Do You Ride Horses? V.4

[spring.]

Okay thank you c: I always approach the fence in a deep two-point because he will just dolphin dive over it if I don't use my seat to keep him going. I'm working on getting him to move from my leg only, but he's stubborn haha. He also need the seat and hip through warm up or he won't go at all.

I get very paranoid about striding. So paranoid to the point where I try fixing it and that usually ends up with him taking long spots or awkward chips.

I have the base of death lol. My butt hardly ever leaves the saddle because I'm too nervous to not hold myself there. Too many bad experiences. No bad experiences on Quincey while jumping, but other schoolies yes.

Another way to help, along with Kovu's advice, is to let your horse walk around and you get into your half-seat before the lesson. I usually get on five minutes early to let the horse walk around. Sometimes I get into my half-seat. This allows the horse to stretch without you plopped on his back and you can work on your balance in the half seat.

Long strides mean you need more horse. So ask for more horse. Squeeze and maybe give a tap of the crop if he isn't responding, but only if he won't act dumb about it. Only do what you feel comfortable doing. I used to need spurs to get Kiko going, but I found out that she hated spurs. So I don't wear them. While it takes longer to get her moving, she does a lot nicer and stays in control. So I would see what he prefers as that can help too.

[ryukrem]

The problem with Quincey is you can't warm him up without your seat. He will not move freely and forward unless you demand it. It's the struggles of a school pony. With that being said, once he's forward and warmed up I could do a lot of two point work to get myself ready for jumping and try to get him to respond of my leg, but by the time we get to the jumping I am too tired. He is the definition of lazy haha.

I ride with baby spurs and a dressage whip. I need to purchase bigger spurs because he respond better in those, but I don't have the money right now. And yes that is part of the problem with the long spots. It take a lot to get him to collect himself together and get him to move uphill. He is teaching me a lot though and we are getting there. I had two dressage clinics with Jaimey Irwin and it was very helpful. I can get him on the bit now at the walk and can get him to use his hind end (which I could never do before), but as soon as we move to trot it all falls apart. Canter is worse.

[Luzien]

The problem with Quincey is you can't warm him up without your seat. He will not move freely and forward unless you demand it. It's the struggles of a school pony. With that being said, once he's forward and warmed up I could do a lot of two point work to get myself ready for jumping and try to get him to respond of my leg, but by the time we get to the jumping I am too tired. He is the definition of lazy haha.

I ride with baby spurs and a dressage whip. I need to purchase bigger spurs because he respond better in those, but I don't have the money right now. And yes that is part of the problem with the long spots. It take a lot to get him to collect himself together and get him to move uphill. He is teaching me a lot though and we are getting there. I had two dressage clinics with Jaimey Irwin and it was very helpful. I can get him on the bit now at the walk and can get him to use his hind end (which I could never do before), but as soon as we move to trot it all falls apart. Canter is worse.

A good question....is he some typ of pony?

To the" he needs warm up to work bether"
Then warm him up first from the ground? lunging, some bending, whatever!! and the best for a bit stuborn horse, let then the instructor go on it for the first riding warm up

...then try some jumps on the Hand from the ground(you jumping together with the horse ), ....there you "feel" the jump when you jump it yourself....i do it mostly, an other horse that i did ride as i was younger, i jumped over trees and other things on the trail and small jumps in the Arena...i jumped it first from the ground, first only steping over it in walk then in trot.... so i got the Feeling for it, for the ground, and in which way to jump it best....ist one of the best things you can do when you are a bit unsure or even when you a good rider...as Long as the jump is low enough for you to jump it yourself jump it! so you are more at ease on the horse

and maybe try it with your Trainer that he takes you on a Long leading line or so, and bring you over the jump like he-she would lunge you..., and then try the same with a cover over your eyes....what you cant see you have to feel, the movement of the horse, but knowing you are save as the Trainer holds the horse and pushes it forward....to feel only the movement of the jump....

Maybe you and your Trainer could try to make him more sensitive to the riders aid...to buy "bigger spurs" will not help you in the long run...
or as hard as it sounds ...maybe an other horse, till you trust yourself more and him too!


