How Do You Know When Your Too Big For Your Horse?

R2R said:
If I had BSJA showjumper on my yard, I would get her riding in a snaffle, and help her as much as I could. I would also get on the mare and give it some confidence. I am capeable of riding that mare, and have sat on far worse. In honesty the first thing I usually do is go hacking, and making friends with the horse...drop the contact, and let the mare chill out, develop some topline and strength, indipendence and thinking for itself, and then start with some basic schoolwork.

I had a mare who I sold last year on behalf of a client as she ended up so peeved with her rider that she attacked her in the stable ON MORE THAN one occasion...perhaps I can see the same pattern here which is why I was so harsh to BSJA earlier. She came to me like a nervous wreck, no summer coat, and sad and miserable. It took 6 weeks of good grass and lots of reassurance...and FYI she is now winning at top local level and doing her first intro this summer with her new owner. She is 14.2hh by the way...

I think, like me, many people care about horses, and can see exactly where the problems lie with BSJA and this mare. They have offered to help, and been ignored. Quite possibly becasue they know what they are talking about and feel for both rider and mare. Rider, IMHO needs kick up arse (which is what I was trying to do) and to realise what an honest, williing mare she has under her saddle, and respect her a bit more for it.
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It IS a lovely little mare, a very forgiving mare and one which will teach it's rider alot - safely.

I'm NO expert, but I'm the first to hold my hands up and admit that not everything goes in a snaffle. Bringing it back to basics and sticking it in a snaffle won't always work, however, should be tried.

That said, as a relative novice myself, I would rather have a few lessons, learn to control ME (my hands, seat and leg), and then ride in a stronger bit if that's what the horse goes best in. I'd MUCH rather that than be hauling on the mouth in an attempt to stop! With that comes confidence and trust, which is part way to building a partnership is it not?

Gentle hands, stronger bit over rough hands and gentler bit any day IMO.
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I do think people are a bit harsh - this is a novice teenager, not someone claiming to be Olympic bound. Yes, she makes plenty of mistakes, but didn't we all as teenagers? I do think she would benefit from some proper lessons with a decent instructor tho. I think what a lot of people forget is that unless you have experience with good instructors, or have been taught to school with a purpose, it is quite difficult to put together a constructive session at first - I know plenty of teens who end up doing what is being done in the two videos, which is riding aimlessly. Some decent lessons with a good instructor will give her some idea of how to structure both a flatwork and a jumping session so that improves her riding and the horse. I did answer one of the posts asking for advice a while back, but like others, I was ignored, so won't bother again.
 
hudsonw said:
Poor girl, she only wanted to know if she was too big for her horse. Regardless of how rubbish you think she rides that wasn't the question so why comment.
If she has posted this before then ignore and move on to the next post to get yourselves wound up about.
If she doesn't take your comments on board then that's up to her...who are you to judge and who made you an expert? She's a kid, when do kids ever listen?!!?
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If my kid hadn't listened and continued to ride his horse in that insensitive fashion at the same age as the OP, I'd have dragged him off the horse and slapped him hard. Nor would he be getting abck on until he got his act together and promised to listen. That's when!
 
I'm 5ft1 10st 6 although on a diet and was 10stone 11 3weeks ago i'm getting it off slowly :D my boys are 14.3hh Con x tb and 15.1hh Welsh D neither have a problem carring mw although i'll feel much happier when i'm down to 9st 5 :D
 
After watching your vids, please get that out of her mouth she clearly doesnt like it, if she did she wpould go in a much more natural shape, i have a wide seclection of bits i'm very happy to lend you if you wish to pm me :D you also need to try and slow her down on the way to fences, have you tried trotting on a circle then every other time jump a small fence. i'm sorry to say this but with the way she is going at the moment jumping a 1.20 course is firmly in your dreams and not likely to become reality anytime soon, I would hate to read you've had an accident coming to fence of that height the way you come to fences at the moment, schooling schooling schooling (not in that bit) is what is needed i feel.
 
brighteyes said:
If my kid hadn't listened and continued to ride his horse in that insensitive fashion at the same age as the OP, I'd have dragged him off the horse and slapped him hard. Nor would he be getting abck on until he got his act together and promised to listen. That's when!
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I actually once did this to my 12 yr old daughter - she was beign stroppy on our horses back and i asked her to get off - she refused, started arguing wiht me whilst on him - so i walked over, dragged her off and left her in te3h school sobbing whilst i led the poor horse away. I was absolutley disgusted with her.
Sorry but ALL children regardless of age should learn to put any animals needs first - if they cant or wont they shouldnt be allowed near them.
 
So we've gone from horse abuse to child abuse in one post...Only on H&H forums!!! :D

Back to the original question...No, your not too big for your horse, and no comment on your riding.

To be honest with the attention span of most teenagers, the OP has probably got bored and isn't even reading the replies :rolleyes:
 
Crikey! This thread!!!

