Rio the andalusian stallion update! pictures and videos

Big Ben said:
LOL, don't know if that was directed my way, but if it was, never said there was any problem, I'm just interested in why the OP is choosing to keep him whole, as idly as why people ask why I keep my horse at all, I just am born nosey.
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No, sorry BB! It wasn't meant how it read! Someone else also asked and I genuinely wondered if there was a problem keeping him entire, not a snidely remark.

It's a shame mares are overlooked in Spain as they are so beautiful and can look as good as a stallion if left with some hair! I bought a female to compete on... mainly because I am a peasant :D
 
Im perfectly happy with how his paces look now what i meant but reducing his spanish paces was just making it a little less explosive which seems to be something the spanish like. I like him with energy yes but there comes a point where there are only so many directions his legs can go at the same time :o im definately looking at people who are experienced with inported spanish horses... Especially parade horses... :)
 
Would suggest the classical riding club, there are quite a few classical instructors in Surrey and Sylvia (the founder) has more than oodles of experience with Iberian horses.
 
My mare used to go very similar to him so I sympathise! (although she isnt a PRE, just a very highly strung tb lol!), It takes a while but you will get there in the end! I have a hilarious dressage video of her impersonating a llama on speed the whole time while her eyes popped out her head but now she relaxes and even stretches down :O
He is very gorgeous and I am jealous :D one day I will own a andy!
 
I have an andalusian who has been gelded late granted his movement is just as flashy not sure its is because he spanish trained Every one thinks he a stallion because hes so cresty But his schooling has come so much im glad he has been. Instead of thinking of girls all the time. But like you said they are worth more as stallion you are very lucky you found a yard to take one. He is lovely do you want to swap him for my slightly nuts dirty grey Andulusian
 
StormyMoments said:
Im perfectly happy with how his paces look now what i meant but reducing his spanish paces was just making it a little less explosive which seems to be something the spanish like. I like him with energy yes but there comes a point where there are only so many directions his legs can go at the same time :o im definately looking at people who are experienced with inported spanish horses... Especially parade horses... :)
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I really think you would be best getting some help with how you ride this horse. The Spanish actually ride their horses in a very quiet and refined way (well, the GOOD riders do at any rate), but that does not easily translate to the rather more "floppy" style that is the norm over here. I must say that your horse looks very tense and unhappy in your video, he is resolutely above the bit and your hand and leg position is not helping him. My PRE horses all prefer to be ridden "round" and collected, with their hind ends attached to their front ends. STRONGLY urge you to get some experienced help.
 
He looks gorgeous! I am a peasant on a mare, but I love the lighter look and feel of the girls, and the bond you can develop. Plus they are cheaper!
 
He is a lovely boy but I thought the first video was more pleasing to watch than the second. Yes, the horse is a bit jolly, but he is at least going forward with some sort of expression. In the second video it looks like you're actively bracing yourself, in hand, leg and seat, against him to "stop" him and, as a result, there is no forward thinking from either of you.

I know absolutely nothing of the breed, so feel free to ignore me, but I have always understood that the first thing a horse must learn to do in terms of working correctly is to go forward and from there go forward from leg into a contact with the hand (with balance, rhythm, softness, bend etc).

Best of luck with him :)
 
Didn't see new vid but he is super flashy what a show off! Good luck with him I think I'd need a valium before getting on ;-)

I wouldn't mind a Spanish mare one day, for the servants to ride you know...
 
I don't think you look big on him at all. He is a stockier type Iberian horse and perfectly capable of carrying you. You don't have to have a horse 2 hands bigger than required that you can't get your leg around/ride properly just because it's the trend! He looks beautiful.
 
Agree with cortez. He looks tense and slightly confused because of your leg and hand position. If spanish classicly trained they are held together more with leg and seat and will respond to every change in weight.

He also looked slightly lame in the video - which might also be why he is all over the place.

Spanish horses are trained to go fowards with much more impulsion than over here; they almost feel as though they are running off but they are actually only going forwards properly.
 
I don't think the OP asked for CC, in which case it is generally considered bad form to offer it.

Some posts are simply about enjoying a horse and there are people who are more than happy to oblige with "He is so lovely!" comments and everyone's happy! No need for unwanted CC.
 
