Do You Ride Horses?

[Dolphinlover~]

@ Hano; I love your equitation. Love. You followed him over the jump so nicely - good job, especially because he was so chargy. It's must be so hard to relax and follow him when he's like that, but you did an excellent job.

Just popping in. I hacked Ry today - he was a bit bumpy because he got his new shoes yesterday. I have so many flaws to fix, lol, but I worked on them a lot. I'm tired now. xD

I think I posted a reply to one of your posts a while ago...I don't think you saw it. I gave you ome tips, so I wanted to be sure that you saw it (:

I'm glad that your hack went well.

@Bluebird: Thanks! Im sure you will have a great lesson today. I would live to hear about it when you get back.

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Oh I forgot to mention that on Monday I spent the whole day at the barn and helped hack a couple horses. I rode Rhythm and Jazz. Rhythm is Jazz's momma (; My trainer said that I looked great on both horses and at I did a really good job riding them. I also hacked Shadwell, which was fantastic. I think we are really coming along well. I am really able to relax so much and I really like my eq on flat on Shadwell (:

EDIT: I finally got time to upload some pictures and video from my show with Shadwell a few weeks ago. They are on my photobucket account: http://s944.beta.photobucket.com/user/C ... 6642368868 Password is: horselover

When watching the videos and looking at the pictures please keep in my this was my FIRST show on Shadwell and I haven't even been riding him a for a month when we had the show. I am quite pleased with how I rode him and my eq for the most part, so feel free to watch and give me your feedback! I would love to hear what you guys think of us. Thanks ;D
Also, we won both of the classes I posted the videos for. The first video is Eq on the flat and the second one was our children's hunter trip (: Just mute the videos, there may be people talking/camera going in the background xD

[classi]

@ Dolphin; Ooff, I saw your post and just forgot to reply. xD Thanks, though. I think the main reason why I can't get the flying changes is because I lean to the inside - I lean when I walk, I lean when I ride, I lean when I run... that's going to be my main focus now. (:

Okay, critiques! I'll be very easy because it was your first show on him. (: First, the big thing that jumped out at me was that, as some points, you seem to be pumping with your seat a little. That's really common when you see a nice distance - I tend to do that if I see a distance, and I need to speed up for it. Just remember to sit down, or half-seat and keep your shoulders back if you choose to half-seat, and use lots and lots of leg. It's so tempting to pump with your seat though, isn't it?
You got ahead of him sometimes, too, but you already know that so I'll leave it at that! (:
He has a really beautiful jump and I absolutely LOVE his knees!
On the flat, just focus on smoothing everything up. ALSO, ALSO, here's some tips that my instructor gave me - when you halt, make sure all their feet are completely square! Judges LOVE that. Keep your horse's head straight. Judges will LOVE YOU.

I have a few more but I won't post them, because I understand you haven't been riding him for super long. If you really want to know then please ask. (:

[Bluebird22]

Dolphin: You look stunning on Shadwell! In the first jumping picture at the show is he over jumping my any chance? It kinda looked like it, but I could be wrong. But I couldn't see anything else that really needed fixing! Good job! You were right, I did have a really good ride with him today <3

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Like I just said, my ride was fantastic! I fixed my long rein problem, and I was able to have Bob stick on the rail even though he wanted to come off. In shortening my reins my hands were more forward and up off his neck. Funny how those things work huh? As for the rail my trainer really helped my on that. She had me close my inside leg and open my inside rein. kinda like a leg yield, but not exactly. It worked wonders. I was able to catch him right as he was about to come off the rail and correct it. It felt really good to correct that because I know I will need to do that especially when show season starts up in the spring. Then I got put on the lunge line for a bit. It was hard at first because I hadn't ridden without reins for two weeks, but I got the hang of it. She just had me do some posting trot, two pointing, and standing for two beats (harder then it sounds xD). I wanted to practice feeling for my canter leads, but D said it's too cold to have him cantering at his age, but we can probable do it next lesson. When I was on the lunge line my hips were kind of stiff so my trainer told be too loosen up my hips, but from my waist up keep straight-like a belly dance. Her words not mine xD Just another one to add o the book for awkward things your trainer says lol I can't wait for my ride on Saturday!

