Youngster learns BIG CANTER and pops a few jumps *pics*

3DE

3DE

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I has another sit on my friend's 3yo youngster today. I did a bit of warming her up and schooling and then my friend took over for the 'new' stuff. Up until today she had only been asked to work round in trot but today we got this...

Sequence of photos from the start to show progression...

Trot

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And PING into canter!

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Coming round :)

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And then we put a little jump up. This is her first time over jumps :)

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She struggled actually seeing the fence we think (she's 16h3) so we had a couple of odd jumps

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So we added crates to give her something to see

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And finally

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Thanks for looking. She's such a good girl for a baby and has come along lovely in the past 8 weeks :)
 
Looks like a huge baby! Lovely sort, well done on a good basic schooling to start them off. Also looks like she has a nice pop in her and doesn't mind the 'water jump'!!
 
She's a nice looking girl. Would be a much nicer picture if rider wasn't quite so rigid with the hands though...

She's only a baby and needs to be properly balanced and forwards before anyone starts expecting an outline! :)
 
celia said:
She's a nice looking girl. Would be a much nicer picture if rider wasn't quite so rigid with the hands though...

She's only a baby and needs to be properly balanced and forwards before anyone starts expecting an outline! :)
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TheMule said:
Honest horse to accept jumping rather uninviting things and land in a puddle!
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Sweet mare, but I agree with the above comments ...
 
TheMule said:
Honest horse to accept jumping rather uninviting things and land in a puddle!
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She is as honest as an honest thing. She has never yet spooked or bucked at anything. She's 16h3 of 3 year old but feels like an old pro :)

We have hacked past:

A crane
A tractor with a bale on the front - that moved
Buses
Trail bikes
A gritter that didn't turn the grit off (oweee!)
One of those turning cement mixer on the back of a waggon
A double decker cow transporter - complete with cows
A wheelie bin that blew over and the bags rolled out - she actually looked at this ;)

I love her to bits!!!
 
celia said:
She's a nice looking girl. Would be a much nicer picture if rider wasn't quite so rigid with the hands though...

She's only a baby and needs to be properly balanced and forwards before anyone starts expecting an outline! :)
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That's a hard one - the actually needs balancing as she is so big and unbalanced at the mo. As soon as you drop the contact on her she loses all rhythm - as long as you keep a firm contact she gains confidence from you. We start long and low with her, then bring her up and then finish long and low. Hopefully this way she will develop all the right muscles in the right places :) And she's not had any gadgets on her :)

Edit - she is only 3 - she's not capable of maintaining anything like an outline yet - false or otherwise...
 
looks a good sort. a shire or clyde x? sorry but you cant balance a horse through a rein contact you reqally do ned to teach them to self carry! in a few years time she will be far too big and heavy to carry in the hand!!! the ears and tail going into canter i wouldnt be happy with! (doesnt look like a happy natural progression). if she has reached this stage in 8 weeks then i personally wiould be looking to turn away for the next 4 months and pick her up again in the spring. she will grow and fill out til she is 6. she is very nice please do not rush her!
 
Christmas_Crackers said:
That's a hard one - the actually needs balancing as she is so big and unbalanced at the mo. As soon as you drop the contact on her she loses all rhythm - as long as you keep a firm contact she gains confidence from you.
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I understand what you're saying, but the horse should be the one asking for the contact. If your hands were higher, your elbows bending and more allowing, you'd probably find she'd learn to seek a contact without you feeling the need to wrench her head in by holding your hands down by your thighs.

Gorgeous mare :)
 
ofcourseyoucan said:
looks a good sort. a shire or clyde x? sorry but you cant balance a horse through a rein contact you reqally do ned to teach them to self carry! in a few years time she will be far too big and heavy to carry in the hand!!! the ears and tail going into canter i wouldnt be happy with! (doesnt look like a happy natural progression). if she has reached this stage in 8 weeks then i personally wiould be looking to turn away for the next 4 months and pick her up again in the spring. she will grow and fill out til she is 6. she is very nice please do not rush her!
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She's shire x - big gal

Ears and tail in canter - it was the first time she had cantered so not too fussed about that.

As for the rushing - she's not been rushed as such, she'll be 4 on the 1st of Jan (she's called drift because she was born in the snow :)). She was backed at the beginning of Spring, turned away for the summer and autumn and brought back into work 8 weeks ago - she's had her time off :)

Also - she's not mine, she belongs to my friend who breaks professionally. She's going out doing a few thing in spring and then will be sold :(
 
I'm sorry but you are jumping a very green 3 year old that isn't even established in basic paces?? Am I the only one who thinks this is mad? Let the poor thing mature a bit before you start pushing it over fences - do you have any idea on bringing on young horses?? I'm sorry but that's quite shocking to my mind :-(
 
MunchMincePies said:
I understand what you're saying, but the horse should be the one asking for the contact. If your hands were higher, your elbows bending and more allowing, you'd probably find she'd learn to seek a contact without you feeling the need to wrench her head in by holding your hands down by your thighs.
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Read the first line... It isn't me riding... Drift does ask for the contact, she isn't being forced, if the contact is dropped she stops. She's a baby - she seeks reassurance.
 
