Todays session number 11

You end up with horses that fear the leg and hand...they are expecting to be pushed and pulled between the two and this is where I personally try not to teach to get the horse between the leg and hand. Seat and contact yes, but not leg and hand as it is too simplified a term and too easily mistaken for just pushing forward and pulling back until something happens.

^^ so true - I really struggle with this as, whether instructors mean this or not, I think the way many teach means people push and pull the horse at the same time to try and get into into an outline, and it's v difficult to understand the distinction between that and seat/contact. I don't profess to having gotten it right sadly, but I kind of know when I'm doing it wrong. I'm at the conscious imcompetence stage !
 
^^ so true - I really struggle with this as, whether instructors mean this or not, I think the way many teach means people push and pull the horse at the same time to try and get into into an outline, and it's v difficult to understand the distinction between that and seat/contact. I don't profess to having gotten it right sadly, but I kind of know when I'm doing it wrong. I'm at the conscious imcompetence stage !

Conscious incompetence....love it :)

There's nothing incompetent about realising what you need to work so don't be so hard on yourself :)
 
I'm sorry, I haven't watched whole video (30 mins i quite long.....). In what I did watch, there didn't seem to be many transitions. I personally would want to see a lot more of these to try and get the horse engaged (both physically and mentally) in what he's doing a bit more. I have a PRE so am aware that they find it easy to tuck behind vertical. i was lucky as she was unbroken when I got her, but even then we've gone through stages. We did no contact at all, behind vertical, spent many weeks on buckle end, getting her to look for contact, and now finally we seem to be settling into a nice one. Again, along the way we did bit changes, started in loose ring link with flash, moved onto happy mouth straight bar, now back in fixed ring french link but no flash. it's all trial and error..... good luck.
 
It may have been me who said on an earlier video that Armas looked very flat in his movement and on the forehand. I've said that a few times. That's how he looks here as well. Maybe now that he's more relaxed about the trainer, she will start to get him working more uphill. One would hope, especially as PRE's have such lovely, natural elevation. Anyway, I certainly would not want my horse ridden the way Armas is ridden in this video, but she is very different type of horse.
 
I haven't read all of the comments or watched all of the videos. I certainly wont make judgement on the riding side, as I am a happy hacker type. However, one thing I would like to ask is, what is the point of the videos? Does the owner school this horse, or is it just to say, hey look how well my horse goes with a professional instructor on its back. I would rather see a horse improving with the owner on board.
 
I haven't read all of the comments or watched all of the videos. I certainly wont make judgement on the riding side, as I am a happy hacker type. However, one thing I would like to ask is, what is the point of the videos? Does the owner school this horse, or is it just to say, hey look how well my horse goes with a professional instructor on its back. I would rather see a horse improving with the owner on board.

It's because you haven't read all the comments that you don't already have the answer to that question :)
 
Hmm, I don't know what it is but I always get an awkward feeling watching this coupling. There are some good signs here, and its not the 'car wreck' it was before. A does look more relaxed, and whilst he is still btv for the majority of the session, its less extreme. However, he almost seems a bit 'lights off'. There is definite improvement, but I still get the impression when watching that they aren't 'clicking' and it all feels a bit dulled to me. It comes back to a previous comment of mine and if I recall correctly GG's, 'improvement, but at what cost?' For me, watching something like this, should put a smile on your face, lift your heart and inspire... It doesn't, I've moved from finding it really hard and uncomfortable to watch to finding it a bit lacklustre, still with many of the issues that were there in the begining, just muted.

Does that make any sense?
 
Hmm, I don't know what it is but I always get an awkward feeling watching this coupling. There are some good signs here, and its not the 'car wreck' it was before. A does look more relaxed, and whilst he is still btv for the majority of the session, its less extreme. However, he almost seems a bit 'lights off'. There is definite improvement, but I still get the impression when watching that they aren't 'clicking' and it all feels a bit dulled to me. It comes back to a previous comment of mine and if I recall correctly GG's, 'improvement, but at what cost?' For me, watching something like this, should put a smile on your face, lift your heart and inspire... It doesn't, I've moved from finding it really hard and uncomfortable to watch to finding it a bit lacklustre, still with many of the issues that were there in the begining, just muted.

Does that make any sense?

Yes it makes sense. Compatibility-wise I'm not sure these two will ever be a great fit, but it does seem like they are developing a working relationship that has the potential to achieve what J wants from the training. It's wait and see I suppose.
 
I'm no expert but just wanted to say that i have followed your posts and for me this is the best one so far. He looks as though he is beginning to relax, and whilst not perfect it's moving in the right direction.

Thanks for the updates.
 
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