& video's: Sooo proud of Breitlingh!

[Four Seasons]

Hi again!

Well, my other thread wasn't very interesting as nobody commented on it... Take that as a good thing or a bad thing? Anyway, got pics and vids for this thread.

Breitlingh has had her ups and down lately, but we're now learning together and my riding has improved loads. I can feel much quicker now, when she tenses up, I can usually resolve it quicker and better, before it gets out of hand.

Breitlingh is following my hand much, much better and is really taking the contact, without hanging all of her weight on my hands. We have a great light contact. It still is a bit rocky here and there and we do have our misunderstandings, but that is learning material for me.

A tiny bit in front of the vertical and tense

Asking for a more collected trot (VERY VERY talented for collecting!!)

Half-Pass

In canter she can get tense and hollow her back. I settle her in canter, this sometimes takes a while, but when settled, she really starts breezing and relaxes. Cantering in a straight line is still quite hard for her.
[video=youtube;Lw7r4CThk9w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw7r4CThk9w&feature=youtu.be[/video]

[video=youtube;7Dx05grEAMo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Dx05grEAMo&feature=youtu.be[/video]

When going into tempi changes, Breitlingh can get very enthousiastic about it all and storm off. When I try to correct her with hand and seat aids, she will get p*ssed off and go up. This is something we are working on, as you can see, the next one goes near perfect.
[video=youtube;HCgYJCt0eqY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCgYJCt0eqY&feature=youtu.be[/video]

 

[MandyMoo]

all looks good to me! you have a lovely seat/position

 

[muddy_grey]

Gosh she has grown up, her neck looks huge! She is one of my favourite HHO horses, you ride her so well

 

[dressagelove]

She's lovely, and you ride her so well. Glad she is progressing well x

 

[Foxford]

She looks like a very exciting prospect, her hind leg action is brilliant! How big is she, her strides look huge but she doesn't look massive?

 

[AdorableAlice]

What an attractive horse, you are so elegant on her and sit beautifully. Lots to look forward to. Very best of luck for the future.

Just a little comment, try to look up and over her ears, your chin tips down and that influences your balance. I was told to imagine a piece of string on top of my hat pulling my eyes/chin up. When I did it I found I sat more upright and opened my shoulders more easily. Another instructor was more blunt and simply asked me my I was studying the horse's mane instead of looking up, out and were I was going !

 

[Vickijay]

I really, really like your mare. She looks like she's coming along nicely

 

[Four Seasons]

Thanks everyone!

She is around the 16.2 hh, I mostly make her look big as I am quite petite.

AA, thanks for the cc. I really need to look foward instead of looking at my pretty horse!

 

[Tempi]

Nice looking mare. In the changes of tempo you are using too much hand and she's not engaged enough behind. She needs more engagement and 'sit' behind to lighten the forehand and increase the engagement. Lots of trot to halt and back to trot will help with this as well as some leg yielding in and out on a circle making sure she's staying forwards. But you don't want her rushing forwards and down onto the forehand, she needs to take the weight behind and become more active with her hindlegs - try using a stick and tap-tapping to get her to quicken the hind leg, at the same time keep the fingers closed and soft on the reins so that she doesn't power out through her front end.

 

[glamourpuss]

Lovely videos, you look a really elegant rider

 

[Tobiano]

She is a beautiful horse and you ride her beautifully