Pictures Is she looking better... 5 months later

[chickeninabun]

Two pictures, 5 months apart. To my untrained eye she looks better but any comments welcome. Does she look as different as I think she does?

 

[splashgirl45]

she looks better to me, more muscled and well covered....

 

[ester]

It's hard to tell because she looks tight and tense in the after photo to me, and she isn't stepping under as well.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Better weight and muscle tone but not as happy in herself or moving as freely.

 

[chickeninabun]

Yes although this wasn't her best photo, ears back etc, but it was the only one I had where she was stepping under with the same hind as the before photo.
Does she look better and more relaxed in this one at all...

 

[splashgirl45]

yes a better picture but be careful not to have her behind the vertical , looks like you need to give with the reins a bit more..sorry couldnt help myself as horses BTV are a bit of a bugbear of mine....

 

[chickeninabun]

yes a better picture but be careful not to have her behind the vertical , looks like you need to give with the reins a bit more..sorry couldnt help myself as horses BTV are a bit of a bugbear of mine....

Thank you. It's my daughter riding and we're by no means expert but we're learning and she has lessons every other week. She's an awful lot of horse for a 13 year old girl but with legs the length of hers she's not no choice but to ride the big ones 😂

 

[ester]

The trouble is with 3 ring gags is that they are inclined to give you a false outline without any real connection (I don't hate them I've used one a lot for anything other than schooling). Is there a reason she had to come out of the snaffle? She's a lovely type

 

[splashgirl45]

Thank you. It's my daughter riding and we're by no means expert but we're learning and she has lessons every other week. She's an awful lot of horse for a 13 year old girl but with legs the length of hers she's not no choice but to ride the big ones 😂

looks like a lovely type of horse and your daughter has a good position and looks very neat and tidy and she is quite young as well so is probably doing what she has been told in the lessons...it would just make the picture better if the horses head was a little further forward...

 

[Gloi]

She looks well but there is a lot of tension in her face.

 

[be positive]

The trouble is with 3 ring gags is that they are inclined to give you a false outline without any real connection (I don't hate them I've used one a lot for anything other than schooling). Is there a reason she had to come out of the snaffle? She's a lovely type

I will say I hate them for schooling, they are a useful tool for other activities but there are far better options to school in that won't give a false outline and will help the rider develop a correct feel, I have had numerous horses and ponies come here with a DG and they have all come off apart from one recent rather tricky pony that I did put in one for a while although that is now in a snaffle.
I have half a bin full of them in my tack room!

 

[splashgirl45]

i used to ride my old mare in a dg with 2 reins and only used the bottom rein in cases of emergency,like heading for a road at gallop!!!!! i would never have schooled in it though, only used it for hacking and fun rides..

 

[chickeninabun]

She is not in the gag anymore. I thought the photo was newer than it actually was. She is now in a tom thumb, which she seems to go nicely in. My daughter struggled to keep her steady and balanced whilst jumping in the snaffle. She gets excited and tends to rush into the jumps.

 

[Casey76]

Sorry, but the tension on the bit in the second photo is just awful, and the trot is no longer correct.

 

[chickeninabun]

Sorry, but the tension on the bit in the second photo is just awful, and the trot is no longer correct.

Please could you elaborate on how the trot is now not correct? Not picking at what you said, just not experienced enough to know what to look for. Thanks x

 

[Casey76]

Please could you elaborate on how the trot is now not correct? Not picking at what you said, just not experienced enough to know what to look for. Thanks x

In the first photo, you have all 4 legs making even “triangles”, it’s a bit underpowered, but nice and symmetrical. In the second photo, the horse is being pushed out of it’s natural rhythm, it has only one foot on the floor showing DAP (diagonally advanced placement), which is not correct for a symmetrical two beat gait.

 

[SpringArising]

I prefer her weight in the first picture, but she appears to have less of an upside down neck in the latter photos. One thing I will say is that the saddle could do with being placed a few inches father back, it's much too far forward in the second picture.

 

[DD]

shes looking a lot better, well done op

 

[gallopingby]

She looks a lot better weight wise but I would be changing the tack back to as simple as possible, she looked to be going forwards more freely in the first photo. Far too many people using gadgets these days than previously. Keep it simple and you'll go further in the long run.

 

[RoR_nut]

As above she looks a lot better coverage wise. However I'd look into the fit of your saddle.....its sitting almost on top of her shoulder blade and thats not going to be at all comfortable for her, it will also restrict the movement through the horses back which could explain why she isn't stepping through from behind as well.

That could also be the reason for it looking as though she is riding down through her shoulder in the last 2 photos.

