7 month schooling progression in the unambitious

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

So I took a video of the day I tried out Jacob to take on part loan back on October 2019, I hadn't ridden properly in a couple of years and it was a MESS. He had also been out of proper work for 4 years, his paces were so big it threw my balance completely off, I was rusty and tense, he was rusty and tense and I had no control of pace and only just had control of direction! (but I fell in love with him anyway, of course)

Below is the video:

I then hacked him out mostly to get some fitness and muscle (and I couldn't really ride one side of him in the school) and then started having lessons from Yvonne Huber when I bought him in January - and this was the turning point, she is incredible! Since then we have had some real behaviour issues out hacking (hence the addition of the air jacket), 2 bouts of lymphangitis, and one pierced sole of foot so haven't been as consistent as I would like but the below video is from today:

We need much more impulsion, but I am so pleased with him!! He is really letting go of some tension and looking much more relaxed; I have been working really hard on this and it's finally getting there. I am concentrating on having him in shoulder fore at all times, it's small at the moment while he gets more supple but it's there - his default is to put on giraffe neck and be looking around like a meerkat!

My riding needs a hell of a lot of work, you wouldn't believe I have been riding on and off for nearly 20 years! Although saying that I was mostly a happy hacker, blagging rides on anything I could until I bought my first horse 5 years ago. I don't look very graceful and it's really irritating me that I rise so high to the trot but I am working on it, promise! One of the reasons I bought Jacob was to learn to ride him, so I am giving it my best shot.

It would be great to know what people think be it good or bad! It's quite scary posting videos of me riding to the forum!

 

[ycbm]

I can never get over how huge he is! And what a mover for a horse of that size

.

 

[HashRouge]

I think you both look great - he's moving really nicely! Like you say a bit more impulsion needed but he will get there, he looked very soft and relaxed.

And omg your view from your arena!

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I can never get over how huge he is! And what a mover for a horse of that size

I think I make him look quite small, but I'm tall and he is quite narrow really (medium gullet saddle for example) so doesn't take up the leg all that well. What does put it into perspective is when you have a photo like the following, where the lady in it is actually 5ft7!! **I have blurred her face as I don't have her permission to post the photo publicly.

I think you both look great - he's moving really nicely! Like you say a bit more impulsion needed but he will get there, he looked very soft and relaxed.

And omg your view from your arena!

Thank you! I think I will ride early doors tomorrow to avoid the worst of the heat so I can push for the impulsion. That's the South Downs - I am so used to the view from the school that I don't even really see it any more, unless I sit with a cuppa for a short while. We have some stunning hacking, we're very lucky.

 

[Sheep]

Huge difference, well done!
Also it makes me want white boots for schooling... so smart looking.

The view from your yard is stunning!

 

[Red-1]

Wow, what a transformation. Makes me want to get out on the arena!

 

[oldie48]

He's looking great but he's huge, the pic you posted gives a completely different idea of his size. I bet you are looking forward to sitting to that trot, he's got lovely movement.

 

[Pinkvboots]

His looking much better well done I would be really pleased with that, please don't take this the wrong way but the photo of him shows he has muscle wastage behind his shoulder, this is probably why he is in a medium saddle as the hollows are making him seem narrow, you need to get a much wider saddle and shim it where he has no muscle so it lifts the saddle off those areas then the muscle comes back, I know this because I have been through the same it takes months to cause muscle wastage but years to put it back.

 

[j1ffy]

Wow that view!! And the size of Jacob :O How tall is he and what's his breeding?

The difference is impressive, really good work from both of you. Your rising has improved hugely so don't worry too much, that big movement will be pushing you out of the saddle and I'm sure you'll continue to get stronger and find it easier to move with. I would say watch your contact, it looks like you're pulling the inside rein with each rise (probably to ask for suppleness / shoulder fore). Rather than the regular 'pull', consider doing a larger ask then keeping the contact quieter. Easier said than done, I know! I have a terrible habit of pulling the right rein...

 

[milliepops]

I think rather than trying to stop the pull, I would think about riding him forward into the contact. He's not really quite there at the moment - understandable as you're in a transition phase, but the contact is a bit intermittent. It's very hard to stop yourself doing something and a lot easier to think of a positive action that will over-ride it so I would say getting him to push evenly into both hands a bit more will give you a feel that you won't want to let go of that's my 2p but obv they are only short clips.

definitely a big difference between the 2 videos

 

[IrishMilo]

That's a great transformation! I would look like a pea on a mountain up there.

 

[Littlebear]

I can well imagine with a bit more strength and impulsion how amazing this would look

Only needs to go forward more into a steadier contact and the picture will improve again by a big margin x

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Huge difference, well done!
Also it makes me want white boots for schooling... so smart looking.

