Pictures Producing 5/6yr olds

[TheMule]

TM, I'm so, so sorry you have had such a difficult time, your poor little Mule, absolutely heartbreaking. As for Nova, well! One of those times when you have to remind yourself very forcibly that you love horses, but thank goodness he missed everything major and came through the surgery ok. He is young and strong, I'm sure he'll heal quickly and at least if he's going to do such a daft thing better he does it now rather than a week before his first major championship.

That's my thinking on it too- better to miss a bit of time at 5 having done a couple of events really well than when things start to get a bit more important later on! The vet said there's no reason this will affect him in the future, it's just one of those things that happened.

 

[daffy44]

That's my thinking on it too- better to miss a bit of time at 5 having done a couple of events really well than when things start to get a bit more important later on! The vet said there's no reason this will affect him in the future, it's just one of those things that happened.

Absolutely, if there is such a thing as a good time for major surgery, this is it! More importantly thank godness it wont impact on his future.

 

[j1ffy]

TM - that is heartbreaking news about your mule. Seeing your progress was a highlight of the 3/4yo thread as well as this one, what a tragedy. Nova's injury looks and sounds awful so it's great to see you're back up and running. I think you deserve a straightforward (dare I say boring?) time of it now.

Alibear, I'm sure Amber thinks you are the bee's knees. If you slow up progress a little I doubt she'd mind a bit, all our horses could do better/faster with a professional rider but we're all here to enjoy the journey no matter how long it takes or where we end up.

 

[RachelFerd]

That's my thinking on it too- better to miss a bit of time at 5 having done a couple of events really well than when things start to get a bit more important later on! The vet said there's no reason this will affect him in the future, it's just one of those things that happened.

So sorry about your mule and also the general nightmare of self harming horses doing things to their legs. It sounds like you're hopefully to the other side of that one - but it is always awful at the time. Fingers crossed recovery stays smooth!

 

[shortstuff99]

Oh no I'm so sorry about your Mule! I've lost a horse to a brain tumour and it is really shocking so please take care of yourself.

The little Bean also did a horrendous leg injury from a fence (across the front of the hock) and so far doesn't cause an issue so fingers crossed he heals up well. Seeing that picture looks as if it is.

Here is to boring times!

 

[RachelFerd]

So, a bit of a recap on where we are with Isaac - now 2 years into ownership, having bought him at the start of August 2020. He's having a short holiday as I've ended his 2022 summer season a little early - he's having a month off - to try and eat some grass and have some growing time before we crack on with prepping for next year.

I'm feeling very fortunate as we've had a pretty easy time of things - it has been about 90% plain sailing and 10% head scratching. I'm ending the season with a horse that I'm very excited about for the future.

Jan/Feb this year he was going through a bit of a teenage-y growing stage - because a little tricky to ride on the flat and was sticking the odd mega-buck in when asked to go into canter. We ironed things out well enough to go to the prelim area festival BD at Aintree, where he got a wobbly 63% but essentially behaved himself.

The flatwork progressed steadily since then, and by this summer he did 3x BD novice tests (placing 1st, 2nd and 3rd) to get his scores to do the Novice Silver area festival at Field House, where he scored a solid 67.5% and finished in the top 10. His schooling is now pushing towards elementary level and he now feels like he 'get's it' rather than just doing it because I've told him to. He's got all of his basic lateral work, counter canter is fairly solid, walk to canter is in progress and his medium paces are sparkly.

His XC has always been his strong phase - he's a natural here. But this year he's done 1 clear round event and 5 competitive runs at 90 level, and he's gone clear with barely a hesitation in all of them. He can seriously gallop and cover the ground. I haven't actually dared ask him to go any faster yet as I want him to be physically stronger... but I've no doubt this horse can really gallop. XC schooling at Somerford about 6 weeks ago I was very naughty and jumped a few novice/intermediate type questions and he just said 'yep, i get it!' ... which is very exciting!

