Brother back from uni = AMAZING photos of belv!!!!!

[worMy]

well, my brother has just come back from uni so i nabbed his photographic skills to take some pics of me and belv.
Freazing morning, everything frozen, but made some fantastic photos!

firstly here are some ordinary schooling pics:

and then, he took these of me and belv mooching in the sun!!!! IMO they are AMAZING! lol

aww they make me smile

enjoy
and that's one use for a brother.... photographer

xxx

images can also be seen here: http://www.katherinebegley.com/news--blog.html

 

[hattie_horse]

He looks amazing!!!
i am very jealous

 

[kerilli]

you know how much i LOVE your horse, and that's the only reason i'm sticking my neck out here. i fully expect to get ripped to pieces for saying this, but...
that market harborough is too tight and is teaching neither of you anything about how to get a correct contact, work the horse from the leg into the soft, absorbing, accepted hand, etc etc. because you've 'got' him (artificially) you are able to collapse your back, lean back, (neither of which is correct) and drive him... if you didn't have the gadget on, he'd be going totally differently and you couldn't do that.
the gadget really isn't doing either of you any good at all. please find an instructor patient and educated enough to teach you feel and show you both how to work correctly, without a gadget.
Belv is an amazing horse and i honestly think he'd go 4* but using a gadget in that way really won't help either of you to progress.
sorry, that HONESTLY is supposed to be constructive criticism.

 

[worMy]

hi,
no seriously i TOTALLY agree.
with everything you have just said, i hate using it, im cheating and i know it doesnt help because as soon as i take it off it all falls apart.
but the reason i am using it at mo, is because i tried just schooling without it yesterday, and just ended up in tears. doing neither of us any good, at least this, he gets some exersize and gets some schooling in without getting stressed.

am trying to find a new dressage instructor at the moment, martha recomended matt frost..
so yeah.
totally agree

 

[kerilli]

okay. Matt rides beautifully and gets great results but i have no idea whether he's one of those riders who can impart what he does, or not.
you really need someone who can take Belv back to the basics, show you how to teach him to shift his balance back (he's pulling himself along with his front legs, sj and xc as well as on the flat) etc.
feel CAN be taught, i know that because 1 instructor (who happened to be an amazing natural rider) despaired of teaching me it, but my (older, wiser, far more patient, more classical) trainer has taught me it.
there's never a quick fix with horses, unfortunately!
really hope you find an excellent dr trainer. sorry for the harsh crit.

 

[TheMule]

I absolutely agree with Kerilli. At least loosen it a ring, it's terribly tight.

Good luck- my junior horse was a devil to get properly on the bit at times but we persevered and got there through lots of time and patience.

 

[ElleJS]

Hi, I don't normally reply to these things but you sort of remind me of me when I was your age on a mega talented horse! (Only difference mine was a fire ball of fire!) Alot of tears spent schooling her after school feeling like I was getting no where.... she was a 6yo chestnut mare at the time to be fair to the old trout, god bless her soul, she was at 1* level as I seem to remember we were off to France in the summer to do a 1* so pretty much the same as you.

So this is what I did!
I went back to my old dressage instructor who trained with Carl Hester, who taught me when I was on ponies.
We went back to basics. Now Kerilli has hit the nail on the head for this reason. I know it doesn't feel like it now (the joy of hindsight and all...) but this slow tedious (and not very rewarding short term) appoach long term will make a MASSIVE difference I promise you with all my heart!!
Not only will your chap improve leaps and bounds when you start introducing complex movements such as half pass and changes when you get to advanced (this is when you get 'found out' if the basics aren't established, but you will completely change 'the little things' in your way of riding which will ultimately lead to a higher level of understanding and empathy with your horse.

(Now my girl was actually fantastic at dressage- ask any top trainer who we trained with, her basics were very correct and in training was a schoolmistress on the flat- her problem was her attitude in the ring which no one could solve!)
I'm so sure if you go right back to basics and because your chap is ridable in the arena you will seriously reep the rewards.

I am warning you now it is a long process and I seem to remember not being allowed out of walk till my balance and the horses balance was completely up to standards!! So the winter is the best place to start!

