Hunting IMPROVES dressage ;-)) !!!!!

SamuelWhiskers

SamuelWhiskers

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I'm so excited i just had to share this, i know obviously this isn't going to work with a lot of horses, but for my big backward irish horse it has worked!!!

This year started off with slight tendon damage, so he was on box rest for 3 months, then brought back controlled exercise wise, so in all I just walked him for 10 weeks, building up very slowly, trot, canter, jumping to our first competition at the end of August!

So its been a very up and down year, in the fact he came back stronger, but really i was hoping to progress more this year with him. He had gone quite backwards spooky wise etc...

Anyway, i though sod it, lets just having some fun, so i've been cubbing/autumn hunting him, which we've both been loving, but to my utter surprise, i went for my lesson yesterday and my goodnesss.....the difference was tremendous! Much much more forward walk (he's usually very lazy with this in the school!), totally off my leg and not leaning on my hands and the canter which we've always struggled with in the school was just so much more together, working from behind, completely supple and it felt like i had nothing in my hands again, he's only ridden in a snaffle!!!! Even his jumping he landed on the right leg every time, without me having to change him and i felt like something clicked!

RESULT, so i'm tempted to sack off winter dressage for hunting instead.......ok........so maybe i don't actually need that much encouragement on this!!!!

Anyone else had this before??

I shall keep up the schooling, but i'm defo tempted to keep on giving him some days, if it freshens him up this much .......

:-)))))
 
Hunting always cheered my horse up (admittedly, a little too much as ended up never taking him because he was so strong!) and made him more amenable to doing more poncey stuff!

Glad your horse is feeling well!
 
Yay! Sounds fab... I think a lot of the problems we have (leaning, balance etc) is down to them not being forward and in front of the leg... which hunting helps, so it can only be a good thing ;) :p ;)

Still umming to whether to take madam hunting though...
 
It certainly has LoLo!! Bless him, much more interested again!

Kat, its made a huge difference and i think going consistantly has really helped too! He has to balance himself on grass verges, uneven ground etc and jumping whatever comes along! Definately helped with his confidence and spooking too!

You may well be surprised! What does Di think? If you fancy a day, let me know, i'd be happy to come out with the south notts, esp as i think they are not too badly priced.....i just don't know anyone with them...or i don't think i do!!
 
If I do, I will certainly let you know, that's the slightly off putting thing, not really knowing anyone anymore! Haven't mentioned it to Di yet... ;) Though she's quite laid back about everything, so would probably say go ahead regardless! lol!! We will see... it is very temtping ;)
 
it made all the difference to the little chestnut chap in my signature. my dressage trainer didn't exactly think it was a good idea to start with but by the end of the first season he had to admit that it did him the power of good - got him thinking forwards, fitter and more athletic. i mixed hunting with dressage through the winter and even did the BD regionals the day before going hunting.
 
Glad to hear of a dressage horse having fun. I do worry when I go to competitions and see horses without shoes that only ever go in an arena for schooling and then back to their stable , how boring.
We are doing show jumping during the winter and he won his first class with a big smile on his face.
Enjoy:D
 
carthorse said:
Glad to hear of a dressage horse having fun. I do worry when I go to competitions and see horses without shoes that only ever go in an arena for schooling and then back to their stable , how boring.
We are doing show jumping during the winter and he won his first class with a big smile on his face.
Enjoy:D
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LOL, i'm totally flattered, that is first time he's been called a dressage horse, he'll be thrilled! Thats the part we've always struggled with, i probably misconstrued it in the title! LOL! But thank you!

Wow, well done on that win, sounds like he's having fun too!!!
 
star said:
it made all the difference to the little chestnut chap in my signature. my dressage trainer didn't exactly think it was a good idea to start with but by the end of the first season he had to admit that it did him the power of good - got him thinking forwards, fitter and more athletic. i mixed hunting with dressage through the winter and even did the BD regionals the day before going hunting.
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Wow, i'm impressed, how versatile is that!! Yes thats exactly how he felt, much more atheletic and found things easier!

