Watch red! *Critique WANTED!*

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Kitari

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This is Red's first ride in 2 months, It has a small mixture of everything that Ive done with her, walk, trot, canter obviously, but in the mix is our first sidepass attempt after several months of well just not doing it, as well as stopping from the trot and backing up without asking through my hands, The backing up sans hands I Just started trying on our last ride two months ago and haven't work sense because of her eye injury, so on and so forth. I also did some sitting trot at the end as something just to try because Ive never done it on her before, she kind of just lifts you out of the saddle, so I never tried before.

Overall let me see if I can critique myself, having also not ridden in those two months.

My hands look better, a still be rigid in the elbow though, I need to loosen them up to make my hands more independant of my body movement.

My lower leg isnt as wiggly as it normally is, but I attribute that to the fact I wasnt wearing chaps and if it moved like normal then my leathers pinched. But there still need work, even the pant leg flapping cant hide that, I also need to move them back about an inch.

My leg appears most steady during the canter and Im not bent forward enough to make it look like im kneading dough like I was before so thats an improvement, Im sitting deeper and giving clear cues to her to canter so she isnt confused like last time. Her left lead needs work.

I'm not leaning as much as I normally do, BUT I was also concentrating on not leaning forwards as well, so I may go right back if I stop thinking about it.

*I* think the stop from the trot was good, I did ask with my hands but sat deeper and breathed out deeply.

Our backup needs work, though it was our second time, she was responsive to my leg cues however so I need to work on those because I kept asking for too much give on one hip and not the other making her back up crooked until I asked more with my other leg to straighten out.

I noticed that when trotting and she gets heavy I need to ask her to lift up and drive more. Occasionally I asked for the lift but no drive and she tried to walk.

Ok self critique is over, now tell me what you think!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IARSsHX0V00
 
I am going to sound really mean, but I hope you havent just hopped on a horse and done that much, including lateral work after 2 months, and she has done a bit before? If not you are likely to not be riding for another 2....

I would personally concentrate on hacking your horse, developing a contact and long and low outline, strengthening through your horses back. The most I would be doing with your horse is simple transitions. I would personally develop your horses strengh, asking it to move forward through its back end and into a consistent soft contact in front, in straight lines, not in an arena.

To me the horse is not really moving forward, or using itself in any way. It needs to work from behind more and be more active.

I also would question whether the horse was entirely sound in front, especially in its off fore.

I am sorry to sound so harsh, I dont mean to, it is meantto be constructive rather than mean.

sorry
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R2R you beat me to it. Horse not ridden for 2 months and you get on and do all that? That's absolutely ridiculous. You should be thinking about nice slow steady fittening walk, not trotting, cantering and lateral work.
 
^_^

you make it sound like alot! Most of the ride was done at the walk and low trot, we had 2 canter session one in each direction, the side-pass was only enough to see if she remembered and backing up is a gimmie to work on.

Trust me I did not just hop on and go "Ok move your butt now, canter canter canter canter" She is outside 24/7 so she isnt coming from stall rest and I watch her daily put herself through more rigorous exercise than the 30 minute ride we had yesterday.

R2R where are you seeing her off? I just rewatched the entire video?
 
would someone point out where at one point in the video? out of all the people currently viewing the video only r2r has seen it? I would like to know which second segments yo seeing it at please.
 
Im not sure wether your horse is unsound.... to me it looks like she is simply not going anywhere near forward enough in any pace, and so looks a little uneven, my horse can look/feel slightly unsound when he is having a seriously lazy day. She is also distinctly lacking in muscle behind the saddle.

I dont know why you are attempting "backup" and "sidepass" (whatever that is!!!) when your horse isnt going forwards nicely, into a good soft contact, with impulsion and energy. Go back to basics, get an instructor and concentrate on getting your horse to go forward before "trying" anything else!!

Your position although not bad, would benefit from your stirrups being a hole shorter......
 
I don't see a lame horse,just one not moving forward properly and on it's forehand. I didn't pay much attention to be honest to the rider as I was looking to see if the horse was lame lol. Considering the horse has been out of work for a couple of months she actually doesn't look too bad to me.You just need to work on getting her more forwards in front of your leg and you will find she won't lean on you as much.The reason she is leaning is because she is on the forehand.
 
