Pigeon
Well-Known Member
Horses are very different to ponies, in general they rely on their riders a lot more. So even if you did sell her, you may encounter similar problems! Think of it as a learning experience 
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Stuck with the "wrong" horse - what to do?
- Thread starter Roisiny
- Start date
tabithakat64
Well-Known Member
Well done 
lovely update
lovely update
honetpot
Well-Known Member
I am so pleased for you, there is nothing better than solving a problem yourself.
Roisiny
Active Member
Haha I get a lot of people saying she doesn't suit her name, but I think it works because she's such a character. Her name was 'Miss' which I absolutely despised, but don't like changing horses' names completely, so Moose is kind of a variation (Also it's like Reed Kessler's Ligist - aka Goose!)
Annagain
Well-Known Member
I have a feeling that in 10 years time you'll be telling everyone how you bought this 5 year old mare when you were 17. She was a nightmare to begin with and you thought about selling her but these strangers on a forum told you not to, which was good as she turned out to be your horse of a lifetime.
Queenbee
Well-Known Member
haha! Yes I agree with AA... another great update OP, keep them coming, so great to see you overcoming your obstacles together and doing so well x
Goldenstar
Well-Known Member
Very well done OP.
But I am not surprised you can such a good attitude to the problem when you first posted .
Keep training keep building your and her confidence and remember to let her have some easy fun jumping in between asking bigger questions.
Even three logs or low hedges will help the horse enjoy her jumping and have fun with her athleticism .
She's a lovely lovely horse .
But I am not surprised you can such a good attitude to the problem when you first posted .
Keep training keep building your and her confidence and remember to let her have some easy fun jumping in between asking bigger questions.
Even three logs or low hedges will help the horse enjoy her jumping and have fun with her athleticism .
She's a lovely lovely horse .
Crugeran Celt
Well-Known Member
Brilliant, well done. Lovely to see someone willing to work through the difficulties, lucky horse to have you there for her. Enjoy.
Roisiny
Active Member
Another update...
So a few days after the last update we went to a national young rider development training day, and I had a lesson with a really good instructor, along with a 1.40 young rider. His comments about her were so interesting. We did a grid, gradually working our way up to a bounce of a metre, and then a 2 stride to a 1.10 oxer. I don't think Moose had ever done grids before us, and when we've done them together she always struggled with going forward through bounces. He was making us trot into the grid, which kind of freaked her out. As she wouldn't have the common sense to pick up canter like the other horse (unless she was told, which the instructor didn't want me to do just before the fence) we had some hairy jumps through it. But once I asked could I come at a canter she was much much nicer through it.
The instructor said that we had everything there... scope, will and ability, just lacks a good canter with impulsion. Once I got this canter, everything would fall into place. This was really eye opening, because before that every jump instructor seemed to want me to go sloooww, slooowww and just sit there into fences... just a shame this one instructor lives so far away! I spent the next week and a bit out in the field trying to open up her canter, and get her to push forward from behind. We also chanced a few little ditches and banks, and once the princess realised they weren't going to eat her, really enjoyed herself! Back in the arena last week you could feel a big difference in how she pushed on from behind.
Yesterday we went to the first show since I last updated. She was good in the warmup, but then when she went into the 1m she got a bit looky when she had to pass between a big standard and the fence, so lost concentration and impulsion to the first fence. She wouldn't listen to me when I tried to 'rev' her up with spur and stick on the long approach to the second, so we had a stop and I fell off. Thankfully there was a lull in the people warming up, so I quickly gave her a bit of a talking to in the warm up, went back in jumping HC under her stable name and she went double clear, didn't look at anything (even a puissance wall!) and didn't mind getting misplaced or held in the mouth. In the 1.10 two phase she was perfect, had a wonderful canter from the start and was kind and forgiving when I misjudged. I didn't make any crazy turns or push her, but we still managed to place 6th in a competitive class of 30 experienced horses and adult riders (and qualified for a national championship!)
Once she has that nice forward going canter she feels like she can jump the moon and she is becoming much more accepting and less fussy with the bit. My pony club DC and instructor decided at camp we were probably all going to fail our B tests so we now have a second residential 4 day pony camp as a B test Boot Camp coming up next week.. so hopefully that will improve us even more!