Hedgewitch13 said:
I'm sorry but you are jumping a very green 3 year old that isn't even established in basic paces?? Am I the only one who thinks this is mad? Let the poor thing mature a bit before you start pushing it over fences - do you have any idea on bringing on young horses?? I'm sorry but that's quite shocking to my mind :-(
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I believe I have said twice now that the rider isn't me, it is my friend, who breaks professionally and is also an instructor. The horse is 4 on Jan the first - not a just turned 3 yo.

And yes I do myself have an idea about bringing on youngsters - I have two myself. Both unbroken
 
i really really like her as ive said before but agree that its quite alot to be doing with such a young horse, and also rider needs to be alot softer through her elbows and hands :)
 
Alright - whoever is riding my advice stands!

She's a nice horse (and I love the name!) and I think people are just trying to give some advice to ensure she is as nice as she can be in the future. I understand however that some folk like to do things their way or no way and that's fine :)

I don't have the energy the argue with you. Looking forward to seeing pics when she's grown up and filled out, she's a lot like my friend's gelding.
 
CC... what a lovely and honest mare! And I can see no harm in a good all round education, short "taster" sessions of what she will do as an adult without overworking or over facing her. Better that than pussy foot until she's fully matured and maybe learnt some attitude.
 
Good Lord. If my instructor saw this she would reach for the shotgun and not to shoot the horse. Total lack of empathy, look at the horses expression not enjoying the "new stuff" at all. What a ridiculous display of mind over matter. Forcing is not educating.
 
With you there Starbar. I'm sorry but that horse needs turning away for the winter to mature a bit. Any instructor who allows a horse that immature to jump isn't worth listening too! I mean seriously?!
 
I kind of agree, I'm afraid. I would want someone softer through the arms, hands and seat and with much longer legs so the focus is on forwards. Also it would help if the rider was 'with' the movement, especially as the balance of powers is so obviously with the horse! Can't understand why jumping so soon but a lovely sort.
 
starbar said:
Thanks for sharing these, she looks lovely and honest :)

to be brutally honest though I would be finding a new instructor, sorry :(
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I would agree, TBH I completely get where you are coming from, my mare was the complete opposite when we started to jump, ANY contact and she would stop! Drop the contact and sit quiet and she would take you over, 2 weeks later she was reluctant to go over the jump so I picked up a contact and woosh! We were jumping, she then NEEDED the contact for complete confidence once she found her feet!

However, I would say that there are varying degrees of contact, just 'feeling' that there is someone there at the end of the reins 'whispering or talking quietly' to the horse through the contact is a lot better and more effective than being firm and using them to 'shout' at the horse.

A horse likes contact to feel confidence, that is correct, especially in a baby, but that does not mean that the contact and communication should come from the hands, if the legs are wrapped round and offering support and drive, then I often find that this is reassuring for the horse to 'feel' that the rider is there.

She looks a lovely sort, and very genuine, it would be a shame if she became hard in the mouth, I would just be nice to see much more 'give' in the rider.

I understand that you say 'the day I tell my instructor what to do is the day I lose my instructor' but I would not want any of mine ridden like that, I know a very well known and respected instructor down here, but this woman has told me that she puts 'every horse that comes to her for breaking or schooling in a standing martingale' I would not dream of telling her she is wrong, but I wouldn't dream of sending my horse to her or reccomending her after hearing that either.
 
i would find a new instructor. the person riding is consistently looking down, leaning in which is unbalancing the horse and also has really rigid hands. the instructor sounds like they are talking rubbish. they are also in a chair position in all the pics and don't look like they have a balanced seat. if a young horse seeks 'reassurance' from a contact, then it is going to end up leaning on the hands, which the horse is doing in the pics. the horse does look like its being put into a false outline in most of the pics. a horse shouldn't steady itself through your hands, my horse used to try that and you have to get them balanced through seat and legs before bringing in the hands. Sometimes it can be good to lose an instructor, or at least to question what they are doing.

unless these pics are just taken at really bad times, which does happen!

lovely horse though, looks like it has great potential.
 
I have read all the replies and agree turn the poor little soul away or carry on regardless with immature joints, mind etc and ruin the horse for good. You mention your instructor I assume that is unqualified. No BHS Instructor would behave in such an unprofessional manner nor would pass their riding exams with such a dreadful position and harsh hands, or use any old junk to make a jump for a youngster - it simply would not happen. Call me old fashioned but whatever happened to trotting poles and cavalettis and a safe unslippery surface when introducing something new GRADUALLY. I was taught to always have the horses welfare and safety at heart that way I didn't get injured either.
 
I've had a look at these pics again. Criticism around the rider aside, I think the first jumping pic is the one that makes me feel particularly uncomfortable. If this is the mare's first time over a jump, she is jumping a wonky pole the same colour as the surface, with no ground line, into water which will be reflecting the pole back at her as well. I can see the reflection in the photo. No wonder she doesn't look happy :(
 
I hope that what I say is taken in the spirit it is given - honest heartfelt kindly advice.

I agree she should now be given a break - I believe the bigger the horse the longer it takes to physically mature.

Why oh why is a youngster being put over its first-or any-jump with NO GROUND LINE?????

She was very honest and genuine to try as hard as she did.

I am going on what I have seen in the photos so can't comment broadly on the person riding or teaching or whatever. But everyone here so far has given the advice and comments they have for the good of this wonderful mare NOT because they want an arguement or run you down :)
 
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