Can I have some CC / thoughts on my XC video please?

[Starbucks]

I don’t have a very good camera man normally but I’ve got this video from the BE90 I did at eland. I’ve never really had any XC training (although from hunting background so done plenty of it) but would just like some feedback on a) riding, where do I need to improve? b) horse, what do you think on her? Do you think she has potential for bigger things or nearing limit? She’s 6yo ISH, ive had her since unbroken 3yo. She’s not done a great deal really for a 6yo but I am really pleased with her.

Thanks in advance if you can be bothered to look!

https://youtu.be/FAWKLnjucE0

 

[TheMule]

She's a nice horse but it looks like you haven't found the right rhythm yet as your strides are quite erratic- you ask her long and sometimes she goes and sometimes she chips in or she seems to sometimes take you a bit by surprise. She's clearly a nice bold thing and I've have a play around with the controls and just practise cantering and jumping out of a nice even pace without too much movement from you, you are a little bit physical yourself when pushing for a stride or holding for one

 

[ihatework]

She is lovely and bold but you have to really now work on both of your balance and her straightness.
You need her more rhythmical, adjustable and channelled between hand & leg.

 

[Hazkirbo]

She's a nice horse but it looks like you haven't found the right rhythm yet as your strides are quite erratic- you ask her long and sometimes she goes and sometimes she chips in or she seems to sometimes take you a bit by surprise. She's clearly a nice bold thing and I've have a play around with the controls and just practise cantering and jumping out of a nice even pace without too much movement from you, you are a little bit physical yourself when pushing for a stride or holding for one

Second this

 

[Starbucks]

Thanks Mule. We are fairly inexperienced really, but hoping to improve! Do you think just keep practicing will help us ‘find our rythem’?

She is very bold but in her younger years she’s been more cautious, still going but more slowly! She getting keener and keener!

 

[AmyMay]

She's fabulous. And was being very honest with you - you really did seem to pull her out of her stride quite a bit.

I was surprised to see that you were being jumped out of the saddle on occasion, so lots of work for you to do on your position and security of your lower leg.

With some work on both your parts I would expect her to be able to do a bigger track. But your a long way off that yet.

What a lovely horse.

 

[be positive]

The video alone would not make me think of a horse that has the potential to go far but I think the picture is spoiled by you lacking experience of riding xc so as already said she lacks rhythm, straightness, balance and is inclined to guess at her fences because you do not have the basics truly established, once she is jumping more correctly she will look tidier, more neat in front and should look more scopey.

You could do with a few lessons to learn how to ride more from your seat and less from your hand, she does not look strong but at times you fight her and she fights back, learning how to sit up and use your weight to bring her back would be number 1 for me, the straightness and balance will improve immediately and her rhythm will be regulated by the seat rather than the hand so the overall picture will be tidier and she will find jumping easier so her ability to adjust will get better.
A lesson or two from a good trainer would make a huge difference and be a worthwhile investment if she is going to move up a level or two which she should be more than capable of.

I have just seen your comment about her getting keener, be careful she does not get to the stage where she fights you because you are doing too much and she is having to ignore your signals, a horse that gets too keen can become tricky to ride and may end up learning to stop, run out or have a fall if it does not settle, keenness does not always mean they are enjoying the job 100%

 

[Starbucks]

Thanks Amymay. She’s an sweetheart. Never really had a mare before but this one I like!

So basically **** riding, great horse. That’s ok I can work on that. I didn’t feel jumped out of the saddle much though, with exception of out of the double. Lower leg is a problem for me.

 

[hibshobby]

Firstly, what a super video ! Secondly, what a lovely bold youngster ! You say you've had her since an unbroken 3yr old so she's an absolute credit to you. I think you ride her very nicely and sympathetically - at no point does she look worried or hassled and you are with her all the way, perhaps a tad too pushy maybe but you are giving her confidence. I think as others have said, maybe work on rhythm and balance and just more outings and mileage. Good luck to you both, she is a credit to you.

 

[Starbucks]

Thanks BePositve. I’ve had a lot of lessons with some good people (not XC though). She (we) do find it difficult to shorten.

With my next BE impending, would I be better to let her bowl along and jump out of her stride more? I’m checking too much?

 

[paddi22]

She's lovely! A few xc lessons would def sort out your issues at the moment you are pushing her out of her rhythm and riding too much with your hand instead of sitting back and balancing her with your seat. Even if you just stuck your heel down more and bridge the reins she would get into a better rhytmn, at the moment it's a bit fussy and because you are puling she's not straight going into some, and not back on hocks enough. At 3.37 you would have been in trouble if it was a bigger fence. Whereas at 4.11 your hands are still and she has a much better pop.

You can see you are encouraging her into fences, but at the moment its just a bit flappy and its pushing you forward too much onto her shoulders instead of being effective. If you sat in more, widened the reins, leaned back and had a stronger leg it would support and balance her more.

