Training Report with the wonderful Steph Cooper & not so Baby Spanish!!

D

dressagecrazy

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 June 2006
Messages
1,818
Visit site
It's been a while since i posted & the now not so Baby Spanish is a 5yo, in April i decided to set to with his BD career he needed to get out. So i through him in at the deep end & started with some Novice tests i didnt expect much, but He now has a few BD points.
On the whole i wasnt to pleased with our general way of going. I persoanlly felt like i wasnt riding him the way i should be & was still falling into the babying that i do with him:(.

So with all this in mind i decided to set out to find a new trainer seeing as my long term trainer is in the UAE, i had to really find someone. That someone was Steph Cooper List 1 Judge & GP rider:D.

Steph was lovely from the off & as per usual she wanted to see us warm up. She knew exactly what to work on & didnt make any assumptions over the Breed of my horse, which was a breath of fresh air!! She ignored what breed he was & focused on getting us better.

So first she wanted us to work on Leg yeild, turning onto the 5 mtr line & tapping with outside leg to help forwardness & then pushing with the inside leg over to the boards.

She then gave me her thoughts, & they where as i already knew i needed to ask for more of everything. BUT everything done in a way as not to more it to the point he would break.

At this point she said everythings there but flat, scores for overall way of going would be a 6 at this point as it's satisfactory:o.
He is not a flashy WB but he is a horse i can ride & influence to get that flashyness Steph Explained.

With all that in mind we set off to make that overall way of going score a 7 or 8.:)

The next one we did was all about timing & feel getting him to sit more & change the frame from a long one to & uphill one, it was about bringing him back in the trot to almost Piaffe engaging the hind & then riding forwards & so on & so forth.:)
This worked a treat & he really came up, he loves Piaffe or PifPaff:D:D as Steph calls it lol, so i knew it would illuminate him. We then did Pifpaff into Medium Trot & again a huge differance really starting to lift the shoulders.

Score's where now averaging between a 7-8 for overall way of going :D.

We then moved onto Canter & i told Steph i had been working on Simple Changes & even though they are in a baby way he is grasping it. So guess what she wanted to work on, Yep you guessed it Simple changes. Only not the baby kind she wanted the Medium test type, however it did have a bit of a twist as she wanted me to ride almost Canter / Halt:eek:. I admit it wasnt pretty but it has certainly helped the canter & the Simple changes:cool:.

After this we where pretty much done, we had loads of walk breaks throughout & Steph was concious of the Horse the whole time. She pulls no punches & really DOES tell you how it is but it was exactly what i needed as ive been training with a few to many wishy washy trainers since mine left.

I hope you enjoyed reading I appologise for the Pic's but they where very dark & it was raining consistently thoughout the session hence why im buried in my jacket with head down most of the time.

Leg yeild at the start, as you can see im babying him & ridning him flat -
LegYeild-1.jpg


After Steph's Input i started to pick him up & RIDE -
pickingup.jpg


Pickingup2.jpg


Some PiffPaff -
Pifpaf.jpg


And the starts of the Medium -
1stMedium.jpg


Canter
Canter-5.jpg


Start of Simples -
StartofSC.jpg


Whooaaaa nearly halt lol-
whooanearlyhalt.jpg


Back out we go-
Backoutwego.jpg


Canter2-1.jpg


Really enjoyed it & will be going back in a couple of weeks.
 
Fab report, and very Steph!! I have watched a lot of lessons with her, and she is certainly a character but is very good at getting the best out of horse and rider. Look forward to more reports!
 
Maybe I should go for a lesson too. She judges me a lot and I've yet to produce what she's looking for! :o
 
Your lad is lovely! I've been meaning to have a lesson with Steph as having been judged by her quite a lot i find her really fair and her comments encouraging even if it isn't going to plan. Reading your report is probably the push i needed to actually book.
 
KatB said:
Fab report, and very Steph!! I have watched a lot of lessons with her, and she is certainly a character but is very good at getting the best out of horse and rider. Look forward to more reports!
Click to expand...

She certainly is a Character, she did make me laugh but was extremely honest, i preffer a trainer to be like that. But they do have to have a sense of humour.

Gamebird said:
Maybe I should go for a lesson too. She judges me a lot and I've yet to produce what she's looking for! :o
Click to expand...

Go Gamebird would be a worthwhile thing to do:)

FrodoBeutlin said:
Lovely report and pictures. He looks like a statue in the second one!
Click to expand...

Thanks FB, lol i had to look again at the 2nd photo. The weather was horrid constant rain & these photo's where really dark so i had to lighten them. But that 2nd & 3rd one had a ray of sun. Think it will of been the only ray of sunlight for the whole day lol.

