Schooling Pics - Advice Please

[LittleSoph]

Freddie's schooling is very irratic. We have fab days and awful days, which I expect with a horse his age... but just wondered if anyone could give us any advice on the areas we're struggling with.

It takes about 20 minutes of trotting round, transitions, etc. to get any sort of work out of him whatsoever and then he eventually does start to soften, it can be very inconsistant. He'll soften and round for a few strides and then fall out of it and his back hollows.

So these are when we on it...

However... there's also alot of this!

The break of not having a horse clearly did me no good whatsoever because my position often feels atrocious! lol! I'm working on it but I just feel so messy!

Also, he seems to have lost the ability to canter and is suddenly just rushing his trot and coming onto the forehand instead of making the upward transition...

So any ideas on any of the above problems would be massively appreciated. I'd just like him to be working across his back more consistantly... do you think it's just a case of persisting?

 

[shadowboy]

The first thing that struck me was your hands, you look like they are very 'held' and it really shows in the bottom pic... if i was teaching you i would want to to soften in your hands, wrist. elbows and shoulders as this tension seems to pull you forward out of the saddle, meaning your not sitting as deep and 'feeling'. Please feel free to correct me- as I can only judge through a still image.

 

[mattilda]

To me he looks as if he isn't really working through from behind and isn't relaxing into the contact. Also your hands look a little fixed and low.
Try working him long and low when you first start your session. Forget what his head is doing and really push him from the leg. Loads of transitions and changes of rein. Only shorten your reins when he feels relaxed over his back and try to carry your hands a little higher. Good luck.

 

[LittleSoph]

shadowmonkey, no you're completely right. My biggest problem is not bending my elbows and then becoming tense across my shoulders and through my arms. It's so difficult to correct myself though. Any tips would be appreciated.

Completely joking aside, I think some of it is to do with my boobs. They are rather large and I'm concious that the 'bounce' lol, so have got into a habit of using my arms to keep them still. lol!

 

[eventing09]

Agreed with shadowmonkey

I think if you try to concentrate on having a smooth line/bend through your whole arm to the horses mouth. I have the same problem as you most of the time though, tis very difficult too correct i think hehe

 

[Abbeygale]

He looks lovely - I really like his markings - and I am not usually a fan of coloureds *prepares to be told off severly!!!*

CC from me would be (and I am no expert believe me!!) look up - he is very beautiful - but he will still be there even if you don't look at him!!

I would also try to flex your elbow more, in these pics your arms are quite straight, and you are accommodating any give in your contact my bending your wrists. If you bend your elbows instead you should be able to straighten out your wrists, which should give you a more consistent contact with him. Once you have a more consistent contact it will help him to become more consistent in his outline.

Its a little hard to tell because of his beautiful feathers, but I'm not sure if he is tracking up in these pics. Maybe try some direct transitions (halt to trot - trot to halt) and transitions within the pace to get some impulsion in his trot.

Also - do you normally ride with your stirrups this long - you look as though are reaching for the pedals a little?

As an overall picture its nots bad - but just a couple of little tweaks would make it better

He is very very lovely though xx

 

[shadowboy]

I have to say I dont have that problem

(always wanted bigger ones though) so Its difficult to advise on this, but one lady I teach wraps her up in a special cross-over bra- not sure what its called/where from- but I can ask on Friday when I next see her if you want.

P.S I love the markings on your horse! gorg!

 

[Lisa2manyponies]

echo above i would suggust lifting the hand not asking for a fixed contact work more on getting him to lift more from behind lots of transitions both direct and with in the pace bring your shoulders back and encourage him to come in to contact from behind good luck !

 

[LittleSoph]

He definately tracks up as his feet click, lol. I know his mass of hair makes it difficult to see a lot. lol.

Thanks for these comments. They're great. I haven't had any lessons on him yet as neither of us are fit enough really to get our moneys worth, lol. I'd rather be able to actually survive the lesson! lol!

So my biggest problems, as I already suspected would be pointed out, are my hands/arms through to my shoulders, me looking down and leaning forward!

Flo_Bell, funny you should mention my stirrups... no I usually ride a hole shorter but someone mentioned that they looked short, so I dropped them. I do think they need to go back up, I did feel I was trying to keep my foot still and struggled to keep my heels down.

 

[charlie55]

Echo above too, lift that hands, bend the elbows and use lots of inside hand and leg x

 

[tasteofchristmaschaos]

If you are worried about boob bounce (trust me, I know all about it being a 34F!) invest in a really good sportsbra with a level 4 rating (the highest rating, for high movement sports such as riding). Mine is a godsend and I refuse to ride in anything else.

 

[BSJAlove]

snapp. give your hands abit and hold him in place with your legs insted. alot of inside leg and outside hand

x

 

[millimoo]

I think you're doing really well.
My mum has a similar problem with her advanced Dressage horse.
He has all the tricks but the basics were not established.
He's naturally uphill, so long and low works well to soften him over the back, but just be careful you don't end up on downhill and on his nose if you try this - although from you pic doesn't look like it.
My mums horse also loses his balance if he's not supported in the outside rein enough - he starts to lift his head up in a similar way, he's worse on one rein than the other.
Anyway, get yourself a short lesson and see how you get on, I think you look great

 

[LittleSoph]

milliemoo, thank you.