Just watched it again as my 3yr old daughter wanted to see it and she reckons you are doing really well trotting on your own :D. I think because he is black like her pony was black she assumes you are little like her lol. She also reckons "that pony has two legs" :D. She is now practicing her canter to music in the hall...

I think he is looking a lot more relaxed anyway :)
 
CBAnglo said:
Agree with cortez. He looks tense and slightly confused because of your leg and hand position. If spanish classicly trained they are held together more with leg and seat and will respond to every change in weight.

He also looked slightly lame in the video - which might also be why he is all over the place.

Spanish horses are trained to go fowards with much more impulsion than over here; they almost feel as though they are running off but they are actually only going forwards properly.
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Im sorry i have got to disagree here rio is working like my spanish trained horse they dont go forward they stay on the spot ball of explosion cantering they dont seem to now how to go forward imo mine just stood on the spot doing all fancy foot work but going nowhere took me ages to teach him he could go forward as well as trot the same with canter I do ride with my leg on into the bridle more but that works for my horse And trotting horses like this useing riseing trot is blimey hard because it feel like their rolling side to side rather than forward And mine never knew how to work in the school he was all over the place and could never do a straight line just used to wiggle everywhere I was over spain eight years of and on and rode many spanish trained horses they seem to be all the same in the way they went because they seemed to ride with their hands not there legs again imo
 
puss said:
Im sorry i have got to disagree here rio is working like my spanish trained horse they dont go forward they stay on the spot ball of explosion cantering they dont seem to now how to go forward imo mine just stood on the spot doing all fancy foot work but going nowhere took me ages to teach him he could go forward as well as trot the same with canter I do ride with my leg on into the bridle more but that works for my horse And trotting horses like this useing riseing trot is blimey hard because it feel like their rolling side to side rather than forward And mine never knew how to work in the school he was all over the place and could never do a straight line just used to wiggle everywhere I was over spain eight years of and on and rode many spanish trained horses they seem to be all the same in the way they went because they seemed to ride with their hands not there legs again imo
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Are you SERIOUS? "They ride with their hands not their legs"? Don't know where you've been riding, but that is exactly the opposite of how horses are trained in Spain! The reason your horse (and Rio) are bouncing on the spot is because the hands are not allowing him to go forward, because in this part of the world people tend not to have very secure seats and rely on their hand to balance, steer and "brake". I Ride pretty much exclusively Spanish horses and help a number of people who have bought PRE's and are having problems; ALL of the problems stem from the method of riding and the sensitivity of the horses (this applies to horses trained in Spain for the most part, BTW. Horses trained in the Uk are used to the methods over here - part of the reason why they look very different to the Spanish-trained ones).

Oh, and the reason your horse won't go in a straight line is because you are probably not sitting straight....Spanish riders don't seem to have the same problems, strangely enough....
 
Im sorry i have upset you but my horse is a ranch horse as all the others i rode. Im saying what i see my horse was beaten because they couldnt do anything with him hence the reason i got him. I ride my horse bitless as he as a mouth like melted butter so my hand brake is not on like rio my horse sort rolls in a trot if that makes sense you might have seen properly trained spanish horses i havent not in spain on ranches anyway as for riding straight you might be right i broke my back But my trainer couldnt either he was all ways cantering on the stop sidewards was told they trained like that incase a cow came towards them and they were ready
 
PoppyAnderson said:
These videos of Carl and Charlotte working a Spanish horse are fascinating. The horse is spectacular and Carl of course does an excellent job of explaining what they're trying to achieve http://www.yourhorse.co.uk/Improve-...ester-Dressage-Demo---Training-Horses-part-1/
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Thank you for posting this video.

I already worship at the feet of Carl and this just confirmed my belief that he is the ultimate horseman, he sums up the spanish horse perfectly, he could have been talking about my big mare, it was nice to know that I am already using some of the techniques he talked about but there were also things in there for me to try.
 
