@Balmino: We've had cases where geldings have gone nutso, thinking they are suddenly stallions, because herd dynamics change somehow.
Usually it involves mares moving near them, but not always as it can be simple change in leadership when one horse is removed from the group. I don't really care about horses being horses with each other, but definetly nip out the rude behavior towards people from the bud before it becomes a problem(just witnessed yet anothe).
I think I've said this before, but we keep the horses out as much as possible here. Of course when there's not enough suitable paddocks they may need to share outside time, but usually they are kept out at least 5 hours per day. Extreme weather conditions are something that I consider suitable reason to keep horses inside if in theory they could be outside othervise. But I know one stable, in UK, only had grass based paddocks/pastures, and they wanted to keep them in good condition, so apparently they never kept horses out when it was rainy or wet... Instead the horses got hand walked couple times during the day, can't remember for how long though.
@bitanic: The leg issue, I'm pretty sure you can blame at least mostly on the saddle. Honestly some saddles just aren't well made or good for certain riders.That saddle looks too big for you and the stirrupbar may be a bit much to the front, and also possibly the deepest part is not in the middle but more towards the cantle, which makes it hard to get into good position. I've ridden in one saddle myself that would always put the rider in chair seat if they had even tad too short stirrups as it was so big you could easily move yourself towards the cantle without even noticing to make room for your leg. That being said, you could try lenghtening your stirrups a tad, as to me they look like they could be bit longer for flat work. So then there's not so much angle at the knee, which in theory at least should make it easier to keep that leg under you and your butt won't slid back if you brace againts the irons. I also noticed on the video that you have tendancy to push your feet forward and your lower leg is not very stable in rising trot, which can be part of the chair seat or then over all lack of muscle strenght. But lenghtening your stirrups could help with that as well, as then you can't seek so much support from the irons, but rather go for muscle strenght from your core and legs. You could also try riding without stirrups and see if that makes any differance to your position and find that good spot to sit in the saddle, and then adjust the stirrups so that you feel they are there, but so that they aren't compromising your position. On the video around 1.33 your position is actually pretty good looking if thinking about the head-shoulder-hip-heel line.
But that's also the point where it's pretty clear you could use a smaller seat.
Forward tipping is either too wide saddle(in which case you can feel the tip starting from your pelvis) or too weak core, or both. This used to be an issue for me as well, and if it's not the saddle then it's just hard work on sitting straight and supporting yourself with muscles. As for the shoulders; roll them back and think about reaching towards your back pockets with the tips of your shoulder blades. This should open up your chest. You may also want try stretching your chest muscles(yes, there's a muscle there lol), as if that muscle is tight it will pull the shoulders forward. My room mate and I both have this issue of tight chest muscles, which then pull forward the shoulders and then easily give sort of haunching position for the upper body.
Getting a horse to frame up should never be a tug a war, but combination of half halts through seat and hands and asking the horse forward. Instead of over working with your hands, try using your seat to slow her step or two and do slight up angled half halt to get her up from leaning to your hand and remember to also ask her forward into that space you give her when releasing the half halt. Generally if a horse is not forward enough it's hard to get them work in correct form.
I also notice on the video you often keep your hand really low. Sometimes that's okay if the horse is very prone to lift it's nose high up, but it shouldn't become a habbit or be in permanent use. Carry those hands, they should be around the same level as your hip. c; Might be also contributing to your elbow issue, or be a cause from it... As for the elbows... Harsh way; stick a short crop or stick behind your back and put it through your elbow angle on both sides. So basically if you try to pull your elbow straight your back stops it happening. This technicue really isn't the safest imo to use when riding, as you can't really move your hand, but I know people use it... But it might help you train your elbows off saddle.
You probably know this, but if there's no bend on your elbows you have very little to 'give' the horse with your hand and that's not nice for the horse, not to mention they have much easier time yanking you off the saddle with their head if they'd feel like it. c;
@Amy Pond: Wait... Is Cleo now pregnant for sure? Congrats! I'll keep my fingers crossed rest of the pregnancy goes well. When's the due date?
