Lesson report - Introducing GHE in HD!!!!!!!

Chloe_GHE

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F I N A L L Y managed to have a lesson (last one was before xmas!) on D-Bobs and it was so nice to get that 'back on track' feeling after a long winter of schooling in the dark, and hoping that it was all going the right way.

I had let D-Bobs get into some lazy, mincey habits so we really got our butts kicked and made to work and it felt great! I need to work on getting his neck lower (a little lower than comp' frame) in order to build up his muscles, and to get him to really work from behind into my hand because he has a habit of going very light in the mouth and just 'looking pretty' but not really doing the work.

My lovely OH came up with his MEGA HD camera and recorded some of it, which was great because we have no mirrors and it's nice to SEE your bad habits, I think then it's easier to correct them rather than just being told what they are.

So I hope you enjoy - cc welcome

http://www.gifthorseeventing.co.uk/2011/02/lesson-report-freezing-but-fruitful.html

Oh and pain killer and orange juice tonight just got back from 'legs, bums & tums' and my oh my I am in pain!!!!!!!
 
Lovely! Exactly the same things I am working on in my lessons at the moment!
My boy goes in a similar way to D, what is his history? (We also get the teeth grinding at times too!)
 
Lovely! Exactly the same things I am working on in my lessons at the moment!
My boy goes in a similar way to D, what is his history? (We also get the teeth grinding at times too!)

He is an ex-racer (will be 'actual' 5yrs in March) raced as a 2 yr old (3 times) then as a 3 yr old (6 times) then I bought him, gelded him, and started work slowly though as I also have my other eventer. He has a 'weedy' looking neck if it's not working properly, and he's still babyish and every now and again has to balance himself by going hollow and inverting his neck, also it's pretty hard work when you are a little weed with no muscles so I think he gets 'the aches' about 15/20mins in so I usually do a bit of stretching walk stuff then pick him back up again.

Oh and the scrunching is a new thing, it's his version of a 'concentration face' :)
 
Aw he is lovely- reminds me of my new guy,Rex will be 5 in may,dustry is a real trier!

So is he staying with GHE a while longer?! ;)
 
Aw he is lovely- reminds me of my new guy,Rex will be 5 in may,dustry is a real trier!

So is he staying with GHE a while longer?! ;)

yes I am sadly going to sell Soap, hopefully to a nice ROR showing, or allrounder RC home, somewhere he can live an easier but still comp filled life.

I think D has more potential, and so there's only one way to find out...

tough decisions but hopefully the right ones...... :)
 
Gosh he looks a totally different horse from last year (in a good way of course):D

Must be an ex racer thing this going round looking pretty but not actually working properly from behind as this is just what Issy does.

Look forward to more updates about him, :D
 
Gosh he looks a totally different horse from last year (in a good way of course):D

Must be an ex racer thing this going round looking pretty but not actually working properly from behind as this is just what Issy does.

Look forward to more updates about him, :D

maybe it's a tb thing, but it's also a me thing. I think I have a hang up about having horses with nice light mouths and not having 'heavy hands', but am slowly learning that for them to be working properly there does actually need to be some weight in the contact, something for them to work into and something for me to frame in and channel.

I looked at his 'on arrival' pics the other day, quite shocking!!!!!!
 
Looking fab. No CC but one thing a BYRDS instructor once told me re elbows, that I found helpful, is think of "hands belong to you, elbows belong to the horse". It made me much more aware of, and softer through, my elbows while still maintaining a "feel" through your hands.

Do we get to see the "before" pics?
 
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He is an ex-racer (will be 'actual' 5yrs in March) raced as a 2 yr old (3 times) then as a 3 yr old (6 times) then I bought him, gelded him, and started work slowly though as I also have my other eventer. He has a 'weedy' looking neck if it's not working properly, and he's still babyish and every now and again has to balance himself by going hollow and inverting his neck, also it's pretty hard work when you are a little weed with no muscles so I think he gets 'the aches' about 15/20mins in so I usually do a bit of stretching walk stuff then pick him back up again.

Oh and the scrunching is a new thing, it's his version of a 'concentration face' :)

Ah, Ollie is also an ex-racer but he is 10 this time. He raced until he was 6 I think and then had some time off and re-schooling before I bought him. Although I have had him for 18 months or so he spent 4 months on box rest last winter with a fractured pedal bone!:( So he is only now starting to feel stronger.

I look forward to watching D's progress with interest:D
 
Looking fab. No CC but one thing a BYRDS instructor once told me re elbows, that I found helpful, is think of "hands belong to you, elbows belong to the horse". It made me much more aware of, and softer through, my elbows while still maintaining a "feel" through your hands.

Do we get to see the "before" pics?

Oh thanks for the tips I'll try and remember that tonight! I forget about my elbows, or I lock them so I can forget about them - naughty!

This is a before pic - day he arrived, scrawny, no shoes, no balls (note blood on legs) and he hasn't stopped eating since! :)
IMG_3924.jpg

apologies for huge file!
 
Hi Chloe. I watched your vid this morning (thanks for making it entertaining, loved the comments! :D). I think I've only seen stills of him workig before but he's come a long way. He looks really consistent in the contact and I'd be chuffed to bits with him. I'm pleased that you've come to a decision and I hope it's the right one. I'm sure it will be! Will we see D eventing this summer?
 
yes I am sadly going to sell Soap, hopefully to a nice ROR showing, or allrounder RC home, somewhere he can live an easier but still comp filled life.

