Question # 239, and Video # 72: Gabbie has a question about her green horse's jumping, with video!My 6yr old Warmblood mare and I are running into some situations whilst jumping.. She is green but very brave. However, she leaves her back legs at fences and trashes through them. If she hasn't seen the fence/filler before then she jumps really well, but once she's seen it, it's like she puts no effort in? Or that's what it feels like, and with smaller fences, she just runs through them. She jumps better off a circle or if straight, she runs on the forehand. My trainer is becoming frustrated with her too. Do you have any suggestions? This video is actually better for her, normally she would've taken a cross pole out with her back legs. (Gabbie)(Click on Question or Video Title above (in blue) to read the answer, and the critique of this video)
This is a really common problem! Often what happens when attempting leg yielding in the canter for the first time, is... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Question # 229, and Video # 70: Problems with halting!I'm bringing my Intermediate horse back into work & he's decided that downward transitions are optional. We went to a schooling show & the judge said "all downward transitions late" & at the end of the Intermediate test he flat out refused to halt & I actually had to make a circle & try again. I've tried the usual, lots of transitions, stronger aids when he doesn't stop, it doesn't seem to be helping. I'm riding him in a double jointed snaffle & I thought tomorrow I'd try a different bit & see if that makes any difference. When he decides not to stop & I pull harder, he just pulls back even harder & keeps going. I'm not sure where this is coming from, but he's in perfect physical shape so I know it's not physical. He tends to do it at the end of the session or day, I'm wondering if he's tired, bored, confused...... not sure what's going on! Here's the video. Help! (Laura)(Click on Question/Video title above (in blue) to read the answer and critique of this video)
Video # 67 and Question # 213: This is a video of Rowan, my 14 year old OTTB gelding. I took him off the track several years ago and turned him into a show jumper and fox hunter......He had last year off for a hock injury, and this is his first year eventing. He's a great horse cross-country: unflappable, bold to the jumps, light in your hands, and very adjustable. But he has a bad habit of drastically slowing down when we approach water, even water he has been through before. I think the root of the problem is in the hunt field most of the time we stop before crossing water, as our hunt country is very trappy and we often have to work to find a safe place to cross (especially if there's ice). Any advice on how to "re-educate" him to be as bold to water as he is to everything else? (Kellyn)(Click on Video or Question Title above (in blue) to read the answer and the critique of this video)
Video # 66 and Question # 208: This is Kymbre!Here is a video of the mare I mentioned before that I was working with named Mouse. She was the one who would throw her head up to avoid contact with the bit, and then she learned how to curl her chin to her neck to avoid the contact as well. But I read your post about using side reins on a lunge line to teach them how to go forward into the contact. This seemed to help A LOT! Because she isn't fighting as much or trying to avoid the contact. I am even able to get her to lengthen her stride while stretching into the bit. It's very nice. In this video we worked on bending from the inside leg into the outside rein into the contact. And for the most part she understood it after we did it at the walk first.
I noticed in the video that my right stirrup was exceptionally shorter than my left stirrup, which I felt during my ride, but I assumed I was just sitting unevenly. I think if I had that stirrup even I would have had a little better luck with the right bend. Also, I noticed there were a few times that I accidentally pulled the outside rein back as opposed to asking her to move into it. That is something I will definitely be aware of next time I work with her. I noticed it a few times during the ride and I would push my hand forward a little bit to allow her room to move into that rein. But for the most part she looks good in this video. If you could just let me know what you think, and if there's anything I need to do to make the results better or more efficient. Also any exercises I could try to improve her movement or acceptance of the contact. Thanks! (Kymbre) (Click on Video or Question Title above (in blue) to read the answer and critique of this video)
Video # 64: This is Kellyn!This video is of my 7 year old quarter horse mare at her first show. She's been jumping for about a year, mostly in the hunt field. She is still green and we have a lot to work on. Any advice would be appreciated! (Kellyn)(Click on Video Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this video)
Question # 183, and Video # 60: Member Laura sends in her question in a creative way! (Watch the video to see!)My 6yo OTTB who has been in a consistent 6 day per week program for 6 months has NO self preservation. Regardless of speed, gait, size or type of fence, he has no problem walking all over jumps, or even running right into them. He doesn’t STOP when he’s in trouble, he turns into a snow plow. I've tried everything I can think of, and it may be time to consider a career for him that doesn't involve solid obstacles. Here's a video I made. What do you think?? (Laura) (Click on Question and Video Title above (in blue) to read the answer to the question, and the critique of this video)
Video # 59: This is Rachel doing her Beginner Novice Dressage test!I have never had a regular, good dressage instructor, so I know my flat work leaves a lot of room for improvement. I HAVE had dressage lessons before, but it seems to me a lot of dressage instructors sort of "speak the vernacular" instead of actually coaching. For example, they will say "Your horse is bracing against your reins and breaking at the poll incorrectly", which is something I can FEEL, but I don't get any explanation on how to fix that. I can also feel that my horse tends to bend his neck, but not really through his rib cage and around his body. I try to use lots of inside leg to get him to bend, but it doesn't always work. Do you have any suggestions on how to fix that? I have ridden in spurs before, but I feel like riding in spurs is a "band aid" to that sort of problem and not a permanent fix. (Rachel)
(Click on Video Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this video)
Video # 58: This is Catherine again!This is a stadium and cross country. You have already given me good feedback on my stadium jumping so you can skip that part. Except I have a question about the second fence: As you’ll see, I missed the lead change after the first jump and headed Cisco for the wrong jump (thank God they number them). If I had been in a recognized show, would we have been eliminated for crossing our track? What is the rule about that? (Catherine)
(Click on Video Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this video)
Video # 52: This is Rachelle!I uploaded a video for you to help me with my jumping position. I have a really hard time folding my body and releasing with my hands but I think I am doing better and better with you help and others. If you could give me any alternate ways of telling me that I need to "release my hands over the jumps" (as an example) I feel like I know in my head what I need to do but have a hard time figuring out how to get my body to respond. Once you told me to push my hips back and that will fold my body and that was a light bulb going off for me:) Thanks!! (Rachelle)(Click on Video Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this video)
Video # 42: This is Kathleen!This is Kathleen doing Beginner Novice Test A! (Click on Video Title above to watch the video, and to read the critique)Video # 41: This is Laura!(Click on Video Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this video)
Video # 36: Kayla has a question about how to help her horse get back to the same form she had pre injury.Here is a video starting at where my horse was last year, and what she is like now, about a month after recovering from her injury. We've jumped some over the last few weeks, but I don't have the same horse I had pre-injury. As you can see in the video, last season my horse was doing pretty well. She was waiting at fences and we were pretty good at keeping a consistent rhythm. After her injury, we are both pretty rusty. And since we have started jumping, she has been really bad about rushing fences. I feel like I have to hang on her mouth to keep her from running at the fences. That is why we're going back to the cross rail in the schooling at a slow trot. And why I bring her back to the trot before every fence. At the end of the schooling video (the part from this year), you can see her getting upset at the fact that I am holding her back. The majority of the video is a lesson I took on 5/28 working on her rushing. The instructor told me I need to work more to hold her with my body. Anyway, I am wondering what your thoughts are and what exercises we should do to get her back to the horse she was at the beginning of the video. (Kayla) (Click on Video Title above to watch the video and read the answer)Video # 35: This is Kate!(Click on Video Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this video)