The view from your yard is stunning!

Thank you - I actually thought the boots would look horrible and grubby after one use as our surface is black and stains everything but I actually quite like them! May keep an eye out for another pair.

He's looking great but he's huge, the pic you posted gives a completely different idea of his size. I bet you are looking forward to sitting to that trot, he's got lovely movement.

Thank you. I actually do a lot of work in the sitting trot but it did take a good 6 weeks for me to find my balance and movement with it, it felt like I was being thrown around on a trampoline at first!

His looking much better well done I would be really pleased with that, please don't take this the wrong way but the photo of him shows he has muscle wastage behind his shoulder, this is probably why he is in a medium saddle as the hollows are making him seem narrow, you need to get a much wider saddle and shim it where he has no muscle so it lifts the saddle off those areas then the muscle comes back, I know this because I have been through the same it takes months to cause muscle wastage but years to put it back.

Thank you, I am so pleased with him! Seeing the two videos was the first time I realised how far we have come. No, you are completely right. That photo was taken back in December when he was in a less than ideal saddle as I was still sharing him at the time, this saddle was wider but the full weight of the rider was on his withers which I think has caused some arthritis to develop there. I did get a new saddle as quickly as I was able, but it was not an easy thing to broach with the owner. The difficulty is that he is the worlds highest withers (photo below) so anything that is wider will sit on his them, even though my saddle is as cut back as we could find. I have had a front pad on in his current saddle and we are going to reassess every 6 weeks. I have just bought this pad also which arrived today, which with the removal of some flocking from the front when the fitter is back on 3rd June, should make space for muscle to develop there. https://www.acavallo.com/ac_product/withers-free-hexagonal-gel-pad-with-memory/

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Wow that view!! And the size of Jacob :O How tall is he and what's his breeding?

The difference is impressive, really good work from both of you. Your rising has improved hugely so don't worry too much, that big movement will be pushing you out of the saddle and I'm sure you'll continue to get stronger and find it easier to move with. I would say watch your contact, it looks like you're pulling the inside rein with each rise (probably to ask for suppleness / shoulder fore). Rather than the regular 'pull', consider doing a larger ask then keeping the contact quieter. Easier said than done, I know! I have a terrible habit of pulling the right rein...

He is 19hh, he's a Westphalian by Showmaker out of a Ritmeister mare. It does push me out of the saddle, my core needs to improve I think. You are absolutely right, I am asking for the flexion with my inside hand, but I will try settling this hand down.

I think rather than trying to stop the pull, I would think about riding him forward into the contact. He's not really quite there at the moment - understandable as you're in a transition phase, but the contact is a bit intermittent. It's very hard to stop yourself doing something and a lot easier to think of a positive action that will over-ride it so I would say getting him to push evenly into both hands a bit more will give you a feel that you won't want to let go of that's my 2p but obv they are only short clips.

definitely a big difference between the 2 videos

Thank you for the comments! I completely agree, I was quite surprised how lacking impulsion the video looked as it certainly doesn't feel that slow/underpowered! - I will definitely try for more push into a steadier contact today; hopefully this will be where I'll be able to achieve more consistency. I think sometimes I am criminal of getting what I am aiming for in the way he feels and then I don't put enough effort into maintaining it for fear of losing it - counter intuative I know!!

 

[Pinkvboots]

Thank you - I actually thought the boots would look horrible and grubby after one use as our surface is black and stains everything but I actually quite like them! May keep an eye out for another pair.



Thank you. I actually do a lot of work in the sitting trot but it did take a good 6 weeks for me to find my balance and movement with it, it felt like I was being thrown around on a trampoline at first!



Thank you, I am so pleased with him! Seeing the two videos was the first time I realised how far we have come. No, you are completely right. That photo was taken back in December when he was in a less than ideal saddle as I was still sharing him at the time, this saddle was wider but the full weight of the rider was on his withers which I think has caused some arthritis to develop there. I did get a new saddle as quickly as I was able, but it was not an easy thing to broach with the owner. The difficulty is that he is the worlds highest withers (photo below) so anything that is wider will sit on his them, even though my saddle is as cut back as we could find. I have had a front pad on in his current saddle and we are going to reassess every 6 weeks. I have just bought this pad also which arrived today, which with the removal of some flocking from the front when the fitter is back on 3rd June, should make space for muscle to develop there. https://www.acavallo.com/ac_product/withers-free-hexagonal-gel-pad-with-memory/

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That definitely looks better it's surprising how many fitters don't notice these things I knew my horses saddle and back wasn't right but didn't know how to fix it, I know through bitter experience how long it can take for the muscle to return properly, I hope he continues to improve!