right. He doesn't look lame to me, but he could move out more and into the bridle a wee bit more. He looks great!


For AQHA shows the head is not to low sure. But any open show, it is.


----------



## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Nevermind


----------



## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Bensto said:


> If you watch closely in the video, its doesnt matter when you "really bumped him" Your your foot hits him every step.


If it does I'm not really sure what to do about it.


----------



## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Bensto said:


> For AQHA shows the head is not to low sure. But any open show, it is.


He's a QH, so his headset is naturally low. Yeah I do some tweaking, but if you watch him move around on his own it stays pretty low.


----------



## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

You know Bensto the more I watch him the more I realize that he does do quite a bit more tail swishing at the trot than at the canter. It doesn't feel like my feet are hitting him, but I agree, looks like they are.


----------



## arnolddd (Jul 28, 2015)

howrsegirl123 said:


> You know Bensto the more I watch him the more I realize that he does do quite a bit more tail swishing at the trot than at the canter. It doesn't feel like my feet are hitting him, but I agree, looks like they are.


He'll get use to the Spurs, every horse does that when not fully broke to Spurs.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I don't think you're spur is hitting him every stride, but you do have some lower leg movment. possibley turn your toes a tiny bit more forward?

in any case, I think he is still a wee bit off, in the hind, not sure which. but he seems to drag his left hind, and it could be that the discomfort has more to do with the tails swishing than anything with the rider (who is actually pretty steady and sympathetic seat/hands).

what happens if you areally ask him to trot out faster, and canter faster? does he seem irritated, or does he perk up and move smoother?


----------



## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I watched the video and was waiting to see the responses before I posted. I think his frame looks pretty good. He looked a little short in his rear, right I think? but not lame. every time you bump his head he does get animated and so he's going to tattle on you in front of the judges. I don't think he really needs that many reminders. Just try a light bump on the corners. It almost makes him look lame when he does that. Otherwise, really doesn't' look bad. 

I'm not a fan of the kick with every post but it is very common in the AQHA shows so I don't think you have a problem there. I think you are looking pretty good.


----------



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

FYI, I have two judges at my desk right now, they just watched parts of your video OP, both said your horse's is not too low, it's just about right, they can tell your horse is carrying himself naturally as an Arab would carry his head and neck higher. Both are open judges, everything from WP to Dressage, both carded by HCBC.


----------



## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

Waresbear, wow, thank you so much for taking the time to show my video to others and get their opinion, it really means a lot.


----------



## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

farmpony84 said:


> I watched the video and was waiting to see the responses before I posted. I think his frame looks pretty good. He looked a little short in his rear, right I think? but not lame. every time you bump his head he does get animated and so he's going to tattle on you in front of the judges. I don't think he really needs that many reminders. Just try a light bump on the corners. It almost makes him look lame when he does that. Otherwise, really doesn't' look bad.
> 
> I'm not a fan of the kick with every post but it is very common in the AQHA shows so I don't think you have a problem there. I think you are looking pretty good.


Thank you


----------



## howrsegirl123 (Feb 19, 2012)

tinyliny said:


> I don't think you're spur is hitting him every stride, but you do have some lower leg movment. possibley turn your toes a tiny bit more forward?
> 
> in any case, I think he is still a wee bit off, in the hind, not sure which. but he seems to drag his left hind, and it could be that the discomfort has more to do with the tails swishing than anything with the rider (who is actually pretty steady and sympathetic seat/hands).
> 
> what happens if you areally ask him to trot out faster, and canter faster? does he seem irritated, or does he perk up and move smoother?


Funny you mention him being off, because when I watched the video the first thing I thought was hmm, something just doesn't look quite right, couldn't put my finger on it, although I thought hind end. But I could be imagining things, or as another poster said, it's something else.


----------



## 7reining7training7gaining (Nov 7, 2015)

I like his head set. Maybe ask for more collection in his middle and back. Ask him to back up again if he does that bit pulling thing at 1:59

Your posting could be more controlled, you kinda look like you are flopping in the saddle. Tip his nose in your corners just a tad maybe.

Overall you look good. Judging is always easier than doing. Your horse is well trained and I think your arena is nice for working.


----------



## Fantelle (Oct 26, 2015)

I don't know if this has been mentioned already (just ignore if it has), but you need to be keeping constant contact with the horse's mouth. That doesn't mean 'constantly pull back', it just means that you need to be feeling his mouth at all times.

Second thing, which I saw had been mentioned, was the fact that you're constantly making contact with his stomach. This is a bad habit. If your horse doesn't respond after contact, let him know that he should be responding (a crop or firmer contact will do the job). As is, you're teaching him to ignore your contact. ^^


----------