SJ is the weaker thing for him. I think a lot of it comes from lacking the physical strength - he's mentally very mature but physically doesn't look the complete picture (by a long way) yet. In April/May he started running away with me in the SJ and I was finding it all a bit unrideable and unpleasant. I seem to have struck lucky in finding a SJ instructor who has taught me to ride much more quietly to keep things level and consistent. This seems to be paying off, as in his last three BE90 events since June he has jumped clear SJ at each one, and remained rideable. We briefly upgraded to a pelham, but I'm now back down to a wilkie bit, so hopefully the understanding of sitting and waiting for fences is getting established now.

Coming into the season I had hoped to be able to do a couple of 5yo classes, but I feel like the SJ just hasn't been quite established and strong enough to want to push him - even though the other two phases are absolutely ready. Fortunately I've had sensible people around me to keep me aware of that and not let me get tempted to do too much! As it stands, I'm chuffed to come out of the summer with a horse who has been DC in three BE90 events (with two top-6 placings and a win) and won and placed at Novice BD dressage.

He's also a total superstar to handle, a lovely friendly character and very easy and fun to hack out on - often supervising and nannying horses twice his age.

I cannot wait to see where we are this time next year - I've got extremely tentative plans that perhaps the 1* class at Blair could be our aim? In the shorter term I'd like to get our BD novice winter regionals points when we get restarted at the end of September. Hopefully with a fatter, bulkier looking 5yo than the twiggy one I currently have....

Video of his win at Frickley for gratuitous reasons -

 

[AntiPuck]

Not a super exciting post, but i'm really proud of the weight loss and general fittening progress with my mare - she arrived looking a bit like a hippo and then ballooned even further initially, so it's nice to see her resembling a horse much more closely now! Still a way to go, but chuffed with this so far.

First pic is start of May, second is her today covered in mud
(I'm aware of her feet issues, have a plan for fixing those too)

 

[Boughtabay]

My last post here I had been hacking around the farm quietly with my 5yo PRE fusion gelding, having backed him at home. Then came the time to start hacking him off-farm (crossing the main road) and I completely wussed out! So in June/July I sent him away for a month to get some road miles on him. He returned at the mid/end of July & we’ve been hacking since. School work due to start in 2 weeks according to my fitness plan. He’s very chilled still, I’m very pleased with him.

 

[ihatework]

Good work AntiPuck she looks so much better ?

 

[j1ffy]

Great transformation AntiPuck!
Your PRE fusion looks to be coming along nice BaB.

Chilli's training is progressing, his physio noted how much stronger he is now and nothing feels difficult for him...as long as he's in a relaxed frame of mind and letting me ride him. But the tension isn't improving - it's only when he's ridden, and manifests as piaffing / bouncing on the spot / going backwards and completing blocking out the aids. Nothing dangerous or particularly nasty but immensely frustrating.

I've decided it needs a different approach so I've signed up for the TRT method, which feels like a good winter project alongside our ridden work. In the meantime we had a go at our first Prelim on Saturday at the yard dressage show. I wasn't sure we'd make it through the test but he pleasantly surprised me! You can see a mild version of his resistance / tension after the free walk, but he worked through it well there and managed himself better (albeit the rest of the test was very tense and I didn't dare straighten him with my right leg as I could feel it wouldn't have been well-received):

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Great transformation AntiPuck!
Your PRE fusion looks to be coming along nice BaB.

Chilli's training is progressing, his physio noted how much stronger he is now and nothing feels difficult for him...as long as he's in a relaxed frame of mind and letting me ride him. But the tension isn't improving - it's only when he's ridden, and manifests as piaffing / bouncing on the spot / going backwards and completing blocking out the aids. Nothing dangerous or particularly nasty but immensely frustrating.

