Tension in Dressage

ester said:
We do have a perfectly good quote button, I even gave you advise on how to best use it. Nowhere did MP say she was kicking though feel free to find other quotes that say otherwise to enlighten us all. I’m honestly gobsmacked that someone who got so cross about being misquoted will freely do it to others
Click to expand...

Aw, Ester, how sweet. You responded straight away, you must have been waiting for me. Honestly you really should try getting out more, there are lots of ways to meet real people in real life, salsa dancing, book clubs...life is about more than an Internet forum.

In the context of a discussion regarding whether kicking a horse through its test is really on, in the real world, it’s generally safe to assume that when someone refers to their horse as a kick-along when defending kicking a horse (albeit using the euphemism “behind the leg”) that that’s what they are doing. I did ask Mills if she continued to kick the horse to make it more responsive and she could have said there and then that she didn’t kick it if she meant something entirely different. My bad for taking what someone says at face value 🙄

If you are all now claiming not to defend kicking a horse....then what are you arguing with me about? Lol.
 
PapaverFollis said:
Is an excited horse "just that" though?

I would tend to say no. I'd say an "excited" horse is stressed or frustrated or anxious. A happy horse is loose and relaxed. I don't think they get excited in the same way we do.

A horse that is tense when ridden has a training issue. That doesn't mean anything other than t is something that needs to be worked on. It's good that your horse improved between tests. That doesn't mean there isn't something there that still needs to be worked on? Would you like your horse to stay "tense" forever or would you like it to improve and become more relaxed? If you would like to see improvement then there is a training issue. The training may involve just taking him to more events... a training issue does not necessarily mean starting again from scratch. All horses have training issues because no horse is perfect...

It doesn't have to be unnatural or unusual for it to be something that needs improvement?

Personally I want my horse to not get into a heightened state as much as is possible. But at the same time in order to achieve that you need to take them a little out if their comfort zone in order to expand it. It's a balance. So a little heightened is ok but going nuts is not in my view. It's perfectly ok that your horse was tense, he was still responding to you etc which means you were stretching him but not overwhelming him. And that's ok. But it is sonething that will lose you marks and something to improve upon.
Click to expand...

Hang on right there. You haven’t read what I have said. I have not said at any stage this does not need to improve for him to progress. I do not believe, no, it is a training problem in an in an inexperienced horse at his second event who at that second event improved enormously. Therefore, if he continues to improve and relax with further experience (as seems likely given the progress we have already made) then there is no real problem. If it became a persistent issue, then yes, you may have a point. At this stage he is gaining experience at small unaff Prelim events and given the horse is totally relaxed at home, given the horse is showing a marked improvement, I’m happy we’re going in the right direction at this stage
 
What we where discussing before we bacame side tracked is Losgelassenheit ususally translated as suppleness but it’s a word that does not really have a English translation.
The best description I have heard of this is , the horse gives itself up freely to be worked , it’s a mental as well as a physical state .
It’s the second step of the scales of training after rhythm.
Both the tense rushing and the not forward horse are deficient in this respect .
At prelim especially at unaffiliated the judges will expect to see horses that are on their forehand so I think that why those horses tend to beat the tense excited ones and also their tests look more consistent which helps as well.
 
Thank you for your concern about my welfare, I’m actually pretty sick today so have been on the forum between napping and Olympia watching. I’m most definitely blaming this on going out too much in the preceding week.

If you start using the assume word you aren’t using facts are you. You didn’t take it at Facebook value at all if you made assumptions as you state.
 
Then we are arguing semantics on the definition of a "training issue" (note I said issue not problem). To me a training issue is simply "something that requires improvement" even if it is currently improving. And taking a horse to more events to give it more experience is, in my view, working on your training issue. You want him to improve so you're working on it, right?
 
PapaverFollis said:
Then we are arguing semantics on the definition of a "training issue" (note I said issue not problem). To me a training issue is simply "something that requires improvement" even if it is currently improving. And taking a horse to more events to give it more experience is, in my view, working on your training issue. You want him to improve so you're working on it, right?
Click to expand...