She will be super with a few lessons on her though, you can see she loves it!

ETA: best advice I ever got was to leave them alone the last three strides to let them sort the fence, at that stage theres nothing you can do anyways apart from not dropping them and keeping the leg on.

 

[be positive]

Thanks BePositve. I’ve had a lot of lessons with some good people (not XC though). She (we) do find it difficult to shorten.

With my next BE impending, would I be better to let her bowl along and jump out of her stride more? I’m checking too much?

You are checking too late and at times too much, try just sitting up and holding rather than using alternate hands, by getting her swinging her head you are taking her mind off the fence when she should be looking forward at it and you leaving her to do so, my view is to sit up about 8 strides away, a bit less if they are really settled, as soon as they lock on you stay quiet and just keep the hand still, once they know you will leave them alone they tend to stay in rhythm, stay on a true line and concentrate on jumping, less is more when you have an honest horse and she seems honest enough to do a good job for you.

I think you can do plenty without having a xc lesson as such, I do loads of similar stuff in an arena, it is just about timing, encouraging them to come back when you sit up and go when you go forward, to lock on to the jump, watch the ears in front of you as they normally go forward once they spot the line you want, once they are really working with you it transfers to the xc phase easily enough if they have already done enough xc to understand that jumping is jumping whatever the surface.

 

[Starbucks]

Feeling a bit demoralised. I kinda thought I was doing ok! Maybe I’d be best not bothering with the whole horse thing.

 

[little_critter]

Oh dear, don’t feel demoralised. I don’t think anyone has said you’re rubbish. Just pointed out areas for improvement and it sounds like those improvements should be fairly straightforward.
I can’t comment because I know my jumping is pretty ragged. I can only dream of going Xc (at any height) at the moment.

 

[TGM]

Feeling a bit demoralised. I kinda thought I was doing ok! Maybe I’d be best not bothering with the whole horse thing.

C'mon, you did ask where you could improve and nobody is perfect, even the top riders! You are doing 'OK' - the horse is going forwards and is jumping the fences keenly, which is more than a lot do! Still doesn't mean that there isn't lots to work on though, and you have been given some great advice on how to do that.

 

[Starbucks]

Yes I know I asked so I can’t complain!

Sometimes the truth is hard to take!

 

[Bernster]

Oh dear, don’t feel demoralised. I don’t think anyone has said you’re rubbish. Just pointed out areas for improvement and it sounds like those improvements should be fairly straightforward.
I can’t comment because I know my jumping is pretty ragged. I can only dream of going Xc (at any height) at the moment.

Same here! You’re riding way above where I’m at so no CC from me but I know it can be pants to get cc even when you’ve asked for it! Lots of constructive comments on here and plenty of positive ones too, so don’t be disheartened. You both look keen, happy and you’re out there doing it, so good on you, and you’re open to improvement and asking for tips, so even better. The video is great.

 

[Tiddlypom]

You can either pack it all in, or reflect on the very good advice given and work on improving your performance. The potential is there for improvement.

Don't carry on in the same vein though, as you could both go @rse over t1t if you keep on pushing her off balance.

 

[DabDab]

Feeling a bit demoralised. I kinda thought I was doing ok! Maybe I’d be best not bothering with the whole horse thing.

Definitely don't feel demoralised. You've produced a lovely horse to a 6yo who is merrily jumping around a 90 xc with enthusiasm - that's a skill a lot don't have. And for me, yes there are elements of technique that fall apart at times but everyone has that, but the main thing I think you're doing with her is nannying her a bit too much.

I'm terrible for doing it and have frequently caught myself on a 5/6/7yo still micromanaging every footstep. It's hard when you've produced them, and they're precious to you so you don't want anything to go wrong, but at some point you have to learn to sit there and let the horse jump for itself.

Good luck with her, look forward to future reports!

 

[be positive]

Feeling a bit demoralised. I kinda thought I was doing ok! Maybe I’d be best not bothering with the whole horse thing.

You shouldn't, you have done a good job to get her this far and having asked for some constructive criticism you have received some, a few tweaks to how you ride xc should make a huge difference, if you give up because of the advice you have been given then how do you cope with lessons that don't go your way, everyone has said much the same a few improvements and you could move up a level or two.

Someone on here regularly sends me videos of her rounds, I get told how rubbish she is in the attached email because she is so self critical I usually make one or two suggestions and have to frequently give her a kick to remind her she is doing well enough despite being "so useless" she is perfectly capable of riding her horse but the self doubt creeps in too often, so she needs a bit of a boost.

Most of the comments I made were constructive and suggesting ways to improve that should be easy to try without anyone to help, it is what anything here is doing, or trying to, every time they canter in a field or jump some fences at home.

 

[Starbucks]

Right. Thanks.

 

[Red-1]

Feeling a bit demoralised. I kinda thought I was doing ok! Maybe I’d be best not bothering with the whole horse thing.