I've decided it needs a different approach so I've signed up for the TRT method, which feels like a good winter project alongside our ridden work. In the meantime we had a go at our first Prelim on Saturday at the yard dressage show. I wasn't sure we'd make it through the test but he pleasantly surprised me! You can see a mild version of his resistance / tension after the free walk, but he worked through it well there and managed himself better (albeit the rest of the test was very tense and I didn't dare straighten him with my right leg as I could feel it wouldn't have been well-received):

Oh that reminds me so much of my PRE ? mine is very sensitive and just a bit much sometimes. It's gotten much more mild with training and age. I know that PRE's aren't "back movers" but I think he has the potential for some really nice, expressive movement, once he figures out to loosen up a bit. For mine it was always riding forward, more forward than you'd ride in a dressage test, but not running, just forward with impulse. Then integrating some lateral work at the rising trot. I really worked on finding his limits to get him to reach more and not be a sewing machine. It's so hard with mine because his immediate response is to go faster with his knees higher ? so half halts and lateral work were our go to, and also doing it on slight inclines/hills. I felt like I lived my life in shoulder in at one point.

We definitely had some ugly moments where I just let him have a melt down because he needed to accept my leg and not block out my aids. I just sat calmly, didn't relent, and pushed through it. Again, it was ugly and he'd get so worked up, but he had to learn to get over himself. He sometimes lives his life with his hoof hovering ovet the panic button. He is the type that when he doesn't do as you ask, or gives you 80% and you want 100% freaks out when you correct him. It's like, dude, just do as I asked the first time and we wouldn't be here! When he was younger I'd back off when he got all hot and bothered, so I think he also learned that hysterics meant me backing off...smart one.

It was hard teaching him to cope...with himself ? but it all worked out. He still has his minor moments, but he's so much better. Small steps, but it'll come together.

On a side note I looked (virtually) at a horse in Spain with that same brand. Lovely type, but the x-rays made me uncomfortable, so I had to pass. Very similar looking to yours though!

 

[shortstuff99]

For my absolutely batty Spanish I had to stay away from traditional ways of calming a horse down like transitions as that would just hot her up more. Instead I have to do a lot of moving the body, so I do a lot of circles in walk going one direction to another direction so that she can't predict the direction and therefore has to listen.

I also do a lot of leg yield and shoulder in.

Her personality means she is still a stress head at shows so I don't really do much competing but it has really worked at home.

 

[j1ffy]

Oh that reminds me so much of my PRE ? mine is very sensitive and just a bit much sometimes. It's gotten much more mild with training and age. I know that PRE's aren't "back movers" but I think he has the potential for some really nice, expressive movement, once he figures out to loosen up a bit. For mine it was always riding forward, more forward than you'd ride in a dressage test, but not running, just forward with impulse. Then integrating some lateral work at the rising trot. I really worked on finding his limits to get him to reach more and not be a sewing machine. It's so hard with mine because his immediate response is to go faster with his knees higher ? so half halts and lateral work were our go to, and also doing it on slight inclines/hills. I felt like I lived my life in shoulder in at one point.

We definitely had some ugly moments where I just let him have a melt down because he needed to accept my leg and not block out my aids. I just sat calmly, didn't relent, and pushed through it. Again, it was ugly and he'd get so worked up, but he had to learn to get over himself. He sometimes lives his life with his hoof hovering ovet the panic button. He is the type that when he doesn't do as you ask, or gives you 80% and you want 100% freaks out when you correct him. It's like, dude, just do as I asked the first time and we wouldn't be here! When he was younger I'd back off when he got all hot and bothered, so I think he also learned that hysterics meant me backing off...smart one.

It was hard teaching him to cope...with himself ? but it all worked out. He still has his minor moments, but he's so much better. Small steps, but it'll come together.

On a side note I looked (virtually) at a horse in Spain with that same brand. Lovely type, but the x-rays made me uncomfortable, so I had to pass. Very similar looking to yours though!

Your PRE sounds very similar! Chilli is my third Spanish and the other two have been a lot more straightforward - Pocholo is lazy so needs convincing to work, but once he knows you mean business he knuckles down. Indio (from the same stud as Chilli and very closely related) was sensitive but very easy to work with, it was only later once a suspected neck injury from a field accident started to impact him that he showed signs of resistance. As with yours, the best thing to do with Chilli is sit quietly and tell him he's a silly sausage until he realises all the pressure is coming from his own head.

