how do i look?

S

soph21

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im schooling bear at min and OH took some dodgy pics today, how do you think i look?

im trying out a pellum for showing so schooled in that, usually use a french link snaffle on a day to day basis. oh and i was bored and plaited all his mane!! he looks better natural!!


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its just a coincidence im all in pink! it is my fav colour!!!
 
Im so sorry, but Im going to have to say..... you are sitting way too far backwords-almost on his loins and you are making him hollow his back
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! Try lengthening your leathers and sitting less on the back of your bum and more 'around' your horse! Im sorry if Ive explained myself badly, my English is becoming dreadful!
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You look as if your about to hit the accelerator in the second photo!! Mairi.
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yup agree with Mairi I'm afraid, fetch your seat forward... (should fit a flat hand between the back of your saddle and your bum) then have the feeling of tucking your bum underneath you, but don't let this round your back, try taking your feet out of the stirrups and letting them hang down for a bit of a stretch, then get someone to set your leathers (yes a bit lower) so that they are at the verticle, then put your foot in the stirrup, your leg should now be a bit more underneath your body, Imagine from the above photo that someone took the horse out from underneath you and what would happen, ideally you'd land on your feet, in this one you might have a sore bum to contend with!
Push your shoulders back and let your arms hang a little more naturally by your side....
don't forget to breathe! sounds alot but its stuff I go through with most people at the beginning of every lesson...
When your moving though you look like a nice effective and light rider - well done! I agree with the pink btw you should keep that trend! you wear it very well!
Nice horse too! a very hansome beasty!
 
Only bit of advice I can give is when siting on your lad imagine taking the horse away from you, you should be left standing. If you look at the 2nd pic and take the horse away you would fall on you bum!! Not sure if its you or the sadle making you sit like that (like an old fashioned hunting seat) but it would definatly stop your horse from hollowing like in the first picture. Might be an idea to get the saddler out to give you some help as a badly fitting saddle can really alter you position. Nice horse though you both need to realx a bit more.
 
If you want a saddle fitter to check the saddle for you, I know a very good one, well recommended, who is just a few miles from you. PM if you want details.
Your saddle doesn't appear to be 100% to me.
 
it was fitted by a good friend who is a saddle fitter, its a second hand GP jefferies saddle, it fits him like a glove, thanks anyway!

he's got a pellum in that ive borrowed off another friend to try, im only going to use it for showing and hunting if he gets on with it, but i put pics on PG and somebody pointed out my friend has put it on him upside down!! i didnt know the difference cos im only used to snaffles!!

i think we dont look relaxed because its the second time using the pellum and we havent done much schooling!!!

we're HAPPY HACKERS AT HEART!!!!
 
Waaaay toooo much PINK!
You need to work without stirrups for a few weeks...in walk, trot and canter...instant cure for 'chair' or 'fork' seats.
You and your horse make a nice partnership though (although he looks a bit too macho for all that PINKness).
S
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ha ha ha!! he's no where near macho!!! he's only 4, he's doing so well!! my friends 9 year old rides him, im going to start having lessons once a week, even though the show seasons finished then we'll be prepared for next year!!! we've done 3 shows cob and M+M classes, and had all 3rds and one 1st! neither of us had done ridden showing before. i cant belive how competetive some people are, we go for fun!
 
Ummmm looks like the Pelham has been fitted upside down
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to me (not usre as pics not to clear). Also you are sitting too far back (perhaps lengthen your stirrups, so you can move your seat forward).
 
Sorry but the first thing I saw was a very unhappy and tense looking horse - then I saw that the pelham is actually on upside down! Again sorry but if you cannot tell if a bit is in upside down then you should not be using it, especially not on a four year old. Personally I would not use that bit on a 4yo anyway - perhaps try a hanging cheek french link - much kinder and with a little poll pressure to help you get him in an outline. But remember - an outline does not come from the mouth but from engagement of the hind quarters.

You do need to improve your position (you seem to be sitting too far back on his loins because your legs appear to be too far forward - a problem I have had in the past too!) - your new instructor should help you with that.

He looks as though he is a nice boy and it wouild be well worth investing in lessons to improve your riding so that you can get the best out of him without automatically changing to a strong bit.

Good luck
 
You do M&M classes on a (HannxTB)xCob? Mountain and Morrland classes are for purebreed breeds that are native to the UK such as Welsh, New Forest etc. He's not a native and is probably being mistaken for a Welsh D.
 
As some others have said, you are sitting too far back on your horse. I would change your horses bit back to a snaffle as he doesn't look particularly happy going by his head carriage. You are going to love me for saying this (sorry!!) but it is better to have some lessons with a decent trainer who will help you train your horse to work on the bit than to change the bit! If you want to show/compete your horse, you need to get him woking over his back into a soft contact, stepping under correctly with his hind leg and build up topline from working correctly.

It all depends what you want to acheive. If you just want to get experience at local level, great! Go out & have fun. If you want to go further then I'm afraid there is still a lot of work to be done but the reward will be reaped when you start to win those rosettes. As others have said, you need to rethink your choice of class with your horse's breeding. Why not try small hunter classes or if he likes jumping some working hunters? He looks a lovely type so if you can work on his way of going I think you will do well. Good luck, it is hard work but well worth it.

By the way, I'm BHS AI and do medium dressage.
 
As far as position goes, I think it looks like you might be pushing your heels down and putting your weight in them rather than on the ball of your foot, I used to do that and it does make your leg swing forward rather than stay underneath you, also making you sit further back. I'd personally stick to a snaffle and encourage him to move forwards and relax and stretch down, the outline will come as he relaxes and works through from behind. He's a lovely looking horse, and I love the pink
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we're only doing fun shows and he hasn't done much jumping so wont do WH till next year, we've done quite well in M+M and cob classes, all 3rds and a 1st in M+M!!! when the judge asks what his breed is i say he's a cob X TB, at the last show there was a connemaraXarab, theres only been 2 welsh D's in the M+M class all season. and its only a fun show im not in to serious showing im only doing it to say we've done it, probably just do XC and hunting next year as i will have my daughter on the leid rein pony! and my foal to show.

hopefully me and bear have many years left in us together, its all trial and error isn't it!
 
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