Did you ever try to ride him without bite? in the Arena not outside!, without Whip and spurs, when possible even without saddle^^
...or do you get lessons outside on the trail, or only in the arena?
nature jumps do often wonder and are fun...

And maybe the biggest and bether question should be....what is it that you fear, when is the Moment where you get unsure? is it because you are to tired from the hard work to bring him to work or what at the jump scares you...what high does it start? all jumps or maybe special colors or sometyps of jump? do you look at his mane-ears when you jump, to the ground...or over the head of the horse?

When he jumps to high maybe put a pole bevor the jump ....small jumps try from trot at first and larger only trot (but when he is saver in canter then do this)...maybe this helps...or some new things to jump like small hay-staw balls so hat he becomes more active?

And the best try not to think, only feel and when you have to sit out a jump and try in the second run, when you feel it goes to fast or the wrong way pull around it and start again.

Not sure if this made sense at all what i did write, or did help at all...hope other are bether in helping you^^

could you maybe put here a Video of a lesson where you had trouble, or make one the next time you ride? maybe some of the People here see what is wrong, this is also not bad for you teacher who may see something that he/her did overlook at first in a lesson?!

@ Hime

aww dust sensitive horses are so hard to Keep ...to have good Silage for them is great, do they caugh or the eyes?,can you use straw with them?
Yes i hope so too. To know is bether than to guess^^

Thats fantastic that your second real ride after you where more healthy again gone so well and that you had snow over the ice
mine sometime more moving foot is the right^^


Hope that your shoulder-arm did not hurt after the canter and the Long ride!
hahaha...that Sound as if she did make one of ...oh i poor Little Thing had to work so much...but then she did see the stable and was go go go i smell the food^^



i like this picture!!that is a nice view...maybe the best...between the ears of a horse looking at a nice road ahead
---

I also had a nice very short ride two...no three days ago...for 30-40min, without saddle and only halter part of her bridle and reins ...i had to use this lovely snow and sun( sadly still not nearly as much as you have Hime^^ maybe we get some more in march ) ...my legs still hurt...this horse can be evil to make such sharp turns in the little forest on the trail even started for a short time on the way back to trot and a short canter ...had to stop her 30m bevor the road with the help of a tree, she had to much fun and wanted to run....i not in this moment with way to slippery Pants on and the path going right and left every other moment...and every time i tightened the legs a bit to much to stay on after a turn around a tree she gone faster....what a fun, i think i even giggled a bit crazy as i stopped her and calmed her down to a slow walk again back to the stable^^

[fuzzyanni12]

Well technically I don't ride I vault.

Who ever knows what vaulting is * high five *

I started in August and so it's been a couple months I wish I had my own horse but the stable has the sweetest mares and stallions ,my favourite is Ferrari he is the most sweetest gental horse ever he was the first one I "rode".

Vaulting is like gymnastics on horse back , it's really fun but dangerous.

[Atheon]

About three days ago I went to the circus.
Sadly I was too heavy to ride a pony, even though I think there was a Shetland and I was about 105 pounds, so surely it could keep me in saddle? Maybe it's because western saddles are really heavy. They had shiny saddle pads and every pony/horse in that area had a decorative halter.
But I did get to brush and pet a palomino probably Shetland pony that was there. It's mane was really soft and it ate most of the time.
In the actual show there was a black and white tobaino Gypsy Vanner and the same color mini horse, probably a Falabella.

[wickedbvnes]