(It was a rather full up 1.10 but Mum took these from up on a slope so they unfortunately look tiny! Also not sure why I look so loose in the saddle... at least she managed to get a pic )
Thanks for reading
So a few days after the last update we went to a national young rider development training day, and I had a lesson with a really good instructor, along with a 1.40 young rider. His comments about her were so interesting. We did a grid, gradually working our way up to a bounce of a metre, and then a 2 stride to a 1.10 oxer. I don't think Moose had ever done grids before us, and when we've done them together she always struggled with going forward through bounces. He was making us trot into the grid, which kind of freaked her out. As she wouldn't have the common sense to pick up canter like the other horse (unless she was told, which the instructor didn't want me to do just before the fence) we had some hairy jumps through it. But once I asked could I come at a canter she was much much nicer through it.
The instructor said that we had everything there... scope, will and ability, just lacks a good canter with impulsion. Once I got this canter, everything would fall into place. This was really eye opening, because before that every jump instructor seemed to want me to go sloooww, slooowww and just sit there into fences... just a shame this one instructor lives so far away! I spent the next week and a bit out in the field trying to open up her canter, and get her to push forward from behind. We also chanced a few little ditches and banks, and once the princess realised they weren't going to eat her, really enjoyed herself! Back in the arena last week you could feel a big difference in how she pushed on from behind.
Yesterday we went to the first show since I last updated. She was good in the warmup, but then when she went into the 1m she got a bit looky when she had to pass between a big standard and the fence, so lost concentration and impulsion to the first fence. She wouldn't listen to me when I tried to 'rev' her up with spur and stick on the long approach to the second, so we had a stop and I fell off. Thankfully there was a lull in the people warming up, so I quickly gave her a bit of a talking to in the warm up, went back in jumping HC under her stable name and she went double clear, didn't look at anything (even a puissance wall!) and didn't mind getting misplaced or held in the mouth. In the 1.10 two phase she was perfect, had a wonderful canter from the start and was kind and forgiving when I misjudged. I didn't make any crazy turns or push her, but we still managed to place 6th in a competitive class of 30 experienced horses and adult riders (and qualified for a national championship!)
Once she has that nice forward going canter she feels like she can jump the moon and she is becoming much more accepting and less fussy with the bit. My pony club DC and instructor decided at camp we were probably all going to fail our B tests so we now have a second residential 4 day pony camp as a B test Boot Camp coming up next week.. so hopefully that will improve us even more!
(It was a rather full up 1.10 but Mum took these from up on a slope so they unfortunately look tiny! Also not sure why I look so loose in the saddle... at least she managed to get a pic
) Thanks for reading
ester
Not slacking multitasking
Well done you recognised she wasn't how she needed to be, now just to work out how to get through to her or stop it happening in the first place she needs to work out if she can't sort it out herself it might be better to listen to you occasionally 
. But you know what it is great that the pair of you were able to put that blip behind you, get back in and ace it .
I reckon you will be going great guns in time. Lets not berate Mum on her pic taking abilities too much, she might stop taking then
you recognised she wasn't how she needed to be, now just to work out how to get through to her or stop it happening in the first place she needs to work out if she can't sort it out herself it might be better to listen to you occasionally . But you know what it is great that the pair of you were able to put that blip behind you, get back in and ace it . I reckon you will be going great guns in time. Lets not berate Mum on her pic taking abilities too much, she might stop taking then
Goldenstar
Well-Known Member
Great really really great .
It almost always is about the canter when you think about it out of the correct canter you can do most things .
It almost always is about the canter when you think about it out of the correct canter you can do most things .
Haz:)
Well-Known Member
This hit close to home. My first pony was an unbroken ex-feral new forest X TB when I was nine. We were told he was just green, but he wasn't even saddle broke. So many times people told me to sell him. But it was perseverance that got him where he is now, and he's a lovely leisure horse and happy hack because I persevered. I could of had a happy hack pony straight away but I didn't want too.
Personally - I'd say stick with her. If she's a doddle on the ground that's always positive. Build up your trust in eachother through ground work - it helps. I don't like all this "free lunging" but proper groundwork will hold their trust up.
Jump smaller tracks. My ex-P2P TB could jump 1.15m if I wanted, and I made the mistake of rushing him into jumping 1m. This caused endless problems - dirty stops, swerving (and sometimes jumping over the jump wing) , ploughing through jumps and making his technique worse. So I've been taking him back to the 40-60cm range. Its done wonders - has helped him figure out his feet.
