our first show - *VIDEO* - crit welcome!

Lovely horse and very obedient, but he is not really working over his back at the moment - which is why you had no stretch in free. He does have lovely rythmn though and if you can get him working through he will be super.

You do tend to tip to the left in the saddle and are rising too high and fast, you are keeping up with him if you get what I mean, try to slow your rising down a little which should slow him down without losing the impulsion.
 
Looks sweet, did well to place at patchetts!! Normally get those millions of people who should never do an intro test there and they get 70%+ and take all the rosettes so well done!! :)
 
Lovely horse. Is he quite young? Has the potential to be a nice dressage horse. A pretty good first test - you'll be ready for prelim soon. For an intro test, you did well. If anything, I'd ride the half ten metre circles in sitting trot.
 
Thanks for watching everyone!!
Really valid comments, Sirena, I will defo keep that in mind, have actually lowered the stirrups one hole since then, I find it helps me to have a quieter rising in the saddle! Horsie wasn't really warmed up well enough, usually when we work in the school after about 20 mins he starts working much better and softer, and I can actually do a sitting trot then :) as it was our first competition I was all over the place and I think plaiting took 3x more time than warmup :(
Snowysadude, hehe, thank you, I didn't expect to get a rosette, so it came as a nice surprise!!! will plan to keep competing twice a month now if all goes well :) do you come to competitions at Patchetts?
sorry if you can't see the vid! I promise to put the next one in youtube.
 
Honey08, yes, you guessed right, he's 5 yo, and he is my brightest star in the world :D super attitude and tries ever so hard to get what that crazy human wants from him!!!! Why would sitting trot help with 10 m circles? Is it so you don't have to change rein?
 
Well technically anything under 10 metres should be in sitting trot - to help balance the horse, and yes it saves you changing diaganol inthe middle of a quick movement. He looked quite hard to sit to in this test though. He will take less time to settle the more you get out and about.. good luck, and enjoy. (loved your beaming smile by the way!)
 
thank you so much, Honey, for your useful and inspiring comment :) he's gradually becoming easier to sit on in trot, again if I warm up enough he seems to lift his back and sort of "carry" you like you're a precious egg? :) I hope I'm doing things right with him :)
 
I would not sit to his trot until his back is stronger tbh - he is only a baby and will not have developed through his back enough for you to sit, just because it is comfortable for you does not mean it is good for his back

I know that I, and most other judges just don't like to see people sitting at prelim let alone intro (hate to see spurs too!) as the horses are mainly babies who are just not ready for sitting trot (or spurs!).
 
First impression is this will be a lovely combination ! Horse has some promising paces and looks to have a natural balance in his favour.

Ok critic bit - hope these points help.....

The horse is a little tense through the back and needs to become softer and work more over the back to be able to take a nice even contact down into the bridle. Both the walk and the trot look a little too fast - keep asking for some mini half halts to make the horse listen , sit , rebalance and wait - and try to use your seat and weight aids more in the transitions - your downward ones sit and little deeper and just 'hold' your pelvis still for a stride and then soften off as the horse steps forward into the walk - Walk is the most difficult pace to ride as people tend to rush it and push it along with over use of the seat.
Your poistion is a little fragile and you collapse through your right seat bone and slip out to the left and you are riding the rising trot a little too much from your upper body and not through soft swinging hips, have a word with your instructor and have some lunge lessons.

Agree with Sirena XVI I would stay in rising trot for all movements until your horse has developed a stronger and more secure softer back - as a judge I prefer to see riders rising at prelim level and no spurs - these are 'baby' tests and are there to show that you and your horse are starting out his education on the correct lines.

Dressage is hours of hard work at home for 5 minutes of glamour in the areana !

Well done !
 
I have to say Well Done!! and what a lovely horse you have !
I agree with abina and Sirena, I don't think you should ride in sitting trot just yet as i think it will cause tightness and tension across your horses back.
You need to work on your seat and getting your hands to be a bit more independant. Try and rise slower and smaller it will help keep your horses trot more regular as well :)
 
Oh thank you ever so much Sirena, Abina and Quadro!!! Your comments are invaluable! I was also wondering if I should or shouldn't sit to his trot, I can do it but it seems very early on to do it.
I think partly the tension and rush were due to all the novelty and anxiety, I'll try to ensure next time (when I know how long everything takes to prepare) we would be more zen :) I totally understand it is all up to my mindset, as he picks anything up from me immediately. He is such a wonderful kind hardworking horse, I totally agree with Sirena's sig - Andalusians are in a class of their own :D
How do you know if the horse is ready for sitting trot?
 
eva said:
Snowysadude, hehe, thank you, I didn't expect to get a rosette, so it came as a nice surprise!!! will plan to keep competing twice a month now if all goes well :) do you come to competitions at Patchetts?
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No only moved my horse to the area in august and he was out of work beforehand, going to our first sponsored ride on sat now after getting him fitter!! Will be going to do little prelim and novice tests at patchetts as soon as their indoor winter season starts - might do the chiltern and thames thing!! But dont have transport unfortunaltey so rely on lifts. Before I left the area originally though I used to go there loads and have been a few times this month - I saw you there when my friend was competing her horse - said I wanted yours :P xx
 
He's quite a pretty chap.

He isn't working over his back properly, and you are bouncing rather a lot. I disagree that 5 y.o. horses shouldn't be worked in sitting trot, I'm not talking entire sessions, but some sitting trot is, IMO, essential. When he is lifting his back more, you will find it easier to sit to. You also appear to be using your reins to balance yourself, and your lower leg moves quite a bit, which is distracting to the eye. He does have quite a nice rhythm though.

Just as an aside, as it is a pet hate of mine, your jacket is too short! Sorry, don't mean to be overly critical, but too-short jackets are a real bug bear of mine! Too many years in the show ring I'm afraid!
 
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Snowysadude, how cool! Hopefully meet you at Patchetts then :)
Thanks Maiko I'll take that into consideration. My mum was making a jacket for me so we didn't quite know how long should it be, I think it'll do for unaffiliated.
 
Lovely horse is he young?

Someone mentioned he isn't quite working from behind and I think this is because when your doing rising trot you are landing on his back a bit to heavy, if this makes sense. Try to be as light as a feather on his back as this will get him working from behind a lot better.

You did a good job with him, he looks like he could be quite wizzy?

You need a bit more of a bend in your elbow to make your arms more supple , your elbows should always be at 90 degree angles. As you have your arms streched out a bit you getting tense which is probably what is causing you to land on his back a bit heavy. Although you could just be doing this because first show your a bit nervous.

When you get on him roll your shoulders back and forth to relax you a bit, loosen up and you'll find he'll do a lovely test he has a lot of potential :)
 
Oh thanks so much Kokopelli! You're 100% right, I was nervous and so was he, although we tried very hard to stay cool :) He's 5 now. I'll definitely try rolling shoulders back, I have noticed recently that I'm holding my arms a bit too much forward, a bad habit I reckon.
 
eva said:
Oh thanks so much Kokopelli! You're 100% right, I was nervous and so was he, although we tried very hard to stay cool :) He's 5 now. I'll definitely try rolling shoulders back, I have noticed recently that I'm holding my arms a bit too much forward, a bad habit I reckon.
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Just keep mentally reminding yourself arms, your half way to fixing the problem because you already know what it is :)

Ah ok, didn't think he was to old my boy is a bit like that just gone 6 and he thinks everything must be doen at 100mph! :p I think its a baby thing :)
 
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