So, I need some help.
I've always been a pretty nervy rider- especially with new things and jumping. The jumping thing stems from a) falling off my first time ever jumping and b) being stuck with the wrong saddle ( australian stock saddle ) for too long. the saddle pushes your leg backwards and throws you off balance- it taught me that, no matter how hard i tried, i'd always be off balance and almost fall.
once i got an all purpose saddle, i had a newfound confidence on my old guy ( sweetest horse ever ). in the next month, i was happily jumping 80cm spreads and loving every minute of it. then, i accidentally pushed my old guy too far. we were out xcing, and i meant for him to only go over the 60cm part of a log- he got the wrong striding, and attempted to run out, but couldnt because of a tree, so his only choice was to attempt jumping the high ( 1m 10 ) end- he scraped it, literally. he did the whole flick-to-the-side to get his back legs over.
after that, i was okay, but he wasnt. he was terrified of jumping.
either way, we'd sold him before the whole experience ( we were just waiting for his payment plan to finish ) and i had to sell him without jumping again. this was in late November.
I got my new horse, a nervous boy called McGrey. He got abused as a youngster, and has absolutely no confidence in himself- this is a problem, because neither do I. I'm terrified that, when we jump, I'm going to be too nervous and make him run out or refuse. His previous owner wanted to keep him, so she fed me up all these comments about how he's hard to jump etc. Now, since I haven't jumped ( or ridden, really ) for months, I'm so nervous about jumping I can barely think about it. I've galloped him on the beach and jumped him up to 50cm but after that I get too nervous.
Help?

[Luzien]

Well technically I don't ride I vault.

Who ever knows what vaulting is * high five *

I started in August and so it's been a couple months I wish I had my own horse but the stable has the sweetest mares and stallions ,my favourite is Ferrari he is the most sweetest gental horse ever he was the first one I "rode".

Vaulting is like gymnastics on horse back , it's really fun but dangerous.

Thats really great...do you go to Show later or want to become a pro?
i did try it once but i think it was not my way of horse work, and i was already to old with i think 13 and not so strong in the arms...most Kids there where 6-12 at this day and had some Training already:lol:

But its nice to look at and also hard work, hope we read and see more of you here:)

@ Vintage.

» Mi Jan 28, 2015 11:47 am


So, I need some help.
I've always been a pretty nervy rider- especially with new things and jumping. The jumping thing stems from a) falling off my first time ever jumping and b) being stuck with the wrong saddle ( australian stock saddle ) for too long. the saddle pushes your leg backwards and throws you off balance- it taught me that, no matter how hard i tried, i'd always be off balance and almost fall.
once i got an all purpose saddle, i had a newfound confidence on my old guy ( sweetest horse ever ). in the next month, i was happily jumping 80cm spreads and loving every minute of it. then, i accidentally pushed my old guy too far. we were out xcing, and i meant for him to only go over the 60cm part of a log- he got the wrong striding, and attempted to run out, but couldnt because of a tree, so his only choice was to attempt jumping the high ( 1m 10 ) end- he scraped it, literally. he did the whole flick-to-the-side to get his back legs over.
after that, i was okay, but he wasnt. he was terrified of jumping.
either way, we'd sold him before the whole experience ( we were just waiting for his payment plan to finish ) and i had to sell him without jumping again. this was in late November.
I got my new horse, a nervous boy called McGrey. He got abused as a youngster, and has absolutely no confidence in himself- this is a problem, because neither do I. I'm terrified that, when we jump, I'm going to be too nervous and make him run out or refuse. His previous owner wanted to keep him, so she fed me up all these comments about how he's hard to jump etc. Now, since I haven't jumped ( or ridden, really ) for months, I'm so nervous about jumping I can barely think about it. I've galloped him on the beach and jumped him up to 50cm but after that I get too nervous.
Help?

Maybe it can help what i did write a page bevor?
but anyway try to work first from the groun, free jumping, walkk over small jumps- poles, then later trot...try new things, but never to fast or to much....slowly...one step after the other, and when you go one back ist alright....breath in and out deap...let your horse make the next step...when he is ok with ground poles and troting poles from the ground try the same from the saddle and so on...but never push him to much, when he does something right, tell him how good he is and stop the lesson with a good Moment...and when you have to put down the jump to a ground pole...it help him and you to finish a ride with something well done, see how fast he learns and bring new interesting Thing in you lessons

Hope we read more of you and your Boy:D do you maybe have a pic, and what breed is he?

[stirrupirons]

@Dragongirl: For sitting trot, abs are the most important thing to use. Exercise out of the saddle and build your core muscles. When actually sitting the trot, do NOT grip with your leg or thigh at all or else you'll tense and bounce. Stretch your hips so the angle is open and use your abs to push you into the saddle every stride. Keep your leg underneath of you in line with your hip. If you have the balance, drop your stirrups and practice not relying on your legs to keep you in the saddle, focus on your core. Stretch tall, keep a bend in your elbow with your elbow pressed into your hip, and don't pull on the horse's mouth.
For posting trot, keep your leg underneath you once again. Use your thigh muscle and core to post, not your entire leg. Your core will help you post softly. Post not up and down but swing your hips towards the horse's ears. Same with sitting trot, keep your elbow pressed into your hip and an angle in your elbow.

