Constructive criticism please

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malibu211211

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Feeling brave so here is the video of some of my dressage test on Sunday. Sorry not all of it as my daughter was cold
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It was his first time out, he is quite a nappy bu**er and loves to do an impression of a giraffe
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He is quite resistant when asked to halt and swings his head in walk so any advice please
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZDKPo_Fi8k
 
Nice horse, with nice paces - and you have a neat, elegant position.
However (there's always a 'however'
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) he is inconsistent in the contact and doesn't work properly with engagement, although occasionally he drops his head and pretends.
If he were mine, I'd check his teeth, put him in the mildest bit I was happy with, and then pop him onto the lunge with side reins, where I'd work him with an emphasis on forwards.
When riding, I'd try to keep a steady hand contact, and use a lot more leg, perhaps even backing it up with a smack if he's not immediately responsive. He looks behind your leg in the video (although he wants to go forwards, it's because he wants to, and not in obedience to anything you are saying).
I'd probably forget about the head and neck 'outline' and just spend my time getting him using his hindquarters - so trotting up increasingly steep hills, going for gallops, etc.
I think I'd also try to work him in in a good forward thinking, even 3/4 speed canter for the next dressage test - it'll get rid of some of the tension, and get him working forwards with more suppleness.
Oh, and if you have an opportunity, try to get lessons on the lunge, and/or on an experienced schoolmaster so you feel a horse working correctly on the bit too, and can then replicate it.
Hope this helps...
S
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Firstly ... swoon.....I want him!! haa haa

I'm really no expert but i think you want to maintain a stronger contact on your outside rein - you're letting him have it and that's why he's swinging his head so much - it's his way of trying to evade you (from what I can make out) although I could be wrong!

So I'd say get him moving forward more, hold him on the outside rein and use that inside leg more!

PS - when can I have a go?
 
Lovely horse. He looks a bit distracted by surroundings but not surprising if first test. Not sure why he is swinging head about as you don't look to have a strong contact. as others have said maybe look at teeth/bit. A bit more forward going and he will be lovely.
 
Lovely horse and you have a very nice position. I would have his back and teeth checked first of all. If there is nothing wrong then I would forget his head and just work at pushing him infront of your leg so that he is waiting for you to tell him to stop rather than wanting to and so that he is waiting for you to say the next pace up and not just run into it.

His transitions look pretty good but you fiddle with your hands (arms) and try to pull his head down but once it is down you continue to niggle at the reins creating an inconsistent contact for him to work into. He will work in an outline as soon as you have him infront of your leg. I know it is hard but I think that any decent judge would give higher marks for a forward horse not in a contact than one in a forced contact.

You are doing really well at dealing with his nappiness as I can tell that it could be really bad so well done. The other stuff should be easy to fix as you definately have the basics there. Hope this helps.
 
To me he looks quite inconsistent, stop and start all the time and the head waving about suggests that he is not happy with the contact, whether hands or bit. Much better once you go up to trot and looks like he could really extend nicely in time with training.
I agree with most that Shilasdair says, but I am no Dressage rider, just like have a go at local shows and have a responsive horse.
To me, he looks like is not really listening (very hard) or responding to your aids, just really doing his own thing. (maybe distracted or is he a youngster?)
I would perhaps want him to become sharper to my aids, with lots of change of pace so when you ask "Go" he gets on and does it with purpose.
I do all my training out on hacks and I get my heavy cob to stop on a sixpence, turn round on each rein, quite fast and tight, and back up, and go from halt to canter, walk to canter, walk to trot and back down the paces too. Also lateral work just trotting or walking along the pathways.
It all gradually builds the power to be able to do more and have more control of his body, so when you ask him its not stressful, or uncomfortable for him.
I think a lot of horses I see at Dressage shows look weak.
You need power for Dressage. That's fitness and strength. Best way to get that I think, is out hacking, but purposeful hacking, not just poodling round the block.
Lots of slow cantering/trotting up hills, and walking out for long distances.
All credit to you though, I think you are very brave to put a video up and ask for opinions.
Most of us, wouldn't, including me!
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Your hands are encouraging the wriggle. Keep your elbows softly at your side but give him more stability in the hand. If his head isnt perfectly down and in it doesnt matter but last thing you want is the swinging.