When Chilli relaxes his paces feel amazing, he's the first PRE I've ridden who feels like he has potential cadence, swing and a good moment of suspension. But if I try to ride forward when his back is tense, we get more sewing machine than swing. The lateral works helps a lot both mentally and physically but if he's too 'in his head' even that is a struggle at the moment. I know we'll get there!

As for the brand, I've known a few horses from Ancla and my trainer has worked with many many more, and has always said they are tricky but brilliant once you have them on side. He's not surprised by any of Chilli's antics! When I mentioned it to another local trainer he shrugged his shoulders and said "he's an Ancla" and also said they are excellent once on side, so at least I know it's not just me...

For my absolutely batty Spanish I had to stay away from traditional ways of calming a horse down like transitions as that would just hot her up more. Instead I have to do a lot of moving the body, so I do a lot of circles in walk going one direction to another direction so that she can't predict the direction and therefore has to listen.

I also do a lot of leg yield and shoulder in.

Her personality means she is still a stress head at shows so I don't really do much competing but it has really worked at home.

Oh gosh yes, transitions just wind him up as he worries about having to do lots in a short space of time! Lateral work is great as is walk work, although even that took a while to get consistently settled (I must remind myself of how far we've come...). On the plus side he's often better in a new place and has been great at the small shows I've been to, so I think that once he's learnt to relax at home he'll be able to replicate it at competitions.

 

[Alibear]

Our photos are from the WES Nationals; both trainers said I managed some of my best runs and was much more consistent. But we have a very long way to go.
I'm over the moon with Amber; it's just hitting home that I need to work on myself a lot.

 

[daffy44]

Well done J1ffy, once he learns to take a few more breaths he'll be fab! I am a fan of the TRT work, I really hope it helps him.

My 5yr old is doing well, he is a funny thing, for all his caution about things he does learn very well, and he just steadily keeps improving, I am proud of how hard he tries to get things right. We went out again last weekend and he was just a bit better about everything, dare I say I think he's starting to enjoy himself! He had a little squeak and a bounce in the warm up which was great, he then got 70.5% in Novice 22.
Then we did our first music test, and I was looking forward to it, and he started so well, and then he stopped dead in the first canter circle! I got him going again, and then he stopped dead again in the second canter circle and proceeded to do a dropping. (Before you all think this is bad training from me, I can only say he has never wanted to do a dropping while he is working, once or twice on a hack, and I've asked him to keep walking and he has, so it never occured to me it could be an issue!) It was so frustrating, and so costly in terms of marks, we got 3s for both canter circles, and then the judge, quite rightly, took marks off the harmony mark, and from the floorplan too, because we couldnt complete the floorplan properly due to our unscheduled stops.
So we did have a very positive, albeit frustrating day, still delighted with my big, dear labrador of a horse.

 

[TheMule]

Our photos are from the WES Nationals; both trainers said I managed some of my best runs and was much more consistent. But we have a very long way to go.
I'm over the moon with Amber; it's just hitting home that I need to work on myself a lot.
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Amber looks fab- what a lovely set of photos!

 

[TheMule]

Well done J1ffy, once he learns to take a few more breaths he'll be fab! I am a fan of the TRT work, I really hope it helps him.

My 5yr old is doing well, he is a funny thing, for all his caution about things he does learn very well, and he just steadily keeps improving, I am proud of how hard he tries to get things right. We went out again last weekend and he was just a bit better about everything, dare I say I think he's starting to enjoy himself! He had a little squeak and a bounce in the warm up which was great, he then got 70.5% in Novice 22.
Then we did our first music test, and I was looking forward to it, and he started so well, and then he stopped dead in the first canter circle! I got him going again, and then he stopped dead again in the second canter circle and proceeded to do a dropping. (Before you all think this is bad training from me, I can only say he has never wanted to do a dropping while he is working, once or twice on a hack, and I've asked him to keep walking and he has, so it never occured to me it could be an issue!) It was so frustrating, and so costly in terms of marks, we got 3s for both canter circles, and then the judge, quite rightly, took marks off the harmony mark, and from the floorplan too, because we couldnt complete the floorplan properly due to our unscheduled stops.
So we did have a very positive, albeit frustrating day, still delighted with my big, dear labrador of a horse.