(this so not helping my yet rising foal fever)Aw, Reggie could still surprise you and have a growth spurt. Like I swear Tý's hind end has grown taller yet again, indicating he's not done growing.
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Snow snow snow~ Apparently makes me go bit hyper when it's combined with sun.
Vet came out today and Tý and Feykja got their shots. Tý didn't seem to even notice, but Feykja being bit more sensitive skinned had mild reaction to needle jab. But was a good girl anyway. Vet was nice enough to give the shots outside in the paddocks, so I didn't have to bring them inside or even to the yard. Also got to witness yet again how big of a idiot one horse is. They tried to draw some blood from him, but he had pretty much decided he wasn't giving any and pushed people around as he pleased. Honestly he's so much worse than Tý as his owner never really tells him firm no. R tried to help out and the vet even brought out the twitch to try out, but the owner called it quits at the point. She's nice person, but so darn stubborn in her ways sometimes. Like she won't see the fault in the horse's behavior most of the time and also these days seems to belittle L and R's experience and knowledge. I could yet again rant about her sometimes illogical ways of handling her horse, but maybe I spare you.
I helped R to blanket Tý's WB buddy too, since it's getting quite cold and the poor thing obviously has no Icelandic horse winter coat, and he's burning way too much calories on keeping himself warm(=he's lost some weight yet again, despite being free fed hay). He did try to shy away from the blanked at first, but when he realised it wasn't going to eat him he stood nice and still (having yummy food infront of him probably helped). I had forgotten how annoying it was to blanket big horses like him. Like I literally had to think for a moment how I get the blanket on him without throwing it, as that would have probably spooked him.
He and Tý are having a blast with each other really. Today they were playing everytime I happened to check them out.
As said it was pretty cold today and it kept getting colder during the day. Tomorrow it's supposed to drop near -20C(it was -16.5C when I went home), so I think I'm not going to ride tomorrow. I did do short ride today, since the weather was so nice. Heta was bit silly though. There were pretty strong wind gusts and apparently she though they were good enough reason to startle randomly and be generally bit jumpy.
Like usually she stands nicely when I mount, but today as soon as I grabbed the reins like I usually do she'd move forward or spin around me. So we spend little time on the arena getting her to relax a little and then did little trot and tolt and one canter transition when she was chill enough. Then did short trail ride to cool off, and of course she had to question could we canter at one spot.
Despite the little nuttyness, it was fun ride over all. And the little startle/spook moments she had were cool in sense that she really got that hind under her when she tried to 'run off' whooping two steps. ;D
I also may have figured yet another temporary saddle solution for us(still hunting for the one for us). L has this Wintec dressage saddle that used to belong to the mare that was put down due colic last fall. I'm not huge fan of Wintecs to be honest, but this one I think I can tolerate for short while(big plus is that it's 16.5" seat so it's fairly good for e in that sense). In fall it was really bad fit, as it has XW bar inside it and generally it's fairly wide on the panels. But now that Heta has gotten some real muscle all over her back and wither area, she's close to W fit now and I can make that XW wintec work decently with some tactical extra padding (=neopren wrap pads layered 3 times, which I ironically originally cut out from neopren anti-slip pad XD). Not ideal I know and I really hate it when I have tweak saddle fit like that, but with no real budjet and limited options I gotta make do if I want to ride her. : P I'd really hope one saddle would work as I really like it, but nope, Heta hates it even though it's not that horrible fit imo...
And in matter of foal fever. At least two very yummy stallions are offering AI services at least part of the summer this year. I'm soooooo annoyed, as one of them I really considered, but because he was kinda far(4-5 hour drive I think) I favored Feykja's sire. And then I though about him again last year, but then realism hit and I realised I really can't make yet another foal with 3 horses in my hands, out of which I still fail to choose which one to sell...
I thought I'd be less stress after her 30+ days check, but that hasn't really happened lol Nothing you can really do at this point though- October seems so far away, but with any luck we should have two healthy foals 
Foal fever is hard to resist though! Thanks for helping me with all this when I asked about it originally by the way!
