Dressage Stars, what do you think of Harvey?

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Harveysmum

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I am interested to get some honest views of my horse Harvey, I love him to bits and am as such completely blind to him and think he's wonderful what ever he does. We are spending the next few months doing some training with a really good dressage instructor to get us ready to start competing (as much as I would love it to be me riding it's actually her on the video!) and I am wondering what you think about him. I know it's just trot but any idea about sort of marks you'd give him in a prelim/Novice test for this?

Harvey Trotting !
 
Ooooh lovely. I think you'll do well
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Where are you planning to go first and what test?
 
The video is a bit blurry but I like him, I think you will do well. The only thing I would suggest is to work on his back end and get him bending his hocks more but apart from that hes nice.
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Lovely looking horse showing good rhythm, working forwards well but just tending to fall onto his shoulders at times.
He's mostly steady in the contact, apart from the little hiccup at the beginning of the video, but for me I'd like to see him a little longer in the neck with his nose a little more in front of the vertical especially at Prelim level. He just looks like he's drawing back with his neck a bit rather than seeking the contact forwards.

As far as a mark for that trot goes I would be wavering between a 6 and a 7, depending on the quality/accuracy of any movement that was required in the test itself.

That said, as I mentioned at the beginning, he is a lovely looking horse and I think he'll do well.
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Hopefully we will go to Patchetts on the 10th March to do a couple of Prelims.

Thanks for all your comments so far, agree about the shortness in his neck, it's actually why I went for help in the first place because he is so unlike anything else i've owned or schooled before. He actually has quite a short neck naturally and getting him to stretch forward without tipping onto his head is quite hard. We have been mainly working on just keeping him straight and upright at the moment with an even contact. I got him last year as a project as he was in a real state and he had most of last year off with back problems and lameness. I just feel with him that of all the horses I've rescued he's got the most potential
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although I admit as I have said before I think he's so fab he could have three legs and i'd still say that
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He has a nice, steady rhyth, Could do with relaxing and developing a little more "swing" to his back end which he seems to hold very stiffly - but having read that he has had time off for back problems this could explain that and as he develops more muscle this will come. I would get him work long and low on a long rein in walk trot and canter, but keeping the contact and the roundness. This will help him stretch across the back and help to develop that "swing" I mentioned. He looks like a nice type though and should do well.
 
Very nice indeed!! Looks to be working very "uphill" unlike my little lady and very nice movement.
We were getting sixes today for trot, so prob seven for you I would think (at novice).

Best of luck with any competitions coming up soon.

Fiona
 
I think he's lovely! I am no dressage expert, but I thought he was nice and forwards; I really liked the trot.
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I do have a comment, but don't want to be shouted down for saying it! Is the rider rising a little high? I'm always being told not to extend my rise to high or ride too forward through my seat.... I thought her rise was quite high, prehaps a little exagerated?Or is this for a reason my limited knoledge?
Feel free to correct me if i'm wrong..... I can't get a horse to go like that!
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Harvey is lovely, apart from one moment at the beginning where he came up against the hand, he has a lovely steady rythm and he seems very relaxed and has a lovely forward going trot. He also has a really good head carriage and doesn't appear to be against your hand or leaning or you. The only comment I would make is that he needs to maybe be pushing a little more from behind but that will come with increasing strength, but his basic trot is lovely. I think that you would do great prelim and novice. I would say trot is about a 7 at the moment and looks like it'll get even stronger. Good luck with the competing and keep us updated
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I recognise that arena, and the rider!! She is my instructor too. She will do a fab job with him, Molly and I are a complete different picture to when we first started having lessons with her just over a year ago.
I like him, good luck, might see you at Patchetts in the near future!
 
As a judge I would like to see him encouraged to take his nose out a little more, and work over a softer frame, a little more actively from behind. But on the positive side, good looking, nice rhythm mostly, steady on the contact (apart from the blip), you should do well with him.
 
Firstly i want to say that i'm by no means a dressage rider!!!
But i find myself dissagreeing with everyone who's saying that he's not working enough from behind!! (a very cliché thing to say when talking about dressage).. I think he has a very active behind, and infact looks a little restricted in the shoulder!! (Maybe what Bananaman say, about falling onto his shoulder is making me think this??).

Quiet happy to stand corrected!!
 
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