Ah thank you Puss, that makes a bit more sense now - the horses on the fincas are mostly crossbred and doma vaquera trained, a different discipline entirely to doma classica (dressage, in other words), and yes, they are stiffer and more "explosive" to ride. They are also exclusively ridden one-handed and in the curb bridle, which makes it very difficult for riders over here who arn't well versed in this style of riding. Sorry, didn't mean to jump all over you, but I spend a lot of time trying to make life a bit better for Spanish horses and their often very uneducated riders. I see a lot of confused and unhappy partnerships.
 
puss said:
Im sorry i have upset you but my horse is a ranch horse as all the others i rode. Im saying what i see my horse was beaten because they couldnt do anything with him hence the reason i got him. I ride my horse bitless as he as a mouth like melted butter so my hand brake is not on like rio my horse sort rolls in a trot if that makes sense you might have seen properly trained spanish horses i havent not in spain on ranches anyway as for riding straight you might be right i broke my back But my trainer couldnt either he was all ways cantering on the stop sidewards was told they trained like that incase a cow came towards them and they were ready
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As Cortez says, Doma Vaquera horses are ridden one handed (the other hand used to carry and utilise the Garrocha pole) and sometimes with no hands, so they are very sensitive to seat and weight aids. Your horse is most likely doing what you and your trainer are inadvertently asking him to do. Hence the benefit of working with trainers who understand the training / riding methods in Spain.

Having had/trained on PREs myself, I do feel sorry the breed gets a name for being difficult / hot / over sensitive. My own experience is exactly the opposite, but I trained with Spanish horse experts. I do think that is important if the poor horses are not to get very confused and unhappy.
 
I don't think the breed is difficult but they ARE sensitive and CAN be hot, they need an educated rider to get the best out of them, trouble arises when a rider uses too much hand and backs off with the leg and seat or is too 'loud' with the aids. The fact that, in general, they are eager to please means that the horse gets genuinely upset with conflicting/inappropriate aids.
 
Amaranta said:
I don't think the breed is difficult but they ARE sensitive and CAN be hot, they need an educated rider to get the best out of them, trouble arises when a rider uses too much hand and backs off with the leg and seat or is too 'loud' with the aids. The fact that, in general, they are eager to please means that the horse gets genuinely upset with conflicting/inappropriate aids.
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Well said. For me, as someone who wanted to train classically, the 'sensitivity' was a wonderful aspect to their nature, and so I see it as a bonus rather than the downside that is sometimes portrayed.

The horses I had experience with generally weren't hot, and were the best behaved, kindest natured horses, (including the Stallions) I've ever been around. But I think that comes as much from the breeding lines, and handling, as the breed as a whole. In my opinion part of the issue is that many of the cheaper horses imported are not well bred or well trained, and go to people who ride them in the same way they would ride a Warmblood (cos that's Dressage, right?)
 
didnt want to cause an argument sorry :o i wont post any more of my awful riding of my poor horse...:p

those of you who aren't familiar with Rio this is how he has been trained -

Rio was broken in at 2 years old and stuck straight out into parades and taught to "perform" therefore he was taught piaffe, passage, half pass, rear and run etc at just 2 years old. He was ridden in a high ported pelham from the start on the bottom ring with a tight curb. He wasnt taught to steer with the seat, leg aids or neck reining he was just hauled around by his reins. He was ridden one handed and was asked to shorten and become more bouncy and on the spot by jabbing on the reins which is why he looks lame in walk as that is how he walked short in one leg long in the other and he was just trying to please but didnt understand. He is very sharp to leg aids after having been ridden in spurs hence i try not to put much leg on because he is explosive. He was a parade horse up until we got him and his last parade was just two days before he was shipped over. A large amount of the movements he has been taught to do have been taught incorrectly or he doesnt do them well which is why i dont ask for them. he also gets upset when asked (not by me as i dont ask but when he was ridden infront of me by his old owner he look terrified). He is very unbalanced therefore im not asking much of him.

oh yeah and he was never ridden on the bit as he spent his whole life with his head in the air fighting the pelham... its only when i changed him into a snaffle that he dropped and rounded more..

So if you cant see why im letting him have his head and learn that the bit isnt going to hurt him then im sorry but im not interested in your input as really i dont think he should fear being ridden or having contact on the bit. Not all things are bad and hes got to learn this... sorry that was offensive to some of you :o

hope this explains a bit more about Rio for those who care

thank you for any advise i have been given i have taken it all on board
 
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