I love this - yes definitely a horse can have lots of issues because it simply hasn’t learnt yet - this is normal - i love training horses and if they were all born perfect knowing exactly what I wanted I wouldn’t enjoy riding half as much — I get bored if its all too easy. But then I don’t go to competitions to beat the opposition I go to beat my old score - it tends to get me more success in the long run... I can’t control others But i can work on my and my horses issues to get better next time - I’m selfish enough to not care what others are doing unless they are Wow... love watching the stars. Prelim is pretty boring to watch as a spectator and tbh I don’t bring my horses out until novice (or elementary) these days so the only time I really watch these daysis when I’m judging
 
Hi melodrama

Just wanted to tell you that I have reported your posts. You are being deliberately offensive and attacking members that have spent time giving you the benefit of their knowledge and experience without cost.

You may not agree with their insightful comments, but you are deliberately attacking them malaciously. I personally don't always agree with everyone - but everyone here is saying the same thing. Your horse is tense, you need to learn how to relax him in a competitive environment and your scores will improve. Dressage is not comparing yourself against other competitors, but scoring yourself against the scales of training. Obviously, on this day, you presented a stressed, tense horse, which at the level you are riding is not unexpected, how you deal with that going forward is totally down to you.

Now I know that you will take this completely the wrong way, but again that is down to you. I am also sure that you will attack these comments, but - as they say"hey ho", and I don't give a damm.

Rather than having a hissy fit on an internet forum, work on getting your horse relaxed so that the next time you present him for a test, you give a lot more harmonious picture. AND stop worrying about what other competitors are doing.
 
milliepops said:
Well we've had the accusations of bullying, the threat of a flounce and some supporters appearing out of the woodwork so I reckon we're pretty much at house already 😂
Click to expand...

No, no one has asked how to have a post/thread removed.

No one has had an infraction or whatever they are called.

No blank spaces with "content has been removed" on the thread.
 
KittenInTheTree said:
Ignoring the rest of the thread, because I honestly don't care. But, yeah, this reminds me of something that I disagree with - people who won't let their horse stop for a poo when under saddle. I seriously hate those people. Not only because I think it's not fair on the horse, but also because making a horse keep moving whilst passing droppings results in a trail of manure for other people to pick up, as opposed to just the one tidy heap. Have some consideration and let your poor horse stop for a loo break! We all know you won't bother poo picking the arena afterwards, so it's really the least you can do for whoever has to sort that this time. And if it happens on a hack then ditto, because other people don't like having to play "Guess how far this trail of manure will last for?", especially not when we're on foot and you've apparently been making your horse dance the fandango whilst it poops. On the footpath (the people kind of footpath with a kerb, etc.), the road, the verge, seriously, what the actual Hades are you feeding this animal? Is it even an animal that's known to science? I mean, by this point, it looks as if you may have skipped riding entirely and just brought a big sack of poo with you and scattered it about randomly wherever anyone might step!

Damn, that felt good! So good in fact, that I think I'll add my complaint about people who don't bother making sure that their bit of the electric fencing isn't shorting out the power for everybody else on the yard. Those people suck too, and should be fed to something. I don't know exactly what, but something with teeth, that eats you slowly, perhaps taking as long as you've taken in terms of getting round to fixing your fencing.

Merry fecking Xmas to all.
Click to expand...
😂 I think the reason people don't is in case it decides to stop in the dressage arena.
 
A Mule In A Manager said:
😂 I think the reason people don't is in case it decides to stop in the dressage arena.
Click to expand...

I once had one stop for a pee. I think the test sheet said "inattentive" or something similar. Dropped marks for it, but made us all laugh with the associated horse lack of dignity, farting and groaning...



Nooooooo ... EDITED TO ADD ****** the horse NOT me!!!**********
 
A Mule In A Manager said:
😂 I think the reason people don't is in case it decides to stop in the dressage arena.
Click to expand...
My trainer announced we were now aiming at GP the other week and kira responded by doing her first on-the-move poo *ever*
I take it she has recognised that GP horses can poo and trot at the same time.
I let them stop at home because of the issue with picking up poo shrapnel but it sure as hell backfires in competition 🙄
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top