I think D has more potential, and so there's only one way to find out...

tough decisions but hopefully the right ones...... :)



Hopefully it is the right choice- shame you can't win the lotto and keep both!

All the best with him look forward to following his progress :)

hope you get a lovely home for Soap too :)
 
He looks really super :) you have done a fab job with him :D good luck for this year, what are your plans for him??

plans are roughly to start his jumping education soon, get him out to some unaff dressage andsjing, then xc schooling then unaff ode then hopefully affiliate for the 2nd half of the season and do be80/90 on him....
 
Hi Chloe. I watched your vid this morning (thanks for making it entertaining, loved the comments! :D). I think I've only seen stills of him workig before but he's come a long way. He looks really consistent in the contact and I'd be chuffed to bits with him. I'm pleased that you've come to a decision and I hope it's the right one. I'm sure it will be! Will we see D eventing this summer?

well hours an hours of circles and trotting is really only interesting to the rider! so thought I would liven it up with some comments! :) He is 99% consistent in the contact, but every now and again when asked for a turn/bend too quickly he inverts, so it's 99% lovely 1% gross, but I'm working on getting that to 100%.

Hopefully start his jumping education soon, then do all the unaff local stuff then unaff ode then hopefully BE later in the year....don't wanna rush him and although he looks stronger and muscled up more now he is still a bit of a weed :)
 
Hopefully it is the right choice- shame you can't win the lotto and keep both!

All the best with him look forward to following his progress :)

hope you get a lovely home for Soap too :)

I think it's been a good lesson learnt, working full time I just can't keep 2 running how I want, and it's exhausting. I know many more people work longer hours and have more than 1 horse, but I just don't seem to be able to muster the energy enthusiasm to keep 2 going all year. I did beat myself up about this for a while eg if i wanted it bad enough i would make myself do it etc but come to the conclusion that 1 is enough, and that I want to really progress as a rider not just manage to keep 2 ticking over at the level that im at now

Hopefully Soap willl find a lovely home atm he is on his holidays stuffing his face! :)
 
Love love love Dustry, but I think I had commented that before ;) Vid is fab, and he is going to be SUCH a smart horse, can't wait to watch him progress. I think you've made the right decision re. selling, when you find a horse who finds it all so easy, you realise how hard you've had to work to make up for a horse who doesn't find it quite so easy! You've done a fab job with both horses, and I am sure Soap will find a lovely RC home :)
 
Love love love Dustry, but I think I had commented that before ;) Vid is fab, and he is going to be SUCH a smart horse, can't wait to watch him progress. I think you've made the right decision re. selling, when you find a horse who finds it all so easy, you realise how hard you've had to work to make up for a horse who doesn't find it quite so easy! You've done a fab job with both horses, and I am sure Soap will find a lovely RC home :)

Awwwwww thanks Kat :) *welling up*

I know what you mean, there were times with Soap and his sjing when I really though 'my god I simply can't ride this is all too hard I must be rubbish' and it wasn't so much that I was rubbish (well maybe a bit!) or he wasn't that talented, I just think that he doesn't find it easy and for him to find it easier he would need a pro who is 100% spot on all the time, which is deffo not me! ;) and I have given it a pretty good shot and his xc is just awesome, and the sjing improvesd 50% in 1 season....but 50% is not enough for eventing..... :(

I love riding Dustry aka D-Bobs aka Duster-Ball he's such a sweetie, let's just hope after all this boring flatwork prep that he actually takes to jumping!!!!! hahahha :)
 
Sorry, I'm late to this. :o Great vid - your subtitles made me laugh :D - and for what it's worth I think you've made the right decision, especially if Soap was making you doubt yourself as a rider or stopping you progressing as a rider. Someone I teach has made a similar decision, sold her nice-but-limited RC horse and her riding has improved more in the last month than it has in the last two years I've been teaching her. :rolleyes:

Maybe think of it that Soap is a square peg that you've been trying to put in a round hole: not great for either of you. I'll look forward to an update that gushes about Soap having new owners that adore him and also of Dustry's successes BE later in the season. :)
 
Sorry, I'm late to this. :o Great vid - your subtitles made me laugh :D - and for what it's worth I think you've made the right decision, especially if Soap was making you doubt yourself as a rider or stopping you progressing as a rider. Someone I teach has made a similar decision, sold her nice-but-limited RC horse and her riding has improved more in the last month than it has in the last two years I've been teaching her. :rolleyes:

Maybe think of it that Soap is a square peg that you've been trying to put in a round hole: not great for either of you. I'll look forward to an update that gushes about Soap having new owners that adore him and also of Dustry's successes BE later in the season. :)

Yeah it's kinda sad realising you have a square peg, but also I guess it does help you make the decision, it's not like he is spontaneously naughty or quirky leaving the element of doubt 'if he only behaved he could be brill' etc he's so consistent, but just not talented enough to go much further then we have got to....*sigh*

fingers crossed I now have a round peg to bring on! Main point is I want to get better as a rider and (what's that quote in someone's sig?) 'if i carry on doing what I've always done, I'll get what I've always got' ???? S will make someone a fab RC horse he's such a doll, and I'm really hoping I have a little eventer on my hands, and I can now get on as a rider....we'll see!!!! :)
 
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