In short I'd recommend that you definitely jump smaller, do good groundwork to build up good trust, plenty of grids and poles, and make sure you do keep it shaken up a bit with flatwork. Grids should help you both with placement and should help her feel more confident. If the jumps are small (no bigger than 80cm) if she makes a mistake then it will be easy to sort out and won't cause her to have to stop.
It sounds like she has confidence issues and it's becoming a vicious circle. By working on easy grids and poles you'll be building her confidence and she should feel better and more confident with you - even if she isn't placed perfectly.
Or, if you need to you could get an experienced rider out to help you - no shame in it, sometimes this can really help.
leflynn
Well-Known Member
Lovely updates, so pleased you're working it out together Look forward to better pics (teehee) and many more updates
Look forward to better pics (teehee) and many more updates 
HufflyPuffly
Well-Known Member
Wonderful update, I've been following your progress from when you first posted , though not sure I'd say that fence looks tiny :eek3:!
, though not sure I'd say that fence looks tiny :eek3:!ldlp111
Well-Known Member
Wonderful update, I've been following your progress from when you first posted
Exactly what I was thinking re the fence looking tiny!
Great progress, perhaps you could do some pairs HT that'll get her more forward and build abit of confidence plus they're great fun
Annagain
Well-Known Member
Great update, despite the fall! I'm sure you are, as you seem to be taking such a holistic approach to improving her but just in case, it might be worth doing some flatwork / polework lessons to improve her canter?
I'm also amazed that your DC thinks you need more work for your B test. I didn't jump anywhere near as big as you or look even a quarter as good as you do over a fence when I passed mine - well over 20 years ago so standards must be much higher these days!
I'm also amazed that your DC thinks you need more work for your B test. I didn't jump anywhere near as big as you or look even a quarter as good as you do over a fence when I passed mine - well over 20 years ago so standards must be much higher these days!
cundlegreen
Well-Known Member
Yes, it is all about the canter. To help her and you, lunge her over canter poles, and play about with the distances, or raise one end. That will help her to sort the pace out without the distraction of a rider.
sasquatch
Well-Known Member
Really good to see another positive update, and even after a fall you seem to be feeling much more positive and confident with her
You both look fab jumping, and it sounds like you had a great lesson that has given you really good feedback and helped you discover what to work on.
Have you tried taking her to somewhere with XC fences? they don't have to be massive, but she may enjoy being out jumping in a change of scenery, and they may 'rev' her up a bit as she would be jumping outside an arena and you have space to go for a fast canter as well.
Well done for the 6th place as well! and I understand the photo annoyance, my mu most recently tried to take pictures jumping and the jump was in focus, but horse was a brown blurry blob over each one. That fence still manages to look massive though!
You both look fab jumping, and it sounds like you had a great lesson that has given you really good feedback and helped you discover what to work on.
Have you tried taking her to somewhere with XC fences? they don't have to be massive, but she may enjoy being out jumping in a change of scenery, and they may 'rev' her up a bit as she would be jumping outside an arena and you have space to go for a fast canter as well.
Well done for the 6th place as well! and I understand the photo annoyance, my mu most recently tried to take pictures jumping and the jump was in focus, but horse was a brown blurry blob over each one. That fence still manages to look massive though!
Roisiny
Active Member
I'm actually having a lesson tomorrow for that exact reason!
Haha thank you! I think it's more the theory we're kind of awful at. At camp our instructor would produce pieces of leatherwork or random bit attachments and ask what they were, then explain they were "only really popular in the 70s" and she "hasn't seen them used for years" but is still disappointed that we don't know them. Also our club only had 6 senior riders this year, and only 2 of them are going for the B and the rest have decided to not continue on from the C. Because there would be little point for the rest of them we didn't get around to learning how to fit\ride in a double bridle and other rather B test specific stuff.
She said that I was well up to B standard riding, and any baby issues that Moose had on the day maybe with her lateral work I could just explain that she was young, and the theory around it. I don't mind - the more PC camps the merrier for me!
dominobrown
Well-Known Member
Coming off ponies onto horses is hard anyways!