He's extremely difficult to get 'long and low' as he has a naturally high head carriage so he tends to stick his ears up my nose if I'm not asking him to soften. Any tips to get him working lower would be welcomed with open arms!

 

[Tiffany]

Firstly I love Freddie

It's difficult from photos but your arms look quite straight and your hands looks fixed on some photos? Try bending your arms at the elbow and have your thumbs on top and work on getting him working from behind. Also, a little trick my trainer gave me was to give a sugar lump when tou first get on, it will help him salivate (sp) and relax his jaw

If everything fails please send him to me

 

[LittleSoph]

Thank you Tiffany, that means a lot.

 

[Skhosu]

I would say he looks like he is being force into an outline rather than relaxing into it, and tbh the best way is to get a good instructor out,
Yours hands are also pulling away,think of carrying them higher and just aboe and in front of the pommel and mak sure they are pointing the correct way.

 

[tabithakat64]

What a lovely horse

You need to bend your elbows a bit more and straighten your wrists. I would also bring your shoulders back a little and shorten your stirrups as you look like you are tipping forwards and reaching for your stirrups in all these pictures.
Try working long and long and using lots of transistions in your warm-up.
You both look great to me

 

[TGM]

Agree with the general conscensus here - he looks like he is being forced down into an outline with the hands. I would definitely second the suggestion to have some lessons with a good instructor as it is very difficult to describe step by step how to get a horse working correctly on here! Many books have been written on the subject, and doing some background reading may help you - I would suggest Herbermann's 'Dressage Formula':

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dressage-Formula-Erik-F-Herbermann/dp/0851317537

as it is very clearly and succinctly written and explains the basics of training well.

You can find a list of BD trainers on here:

http://www.britishdressage.co.uk/training_and_judging/find_a_trainer

so worth seeing if there is one in your area.

I would also suggest having some lunge lessons to work on your position if you can as well.

I suspect the reason that he doesn't work long and low is due to the fact that he is not actually working correctly, rather than his conformation. My daughter's pony was similar and wouldn't work long and low at all to start, but after a series of lessons with a good instructor the pony is starting to work more correctly through its back and correspondingly can now do an excellent free walk and a lovely stretchy long and low trot!

 

[Kenzo]

He is lovely boy.

How do you warm up? and do you have regular stretches? (little rest periods before picking up contact again).

Sit up, relax and breath, you look a bit tense which is coming through your arms into the hand and then into the mouth ...your fanny grabbing

Relax your shoulders and look wear your going, lift and open your hands a little and give him some more rein so he has the chance lower and seek a contact from you rather than you taking it from him. This will creates less tension in his poll down his neck and will make him work harder rather than you. So forget about the front end and what it looks like, the more you think like that, the more things will slowly improve.

Another old trick but it works is stick your schooling whip behind through the back of your elbows to make you have a bend in them, even just for a few minutes as it will alter your posture, will feel strange though.

Just because a horse is tracking up and you can hear the feet over reaching odd times, doesn't mean they are working correctly from behind, its because there just running away and have not established a good working rhythm, so try to slow the trot down a bit but but still maintain that impulsion.

You seem to struggling with your lower leg, as you pushing your toe down rather than your heal which is coming up which is another reason why your tipping forward and having a perched position as well as looking down rather than in front of you, try to sit on your bottom and basically relax into your seat like you would if you were riding without stirrups, so I would bob them up a hole and try to squeeze with your legs rather than using your heal to nudge him on? (if that is what your doing).

Every so often (this is bit that sounds daft) lift and push your hands forward so your giving the contact away while in trot but maintain the same speed and rhythm and more often that not your a horse will eventually (proving you have worked him in like you do with transitions etc) drop onto that contact and you will feel the back his back swing and it will also come up and his rib cage will feel fuller. This tends to work better after you have worked on 20 meter circles and then come back onto the outside track.

Try not to do too much trotting all the time, its important that he is relaxed also working lower in walk too, regular stretches like I mentioned above will help.

He will then work lower you won't need to look down because you will just instantly feel it, then in time you can work him up in to a more advanced outline as time goes on, because then he will of developed the correct muscles to carry him self and he will be able to do this freely and comfortably without any effort or tension and he won't say 'no had enough of this mummy I'm starting to feel tired and sore'' kinda thing.

Also I find rather than just motoring around in trot, slowing it down into sitting on a 20 circle for a quarter of it then pushing on into a rising but with more impulsion not necessarily more speed then back to your corner and slow down back into sitting. Cobs naturally work on the forehand, its just the way they are built so it is harder with cobs at times.

If he wants to stick his head up in the air, ignore it rather than bracing against it, and squeeze him on so he's not backing off and hollowing and reward him when he relaxes and goes forward again and just sponge with your fingers and relax your wrists, if your doing dressage you want a horse with a nice soft mouth that will respond to your fingers rather than than the whole of your arm or wrist.

Good Luck

and your not a bad rider at all, you make a lovely pair.