Schooling last night

[Iestyn]

I've put these in pic gallery as well but not sure how many of you venture down there! Had my boy 6 months and he'd done nothing in the form of schooling when I bought him. He's 5, warmblood and my plan is to do dressage with him - hope you like him!

 

[lexiedhb]

He looks like a nice chap, if a little overbent! Hope you have lots of fun with him!

 

[jenbleep]

lovely horse, a little overbent but as you said he hasn't done much before. id rather they were overbent than the other way!

good luck with him he looks super xx

ETS: id rather he was overbent AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS TRAINING! not all the time obvs

 

[kerilli]

umm, he's lovely, but he's waay too overbent. this isn't working "long and low", before i get shot down in flames, his neck is simply too short. he needs more rein and perhaps a softer contact. the face should not be behind the vertical. if you allow him forwards more into a soft, elastic contact, he will feel more confident about being able to step through more from behind. he's nicely put together by the looks of it, and you look in good balance with him, so that's the one thing i would change.

 

[Maesfen]

Hellooooooo! Welcome back, I, lovely to see you posting again!

I won't critique at all, don't know what I'm talking about but to say he's looking really well and growing up fast.

 

[Weezy]

Lovely horsey - looks naturally uphill too

Hope you have all the fun in the world with him x

 

[Iestyn]

Over bent thing is something I'm now working on - he's gone from one extreme to the other! He couldn't even walk in a rhythm at first, I'm just so, so pleased with him. He's quite sharp too and was in rather a strop last night so the schooling session didn't last very long!

 

[Iestyn]

Is this one better - thanks for the tips. He's just started becoming overbent - trouble is it gives me a great feeling LOL! I'm working on getting him long and low but he's gone from doing giraffe impressions to suddenly thinking "ahh, that's where you want me" - having training every week though so hopefully we will nail it soon before it becomes too much of a habit!

 

[jenbleep]

thats what Frankie used to be like, walking around all tense and with his head in the air like a giraffe. now hes gone the other way but at least i think its a bit easier to correct!

you must be really excited about him!

 

[Iestyn]

Hello! Yes, I'm back on track now - been a crap time but things are looking up! How are you all?

 

[Iestyn]

I'm really excited about him - have nearly given up so many times thinking I wasn't capable to bring on such a green, talented and sharp horse - but we've got a fab relationship and he hates anyone else riding him but he's great for me now. Canter is still a bit off the mark but I'm going to give it as long as he needs - he was very tense last night for some reason so that could be explaining the short neck - I've had him working in a long low outline quite a bit but last night it was on his terms only which is why I gave up - he's not the type of horse you can have an argument with!

 

[kerilli]

that last pic is much better, he's far better long and low and working forward to a nice contact than high and overbent. he looks a lovely sort, well done you.

 

[jenbleep]

sounds so much like Frankie! im no expert and i was worried that i wouldn't be right for him, he was so tense and spooky when i started riding him, but i love him so much and i *think* the feeling is mutual! (well i feed him, so..........!)

im not one to rush things either - if it takes a year then it takes a year as far as im concerned!

 

[Iestyn]

Thank you - he was in a right one last night. Something had upset him - scary people walking in the field I think! He then comes up and back but he remains ina nice contact which is sometimes why I don't notice it instantly unless someone is barking at me from the sidelines! He'll go long and low quite well when he's relaxed!

 

[Tempi]

With the 'long and low' his nose needs to be more forwards, as if you look its still behind the vertical in that picture. Use the stick on his croup and do really big rises so he tucks underbehind, lifts up through the wither and stretches forwards into the contact - hope this makes sense!! You're doing a great job x

 

[kerilli]

P_G, someone told me ages ago to use the stick on the croup, but i've never liked the idea and never done it. does it work then? do you just tickle them with it?

 

[Iestyn]

Can't get a stick anywhere near him - think there's a history but that is just speculation. He's terrified! I did that with my last horse though as he was very lazy behind and it did work.

 

[Tempi]

you dont really use it as such, just lie it across their croup and it makes them sit down behind more - if you jsut tap occasionally aswell to remind them its there it works really well.

 

[HenryandPeta]

He's lovely looking! I have no idea what he's like to ride but it looks like he needs a lot more leg to push him up and into the hand, then you'll get a 'n' shape under his chin rather than the inverted 'V' he's showing now. Is he tense in the jaw? I find lots of transitions, leg yielding into and out of circles etc really helps my horse relax his jaw and just poke his chin forwards more. He's sharp too, so I keep him busy with lots of rein and tempo changes etc and he then starts to relax into the contact rather than going behind the vertical...

Working to collected to working trot is another good one!

 

[Iestyn]

He's actually quite soft in his jaw. He tends to open his mouth a lot but not really keen on putting a flash on but my instructor said last night we might just have to try. He's very off the leg and sometimes a bit too much so I have to be very quiet with that - but I know exactly what you mean about pushing him forward into the contact a bit more. He's only 5 and been in ork 6 months but he has phenomenal power that he scares himself with sometimes - it's almost a reaction of "bloody hell, where did that come from? Was it me?" Lol!!!

 

[HenryandPeta]

Aw bless him! He sounds like he's going to be a fabulous horse in time! Henry used to frighten me with his power - he's very strong and forward going and I tended to hold onto him in trot because it just felt too much, too fast. Eventually I found an instructor who told me to "unleash the beast!", I let him have his head, and used lots of leg to push him into the bridle and suddenly his shoulder opened out and his butt powered through and we were flying! Now he loves showing off his medium trot and we leave everyone behind out hacking!

 

[lexiedhb]

Aww bless him, sounds like he'll be FAB when he's had a bit more time!!

 

[vicm2509]

Wow, what a lovely looking horse. Looks like a really nice sort and working nicely for his age.

I have just started using a Harbridge on Baron. I dont know if you are into gadgets, as I am not usually, but this is fantastic. It encourages them lower and is not restrictive on the horse at all, nor will it confuse it as it works independantly from what you are doing with the reins.

I used it in my lesson last night and my instructor was very impressed, it really got him working over his back and really really low. He continued to go really nicely for the second half of the lesson when we took it off.