# Any good......?



## hsharp123 (Mar 22, 2007)

I thought it was high time i put up a pic of me in the saddle!

This is only me schooling in the tiny fenced off area i have at home, so nothing spectacular (not that i do spectacular very well!hehe)

This is me and my 5yr old irish sport horse mare (dutch x tb).
I work her in draw reins very rarely and never hold them tight as to restrict her, they simply encourage her to round and soften so that i can concentrate on geting her stepping under (as she can be slightly down hill in her way of going). Also she is only in them for ten minutes tops!! 









Slightly over rounding, its hard to tell whats perfectly vertical when your up there! hehe -
























Her short bouncy canter -









And this is me on my 3yr old hanoverian x tb. He is still pretty green and shows his age quite often (with head tossing and loss of interest) So i keep his lessons varied and constructively short, if that makes sense? Hehe 
Nothing so challenging that he cant manage it and gets frustrated over it! Lots of quite hacks etc to let him get into the swing of being a riding horse.









Gorping - 








Thinking about listening to me, hehe - 








Oh and the obvious...'I cant stand still, im a baby' syndrome that they all get!hehe









One thing though guys.....My hands are nearly always too low! I dont rest them on the horses neck i promise, but i do hold them low and wide. And i can not for the life of me stop!

Ok its all yours, good or bad as long as its constructive.

Elz x


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## Ramble (Mar 29, 2007)

In the second picture, especially, you really need to get your legs under you. Maybe your stirrups are a bit too short. You need to keep your heels down as well. It looks like you have your toes down which is bad. 

If you look at www.artofriding.com it has a lot of helpful pictures and stuff for your basic things like the proper seat etc. I found it very helpful.


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## hsharp123 (Mar 22, 2007)

Yes the 2nd pic is bad for that whole seat thing, I am being forced to used stirrup leathers that are too short for me at pressent as old ones dieds of old age slightly. hehe
Better in my dressage saddle i must admit.

Toes down??? Really? I cant see that, i do have wellies on (bad i know) and the light isnt great but they are down in all of them as far as i can tell....?

Maybe its me...

Thanks for the comments though!! Star! x


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## Ramble (Mar 29, 2007)

No wait, the toe thing was me. It's hard to tell with the dark horses and what not. I really should be wearing my glasses. :roll: Sorry.


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## hsharp123 (Mar 22, 2007)

Thats ok....no worries! i just thought i was going mad for a min! hehe 
Any suggestions on either of the nags Ramble?? x


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## Ramble (Mar 29, 2007)

Your mare looks like she's got her nose tucked in a bit too much. Other than that she looks awesome. She's very pretty. Your gelding looks like he is doing really well for a young horse. 

I have a saddle pad that looks almost the exact same! Except its one of those saddle shaped ones. It's the same color and has those tiny little quilted square things.


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## barnrat (Jan 1, 2007)

well, yeah, your legs did look a little too far forward..but no worries, you already explained that.

in one of the pictures your head is down...Make sure that your always looking ahead...Between there ears.

yeah, in some of the pictures it did look like you could have your heels down a bit more.


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## Kaiya (Jan 19, 2007)

Beautiful horses. Apart from what the others have pointed out, your riding looks great. Cant help but ask, is your horses head _tied_ down in the second pic? Or is the martingale too tight? Because she's behind the bit. And you don't want that happening, because thats when they can start leaning on your hands.


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## hsharp123 (Mar 22, 2007)

Hi kaiya, No her head wasnt tied down, i was giving her 5mins in a set of draw reins and in that particular picture she def wasnt forward enough and bowing her head i agree.
Shes still quite a baby at times and struggles to keep a constant outline and can on occasion nod her head - just at the moment she nodded her head my boyfriend snapped the pic!
hehe

And Im a horror for looking down!! I try not to honest! hehe My old intructor used to say you look at the floor thats where yourl end up! hehe

Ill work on that! and today i got some new stirrup leathers! 35quid!!! ouch I dont remember them costing so much when i got my first pair! killer...

I dont know, horses= Â£Â£Â£Â£Â£Â£ all the time!


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## Kaiya (Jan 19, 2007)

fair enough, I used to do that with my old mare too.