Ok, I finally gave in and had a look at the OP's videos. I was expecting something horrific from all your comments. but what did I see? A teenager on a sweet horse, who could do with some teaching, but otherwise isn't bad at all. She sits quite nicely on the horse and while her hands are a bit busy, they are not remotely has bad as a lot I see daily! The horse is a bit hollow yes but not remotely as bad as I was expecting from the comments. I think she probably rides exactly like I did aged 13 - thank god the internet didn't exist then!!!! :eek::eek::eek:

OP: yes, your horse would benefit from some schooling and a snaffle bridle, and you would benefit from some lessons, and doing some basic gridwork instead of the point and shoot method. Your school is very small though, do you have anywhere bigger to work? I could recommend some fun grids and gymnastic jumping exercises which would help you and your horse a lot.

Everyone else: don't be so quick to judge. Were you never young?
 
Halfstep said:
Crikey! This thread!!!

Ok, I finally gave in and had a look at the OP's videos. I was expecting something horrific from all your comments. but what did I see? A teenager on a sweet horse, who could do with some teaching, but otherwise isn't bad at all. She sits quite nicely on the horse and while her hands are a bit busy, they are not remotely has bad as a lot I see daily! The horse is a bit hollow yes but not remotely as bad as I was expecting from the comments. I think she probably rides exactly like I did aged 13 - thank god the internet didn't exist then!!!! :eek::eek::eek:

don't be so quick to judge. Were you never young?
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Agreed!
Now why don't we stop making new posts regarding this topic, it's clogging up the forum :D
 
Halfstep said:
Crikey! This thread!!!

Ok, I finally gave in and had a look at the OP's videos. I was expecting something horrific from all your comments. but what did I see? A teenager on a sweet horse, who could do with some teaching, but otherwise isn't bad at all. She sits quite nicely on the horse and while her hands are a bit busy, they are not remotely has bad as a lot I see daily! The horse is a bit hollow yes but not remotely as bad as I was expecting from the comments. I think she probably rides exactly like I did aged 13 - thank god the internet didn't exist then!!!! :eek::eek::eek:

OP: yes, your horse would benefit from some schooling and a snaffle bridle, and you would benefit from some lessons, and doing some basic gridwork instead of the point and shoot method. Your school is very small though, do you have anywhere bigger to work? I could recommend some fun grids and gymnastic jumping exercises which would help you and your horse a lot.

Everyone else: don't be so quick to judge. Were you never young?
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well said halfstep :D this is what i thought myself but thought i must be wrong given the extreme feelings shown by other HHO members. perhaps they could all post videos of themselves riding so that we can check that they are of the required perfect standard? :rolleyes:
 
And now for my bit -
I've seen worse video wise, much worse.
The OP has a lovely horse and is not too big for it. I think its lovely that some people are riding the smaller variety (Iam a fan of that didn't you know!?). After all, the likes of Mark Todd managed to ride a small 15.3hh (Charisma), and being well over 6ft, we can't complain about proportions!?
I don't mind OP asking questions, I don't even mind her not adhering to our answers and advice - thats just being 'teenagery', it will sink in - oneday! And anyway, whats wrong with a bit of attention? She isn't a bad rider and the horse is nice - so show it off.

I don't like her riding Nutmeg, she should realise that is wrong, although the pony tried to please and OP wasn't beating it - so again it could be worse.
Jumping the same jump again and again from the same way in the same fashion isn't the 'done thing', horse was looking tired and fed up, and it wasn't achieving anything but lessons will be learnt.

I wish OP all the best for the future - maybe one day she will be on the senior teams - and we can all say 'we helped to get that girl to where she is' - now wouldn't that be nice?
 
*sigh*

I agree. In essence there isn't a great deal to correct - BUT SHE WON'T BLOODY LISTEN! She keeps asking for advice, which is given (until we all get fed up), she goes quiet for ten minutes then comes back on with some other 'problem'. Again and again.
 
maybe she is doing it to be deliberately provocative...some teenagers like doing that :rolleyes:
similarly, many teenagers think they are listening to advice when in reality they aren't- its not intentional on their part (i teach teenagers and have this constant problem with them asking for help, me giving it and then the same problem keeps occuring- this is because they are still learning how to learn and it takes time to become 'effective' as a learner.... )
 
fadedv said:
It doesn't sound like you're too big, but did you seriously jump what is pretty much the same fence 20 times in a row on the same rein?? Blimey.
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That's exactly what I thought!! Be careful or you're horse will go sour very quickly if you jump it over and over like that. I find many of my horses (past & present) actually jump much better when NOT jumped at home so they're fresher (in actual fact, with my current horse I never jump at home - only ever at BSJA or BE!). But no, you are not too big for it especially as its got Welsh D in it. And with regard to other posts about your riding, IMO you ride fine in the video (only watched the SJ one).
 
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