@Inky: A half circle is exactly as it sounds - a half circle. In the test I'm showing this year (first 3) there is a half circle at the end. Hime explained it well :)

--

I had an AMAZING clinic on Thursday! The PSG trainer really liked Ellie and showed me how to ride her quicker, not stronger, so she wouldn't essentially give us the finger every time we took some contact. Ellie has been SO much better because of it. I got her to actually round at the trot and hold it for longer than a circle yesterday, and the rest of her work was fantastic. She kept her haunches engaged at the canter instead of pulling herself around on the forehand as usual and I played around with some lengthenings and shortening transitions and she was SO amazing. I got the best lengthened trot out of her across the diagonal and I got a baby extended canter too on the long side! And her shoulder in and haunches in have improved so much... she's not twerking her head in and faking it anymore. I'm so excited for my trainer to see how she's going with me tomorrow in our lesson :)


Talking to the clinician about contact


My princess <3

[Luzien]

@Dragongirl: For sitting trot, abs are the most important thing to use. Exercise out of the saddle and build your core muscles. When actually sitting the trot, do NOT grip with your leg or thigh at all or else you'll tense and bounce. Stretch your hips so the angle is open and use your abs to push you into the saddle every stride. Keep your leg underneath of you in line with your hip. If you have the balance, drop your stirrups and practice not relying on your legs to keep you in the saddle, focus on your core. Stretch tall, keep a bend in your elbow with your elbow pressed into your hip, and don't pull on the horse's mouth.
For posting trot, keep your leg underneath you once again. Use your thigh muscle and core to post, not your entire leg. Your core will help you post softly. Post not up and down but swing your hips towards the horse's ears. Same with sitting trot, keep your elbow pressed into your hip and an angle in your elbow.

@Inky: A half circle is exactly as it sounds - a half circle. In the test I'm showing this year (first 3) there is a half circle at the end. Hime explained it well

--

I had an AMAZING clinic on Thursday! The PSG trainer really liked Ellie and showed me how to ride her quicker, not stronger, so she wouldn't essentially give us the finger every time we took some contact. Ellie has been SO much better because of it. I got her to actually round at the trot and hold it for longer than a circle yesterday, and the rest of her work was fantastic. She kept her haunches engaged at the canter instead of pulling herself around on the forehand as usual and I played around with some lengthenings and shortening transitions and she was SO amazing. I got the best lengthened trot out of her across the diagonal and I got a baby extended canter too on the long side! And her shoulder in and haunches in have improved so much... she's not twerking her head in and faking it anymore. I'm so excited for my trainer to see how she's going with me tomorrow in our lesson


Talking to the clinician about contact


My princess <3

see i did know i did forgot something to write
You two look good, and she Looks more rounded when im not wrong?!
Great that the clinic did so well and you could learn so much and got great ideas how to work Ellie better, i think all the work of your pays of slowly^^
Can you go again to a clinic with this Trainer?

Hope the lesson with your Trainer had gone also well?

[ryukrem]

@Luzien
Quincey is a pony yes. He's a Haflinger QH Cross.
You can't sensitize this pony to leg aid anymore. He's 16 and been in the school for over 10 years. He's very thick and stubborn about it too. When I was in the clinic he was really acting up and being a nerd so the clinician got on and was correcting him with the crop and leg and he was bucking non stop for about 20 minutes. He's too smart for his own good haha.

I don't know how to post a video on here. Could you tell me how?

@stirrupirons
I love dressage clinics! Who taught yours? I'm looking to plan for the future on who else I might want to take a clinic with.
Is your horse stubborn to get on the bit? The pony I ride I can get on the bit in the walk, but as soon as I move to trot I just lose it. It's also due to his laziness as well but he is very resistant on the right rein especially and I find it hard to supple through transitions.