Do You Ride Horses? V.4

[ryukrem]

depending where you live, if she is so dirty, you could put a light thin sheet on, so when she rolled she wouldn't get that disgusting?



im in canada so shes wearing heavy filled blankets. shes still disgusting even with them lol.

[gam]

Hi guys! Wanna judge my equitation? Thanks :-D
This is Graham btw, a "point n kick" type beginners horse. He is a very good boy!

[Nocte Luna]

@gam
Okay, so as far as your eq goes, your hips are coming a little far forward, I would think about just shifting your hands forward rather than coming up and forward. Your heels also look pretty level and like they're starting to turn into his side - I don't know if he's the kind of horse that needs leg at the base and over the top, if so, then this comment isn't as relevant, but if not, try and push your heels down and support yourself with your leg and heel, otherwise if your heel is turned in, your knees can start to turn out which can lead to more issues and discomfort.

@Naeri
Yeah, it's pretty warm here, too, which is really nice, considering our winter is usually really cold and awful. I'm loving the warm weather!

@Personal Updates
Riding
Gabby's been really good lately, lots of people have been riding her lately and she's been pretty good. Yesterday we worked on lead changes, we had the option to simple change, but I asked for the flying change and she got it. It was really smooth and nice, and I'm so proud of her. I've also been really getting good distances with her, and found music that I can sing in my head to keep her stride consistent. There's been so much good stuff with her that makes me happy.

I've also been riding Callahan a lot lately, and we worked on collecting at the canter on Tuesday. I think I had a little more collected canter for 4 strides or so, but he immediately goes back to pulling. We'll get it some day.

Teaching
Park district is going pretty well right now, we're at week three of riding and quite a few have already found their 'posting rhythm' which is great. It's a little different this time, as B is teaching the second of the three seconds. She seems to have a much more technical focus on riding, opposed to my focus, which is on equitation.

Showing
So our first school show is coming up in a few weeks, and I think a few of my former students will be competing, which is super exciting. For once, I'm not going to be doing it, I talked with my trainer and she doesn't really think it's entirely fair. If I were to do anything, I would do the mini medal, since that's a new class.

And of course, next year when I'll be away at school, my stable will have an IEA team. I'm sad I'll never get to do a 'sport' through my school and have it count as something, but I'll compete next year at school.

[gam]

@Nocte Lune: thank you for your advice! I was looking through some other pictures of me riding and yeah I definitely agree I need to shift my body back and give more with my hand instead of my body. As for my leg, Graham is definitely the kind of horse that needs a lot of leg every single step. Especially since we left a bit longer here, you have to make it VERY clear you want this distance otherwise he will add it, since he is a beginners type horse. So I was squeezing quite a bit to support him! Thank you so much for your input it's very helpful to hear from someone else!

[allo vera]

Anyone have suggestions to getting a mare to canter on her other lead? She only uses her right, and bucks if I ask for the left lead. If, miraculously, she canters while going left, it's always on the wrong lead and she's very imbalanced. The mare is about 13 years old, but I don't think she's ever had real schooling. She's a therapy horse mainly, her only job is to walk in a circle and occasionally trot. She really doesn't know what she's doing most of the time under saddle, it's only recently that I can get her to slow down and collect a bit at the trot. So, any tips on encouraging her to pick up the left lead? I have access to a medium sized ring, but unfortunately no round pen.

[Albino_]

Anyone else have that one heart horse?

The thing is.. I love Ace and Ace makes everything better and makes everything go away. When I'm with him it's like everything didn't mean a thing and that he only matters and he helps me when I'm down.. He is my 2nd half and he is my best friend. We trust each other and he helps me out. He is my pride and joy and he means the world to me. Its like he mends my heart and every sad and bad things just vanish when I'm around him. I can think when I'm around him. And I just hope he doesn't leave me. I just hope he doesn't leave me like everyone else has. He is truely my heart horse and I wouldn't trade the world for him. I love you White Mountain Ace ❤




Rode Ace today! Got him moved to a different barn 3 days ago so I can see him almost every weekend or if vacations every day!

[buckskin.]

I went riding on the weekend and Saidee was not in the mood to be ridden, or as the head wrangler said "She's having a piggy streak". I spent at least half an hour trying to catch her, her friend, Pumpkin thought that i was after her and cantered off whenever i came near with the bridle, and wherever Pumpkin goes, Saidee follows. She was allot easier to catch when i got her in one yard and sent all the other horses down the flat. I got on in 38 degree (Celsius) weather so she ended up being very sweaty after doing dome circle work and some sporting. She decided that it would be fun to be a pain in the bum and refused to jump, instead Sunrise (Saidee's real name and what I call her when she's in trouble) decided that she would canter straight through them, not even over, straight through and knock the pole down. She bucked, reared and pigrooted allot that day so this weekend the head wrangler/my sorta coach/uncle wants me to put spurs on her. Anyway, i have a Campdraft coming up this weekend so i'll let you guys know how it goes.

We did a little bit of desensitising and I am finally able to pick up her back feet! So now she has back shoes on (thank god!) which i am very thankful for as she has very sensitive feet despite living on the mountains her whole life. P (the head wrangler) decided that he would tie a piece of rope to her front feet and let her drag it around as whenever something drags, she spooks, so after about half an hour or so she didn't really care anymore.
In the meantime, here are some pictures of my darling little devil.