[Dolphinlover~]

@rain: Yes leaning to the inside is a common fault when asking for flying changes. Jut focus on keeping even weight in both stirrups and sitting up and tall.

I noticed that I did pump with my seat in a few spots, but now that I am way more comfortable with his canter and relaxing I already fixed that issue (: The video is a couple weeks old so most of the technical problems have been worked out. Half seating the canter with Shadwell is a huge no no. Grand Prix Jumper + half seat = cue to gallop around the ring. Haha so that's not going to happen, but I like sitting his canter since I've gotten a lot more comfortable with it.
That's correct, I do know I did get a head of him but my and my trainers main focus for our first show was getting through the courses well and being able to control him. Both of which said I did well, so now that we have our first show under our belt and I can control him I can focus on my eq more. Is still difficult when riding a horse that needs so much woah and so much work and control. Basically he's a real tough ride and huge step up for me, and pretty much any rider since he's a grand Prix jumper not hunter or eq horses.

Haha thanks. Yeah when I ride him well and to good distances he squares up nicely. He's not very impressed with these tiny jumps though, since we normally school 3'+ so he's not putting much effort into this lol.

I was actually really happy with the flat class. I think my eq was really nice and that I rode him well, and made riding him look easy so I'm really pleased (: Oh and I meant to say, with the transitions I decided it would be smarter to take my time and do them well rather than to rush into them and have everything be ugly. Which I guess was a good choice since I did when the class after all.
Thanks, yeah I know that it's best when their feet are square, but again that wasn't priority. Priority was just riding well and my trainers said I did fantastic so I'll stick with their word on it.


But yeah, looking back on the video, I really made him look like a totally different horse. Normally, he is super fresh and gets so excited when he sees a jump. But I guess I did keep him in a nice frame the whole time, and I really made him look like a hunter. I mean, I would never even think he's a jumper yet alone a grand Prix jumper from that video, so I accomplished what I wanted to and what my trainers wanted me too. I don't know if you heard or not, but at the end of the video you can hear both of my trainers say, "Lovely" and "that was really beautiful!" lol xD

@Bluebird: Well thank you so much! I appreciate that wonderful compliment (: It's nice to actually hear something good about us, so thank you <3 Yup you are absolutely correct! He over jumps quite a bit xD Een when we jump big stuff like three feet, he still over jumps. He wants to be put in the grand Prix ring again if you haven't noticed lol. Thanks so much, yeah I feel like we have come a long way since our first lesson together, and even since that show. I am hoping to get new video and pictures that show us doing better.

Oh I'm so glad tht your ride went well! I knew you would do well. Yeah shortening your reins can definitely be very helpful with things like that. Bob sounds like a fun ride! That's so great that you rode on lunge line without reins. It sounds really challenging, but it will help you become such a better rider. I would love to do something like that. I think it would be cool to have a lunge lesson without reins and then also without reins or stirrups (: Oh I've done the standing for two beats, sitting for one, and visa versa. It's really tough! I totally understand where your coming from. It doesn't sound hard but it requires SO much balance and strength to do so ;D Good job! I'm so happy your lesson was fantastic.

[Chunky11]

OMG, I'm going to end up killing myself XD 2 WEEKS WITHOUT RIDING!!! Omg, I think I might die of starvation! Starvation of riding D: all I can think about is RIDING!!! GAWD, it's been yeaaarrrsss!

[RavenclawHobbit]

OMG, I'm going to end up killing myself XD 2 WEEKS WITHOUT RIDING!!! Omg, I think I might die of starvation! Starvation of riding D: all I can think about is RIDING!!! GAWD, it's been yeaaarrrsss!