Lexi and Spike: Im glade im not the only one here who doesn't see it? When I watched the video all I saw was her just not moving all that great, not off or anything, just not great.

and I did notice the heaviness and even addressed it as my last point of self critique. ^_^
 
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Lexi and Spike: Im glade im not the only one here who doesn't see it? When I watched the video all I saw was her just not moving all that great, not off or anything, just not great.

and I did notice the heaviness and even addressed it as my last point of self critique. ^_^

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Yes but you don't address leaning by trying to "lift" her up
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I couldn't watch the video for some reason, but I have to say that everyone that has offered their comments has been constructive, and I really don't see why you posted asking for a critique if you are going to be defensive when you get replies
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There is some good advice up there ^^^
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What style of riding do you 'do' Kitari? It kind of looks like Western to me but without using Western tack.

Having watched some of your other videos (the ones where you are riding Poco)I can't say I'm impressed, but maybe that's because I don't understand the principles of Western riding and am being a numpty.
 
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[ QUOTE ]
Lexi and Spike: Im glade im not the only one here who doesn't see it? When I watched the video all I saw was her just not moving all that great, not off or anything, just not great.

and I did notice the heaviness and even addressed it as my last point of self critique. ^_^

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Yes but you don't address leaning by trying to "lift" her up
smile.gif
I couldn't watch the video for some reason, but I have to say that everyone that has offered their comments has been constructive, and I really don't see why you posted asking for a critique if you are going to be defensive when you get replies
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There is some good advice up there ^^^
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I haven't gotten defensive, the only thing remotely was wanting to see at what points in the video they are seeing her lame as I cant see it and no one else has even hinted at it, and Ive had alot of people watch this video. So far no one has pointed out where they are seeing it.

And other than that, not much is really being said in the way to improve, instruction yes, something ive been wanting to do, but not much I can actually work on myself, which at the moment is all Ive got.

I am very much open to critiques, and have received some great advice I can work with w/o an instructor from people on other forums. As well as things I can do to help improve my communication when asking for things like the sidepass and back up. Not to mention advice to help with my lower leg and leaning with a stiff upper body. I am open to critiques when I get them.
 
tabit: I just trrail ride, I dont show or anything of that nature, and by that logic I could always just piddle paddle down the trail without trying to work on other things I suppose, but that sounds boring.

which videos are you talking about with Poco, I have several, most of them notum fun because frankly Poco is not fun to ride most days. I think I have only 1-2 videos where Im riding her and it doesnt look like its going to be a train wreck.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I don't see a lame horse,just one not moving forward properly and on it's forehand. I didn't pay much attention to be honest to the rider as I was looking to see if the horse was lame lol. Considering the horse has been out of work for a couple of months she actually doesn't look too bad to me.You just need to work on getting her more forwards in front of your leg and you will find she won't lean on you as much.The reason she is leaning is because she is on the forehand.

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Agreed. Horse looks to be moving in a lazy fashion thats all, I could be wrong,I am not a vet.
Regards people talking about you moving too quick, the horse looks relaxed and that did not look strenuous at all to the horse to me.
Seemed typical of a lazy horse who is getting back in the swing of things. Yes fittening work is good as has been said, but I do not think you did much at all, a few strides of canter and a few strides of trot plus a couple of maneuvers done gently hardly constitutes moving too fast to me.
 
Brighteyes, I am in the US, and she is downhill on a good day. Mom swears she has leveled out but i think mom looks upon her with rose coloured glasses. XD
 
I also do not think this horse is lame, just not going forward and very on the forehand (which gives you the leaning feeling).

First, hoik your stirrups up at least one hole, you are currently 'reaching' for them and this is affecting your balance at times which will not help the horse.

For the time being I would concentrate on getting the horse freely forward in a good rythm, forget backing up and sidepass, ditto halting. Once the horse is forward, halt to trot transitions will help to engage the hind leg a little more but ONLY do this once your horse is forward.

I know I seem to be using the word forward a lot here, but until you have that, nothing else will come.
 
Sorry - I read the replies to this last night but was on my blackberry and replying takes ages.

I am sorry if my comments are not what you wanted to hear.

Firstly, there is nothing wrong with not riding a horse for two months then getting on it and walk, trot and cantering around and doing light lateral work....if you want to cause problems, muscular or structural, in that horse. Fair enough if you have a horse that was fit two months ago and has been kept fit with ground work over the winter, time on horsewalkers, lunging, and longreining, but I don't think it is really fair to ask a horse (any horse, but that might just be me) to work on a circle and carry a rider if it had done nothing for 8 weeks.

The horse in the video clearly has no muscle base or topline and so my opinion that the horse should first have been doing strengthening work such as hacking etc before attempting time in the school still stands (as I suggested in my first reply)

How would you like doing hardly anything for 2 months and then going for a 2 mile run with a rucksack?

As for the unsoundness, look at 1.42 onwards on the video as an example. It might be that he is not working forward, but I can (and still can) see some thing not quite right.
 
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