Riding effectively

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malibu211211

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After a schooling session this morning where I attempt to practise what we did in our lesson earlier in the week I am starting to think that maybe I need a smaller horse as I have to work really hard to keep my boy together.
Does everyone have this problem?
My horse is near on 17hh and is a Saddlebred x Arab x TB who is now 8 years old and I am 5'9. I didn't set out to buy a big horse (I would prefer a pony but have stupidly long legs
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) and I tried all different types of horses.
In our lessons he feels great (once he is warmed up) but I would say that when I school him I probably get the same feeling 15% of the time
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Anyone else suffer with this?
OK so here are a couple of pics one with stirrups and one without. I agree with my friend after looking at them and think that I may look too big on a smaller horse, what do you think?
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Thanks for reading
 
I think you look the perfect size on him and I certainly wouldn’t advise you to go smaller than 16hh….. it is just finding a schooling technique that works for you and him, perhaps ask your instructor to give you some suggestions?

what sort of schooling exercises do you do?

and also if you don’t mind me asking why does he wear a drop nose band?
 
I too wouldn't go any smaller than 16. However most of us have similar problems, its almost as tho our horses are listening to our instructors while they are teaching us and as soon as they are not there it is so much harder to do it ourselves. Too be honest unless you got a horse that was more established in his schooling I think you would have the same problem. Keep working on getting that 15% a little bit more each time and you will get there
 
He wears a drop noseband as he opens his mouth and crosses his jaw badly
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He came in a flash but was very resistant so went for the drop and he seems to prefer it. I would ideally like him in a cavesson but I don't think there is much hope, he is terribly gobby with a sensitive mouth
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To start with it's just really getting him to go a bit softer through the right side of his neck so lots of bending and transitions to halt (which we normally have major stubborn giraffe moments until we soften
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Then I try to work him long and low to begin with to get him to stretch over his back. Sometimes he will and other times he won't. If not then I pick him up.
At the moment we have been doing lots of work on the 3/4 line and getting him straight then some leg yielding towards the fence and away. With Monty it's a bit like playing ping pong with your legs with him falling out through one shoulder and in through the other
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Recently we have been told to work on squares, diamond and 50 pence piece shapes in all 3 paces. I struggle to keep Monty where I want to go in canter
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We always end long and low again so he can stretch

I know it's me thats the problem as I know he can go lovely but it's such hard work to keep him motivated. Sorry if it sounds like I'm moaning but should it be that hard?

What I need is a horse with buttons on so I can just push a button and we get perfect canter or perfect leg yield
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you see I am quiet the opposite when I can "be at one" with my mare I work her fantastically, whereas when I have an instructor distracting me the work goes downhill!

Also how long have you had him? it can take a long time to get a proper feel for a horse and gel with it. I always find it best to have a plan in my head of what I am going to do each session, and even if the horse is going fantastically and could do more, I wait till the next session, that way I can (in most cases) avoid disappointment. and of course the most important thing in my opinion is to have fun with the horse, the more fun you have together the more confidence you will have in each other and the more willing your horse will be etc.
 
I have had him 2 years now, admittedly I probably shouldn't of bought him as he was very green. Not long after having him he reared up and fell on me after asking him to walk down a slope. He was packed off to my instructors for 5 weeks and is now, 2 years on a completely different horse
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Yes I agree we definately need to have some fun too
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I wish I could be that way round
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I see well at the moment I think you are right to keep him in the current nose band - in the future I would experiment with going back to the flash and making it progressively looser but the chances are that he is funny with his mouth due to being a little overwhelmed by his schooling(I may be wrong)

All the exercises you are doing are fantastic for the faults he has and I would strongly recommend that you persevere, of course remember not to walk before you can run, I like trot to be nicely established before horses are asked to do more than straight line cantering. I would also recommend long reining him. it will give you the opportunity to asses from the ground if he is working evenly with both sides of his body and work on obtaining softness through the right of his neck. I also find it easier to push the horse forwards into halt on the lines which is very useful for overcoming giraffe syndrome.

I don’t know if you have heard of an equi ami? it is a bit like a passoa apart from (and forgive me for not knowing the technicalities) it encourages the horse to work in the correct way rather than forcing it and they are unable to lean against it as it self centres. it may just be that the photos are misleading but it looks as though he expects you to carry him quiet a bit which or course means that the rear impulsion is less than the ideal amount, this aid (certainly the lunging section) would I'm sure encourage him to use himself properly. (at this point I would like to say that I do not work for the company, but having had severe problems with my mare that have been sorted within weeks of using it I cant rate it highly enough) I may have evaluated him all wrong but that’s just what came to mind

as for motivation feed him some oats and hold on tight
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things like that will always give you a set back, I hope that you were both OK.

I had a bad accident on my mare shortly after breaking her in, she must have been 4, and I have only just started to enjoy her in the last couple of months in her 6th year! I honestly think if you have some fun and persevere with him that you will look back on this thread and think you were insane!
 
He is quite light in the mouth but does tend to go south towards the end of the lesson
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He used to be long reined before being ridden when he came back from schooling so I will try that again.
My instructor has the same thinking as you as we spent ages on the trot last year and that seems to be coming along nicely when he has a rocket up his a*se
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I will go have a look at the Equi-ami, thanks
As for the oats.........NO!
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He already can be a bit of an idiot out hacking
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Thanks
 
Could it be that with an instructor there, you are more aware of your position and carrying yourself better, and when it's just the two of you, you're concentrating more on him and possibly not carrying yourself as well as you would in a lesson, which would make holding him together harder work?
 
well it sounds like you have a fair amount to have a go at/think about, and I agree with the above, perhaps have a little check list for your self if he isn’t going as well as you like? am I sitting up? are my shoulders back? am I looking ahead etc?

best of luck with him, I think he looks like an absolute cracker!
 
I think your horse looks gorgeous!!

I have a 17.2 and I'm only 5ft6 and I have exacly the same problems as you describe and mine is a 23year old dressage been there done it horse.

It's always easier in a lesson but when trying on your own I always find it harder!
 
Make sure your horse gets some down time/ fun work too.

Coblet was an absolute pleasure to ride this evening, he literally did everything I asked right first time. We went for a long hack yesterday and to the beach the night before. I find variation keeps him in a good mood rather than schooling round and round in circles.

You might find you can get rid of the drop noseband in time - I had mine in a much loathed flash for quite a while, simply because it was the only way to stop him pissing off in canter without resorting to a stronger bit. Now he has come on a lot more in his schooling we are back in a cavesson.

He looks lovely - and you don't look too small for him.
 
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