Harrietk
New User
Hi,
So i bred my 15.1 mare she is welsh x warmblood, shes chestnut... not your typical chestnut as she is quiet soft and no nastyness in her. She is 8 years old now and through the years we have been on a few yards where i have not had a menage and have had to travel out for lesson, clinics etc. I now keep her on my partners farm and i can hack to a menage 15 mins away. i manage to get to the the menage around 3 times a week if i'm not busy or alternatively hack her. Bit of an insight on my life.... i work monday - Thursday in an office and run a livery yard of 6 horses on full livery, so i try to ride where i can.
Maybe i am being too hard on myself and my horse but i feel now with my horse being 8 years old she should be able to keep a consistent contact in walk and trot and be able to go large without spooking and constantly coming back at me. Typical schooling session with previous instructors would be on a 20 meter circle transitions, flexing, shoulder in etc to get her into the contact but sill she was never confident going large around the school. my old instructor would say she needs to be kept busy with different movements to keep her thinking, however i felt like i was over complicating the situation and when i would go out to dressage competitions i was the one doing complicated movements to keep my horse with me and everyone else would be there with their horses in a connection just trotting round. Unfortunately the lessons with this instructor was getting expensive at £60 for 45 mins so i stopped before the winter came last year.
My new instructor who i have just found where i use the school that is a 15 min hack away says i need to concentrate on her neck relaxing and stop her resisting just by using my leg and seat. Once she is relaxed in the contact we can join her back legs up. She is very sensitive, forward and has big movement. i wouldn't say i was a bad rider however i feel its just a constant battle when i go and use the school. Is it because i'm not consistent enough with my schooling, is it because shes had the winter off just hacking? or is it me?! i cant say that after each of the lessons i've had we have never finished with what we have wanted as she always submits but i feel by now she should know what i'm asking instead of looking a mile away at a walker, or looking at what the cows are up to in the next field or spooking at F which she has gone past a hundred times.
Her saddle fits fine, i am a light weight tall rider, i would say i could do a little better with my balance however soon as she dips her back and her head is back at me i lose my balance a little. My new instructor has also said my leg is a little unsteady at times and i need to keep the bend in my knee and my heal to her back legs.
As previously mentioned when we go out to unaffiliated dressage competitions she is always in the top 3 with marks at 70% however i feel they are maybe swayed by her uphill movement especially in the canter as i feel that she is not with me 50% of the time.
I do have another welsh c pony that is her half sister who is only 5 and i don't have the same problems with her. I know they are all different.
If any one has any positive feed back id love hear what you think.
So i bred my 15.1 mare she is welsh x warmblood, shes chestnut... not your typical chestnut as she is quiet soft and no nastyness in her. She is 8 years old now and through the years we have been on a few yards where i have not had a menage and have had to travel out for lesson, clinics etc. I now keep her on my partners farm and i can hack to a menage 15 mins away. i manage to get to the the menage around 3 times a week if i'm not busy or alternatively hack her. Bit of an insight on my life.... i work monday - Thursday in an office and run a livery yard of 6 horses on full livery, so i try to ride where i can.
Maybe i am being too hard on myself and my horse but i feel now with my horse being 8 years old she should be able to keep a consistent contact in walk and trot and be able to go large without spooking and constantly coming back at me. Typical schooling session with previous instructors would be on a 20 meter circle transitions, flexing, shoulder in etc to get her into the contact but sill she was never confident going large around the school. my old instructor would say she needs to be kept busy with different movements to keep her thinking, however i felt like i was over complicating the situation and when i would go out to dressage competitions i was the one doing complicated movements to keep my horse with me and everyone else would be there with their horses in a connection just trotting round. Unfortunately the lessons with this instructor was getting expensive at £60 for 45 mins so i stopped before the winter came last year.
My new instructor who i have just found where i use the school that is a 15 min hack away says i need to concentrate on her neck relaxing and stop her resisting just by using my leg and seat. Once she is relaxed in the contact we can join her back legs up. She is very sensitive, forward and has big movement. i wouldn't say i was a bad rider however i feel its just a constant battle when i go and use the school. Is it because i'm not consistent enough with my schooling, is it because shes had the winter off just hacking? or is it me?! i cant say that after each of the lessons i've had we have never finished with what we have wanted as she always submits but i feel by now she should know what i'm asking instead of looking a mile away at a walker, or looking at what the cows are up to in the next field or spooking at F which she has gone past a hundred times.
Her saddle fits fine, i am a light weight tall rider, i would say i could do a little better with my balance however soon as she dips her back and her head is back at me i lose my balance a little. My new instructor has also said my leg is a little unsteady at times and i need to keep the bend in my knee and my heal to her back legs.
As previously mentioned when we go out to unaffiliated dressage competitions she is always in the top 3 with marks at 70% however i feel they are maybe swayed by her uphill movement especially in the canter as i feel that she is not with me 50% of the time.
I do have another welsh c pony that is her half sister who is only 5 and i don't have the same problems with her. I know they are all different.
If any one has any positive feed back id love hear what you think.