[Hime]

@dazzled: Heta used to be like that sort of, and the left lead is still bit tricky with her, though she surprised me on Monday and picked it up perfectly(even though I was riding her bareback, which usually means don't even dream of trying left lead canter). If medical issues have been ruled out then it's matter of strenght and balance mostly. I would guess left round in general is worse direction for her? I'd work her in other gaits to the left round to get her more balanced first. Like if she can't keep a nice balanced trot, she's unlikely to have balanced canter either. You could also try lunging her in canter(in large as possible circle, so that it's not too hard), so that she can maybe find her own balance and strenghten up.
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I think I've now had maybe 12 saddle offers(wow, seriously, I had to double check), which is pretty nice. Couple I have turned down pretty quick, one is really persistent in trying to sell me a brand new over the budjet saddles(one of which I really like) and few have been just too long, one I pondered for while and might actually test it eventually(it's over budjet, but the seller is willing to come down with the price as she currently has 4 saddles and needs to sell few), one or two I'm waiting extra info on, and 2 I think I'm wanting to try out at some point.
I did get to try a 17" Daaleman dressage saddle today and it was so so so nice to sit in, like it's was the most comfortable saddle I've sat in a while. Even though it measures out as 17" seat, or even bit bigger when I double checked it, it really feels secure like 16.5" seats have felt for me, but it as it had quite moderate leg support I had plenty of space for my leg. Which by the way fell into really nice position just on it's own. Looking from the ground the widht was nice and the tree shape fit Heta really well, but it was tad too long even though when measured it should have fit. Despite that fairly good fit over all, Heta felt somehow tacky when ridden with it(though I could see her shoulder move much better and less 'jerky') and due the lenght of it got pushed forward just so much that it sat where it should on the ribs(= front went on the shoulder). I also got this feeling sometimes that something was poking/pinching me in the seat on the right. I'm not sure could it have been the little leather covering the stirrup hook, in a way that fabric and skin on my upper thigh got under it somehow... Or worse, the tree was broken, though it didn't feel like it when I tried that out. I don't know, just something about the saddle felt bit off treewise... Heta also had odd very sharp looking line pressed on her coat under the right back half of the panels, which made me think something was not right. So as much as I loved the saddle(despite the odd poking/pinching), not to mention it was super cheap being only 350e, I would have wanted to have it checked over by saddler in sense of opening up the whole thing and checking the tree. I somehow doubt the seller would have agreed to that on her expense and I don't want to waste my money on saddle that is inevitably too long for Heta.
Still haven't gotten the money from my old saddle, though I do know for sure it's sold... If no money is seem by beginning of March(they say they pay up within one month) I'll have to harrass them some I think, as I really need that money to get the new saddle. Vet's coming over on Friday, and Heta's getting her front hooves and hocks x-rayed, plus shots for her and Feykja. I would have liked to have Heta's teeth checked too, which I feel might need some work done, but budjet again hits me in the face and I had to choose between teeth or hocks. Feykja was apperently snotty nosed yesterday(R told me there was big snot lump on her other nostril yesterday) and today she also had some snot on her other nostril(little enough that I didn't notice with quick glance, but then when I went to take closer look I saw it), but no fever what so ever etc. so I'm not overly concerned, but I'll ask the vet to take bit closer look at her anyway on Friday.
Tý's being Tý. He's bit of a princess and thinks wet weather is horrible. XD But the weather has been cooling down again this week and today a we got quite a snow storm(it started with seriously terrible cold in your bones wind during the day before it started snowing also), which was interesting to drive in...

[Mr.Milo]

@Nocte Lune: Sounds like you have been pretty busy but glad everything is going well. My school has an equestrian team but being that i have my own horse and he is gaited its kind of pointless to compete unless its for fun.

@Soul of Winter: Glad everything with Ace is going well and you finally have a horse you can ride. I work off some of my board as well so i am at the barn two days a week but i get to ride a little in between depending on how busy we are but I love seeing my baby.

@Milo: Wow such a beautiful buckskin. We have two at the barn but none as pretty as her. Gem used to do that same thing when i first started working with him since he didn't trust people much but the he was always followed this paso name Durango who would always run when i came in the field -.-, but of course we do not have that problem anymore and Durango was sold.

@Hime: Wow a lot of offers, im saddle looking too but just for a gently used Abetta but I want to sell my two saddles first. Sometimes the journey to find the right saddle is hard especially with horses that have weird backs.
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Heading to our FIRST show Saturday and i am super excited. Gemini and I will not be entering any classes but its kind of a test to see how he does in a show atmosphere. I think he will be fine but he has never been away from the barn since we got him and hasn't been in a trailer since my trainer first brought him in so kinda curious about that.

Riding wise things have been going ok he is slowly learning how to properly flatwalk. However, he needs a bit more ground work i noticed so i have been teaching him to back up, stand still when i get off and when i tack him up off the cross ties, and to have him stand still when mounting since he always wants to go forward which is my fault since i was too lazy to correct it. Fortunately he is understanding these things pretty easily. I love him to bits tho, we have a lot of older ladies come to the barn and they are so surprised how much i do with him like jumping off him, bareback riding him in a halter, and my very weird dismounts that i do to desensitize him. I just tell them they need to trust and after training this horse myself i feel like there is a different connection you have with a horse you have trained.

[Kasper]

haven't been here in a while aa!
just seeking some advice.

i started riding a different horse about two months ago. she's a much smoother jumper
than the horse i was riding previously, but she's older, a little more experienced.. and
occasionally more sassy, as we often use her in camps for the little kids (because she's
very sweet and gentle around kids). essentially, once she realized that i was going to
start working her regularly, she decided to become very forward and sassy. now, if i
ask her for a faster trot, she almost always does a little buck and a sharp head toss,
and she always does it when i ask for canter. it doesn't bother me a ton, but it
throws me off balance and makes me a little nervous.
(last time, she did it five times in half an hour).

how would i get her to not do it, or do it less often?