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## Horse_love999 (Mar 17, 2007)

You mite need to put more weight in the stirrups, to sit deeper, which mite help your seat as well, but you deff need more weight in the stirrups and heels down. 

-chelsea-


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## hsharp123 (Mar 22, 2007)

wait a min guys.....my heels are down in all if the pics! i have already explained that you need to look closely as the light is bad and wellies are hard to see against the dark colour of my horses.....and Rambal explained that she "needed glasses on" and took the comment about heels back!
please look more closely before commenting on my heels again as i have never had a problem with my heels being down???!

i appreciate all the other comments but please no more 'heels down' stuff please.....?

Horse_love999 just take another look at the heels down situ....i def need to put my lower leg back in the one pic i agree!!!
And looking down, and keeping my hands up, i have lotsa faults but thats def not one no matter how hard i try to see it hehe

thanks!!

Elz x


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## kristy (Dec 8, 2006)

Put your heels down.
Teehhee, I'm kidding- I had to.

Your upper body generally looks quite nice. You mentioned the constant battle with your hands already. Have you ever seen a bucking strap? It's a strap that attaches to the saddle for people who fear their horses to buck. They take hold of it for more security to hang onto. I would recommend it in aim of your hands. Hold on to the strap with your reins. This should keep your hands from creeping downward. It will be very difficult to do at first, especially if you are one to have too much movement with your hands. But it is worth it, for sure. Your back looks nice and straight without looking tense. I like this and think it looks best in the second picture. And although your hands are too low, your shoulder still looks relaxed. My biggest focus is on your leg position. Your ankles and toes are fine. The other members may have been referring to your leg on your gray horse when you are applying a lot of leg pressure. Your heel isn't the problem, but rather your leg being drawn up while giving pressure from the leg. I struggle with this as well. Remember to keep your leg lengthened and your knee pushed towards the ground. This will keep your leg from drawing upward.
What kind of saddle is this? If this is a dressage saddle, I would suggest lengthening the stirrups several notches. I think you have adopted a chair seat which will cause unbalancedness. You want to ride with a straight leg going from your hip to ankle through your back in all english disciplines, regardless stirrup length. If you plan on jumping, shorten your stirrups. Whichever way, this will position you more correctly. Once you have found your stirrup length, pick up your thigh and roll it at the joint inward. This will place your inner thigh on the saddle and will avoid toeing out. I think I see it in a few pictures. That's a big weakness of mine. All in all, you look like your doing very well. I would like to mention the draw reins quickly. I'd love to see you loosen your draw reins about 8 inches or more. She is far past the vertical which you mentioned because she ducked inward. However, remember to allow slack in the rein for them to learn. If she ducks behind the vertical, there should be even more slack then normal. I understand the use of draw reins and am not discouraging them. 
Good luck!


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## hsharp123 (Mar 22, 2007)

That was all sooo constructive Kristy! Thankyou!!!

Yes i will try and have a look for that strap you mentioned- my instructor (when i can afford her hehe) has to remind me alot! 
I also slip my reins (so she made me ride in these crazy reins that were in two seperate pieces and VERY short- if i slipped them i lost them. hehe) and she says my hands are to soft and thats why flo bounces as there isnt an even and maintained contact to her mouth. 
Flo is funny in draw reins (or side reins) as they only need to be on for her to over bend (i dont even need to pick them up, she just comes straight down-too much sometimes) She has a very light mouth you see. And never ever leans (which i love) 

My saddle is just my old gp, as my dressage saddle is back home at my dads (miles away). But i have lengthened them since and i will take more pics! (i seem to do the 'armchair' on flo far more than when im on tenny? Wierd!) hehe

I do struggle to keep my leg long when applying pressure...your very correct. I think no stirrup work may be in order (oh no the pain!hehe)

Are you a dressage rider or do you/have you evented (cuz id like to pick your brains) you seem very helpful and being on my own land (cant afford livery costs-hehe) i dont have a lot of help, my boyfriend tries but he only knows what ive told him. So its a viscious circle. 
I have been riding for around 15yrs but most of that has been self taught and having only got babies i struggle to know what to do next sometimes! you know when you just hit a brick wall and arent sure what to do next, and then you get less confident in your own ability!? It happens often with babies ive found

The guy whos yard i used to be on used to say 

"Horses are the best levellers around, you think your doing alright and they will tell you otherwise soon after" hehe soooo true!!