 

[tallyho!]

I'm so sorry to say but she looks better in the first photo, she is more on the forehand in the second one and your saddle seems to have shifted far too far forward onto her shoulders, how do you expect her to move well? She may look like she is stepping under better but she is very restricted in front and her neck has visibly shortened and you seem to have her on a very short rein.

It's good that you've posted these photos, though, please do not be discouraged by the replies! A few little changes and she will be a different shape. She is beautiful!

 

[chickeninabun]

Thank you. I'll have a look into these things.

 

[Cortez]

Is she looking better? Well, she's certainly gained some weight, but to be honest she looks quite unhappy in all of the pictures. Is your daughter having lessons?

 

[whiteflower]

Although she is 'above the bit' in the first photo she looks relaxed and is tracking up more. In the other two photos she is not tracking up, looks tense and behind the verticle. This is the kind of outline I often see when people are being taught to 'get the head down on the bit' rather than truly understanding self carriage.

Lovely horse, maybe a fresh set of eyes on the ground may help your daughter get her going in a more relaxed, less compressed way.

 

[tallyho!]

looks like a lovely type of horse and your daughter has a good position and looks very neat and tidy and she is quite young as well so is probably doing what she has been told in the lessons...it would just make the picture better if the horses head was a little further forward...

Please could you elaborate on how the trot is now not correct? Not picking at what you said, just not experienced enough to know what to look for. Thanks x

Hi Chickeninabun! (love the name ) since we are all here for the love of riding, I just wanted to quote what splashgirl said about position... my personal feeling is that if only that saddle was in the correct position, she would absolutely have a good position . The saddle is not helping her or the horse at the moment. It tips her slightly back so she would be behind the movement if I imagine them moving she will have to work hard to rise to the trot and she would land behind. Check the saddle for sure, it might just need placing further back with a shim in front but a saddler would be able to see what's what. The best book I ever read on position for it's simplicity is Sylvia Loch's book and depending on which one it does explain scapula clearance of the tree points.

I'll try and show you what an even trot looks like in a pic but basically there needs to be identical upside down "V" shape between each front pair and hind pair when at the point of longest stride. the hind cannon and front cannon diagonal pairs must be equally straight if you were to draw a line on them. This image is just a google but sort of shows what to look for and the horse here is stretching into it quite nicely and allowed to use the back properly and the whither is nicely lifted between the shoulder blades.

hope this helps a bit.

 

[DabDab]

Fwiw, I have no idea what people are on about with their triangles - in the second now photo the horse does not have DAP, any more so than in the before photo???

The horse does look tense and like she is struggling in her way of going now though. So agree with others, possibly a different approach instruction wise and moving the saddle back a little would help just free her up a bit more and make the partnership seem more harmonious.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

While she does look tense this could be down to the saddle or a gazillion other things that could just be timing of the photo or an instructor getting the rider to hold the front end in. the only thing anyone can be sure of based on those photos is that the saddle is too far forward and she looks to be in better condition than the first photo, one is fixable and a common fault the other is good news . There's nothing wrong with trying another instructor-it can be very useful actually even just as a one off.
Don't take it to heart OP, your daughter is doing well and there people commenting on the horse's way of going on here that should be looking to their own horse's way of going before criticising others.

 

[JFTDWS]

I prefer her weight in the first photo, but there are signs of better muscle development in places in the second photo, which is encouraging. The second photo is unpleasant in her expression and the generalised tension which is evident. The third photo is better - she looks less tense - but it's not ideal (she's downhill, short and angular in her neck). That's a critical interpretation - sometimes horses do go through phases in their training where they look less than ideal, but are still on a generalised upward trend.

It's definitely worth looking into saddle fit, and it's always worth seeking further input to see if the mare benefits from a different approach to training - possibly one which encourages less contact, and more emphasis on the seat. However, your daughter's position is greatly improved between the first and second/third photos which is a great credit to her hard work.

Don't take it to heart OP, your daughter is doing well and there people commenting on the horse's way of going on here that should be looking to their own horse's way of going before criticising others.

Quite.

eta - I think the second photo is from a slightly rear angle, and the horse is tight and pulled laterally in the neck / losing the shoulder to the outside, which is emphasising the unequal ground coverage in the "triangles".

 

[Bellaboo18]

Like others have said she looks tense in the second picture and not moving freely. I like the third picture. Photos are hard to judge though because perhaps the next few strides were far freer. What is consistent in each picture is your daughters strong seat, she's clearly a natural rider 😊

 

[Bellaboo18]

I will also add the second saddle suits your daughter better than the first. The knee rolls are helping her balance. It just needs moving back a little.