Yeah, unfortunately I have to do that at least once a month. I ride every weekend, but if there's any conflict at all (say, we're going to my grandparents house, or my sister has a TKD competition, etc.), my parents are very seldom willing to reschedule my missed lessons. I suppose it is a rather expensive hobby...

[Chunky11]

I have my own stables, it's not that good, it's really small but it has 5 stables for the horses ((one mine and the rest are theirs who own it :3 ))
. One of the horses has mud fever, so I feel for him!

[Hanoverian]

This thread moves so fast D:

@Wibeke:
I'm glad that you had such a nice ride on Sully, even if he was a bit sassy! It sounds like you two suit each other perfectly. C: I can't wait to hear more about the little beast!

@Opal:
Thanks for the critique! C: I appreciate it. Yeah, my arms are pumping quite a bit, that's a problem I have mostly on Cadence because he has so much head and neck movement... if I don't move my arm then I'm completely against him and things go wrong, if that makes sense? xD But I see what you mean about the pumping... I will work on getting Cadence stronger in his back and hind end so that he's easier to get off the leg and into my hand. C:

Yeah, my leg did swing backwards! xD It bothers meee! Just another thing to fix I suppose! I will focus on keeping my heels down and calf on more.

Did you get all of this from that 5 second video? I"m impressed lol! I actually think that my leg as swung back TOO far in the air and that it needs to come forward, not back? I think that my toe should be a bit closer to the girth in an ideal word... I think that breed hunt seat Eq might be different from open.

Thanks for all of your critique! I really appreciate it. C: And thanks to your mom for saying that, haha. Thank you <33

@Rain:
Thank you so much dear <3 That means a lot coming from you - your Eq is gorgeous!
I would love to hear about your hack C:


@Dolphin:
Yeah, in the video it's not a perfect auto but I can guarentee that my hands aren't on the neck... xD It's not a huge release forward, it's a small jump, I just stayed out of his way while maintaining my contact without throwing my hands forward! C: Not a perfect release but hey - I'd much, much rather be an effective rider than a "pretty" one and I think I"m correct for where Cadence is right now. C: But thanks for your help.
Yep, I do grip with my ankles quite a bit and I"m working on that! C: hopefully I"ll have it fixed soon.
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Congrats on your show again ;D I watched the videos and looked at the photos and have several critiques, but it sounds like you don't really want any... so I'll leave it unless you actually want me to tell you what I think. You sounded a bit touchy when rain gave you critique so I don't want to make you mad by accident.

[Hooligan.]

@Bronson:
Yeah, tell me about it lol. -40 is the usual for us, but it has been a pretty warm year. The actual usual for us is -50* to -60*, but it has only gotton to about -48* or so. At least your schools cancel! Our schools never cancel, I've never had a snow or cold day in my life lol. I've been a little late from snow, but never missed school for it.

@Blue:
Thats ridiculous. Some people I swear. Why can't everyone just get along? lol.

We had to play ping pong for PE today in school, and apparently my friend and I were glaring at this other girl. I mean we really don't like her, but we weren't glaring at her. We were actually haveing a pretty good time. We were playing 2vs2 and my friend and I were Team Tyler <3 Yeah, so that girl convinced my other friend who was on her team that we were being rude and mean so they quit and we had to play all by ourselves. haha I was just like: okayyyyyyy....TEAM TYLER FOR THE WIN!!!! hahaha

[landofmakebelieve]

HELP ME PLEASE!
A few months ago I got a new horse. He is a 11 yr old purebred quarter horse gelding. He is broken to ride but hasn't been riden in about four years, so I would like to rebreak him, but the owner of the barn I board him at just wants to jump on his back and let kick 'till he tires. However, I feel that this is too harsh. Also he is broken to western but I'd like for him to be able to be riden english, too. Any suggestions?