Louise_88 said:
Your lad is lovely! I've been meaning to have a lesson with Steph as having been judged by her quite a lot i find her really fair and her comments encouraging even if it isn't going to plan. Reading your report is probably the push i needed to actually book.
Click to expand...

Thanks Louise, definitely give her a go. I have been judged by her quite a few times on my other lad. I too have always found her comments & scores even the bad ones very fair & positively constructive. I really enjoyed my training with her.
 
Same colour as mine (was) he is a bit older and lighter now.

Great report though I would be worry about pipaff at this stage as he would need an awful lot of sit with his hocks under him to do it correctly

They learn tricks so easily that it makes getting right harder.
 
B-B said:
Same colour as mine (was) he is a bit older and lighter now.

Great report though I would be worry about pipaff at this stage as he would need an awful lot of sit with his hocks under him to do it correctly

They learn tricks so easily that it makes getting right harder.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your comment, the Piaffe is not Piaffe in the sense of really sitting him it is 2 steps tops then straight out of it. It's not learning tricks it's educating him to be slightly more uphill than he has been. I would also be worried if i was being asked to make him sit & really piaffe, however he does do it just in the stable when he fancys it lol. But thats beside the point.

Again im not someone who pushes my horses, but i dont think that doing what im doing will cause any harm. Basically because everything i do is with careful moderation & consideration of my horses. What ive done in my lesson is not something i would do everyday or even every week. But the odd occasion to help.
I personally cant see anything wrong with that?? Or would someone like to correct me im extremely open minded?


Prince33Sp4rkle said:
he looks more uphill and grown up :)
Click to expand...

Thanks PS glad you can see he's got a little more uphill, he's definitely growing up he's a real teenager now lol.
 
looks a lot stronger than at JLC, and i wouldnt worry about the pi/pa........general consensus amongst most trainers (ive asked) seems to be that if you start playing with it as a 5yo, just a few dinky steps, a few times a month, its a much nicer way to build it up then by suddenly saying "you're 8, now piaffe"!!!!

keep it fun (sure you will) and i dont think it will do an ounce of harm......i would imagine your boy finds it much easier than CS, but he (CS) has been playing with it since a 5yo and is only now really starting to *get* it, and im happy that by the time he has to do it in teh ring, he will have learnt it over such a long period of time, in such an easy way, it wont be a big deal :)
 
Please dont take this the wrong way but my experience both judging training and competing them makes want to say just because they can doesnt mean you should. They do tend to get started young at the higher stuff just because they find it easy, but not correctly.

They dont tend to do as well at the lower levels as they need a lot of suppling to get their hocks under and work over their backs out to the the contact. Tehy are so smart they are quick to learn tricks so riders tend to move up the levels to get the marks for sideways stuff.

Getting the basics right is the hardest and longest part.

Look at your pictures to see if the hocks under and the neck out.

He really is a handsome chap and from the comments above you are doing a great job with him. You probably wont agree with my comments but they are meant in good faith and not attacking you or what you are doing.
 
I think there's a difference between asking for piaffe for piaffe's sake and asking for half-steps in order to get the horse to sit more, and use his hindlegs, which is the case here I think. With Frodo, for instance, we started with half-steps when he was 5, definitely not to teach him a 'trick' but simply to engage his hindquarters and get him to sit.
 
little_flea said:
Its so good to have someone who can push you out of your comfort zone isn't it! Both you and the horse are looking fantastic, agree with PS - a lot more uphill.
Click to expand...

Thanks Little Flea, yes I love being pushed.

Prince33Sp4rkle said:
looks a lot stronger than at JLC, and i wouldnt worry about the pi/pa........general consensus amongst most trainers (ive asked) seems to be that if you start playing with it as a 5yo, just a few dinky steps, a few times a month, its a much nicer way to build it up then by suddenly saying "you're 8, now piaffe"!!!!

keep it fun (sure you will) and i dont think it will do an ounce of harm......i would imagine your boy finds it much easier than CS, but he (CS) has been playing with it since a 5yo and is only now really starting to *get* it, and im happy that by the time he has to do it in teh ring, he will have learnt it over such a long period of time, in such an easy way, it wont be a big deal :)
Click to expand...

Thanks PS, it's always fun if it wasn't I doubt I would still be riding almost 30 years later :eek:

Booboos said:
So glad you are out and about with your boy and have found a great new trainer! He looks super, well done!
Click to expand...

