# Critique Horse and Rider - Dressage w/ Video



## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

You do need to work on that leaning back thing - its also pushing you close to being over the front of the saddle every time you 'rise' on the trot. Its not going to make it easy to ride the horse between your hand and leg - not sure how much he holds himself in frame and how much you ride him forwards into your hand


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## 4hoofbeat (Jun 27, 2013)

do you do drop reins exercises? i agree the leaning back thing you need to work on. I'm not sure how, I understand the scoliosis makes sitting straight a little more difficult. Do you do drop stirrup exercises too? 
i'm trying to remember how my instructor taught us to be in the right position. 

It's a visual, and muscle memory thing. if you have someone tell you when you're in the right position and remember how it feels, even if it feels off at first, it might help.


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## Starcailer (Aug 22, 2014)

I do the drop rein exercise often, my trainer has me do it to make sure I am not holding my horse's head up (which I am not, when it comes to my horse, he could easily allow me to work on myself more than we do.) 

Its odd because I never used to have this problem. This leaning back thing is rather new and I have no idea where it came from. I also know its way more rare than someone who sits too far forward, so I think its hard to figure out how to fix it.


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## frlsgirl (Aug 6, 2013)

Overall, not too bad.

The biggest issue that I see is that you need to open and close your elbows at the posting trot; that will ensure that you maintain a steady connection and quiet hand. 

Also, because you are leaning back so much, you are behind the vertical which throws off your head, elbow, hip, heel alignment. 

You might google Jane Savoie; she has some great videos on rider position.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Have you tried the exercise where you stay up extra beats at the trot? The way you are currently aligned, I'm thinking you'd fall back into the saddle every time you try to stay up. It's an great exercise for quickly ferreting out balance issues.


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## Starcailer (Aug 22, 2014)

I'll have to try those exercises. I should also get a more updated video, those are from June admittedly; so, I wonder if I have changed a bit in the past 2 months. My trainer comments that I tend to lean back when he tells me to engage my core more, and that my hands are too quiet (i.e. I dont do anything with them. And they are just there and still, this is very apparent in the canter which is by far my weakest gait). My best gait is actually the sitting trot, I can sit anything after being drilled it on the lunge line in my earlier riding years.


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## Starcailer (Aug 22, 2014)

Videos from yesterday's lesson...complete with some instructor commentary I guess, ha. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6IzcnXFZWs&list=UUO1Z0UnBxQl26a30axKjIcw&index=3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJwj61ByX6Y&list=UUO1Z0UnBxQl26a30axKjIcw&index=2


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## frlsgirl (Aug 6, 2013)

Starcailer said:


> Videos from yesterday's lesson...complete with some instructor commentary I guess, ha.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6IzcnXFZWs&list=UUO1Z0UnBxQl26a30axKjIcw&index=3
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJwj61ByX6Y&list=UUO1Z0UnBxQl26a30axKjIcw&index=2


hmmm...not bad...but did he say "canter to halt" transition? seems a little ambitious.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I think he did ask for that. The horse seems too heavy on the forehand and so not as well balanced as he needs to be for transitions, especially canter to halt or even to walk


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## Starcailer (Aug 22, 2014)

My trainer is certainly ambitious...we had better transitions before my horse was out for 3 weeks due to his mystery lameness. Now we are trying to work back to where we were. We can canter from walk really well, in fact our upward transitions are great, it's the downwards that are lacking.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Often because people forget to ride the horse forwards into a downwards transition - instead they just stop riding and the horse develops a habit of falling into it


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## Starcailer (Aug 22, 2014)

My trainer is always reminding his students to ask for the walk like an upwards transition. Im very guilty (esp. when we go to take a break) of just dropping contact when we hit the walk to take a break. So, I have been working on taking a few strides of nice medium walk after the downwards transition before relaxing into the free walk.

Our transitions within gait (i.e lengthening of trot to working trot etc) are good, and our downwards trot to walk/canter to trot are also very good, but canter to walk and canter to halt needs work, and I suppose that is why we are working on them.


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## Starcailer (Aug 22, 2014)

Oh, trot to halt is hit or miss, depending on the day.


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## frlsgirl (Aug 6, 2013)

Starcailer said:


> My trainer is always reminding his students to ask for the walk like an upwards transition. Im very guilty (esp. when we go to take a break) of just dropping contact when we hit the walk to take a break. So, I have been working on taking a few strides of nice medium walk after the downwards transition before relaxing into the free walk.
> 
> Our transitions within gait (i.e lengthening of trot to working trot etc) are good, and our downwards trot to walk/canter to trot are also very good, but canter to walk and canter to halt needs work, and I suppose that is why we are working on them.


I don't think your horse has the physical strength/conditioning yet to do those extreme transitions. It takes a lot of time to build that kind of strength and coordination. That's why it's not even called for at a lower level test. 

I wouldn't let a trainer rush you through the levels. Only do what you and your horse are comfortable with.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I agree with frlsgirl - ease back a bit or risk strained muscles, sprained ligaments and tendons. Its your horse - you call the shots


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## Starcailer (Aug 22, 2014)

That is likely correct. I didnt even want to show past First level with this horse. I would rather him stay sound and happy in his old age. I am plenty content riding training level until I get 70's. (Almost there, was getting 65-68 in May, but due to VS here in Colorado show season was cut very short). 

I guess it doesnt help my trainer rides Grand Prix, and I think he feels teaching the basics is mundane. Then on the flip side, the trainer I had before him only had students at first level and was much too basic. She was great for getting me to remember how I rode before, but then I progressed no further...


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Training is compared to a pyramid - if the foundation (basics) isn't strong the whole lot will come tumbling down!!!
If your trainer rides Grand Prix does he not start horses from scratch or does he buy them 'ready made' already working at a higher level?


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## Starcailer (Aug 22, 2014)

He rides/trains from scratch, his own horse he has taken up the levels, but he has had him 11 years and competed Jr/YR on him (Imported from Germany) went and trained with Hilda Gurney and someone else in CA then moved back here to CO to teach. He has had the same horse for 11 years, got the horse as a 3 year old and the horse is now 14. He had great scores at lower levels (Training -First are 70's) and at I1 and I2, his GP scores have been in the 60's. 

Sadly the dressage community in this area is very small, and mostly consists of who has the most money to buy the readymade horse. I know he has 2 clients that have WB and show at 3rd+ levels but other than that...(that I know of) he has me and my TB who ride training/first, my horse was obviously schooled through third at one time in his life because he does have his changes, but Im not interested in pushing him or riding 3rd level. We school at home with second level movements and both he and I are happy with that, my horse does the best shoulder-ins, 3 and 4 track (he likes 4 track, but I know you have to use 3 in show ring)

Then the other 3 that ride when he comes to my barn, one is a 9 y/o BLM mustang mare and novice rider, they are intro/training level. One is a WB cross with a 69 y/o rider who rides 30 min and then he rides the other half, they are just training level...and one is a 65 y/o lady with a 12 y/o Andalusian Mare who is just coming back into work and they are doing training level with plans to show next season. Out of all of them I am the most advanced rider/horse at my barn, so I think he sort of wants to do other things.

Yesterday's lesson, however, we didnt do the extreme transitions, as I spoke up and said I didnt think my horse was ready for them, nor did he really need them since they arent in training/1st tests and he agreed so we worked on lengthings and out and back within the gait instead.


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## Starcailer (Aug 22, 2014)

I also am interested in doing the rider tests more than the actual level tests. I really want to get over a 70% on the rider tests.


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