dollymix
Well-Known Member
Wondered if anyone can offer some suppling and schooling exercises to help my Welsh D x.? She is quite rigid through her neck and is prone to going above the bit when excited or ‘trying it on’ (she is a welshie after all! Lol). Generally she tends to walk out with a ‘pretty’ outline, but is a false picture…she holds her neck quite arched but is not really seeking the contact as she should and if allowed, prefers to run on and lift her head. She does this when turned out too….by preference she has her head and neck up. She is a touch sway backed which of course won’t help things.
I will try and include a conformation pic….
Her back ground is as follows…. I bred her from my old mare and when she was first backed and worked at 4, her long and low frame was reasonable, although she did still prefer to do her best giraffe impression! But after finding out she had spavins at 5yrs old, I decided to use her as a happy hacker. She went out on loan for a short period last year and since she has been back with me she has been sound and therefore I wanted to try and work her a bit more in the school, aiming at lower level dressage and jumping up to 75cm (ish)! She is now 8yrs old.
In our lessons we are concentrating on her long and low frame, really encouraging her to stretch across her back and track up correctly. If allowed, she tends to bunch up like a ball and ‘run’ rather than trot. I find her rigid through her neck and she does not flex easily to the left and right, preferring to turn her entire body.
If anyone could suggest some good ridden exercises that would be great!
She does not go well in a pessoa, doing her best to bunch up like a ball, rather than going long and low…. I have also been doing carrot stretches with her at least once a day (usually after exercise) - Underneath and between her front legs, on the floor out in front of her and bending around me to reach up to her hip. I also feed her from the floor!
I will try and include a conformation pic….
Her back ground is as follows…. I bred her from my old mare and when she was first backed and worked at 4, her long and low frame was reasonable, although she did still prefer to do her best giraffe impression! But after finding out she had spavins at 5yrs old, I decided to use her as a happy hacker. She went out on loan for a short period last year and since she has been back with me she has been sound and therefore I wanted to try and work her a bit more in the school, aiming at lower level dressage and jumping up to 75cm (ish)! She is now 8yrs old.
In our lessons we are concentrating on her long and low frame, really encouraging her to stretch across her back and track up correctly. If allowed, she tends to bunch up like a ball and ‘run’ rather than trot. I find her rigid through her neck and she does not flex easily to the left and right, preferring to turn her entire body.
If anyone could suggest some good ridden exercises that would be great!
She does not go well in a pessoa, doing her best to bunch up like a ball, rather than going long and low…. I have also been doing carrot stretches with her at least once a day (usually after exercise) - Underneath and between her front legs, on the floor out in front of her and bending around me to reach up to her hip. I also feed her from the floor!