Thanks Booboo's, I've been looking for such a long time & what with T's injury it's all felt like a non starter but I'm finally getting it all together.

annabel2009 said:
He looks fantastic! :) Well done. Steph is brilliant, she always gets the best out of you and your horse and I love her sense of humour. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Annabel, Stephs sense of humour is fab. Really enjoyed myself as I love making things fun & it was. Steph even has a stock pile of Polo's.

B-B said:
Please dont take this the wrong way but my experience both judging training and competing them makes want to say just because they can doesnt mean you should. They do tend to get started young at the higher stuff just because they find it easy, but not correctly.

They dont tend to do as well at the lower levels as they need a lot of suppling to get their hocks under and work over their backs out to the the contact. Tehy are so smart they are quick to learn tricks so riders tend to move up the levels to get the marks for sideways stuff.

Getting the basics right is the hardest and longest part.

Look at your pictures to see if the hocks under and the neck out.

He really is a handsome chap and from the comments above you are doing a great job with him. You probably wont agree with my comments but they are meant in good faith and not attacking you or what you are doing.
Click to expand...

Thanks B-B but I really feel you have got the wrong end of the stick. I'm not what your describing & I'm not someone who takes any shortcuts buti guess people make there own assumptions. Maybe I've written my opening post a bit wrongly? fwiw I train the PRE just the same as any other horse & I've trained a few horses now even though my post makes me possibly sound like a novice.

FrodoBeutlin said:
I think there's a difference between asking for piaffe for piaffe's sake and asking for half-steps in order to get the horse to sit more, and use his hindlegs, which is the case here I think. With Frodo, for instance, we started with half-steps when he was 5, definitely not to teach him a 'trick' but simply to engage his hindquarters and get him to sit.
Click to expand...

Exactly FB I think you should of written my post for me:D Next one I'm going to get you to proof read lol!
 
A good point and I understand where you are coming from.

The Spanish do tend to need to develop the suppleness over the back to be able to sit...without it they just start doing tricks, which again they are sooo good at and often (not suggesting in this case) riders are tricked into thinking the work is correct when the basics are not there.

My horses breeder taught the piaffe in the stable by tapping them up at the stable door. They could do this piaffe all day at 3yrs.

Luckily I owned mine before training started.

I may have the wrong end of the stick but only have your photos to go by. The hocks are not under, your horse is not stepping through in any of the pics shown.
 
Last edited:
B-B said:
A good point and I understand where you are coming from.

The Spanish do tend to need to develop the suppleness over the back to be able to sit...without it they just start doing tricks, which again they are sooo good at and often (not suggesting in this case) riders are tricked into thinking the work is correct when the basics are not there.

My horses breeder taught the piaffe in the stable by tapping them up at the stable door. They could do this piaffe all day at 3yrs.

Luckily I owned mine before training started.
Click to expand...

Thanks again B-B I fully understand what your saying & I agree, however I'm extremely lucky that my British Bred PRE was started very lightly in a great way by lovely & very highly regarded people in the British PRE scene.

I have trained him since he was rising 4 & have spent a long time working him correctly & developing the swing & softness. I'm also very lucky in the fact that my boy shows a lot of swing naturally. He hasn't been trained in the Spanish way so it's now I'm having to start implementing the more Uphill work, just like I would with any other horse at this stage.
My main problem has been he's so dam sweet & lovely I baby him & just put up with "yeah that's good enough". instead of saying hang on no let's do that again if you get my drift.

FWIW I've come across WB's with less swing through there backs than this boy.

ETA - Yes some of the pics are showing him stepping short but can assure you it was raining & windy. He does go a bit behind the leg in these conditions. Butim sure if any of my work with him was as wrong as your making out I would of definitely been pulled up by more than one of the out spoken & very knowledgable trainers that have seen this horse.
 
Last edited:
dressagecrazy said:
FWIW I've come across WB's with less swing through there backs than this boy.
Click to expand...

No arguing with that! :)

All above good to hear. As said in previous post I can only go by the pics today.

Would love to see more when (if!) the weather changes!
 
Great report! Love reading as I am at the same sort of stage with my just turned 5 year old (how do they go so old so quickly!?!?!)
He looks lovely :)
 
Just for you B-B to show you how i work this horse & that he does step under with ease, please excuse my position in this shot & remember that a photo is just a moment in time.

stretchytrot2.jpg


G1-2.jpg
 
Last edited:
You both look fantastic. I trained with a few classical dressage masters in Portugal last year...thats when I discovered my love for Iberians :cool:

Sounds like you're doing great with him, they can be such a tricky breed too, well done :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top