Whatt?? I think there have been some good points made, including that the horse is a credit to you.

In fact, I have not evented since 2014, and have a new youngster, and watching your video made me look forward to next year when we will be out and about.

I do think that I would go and work in an open field, or even start in a school and then take it to a field, and teach her that when you go forwards and off her back she is free to go, backed up with a ;eg away from the fence. When you sit up and become more upright she is to slow, and if you also leg and rein she must go bouncy as in collect up.

I saw this on the skinny thread, on the skinny there she did look to have locked on. The pulling pulled her attention away. So, once she has learned to wait on a weight aid, I would set it up and leave her with it. I would practice at home over a skinny, and try trusting her, if it does not work the go to trot and represent. I feel that fighting before every skinny will put her more likely to stop at them than being set up to succeed and then left to it.

I bet there are a lot of people thinking 'please give up' as then your horse may be fore sale ;-)

Enjoy the horse you have made. She is indeed a credit to you.

 

[Starbucks]

Can we just leave this thread please? I don’t want it to end up a big long thing. But thanks for feedback everyone.

 

[cundlegreen]

You are checking too late and at times too much, try just sitting up and holding rather than using alternate hands, by getting her swinging her head you are taking her mind off the fence when she should be looking forward at it and you leaving her to do so, my view is to sit up about 8 strides away, a bit less if they are really settled, as soon as they lock on you stay quiet and just keep the hand still, once they know you will leave them alone they tend to stay in rhythm, stay on a true line and concentrate on jumping, less is more when you have an honest horse and she seems honest enough to do a good job for you.

I think you can do plenty without having a xc lesson as such, I do loads of similar stuff in an arena, it is just about timing, encouraging them to come back when you sit up and go when you go forward, to lock on to the jump, watch the ears in front of you as they normally go forward once they spot the line you want, once they are really working with you it transfers to the xc phase easily enough if they have already done enough xc to understand that jumping is jumping whatever the surface.

Just about covered everything, but I will add you are generally too far forward, therefore weighting her down coming into a fence. Take a look at old pics of Lucinda Green to give you an idea. Think about folding more at the waist and pushing bum out behind. It will help a lot with the horse's balance and take some of the guessing out of the jumping. Agree with not interfering at least 6 strides before a fence. Grab your neckstrap and hold that to keep your hands still. Lovely mare and can really ping, but I'd get some of the tummy off her. She's blowing quite hard by fence 6.

 

[cundlegreen]

You are checking too late and at times too much, try just sitting up and holding rather than using alternate hands, by getting her swinging her head you are taking her mind off the fence when she should be looking forward at it and you leaving her to do so, my view is to sit up about 8 strides away, a bit less if they are really settled, as soon as they lock on you stay quiet and just keep the hand still, once they know you will leave them alone they tend to stay in rhythm, stay on a true line and concentrate on jumping, less is more when you have an honest horse and she seems honest enough to do a good job for you.

I think you can do plenty without having a xc lesson as such, I do loads of similar stuff in an arena, it is just about timing, encouraging them to come back when you sit up and go when you go forward, to lock on to the jump, watch the ears in front of you as they normally go forward once they spot the line you want, once they are really working with you it transfers to the xc phase easily enough if they have already done enough xc to understand that jumping is jumping whatever the surface.

Just about covered everything, but I will add you are generally too far forward, therefore weighting her down coming into a fence. Take a look at old pics of Lucinda Green to give you an idea. Think about folding more at the waist and pushing bum out behind. It will help a lot with the horse's balance and take some of the guessing out of the jumping. Agree with not interfering at least 6 strides before a fence. Grab your neckstrap and hold that to keep your hands still. Lovely mare and can really ping, but I'd get some of the tummy off her. She's blowing quite hard by fence 6.

 

[paddi22]

You are very brave to post a video for crit, and your mare looks happy and keen which is a big achievement you should be proud off. All it is is a few tweaks to your riding (which we all need reminders of). The danger if you increase the size of the jumps is that she won't get away with the mistakes she is making now, and it would be an awful pity to knock her confidence or give her a fright, as she obviously loves it.

 

[Chinchilla]

No CC - you're a far better rider than I'll ever be - but you are a lovely rider and I LOVE your little horse, she's absolutely gorgeous!! <3

 

[Starbucks]

Have had time to reflect and spoken to family / friends / trainer. Bit of a knock in confidence but will carry on.

I just think people should remember that it’s a real person on the end of their CC, I know I asked for it but it doesn’t hurt to be a bit kind.

Hopefully I’ll be able to post a video this time next year and there’ll be less stuff to be CC’d. &#128578;

 

[Chinchilla]

In all fairness you did ask for constructive criticism....don't complain now you have received it...no one was actually unkind, they gave what was asked for.

 

[Starbucks]

Yeah I know I’m not complaining.