Poor boy- when you gotta go……!
Over 70% in a novice is pretty decent at this stage though, well done!

 

[j1ffy]

Our photos are from the WES Nationals; both trainers said I managed some of my best runs and was much more consistent. But we have a very long way to go.
I'm over the moon with Amber; it's just hitting home that I need to work on myself a lot.
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You both look great, and your posts make me want to have a go at Western!

Well done J1ffy, once he learns to take a few more breaths he'll be fab! I am a fan of the TRT work, I really hope it helps him.

My 5yr old is doing well, he is a funny thing, for all his caution about things he does learn very well, and he just steadily keeps improving, I am proud of how hard he tries to get things right. We went out again last weekend and he was just a bit better about everything, dare I say I think he's starting to enjoy himself! He had a little squeak and a bounce in the warm up which was great, he then got 70.5% in Novice 22.
Then we did our first music test, and I was looking forward to it, and he started so well, and then he stopped dead in the first canter circle! I got him going again, and then he stopped dead again in the second canter circle and proceeded to do a dropping. (Before you all think this is bad training from me, I can only say he has never wanted to do a dropping while he is working, once or twice on a hack, and I've asked him to keep walking and he has, so it never occured to me it could be an issue!) It was so frustrating, and so costly in terms of marks, we got 3s for both canter circles, and then the judge, quite rightly, took marks off the harmony mark, and from the floorplan too, because we couldnt complete the floorplan properly due to our unscheduled stops.
So we did have a very positive, albeit frustrating day, still delighted with my big, dear labrador of a horse.

Thanks Daffy.
It sounds like you're making steady progression with your 5yo - it's great that he's starting to enjoy getting out after his initial anxiety about it. And bless him needing a poo! Not sure how you train that one...maybe some jumping?!

 

[daffy44]

Not sure jumping would work, he's not overly gifted in that direction! I think I have to just chalk it up to one of those days, annoying though when his technical marks went 8, 8, 7, 8, 7, 3, 3, 7.5, 6.5!

 

[chaps89]

Our photos are from the WES Nationals; both trainers said I managed some of my best runs and was much more consistent. But we have a very long way to go.
I'm over the moon with Amber; it's just hitting home that I need to work on myself a lot.
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That looks like the kind of competing I could enjoy, you look like you were enjoying it too and your mare is gorgeous

 

[daffy44]

Well, we went out again to have another (hopefully poo free!) try at a music test. He started off quite jolly again which I loved, and then he worked very nicely, I decided to give him a short walk break, and this was a mistake, he really switched off and I didnt have time to get him back, so he did a polite, poo free, but very much behind my leg test. Everyday with youngsters is a school day, and I have learned that its better to give him a shorter warm up, but keep him working, rather than allow him to switch off. I'm sure this will change in time, but for now I need to keep him working.
Anyway, lesson learnt, and a qualifying score of 73.61% so a very productive day.

 

[daffy44]

More training with my 5yr old, we've just been ticking along, lots of hacking, starting to teach him a few more things in the school, and we went for a lesson last week, and I was very pleased with him. He is getting much more confident now at the trainers yard which is great, and as his confidence grows his work improves, so he was able to show more of what he produces at home, so a very good outing.

 

[Lyle]

Just been working at home with this boy, 6yo Welsh D. We've just come out of winter, so its very nice to have the ground firming up again to really allow me to crack on with schooling and gymnastic exercises. I really hope to get this boy out doing some SJ over the summer. He's an absolute pleasure.