Next for those just saying sell her, if you did this YOU would never improve, you will never become a pro rider. Pro-riders can produce, train and ride difficult but talented horses, or improve any horse, that's their job.
You must admit, you have learnt a lot from this horse already, flatwork, grids, training exercises, which you can apply to the next horse.
when you become pro, you may even buy a cheap talented horse that someone has given up on because its too difficult and make a bit of money!
Part of the fun is learning and improving, and no one ever became a pro rider, or a good rider either, by giving up!
Good on you for preserving!
Next for those just saying sell her, if you did this YOU would never improve, you will never become a pro rider. Pro-riders can produce, train and ride difficult but talented horses, or improve any horse, that's their job.
You must admit, you have learnt a lot from this horse already, flatwork, grids, training exercises, which you can apply to the next horse.
when you become pro, you may even buy a cheap talented horse that someone has given up on because its too difficult and make a bit of money!
Part of the fun is learning and improving, and no one ever became a pro rider, or a good rider either, by giving up!
Good on you for preserving!
Roisiny
Active Member
Hello again!
In the end I took my more experienced little eventing pony to B-Camp, as there were apparently some beasts of XC fences on the estate, and we might not of got time to practise them before the test. Instructor decided it might be a little bit too much for the SJ Princess and it definitely would of been! We did go out on the XC course to practise but were told that we "probably" wouldn't be made jump this massive trekehner to a huge square log oxer, so we didn't jump them. The day of the exam came and of course the examiners made us jump both!! I got my B in the end, but I don't think someone has ever so hyper critical of my riding as the instructor was that weekend!
Anyhow... last weekend we were planning on going to the National Pony and Young Rider Champs, but they have silly rules like having to jump on a weekday to jump on a weekend, and my parents both work so we couldn't go. Instead we went to another show, which naively we thought would be empty because of the champs - WRONG! 160 riders in the 1m, and at 3pm the GP, class before the 1.10, hadn't even started yet. Moose jumped a beautiful show round in the 1m, definitely the smoothest round she's ever given. Then a 3 hour wait for the 1.10 ladies. In the warm up she was lacking a little, and coming to the first fence she reallly died on me. She got two smacks and picked herself up enough to finish the course on an unlucky 4. We really lost impulsion coming down to the last fence, a double, and ended up putting the eekiest stride ever into the back oxer, but she was very brave and tried hard for me, which to me is more of a triumph than getting a clear round because she was placed perfectly right now.
She'd been standing in the box at the show for nearly 5 hours in total, so definitely lesson learned and we'll always ring ahead in the future!
In the end I took my more experienced little eventing pony to B-Camp, as there were apparently some beasts of XC fences on the estate, and we might not of got time to practise them before the test. Instructor decided it might be a little bit too much for the SJ Princess and it definitely would of been! We did go out on the XC course to practise but were told that we "probably" wouldn't be made jump this massive trekehner to a huge square log oxer, so we didn't jump them. The day of the exam came and of course the examiners made us jump both!! I got my B in the end, but I don't think someone has ever so hyper critical of my riding as the instructor was that weekend!
Anyhow... last weekend we were planning on going to the National Pony and Young Rider Champs, but they have silly rules like having to jump on a weekday to jump on a weekend, and my parents both work so we couldn't go. Instead we went to another show, which naively we thought would be empty because of the champs - WRONG! 160 riders in the 1m, and at 3pm the GP, class before the 1.10, hadn't even started yet. Moose jumped a beautiful show round in the 1m, definitely the smoothest round she's ever given. Then a 3 hour wait for the 1.10 ladies. In the warm up she was lacking a little, and coming to the first fence she reallly died on me. She got two smacks and picked herself up enough to finish the course on an unlucky 4. We really lost impulsion coming down to the last fence, a double, and ended up putting the eekiest stride ever into the back oxer, but she was very brave and tried hard for me, which to me is more of a triumph than getting a clear round because she was placed perfectly right now.
She'd been standing in the box at the show for nearly 5 hours in total, so definitely lesson learned and we'll always ring ahead in the future!
Annagain
Well-Known Member
Well done on your B and for the weekend. Recognising a personal achievement rather than getting placed / going clear / winning is a really good way of looking at it. You have such a mature attitude for a teenager. She's obviously growing in confidence with you if she's now going off a slightly dodgy stride, it certainly sounds like you've built a really good relationship.