He's lovely, when you get it right he'll look very smart
 
Your horse has lovely paces!
Like everyone else has said you need to try and get him more in front of your leg. You should tell him to trot and he should trot until you ask for something else, you should feel as if you are being carried.
At the same time try and keep your hands as still as possible, as he starts travelling forwards and using himself more he will naturally be more over the back and that will eventually make your job a lot easier!
Once you have this more consistant then you can very gently squeeze down your reins keeping your elbows and hands soft (so that you don't move his head you just 'talk' to the bit rings) and once he has responded in the way you want you stop asking and stay quiet until you need to ask for something again. This way he will learn that by answering he then gets left alone, I think they start stropping a lot of the time when they are asked for something constantly even when they are trying to offer what it is they think you want.
Good luck, by the look of you two it shouldn't take long!
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Thanks for all your comments
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Our instructor is out of action for a month or two
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so I just wanted to know where I'm going wrong.
Monty is ridden in a french link JP loose ring snaffle with a flash noseband because he is very gobby
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His teeth were done recently and his back was done in September but will be done again at the end of April
He isn't really a youngster as he is rising 7 but has only really been hacked before I bought him last July. He was really weak in his hindquarters and had been held tightly to the right to try to stop him doing his giraffe impression
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He went to my instructors yard for 5 weeks last September to get him going so she went back to basics with him and concentrated on getting him stronger. We still have a long way to go as he is only just getting the hang of canter hence why it was a walk/trot test and at present we are working on a forwards canter but he is getting there slowly.
I have let things slip quite a bit as my instructor had him going nicely and I have lost that 'feeling' of how he should be going
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I do have an inconsistent contact which does need sorting as have been told that before
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Parkranger- If ever you are in Dorset you are more than welcome to have a go
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Thanks for your comments and keep them coming please
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He's a lovely horse, and you ride very tidily.
IMO if you put a bit more bend in your elbows, to keep them at your sides, it will help give him a bit more consistency in your contact. Also - you seem to be looking at his withers of his ears all the time. Look up, look where you want to go and you naturally become more positive for him.
The head waving is IMO linked to the inconsistency in the contact - but could also be due to how he has been schooled in the past (i.e. before you bought him). It looks like someone has almost sawn at his mouth to get him to drop his head with no real engagement from behind.
To counter this, try lots of transitions up and down the paces, and within them as well to get him moving away from your leg and to get his hocks under him.
Another useful exercise is to use a 15m circle in trot in one corner of the school, making the trot as short and bouncy as you can without changing the rhythm. Once you are happy the trot is coming from behind, ask for canter down the long side of the school.
Otherwise - well done, and keep it up!
 
Thanks for that
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I am terrible for looking down
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MUST look where I am going!
Where he was before I bought him the emphasis was very much on his head was to be down and when he first came home he just didn't go anywhere. Most of the time he would come back at you and do this short stuffy trot
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otherwise go round with his head stuffed so far in the air
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which then made it easier for him to nap as you had no control
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He has got better now and doesn't try that one as often as he used to. My instructor has worked really hard with him and his trot has opened up alot.
I think I need to go back in the school tonight and find that trot again. Work on our transitions and halt.
Any tips for getting a giraffe to halt?
 
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Any tips for getting a giraffe to halt?

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Haven't seen the video so can't comment on any of that, but a great tip my RI gave me when my horse was sticking her head up in halt was to turn, so I would put her on a 10m circle and keep asking for halt. The circle helps you to keep your legs on when asking for halt, which should then help with the head position.

Mine's a stuffy girl as well, with attitude, and I have to really open her up at the start of the schooling session by galloping round the school before I can even begin to think about working her
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She spends the whole time squealing at the injustice of it all
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You did sooo well on Sunday, you should be really pleased with yourself
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Take on board peoples comments, you know what both yours and Monty's faults are, when you get back in the school tonight get your ' you will do as your told ' head on and i think you will find it comes together nicely. You know it's not just you that he does the head wobble thing with which could mean it is connected with how he has been ridden in the past and now you have to correct it. You are well aware of how well that horse can go and you have ridden him like it many times, so find out that big welly and go for it
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remember it was his first dressge test and first ridden social gathering and he was hardly a quiet little angel before he went in for his test, so i would be chuffed to bits with what you have achieved in the space of time you have had to work on him, i think he is coming along very well indeed
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After reading the rest of this thread it would appear that most of his problems come from the way he has been ridden in the past. Therefore I would imagine the sticking his head in the air and wriggling is because when he was asked to halt previously it has all come from the hand and then his head was pulled into position so now he instantly puts up a fight.
Can you halt him from your seat? My horse will halt (if he's concentrating!) if I close my knees together, sit up and breathe deeply. I just wonder whether not using any hand for a while would stop him automatically assuming he needs to fight.
Good luck, your friend on here seems to think you are progressing well and you need encouragement like that!
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My horse has a similar problem with the head wiggling - it is to avoid working correctly, He moves his head side to side to evade my contact so we sit as quietly as possible, firm contact on outside hand, gentle squeezes on inside hand (NOT in the same rythm as his walk tho cos this wont stop him doing it!)

To get him stronger in his back try lungeing with the side reins down low (not too long to start with!) with the emphesis on going forward - like most people have said sort the back end out and the front end will fall into place.

LIke my instructor always says to me (and it helps):-

Sit up, shoulders back and down, hands up, sit quiet and ride him like he is a top dressage horse (or) ride like you have never ridden before - depends what mood she is in!!

I like him though - he looks very nice!
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After reading the rest of this thread it would appear that most of his problems come from the way he has been ridden in the past. Therefore I would imagine the sticking his head in the air and wriggling is because when he was asked to halt previously it has all come from the hand and then his head was pulled into position so now he instantly puts up a fight.
Can you halt him from your seat? My horse will halt (if he's concentrating!) if I close my knees together, sit up and breathe deeply. I just wonder whether not using any hand for a while would stop him automatically assuming he needs to fight.
Good luck, your friend on here seems to think you are progressing well and you need encouragement like that!
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Thanks and I think you may of got it there
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He does put up a huge fight when asked to halt which is what he is doing in the video
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He pretty much does that all the time and out hacking when asked to halt
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My instructor had probs with him not that long ago where he put up a fight when asked to halt she did get there though
I'm gonna give what you suggested a go tonight and see how he reacts. At present once his head is so far in the air you haven't got a hope in hell of stopping when you want to and it's quite un-nerving
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