This instructor freelances around the Cotswold area so if you want her number thats no problem. She is a perfectionist and she did frustrate me sometimes as she is so precise but it made a huge difference and I can honestly say with out her starting me off at 1* I wouldn't have got much further and I can only say this now I look back on it. (At the time I was 15 or 16 and impatient!!) I don't use her so much as I went up the grades as I needed 'pushing' but she is so fantastic with sorting out the basics. Once you know the 'feel' you have it for life.

So sorry its turned out long and tedious....
PS He looks class!

 

[Ranyhyn]

How is your horse bred, he's gorgeous.

 

[kerilli]

ah yes, i should have said, i wasn't allowed to trot until we'd both got the idea in walk, wasn't allowed to canter until the trot was right, etc. i wasn't very happy about it at the time...
don't forget that Pippa (in spite of a lot of success already) went through exactly the same thing with Ruth McMullen...
the lady ElleJS mentions sounds perfect. patience at this stage will reap HUGE rewards in the long term, i swear.

 

[seabiscuit]

He is such a class horse , believe me not many like him come along so he's well worth taking the extra time and effort to get him right- he will easily pop round a four star one day- but get the basics established first. It doesnt help that your current/previous instructors always seem to make you ride in very tight draw reins/market harborough for training- I dont care that they are a 'big name' but the fact is that they are training you incorrectly.
Its all there- go to the right trainer that wants to nuture you and inspire you, has the correct methods and stick with them and you guys should be winning everything!

 

[worMy]

ellieJS would love to know who this person is and their number.
and yes basics are clearly needed as it's completely fallen apart.
not sure how its possible though as i have school, and horse is based 1h15 mins away from me...
hmm...any ideas?????
ARGH
horses.

:'( :'(

basically,,,sits here crying and screams help

 

[tabithakat64]

Gorgeous, photo's your horse is stunning. I agree with the CC Kerilli made earlier though.

 

[SpottedCat]

I think you would really benefit from going and having some schoolmaster lessons too - it will give you heaps of confidence in your own riding and will teach you what the 'correct' things feel like, so then you will know when you are asking the right question in the right way and just need to be persistent to get the right answer, and when you are asking the wrong thing or in the wrong way and so need to change something.

The person I am using now can do both of these things for you - it was three sessions on his schoolmasters before I was allowed off the lunge, and even now I am rarely allowed off a circle with B and certainly haven't done any interesting things with him yet - because the walk, trot and canter are not quite there yet (actually, the canter is the missing piece right now!) - so there is no point in trying to do shoulder in or anything else besides yet.

But in 6 months we have improved by between 5 and 10 penalties, we are consistently doing better because I have his way of going more correct. It was a hard slog at first but it has taught me an awful lot. I now generally alternate schoolmaster lessons with lessons on my horse and it is working a treat.

So if you can find somewhere good to do that, then it will help you loads I think.

 

[Nickijem]

I wish I had a brother who was as good behind the lens - and as patient to come out on a cold day to take such lovely pics!
Your horse is gorgeous - good luck with the schooling!

 

[Lolo]

Love your horse- he's so lush! It's so hard to get big horses like him all together, we've aquired a 17hh TB who'd happily chug along without engaging behind and A really struggle to get him to pick up and use himself. We asked a local rider who's an amazing rider (produced her horses herself, and could get a camel to passage!) to ride him once or twice a week. Its cost money, but he's now straight, uses himslef all the time, engages and really floats- on her own A would have really struggled, and ended up in a similar situation to yours. Maybe find a local rider who has ridden more horses and get them to do some of the slog for you...

 

[kerilli]

schoolmaster lessons are a good idea. a few days staying with the lady ElleJS recommends would prob reap huge dividends. the thing is, the basics CANNOT be taught fast. patient correction and repetition are the only things that work for horse and rider.
i agree about your trainers sticking him in gadgets to make it look good etc. it teaches neither of you ANYTHING.

i second what O_B says about Belv, you know what i think of him already, i've told you in a pm! he really is very special and could go a very long way... a lot of us would give anything to have a horse as talented as him! so, it's well worth the effort, and especially worth making sure you go to the RIGHT people for your training. fwiw i wasted years (and thousands of pounds, quite literally) as well as not getting the best out of a couple of very good talented generous horses, before finding the right trainers...