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## Kaiya (Jan 19, 2007)

The problems with photos are they are just a picture of that exact moment. Who knows what could of changed a second later? One second your position could be perfect, but a second later something might have been altered.

anyways.

I have the exact same problem with my hands. I find that I do that with my hands because something made me believe that If i Have my hands low his head will stay low. But actuall I've found out that he collects better when my hands are in line with the reins and bit. It's still a bad habbit for me though.

Once again I must comment on your horses. They're beautiful.


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## hsharp123 (Mar 22, 2007)

Yes you are right Kaiya,
When my hands are in the correct place she comes so much nicer! Its an awful habbit of mine! hehe

And photos are bad for the one split second insight they give you!


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## kristy (Dec 8, 2006)

Yes, hsharp, I'm an avid dressage rider at heart. I haven't jumped in many many years (my horse is retired from jumping, we continue with dressage). I now am buying a new eventer so I shall be dusting off the jumping saddle again.. oh boy. (My eventer will be the standardbred I told you about!)

So go ahead, ask away =) 

You know, I was riding my friends horse the other day to exercise. I was very flattered that she trusted me but so BORED. The horse is well trained and had little to be worked on. I am so use to very rusty or green horses that I didn't know quite what to do with the idea of just ... riding. :lol: I know what you mean about crick walls, and ironically I felt I hit one even with her horse. But yes, I know the brick walls too well with those that are green and complicated.


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## bolly (Mar 16, 2007)

Im not the best with dressage! but by the looks to me, you look very good! x


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## hsharp123 (Mar 22, 2007)

Thanks Kristy....here goes...

Well my mare flo has always been slightly on the forehand. As a baby when i first had her she was always **** high and has only levelled out this last year and peaked at 16hands (a little larger than expected as i am a true dot! lol)

It walk and trot she will round perfectly, no problems! But in canter (he strongest gate according to the dressage judges we have encountered and molly) she will poke her nose in but not work from behind! When i gain the impulsion and then ask for the correct head carriage (not just poking her nose in to look pretty) she throws her head backwards, fixes her jaw, and almost jumps on the spot, completely hollowing her back and often changing her hind canter lead and becoming disunited and messy and forcing me back to trot.(not out of choice)

If i ask for canter and allow her to simply poke her nose in, and have very little contact she will do canter until your blue in the face, but she simply will not use her back and round. And the really annoying thing is when my instructor Molly gets on (much bigger and stronger than me) she tries in on once, molly pushes her through it and she comes round and bouncy almost instantainiously!! Grrrrr!

SHES GOT ME WORKED OUT! I know but now i cant break the habbit. Help!


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## D-izzle (Jan 20, 2007)

yeeahhh! I agree with alot of people by saying keep your legs underneath you and put more weight on your heels.Both the horses are beautiful!!! :lol:


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## kristy (Dec 8, 2006)

When a horse disconnects in the canter they have generally been thrown off balance. When you ask for collection, what exactly do you do? When she has tucked her nose in, is she evading the bit AND on the forehand or simply evading? If she is on the forehand, half halting will/should bring her back to you and begin to collect her. I suspect she is a bit uneasy to balance and may still be a bit under developed in her haunches. I suggest numerous transitions and circles. Uphill work will also do wonders as well.


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## Madds (Mar 15, 2007)

I can only see one photo that ur heels don't look down but because of the darkness of the horse its hard to see but like kyia said photos don't show what happened a second later! You look great on a horse! Apart from the things you mentioned!


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## hsharp123 (Mar 22, 2007)

oh thank you!! My mare and i have come on huge amounts since i put these pics on!

We have done 3 dressage tests, 1 pre lim and two novice and had no less than 68% and came 1st in the prelim with a whopping 74%! hehe hence moving up to trying novice tests! hehe

We have also been to a cross country course in lincomb twice and gone from jumping tiny logs and walking into the water too jumping 3ft BE novice fences! SHES ACE!! and loves every second! (only have videos of her and they are stuck on the camera but will try and get some pics up!

Elz xx


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