I love that hedge pic in your sig ;-)
 
KatB said:
If I do, I will certainly let you know, that's the slightly off putting thing, not really knowing anyone anymore! Haven't mentioned it to Di yet... ;) Though she's quite laid back about everything, so would probably say go ahead regardless! lol!! We will see... it is very temtping ;)
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I'm sure you'll soon sink back in! TBH i hunt with the grove and rufford because i know the people, south notts (notts) days were much cheaper, which tempted me, but i just didn't know anyone going with them!!

Well let me know if you fancy it, or likewise, you can always come out with G&R..........they're a very friendly bunch !
 
Tbh the grove and Rufford will probably be better country for what I want... S.Notts are inbetween, either huge thursdays, or boring mondays! lol!
 
I was delighted to read this post, I have a show cob who is very clever and can end up making me work much harder than her even though she is forward going. Being a cob she doesn't rate spending hours on end being in the school, so I've been looking at ways to make sure she has some fun!

I've taken her cub hunting three times this season and took her showing on Saturday, wow she is a different horse!! She was lovely and forward in the go round and individual show and galloped in the extension, whereas it has been that she's been real hard work for me with leaning and just not off my aids. Her canter has improved enormously and is very rarely wrong legging it and/or getting disunited, we were pulled in 1st on Saturday much to my amazement and then dropped down to 3rd after the judge rode as we were up against horses that have qualified for RI on a number of occasions. But I was so chuffed as it's been a struggle at times!!

We're now going to have a go at our 1st affiliated dressage comp on Sunday!! Then back to hunting in between!!

Many people seem to frown upon hunting, I realise it can be dangerous and not all horses are suited to it. Yes, I worry about her legs and splints but I always keep her in trot if the ground is hard and on roads and go home when I think she's had enough rather than when I'm ready to go.
 
Good to see a horse having fun in life - I find it so sad that many horses are made to 'specialise' - can understand when the rider is not enthusiastic but it does horses so much good to have a go at everything.
 
goldsmiths said:
I was delighted to read this post, I have a show cob who is very clever and can end up making me work much harder than her even though she is forward going. Being a cob she doesn't rate spending hours on end being in the school, so I've been looking at ways to make sure she has some fun!

I've taken her cub hunting three times this season and took her showing on Saturday, wow she is a different horse!! She was lovely and forward in the go round and individual show and galloped in the extension, whereas it has been that she's been real hard work for me with leaning and just not off my aids. Her canter has improved enormously and is very rarely wrong legging it and/or getting disunited, we were pulled in 1st on Saturday much to my amazement and then dropped down to 3rd after the judge rode as we were up against horses that have qualified for RI on a number of occasions. But I was so chuffed as it's been a struggle at times!!

We're now going to have a go at our 1st affiliated dressage comp on Sunday!! Then back to hunting in between!!

Many people seem to frown upon hunting, I realise it can be dangerous and not all horses are suited to it. Yes, I worry about her legs and splints but I always keep her in trot if the ground is hard and on roads and go home when I think she's had enough rather than when I'm ready to go.
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WOW well done, me and you both then!!!

Good luck with the dressage competition, i'm sure it got mine much more balanced and thinking for himself, rather than relying on me to help him out!

I had the round of my life on him at the hunter trial yesterday, so i was so so thrilled! Very, erm, forward!!!

:-))
 
Evelyn said:
Good to see a horse having fun in life - I find it so sad that many horses are made to 'specialise' - can understand when the rider is not enthusiastic but it does horses so much good to have a go at everything.
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He's certainly been having fun, you could call it that! LOL! Thanks! I'm sure its the cost of it too, its not a cheap occupation, as i'm just finding out ;-p !!
 
Frankly I think that anything that gets your horse out of the Damn school environment is good. There is far too much emphasis these days on schools and surfaces when what the horse really needs is to get out and hack and hunt.Its amazing how much good schooling you can get a horse to take when he is having fun. I truely believe that we are seeing so much upper suspensory problems because of over reliance on Maneges(excuse the lack of a fancy french accent here)to the excusion of serious exercise.
 
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