 

[worMy]

[ QUOTE ]
he really is very special and could go a very long way... a lot of us would give anything to have a horse as talented as him!

[/ QUOTE ]

exactly...
feel like im wrecking him and he should go to someone who can actually ride him and will get him 4* easy.

but anyway, thanks for the advice

will try and find somewhere i can go to teach me and belv how to ride

 

[Lolo]

Where are you based? Because Ruth McMullen is amazing- lots of my sister's friends have lessons with her and within a month their dressage has improved by about 10 penalties (although they all headbob!) and ride really well...

 

[worMy]

horses based in ledbury with my gran.
and i live 3 miles from badminton.

miles away from her basically

 

[kerilli]

okaaay, if he was mine and i was in your position, i'd see if i could ship him to Sally Newcombe in Hereford for at least a few weeks of intensive training (she's excellent, i trained a bit with her years ago, but she was too far away from home for me to keep it up) and have some schoolmaster lessons too.
Or, Tor Brewer is in Hartpury, she's a lovely rider and would definitely sort his basics out for you. i have both their numbers if you need them.
oops, i'm out of date, Sally is in Upleadon now, v close to Tor actually.

 

[onemoretime]

I didn't realise Ruth McMullen was still teaching, my rider would be very interested in going for 2 or 3 days to Ruth. Does she have school masters because that is what she is after riding. Rider is riding my horse very successfully in dressage at present time but would like to get the feel of a school master doing half passes etc.

If anyone could give me contact details for Ruth that would be great.

 

[kerilli]

from EHOA trainers list:
Ruth McMullen MBE
The Mill Cottage
Westacre, King’s Lynn
Norfolk PE32 1UE
01760 755778/781

no idea whether she has schoolmasters or not, sorry.

 

[CrazyMare]

When do you finish school for Xmas? If it were me and my horses were that far away, I would be moving in with Gran for the holidays, and getting some intensive lessons booked.

He is absolutly gorgeous, and I do know your struggles, it took me ages to crack mine, and now we are just getting there.

 

[worMy]

am on holidays, live at grans in holidays.
but limited time.
and need to find a suitable trainer
and have SJ lessons at same time.
and revise for exams.
and get to the training when parents work full time, so have to have time off work.
and kill me now

 

[help1]

Hello think I know a dressage trainer who is not that far from you who would probably travel to you. If you are interested then PM me as not sure she would want me to post it publicly. When you say you have to have SJ lessons at the same time do you mean you have to fit them in as well whe you are off?

 

[worMy]

haha yeh, needing to fix show jumping too.
and thanks for the offer, but im swimming in people recomendations right now

thanks
x

 

[chris_j]

if he comes back to nearer home, Hayley Watson-Greaves is fabulous & only in Tytherington

 

[siennamum]

Michael Winter is based in Cirencester until 2012 and I've heard rave reviews of him as a trainer. He might be able to help with the jumping and dressage if you are looking for new trainers. Supposed to be very quiet and correct - with the added bonus of being able to get on board himself.....

 

[horseywelsh]

Agree with all the others. You have got to learn to ride that horse, if you want to release it's full potential. Whether that means having schoolmaster lessons while somebody else gets the basics right in your horse, if that means searching high and low to get the right trainer, if it means taking a step back and having a year out competing and getting everything established, you have to do what you have to do. There is no easy way to the top and however talented a horse you've got to ride it. At the end of that day in your heart you know what you want, what you want to achieve. Life has a habit of
making things difficult but put the time and work in and you will be rewarded. Please also remember how fortunate you are to have such a promising horse.

Sorry if it sounds harsh i don't intend it too. I wish you the best of luck with him, and the reward will be there at the end of the day when it all clicks into place and believe me all those tears and horrible days will be worth it. Chin up girl

ETA every single rider has days when they feel/end up crying, just like any other sport i can imagine. If the truth be known i bet all the top riders will have had these moments. Don't feel ashamed or unworthy.

 

[monkeybum13]

[ QUOTE ]
if he comes back to nearer home, Hayley Watson-Greaves is fabulous & only in Tytherington

[/ QUOTE ]

I was going to mention her!!
He's such a classy looking horse - you will go v.far with good instruction!!!