 

[RachelFerd]

https://youtube.com/shorts/i2RkTg1SxHo?feature=share

Not sure if the video above will work, but happy with Isaac's progress and attitude on the flat at the moment. Sure, nothings perfect and he still needs lots more strength - but we're installing more buttons and he's so willing to try. Asked for some steps of Travers and babiest steps of half pass, just to see what would happen - and the answer is clearly a good attempt at trying to do what he is being asked. Spending lots of time trying to drill the basic work, but he clearly likes having his brain engaged.

 

[j1ffy]

https://youtube.com/shorts/i2RkTg1SxHo?feature=share

Not sure if the video above will work, but happy with Isaac's progress and attitude on the flat at the moment. Sure, nothings perfect and he still needs lots more strength - but we're installing more buttons and he's so willing to try. Asked for some steps of Travers and babiest steps of half pass, just to see what would happen - and the answer is clearly a good attempt at trying to do what he is being asked. Spending lots of time trying to drill the basic work, but he clearly likes having his brain engaged.

He looks great - much stronger. He has a lovely outline and happy expression.

 

[RachelFerd]

He looks great - much stronger. He has a lovely outline and happy expression.

Thank you - this time last year he was going through (probably because of growth) a bit of a negative, grumpy phase under saddle on the flat (hacking and jumping he was still happy). A year on, he's very different - just a lot more willing and accepting on the flat. His temperament is fantastic. He's very rideable, very outgoing in himself but no tendency to get hot or fizzy in the flat work. Just a bit tricky in the contact still, but we can't have it all. And I'm pretty sure half of those contact issues are my shortcomings in being consistent about it.

 

[Cortez]

What a nice horse, very loose and free in his movement and starting to understand bend.

 

[j1ffy]

Other than a kick in the field and a subsequent 11 days of box rest while we waited to be able to x-ray, Chilli has been fabulous these last few weeks. It feels like he's more mentally capable now and is better at accepting that we can quietly work through things he doesn't yet understand instead of needing a tantrum about it!

He's always been great out hacking so we did our first fun ride last month, a quiet RDA sponsored ride at Blenheim. He was hoof-perfect throughout - happy to watch other horses doing their thing, didn't react when his supposed nanny was a complete tit and happily posed for the photographer:





He missed two weeks work after this, we squeezed in a couple of short walk hacks and a brief schooling session to check the buttons were still there, then headed to a BD camp at the weekend. I wasn't sure how he'd cope with the pressure as it was a lot in two days - two lessons, a test riding session and a camp competition.

He was awesome. For the first time we had enough relaxation in trot to be able to work on the way of going in a consistent and structured way, culminating in our first attempts at medium. The canter still needs a huge amount of work on the ride ability but it is now more consistent, so I feel more confident that it will come (particularly as we've been on the same journey with the walk, then the trot). Although his way of going really isn't ready for a test at any level, I decided to have a run through N22 for the test riding and comp with a plan to turn it into a schooling session if it all went wrong. We made it through both tests with a decent amount of obedience and accuracy - day one we had no mediums (obviously!) but had some great tips from the judge in a video feedback session the next day. 66% for that, including an error of course from me. Day two the trot work felt far better but we broke in the first medium and had a change in the second medium canter, but managed to correct him (something we wouldn't have managed a few weeks earlier) for 64%, but the judge agreed that overall it was a better test. Both the trainer (Becky Moody) and judge felt he'll do better at higher levels so my plan to keep plugging away and affiliate once we can do Medium seems like the right plan - he can go sideways all day long.

It finally feels like we're heading in the right direction, and doesn't he look handsome?!





A snippet of the penny dropping in medium trot:

 

[Bernster]

He looks the picture of health j1ffy, lovely looking boy!

 

[j1ffy]

He looks the picture of health j1ffy, lovely looking boy!

Thank you! He's not got masses of coat yet and is a naturally shiny boy and has about as natural a lifestyle as you can get on a livery yard - he's very low maintenance! Occasionally I remember to brush his mane and get some mud off ?