Worked So Hard! Feel Like Giving Up

[Berry and Des]

Yes he does look better but its not like you were in a correct positon in the first pics, your not on your seat and half halting!

This young girl is possibly going to compete in dressage if she goes round not using her lower leg and squeezing with her knees she would get marked down quite a lot!

When your horse is galloping around the ring with you, can you sit down and half halt? i had the same problems with him being strong / excited when jumping now i dont have that problem because of my instructor and what she has taught me, she is a serious dressage rider and the thing she does on horses are amazing i will never doubt her.

I feel like you just want to agrue that you are right and i am wrong, i'm not telling her to sqeeze with her knees constantly just when shes having problem stopping, it works with my horse, some people prefer to yank their horse until they stop i used to do that but now i've learnt otherwise and its just a tip she could try if she is having problems. Half halting never worked with Sax he hates his mouth being touched, maybe this horse is the same anything is worth a try

 

[Kokopelli]

That's a gag not a snaffle

You can achieve what your instructor is teaching you without squeezing with your knee. Squeezing with the knee will affect your position. The best way to half halt is to squeeze your bum cheeks together - this blocks the movement without altering your position in any way

Thats how I was taught

 

[Berry and Des]

That's a gag not a snaffle

You can achieve what your instructor is teaching you without squeezing with your knee. Squeezing with the knee will affect your position. The best way to half halt is to squeeze your bum cheeks together - this blocks the movement without altering your position in any way

I dont want to compete dressage just wanted to stop and that is how she taught me, i dont have to do it half as much any more, but thankyou for the advice i'll try it next time xx

 

[zoelouisem]

When your horse is galloping around the ring with you, can you sit down and half halt? i had the same problems with him being strong / excited when jumping now i dont have that problem because of my instructor and what she has taught me, she is a serious dressage rider and the thing she does on horses are amazing i will never doubt her.

I feel like you just want to agrue that you are right and i am wrong, i'm not telling her to sqeeze with her knees constantly just when shes having problem stopping, it works with my horse, some people prefer to yank their horse until they stop i used to do that but now i've learnt otherwise and its just a tip she could try if she is having problems. Half halting never worked with Sax he hates his mouth being touched, maybe this horse is the same anything is worth a try

Yes if a horses pisses off with me, i can half halt and sit on backside and stop them.

No i dont want to argue, but this girl jumps ect and has recently had a fall over a XC fence, probaly from been on the forehand. If she is jumping and squeezes with her kness which could tilt her forward, or stop her lowers legs working correctly then it could run her into other problems and could possibly pull the horse more on the forehand!

I also notice in your pic that the martingale is about 3 inches to short whcih would help pull its head down??

I just think she should be taught to ride correctly?

Anyway im not going to post any further as BSJA123 has taken the advice shes needed and is hopefully moving forward and i dont want to make another one of her threads into a row.

 

[ShowJumperBeckii]

ooohh dear....... :/

 

[AprilBlossom]

Ive read the last couple of pages with great interest as the other day I was watching an instructor teach a lesson and her advice to get a horse really moving off the leg was to take whole leg, knee and everything away from the addle then really belt the poor beast! Now this sounds and looks like a pony club kick, and made no sense to me whatsoever but a friend of mine who has lessons with same woman said 'yeah so the horse knows when your leg is coming off the saddle it anticipates a kick and moves forward obediently...' and claimed it's worked wonders for her horse.

I still think it's massively wrong but goes to show how different people do things different ways and what works for one doesn't work for another! This instructor also hails from overseas...

Bsja, don't be disheartened by an off day, keep at it nice and steady like you were and you prob won't need the quick fix tack changes...on the other hand, you still might but try the lovely slow and steady pace first, especially as you're still healing

 

[Berry and Des]

Ive read the last couple of pages with great interest as the other day I was watching an instructor teach a lesson and her advice to get a horse really moving off the leg was to take whole leg, knee and everything away from the addle then really belt the poor beast! Now this sounds and looks like a pony club kick, and made no sense to me whatsoever but a friend of mine who has lessons with same woman said 'yeah so the horse knows when your leg is coming off the saddle it anticipates a kick and moves forward obediently...' and claimed it's worked wonders for her horse.

I still think it's massively wrong but goes to show how different people do things different ways and what works for one doesn't work for another! This instructor also hails from overseas...

Bsja, don't be disheartened by an off day, keep at it nice and steady like you were and you prob won't need the quick fix tack changes...on the other hand, you still might but try the lovely slow and steady pace first, especially as you're still healing

Wicked post i agree 100%

 

[astewart13]

I'm no expert, but seems to me that putting her in a stronger bit to jump is a bit of a false economy. If she has ridden well in a snaffle before then its not your bit that is the problem, she is just excited and fizzy and chancing her arm a bit. Stick with the snaffle, you dont want her to become hard to a snaffle later on, but if you are nervous get someone with a bit more confidence to ride her out for you initially or ride out with an older and more sane horse, so she remembers her manners. Also lungeing her before schooling might help take some of the fizz out of her or a light hack before taking her into the arena for jumping. I once rode a ex eventer who was coming back after injury. She was 15 but totally nuts after box rest and once she saw the poles go up, and was asked for canter, bucked for a few laps of the arena - a combo of bad manners and excitment. Thankfully she wasn't very fit and tired of this quickly, and a half hour hack before taking her into the arena, was often enough for her to remember her manners.

Hope this helps.

 

[Kat]

BSJA123

I've read most of your posts. Personally I think that you have had a bad day, a set back a bit of a blip, but it isn't the end of the world and it isn't time to throw away all you hard work.

I have nothing against riding in a strong bit, or having a different bit to jump in if you need it (although perversly the mare I'm riding at the moment I have in a pelham on the flat and a snaffle to jump - go figure! )

I think you should take a big step back and return to schooling on the flat in the snaffle and gradually re-introduce poles and fences - slowly! You've both had a break, she was probably just excited to be jumping proper fences again. Go back and re-establish the rules and try again.

It may ultimitely be the case that you do need a slightly stronger bit for jumping in winter but give her a chance, everyone can have a bad day! If the same thing happens every time you get the fences back up then consider something a bit stronger, but I suspect that you will find she remembers all the schooling with enough repetition. Remember that the majority of your "brakes" should come from your seat not your hands! My instructor tells us to think about pressing a brake pedal in a car with our foot on the stirrup, and to imagine the reins are attached to our shoulders so rather than pulling back with our hands we sit up and back. I think a good instructor would be very helpful, it doesn't have to be a dressage instructor.

If you do need to change your bit, try something a bit milder than the tom thumb first. Think about what she does to get away from you (head up or down, jaw crossed, leaning, snatching etc) and then decide what to try. I'd think about a cherry roller or twisted snaffle (especially if she leans or takes hold). I'd also consider a wilkie or universal if you need a lifting action. If you need to lower her head then maybe a kimblewick or pelham.