.:Meghan:.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irYiUFNwIW4

Is this better collection for him? I got a 64% for this test. The trot circles sucked but I was wondering if the canter is better. The judge said "use more half halts to establish a better connection with your nice soft hands" 

thanks everyone

"It is the difficult horses that have the most to give you" - Lendon Gray.

Yes  gallop to the jumps.. YOu have a problem with  galloping to jumps? IF so perhaps you should  stick to hte pleasure horse  rings. Galloping to hte jumps  allows the hors to  get his front out of the way when  taking off  to the jump and give them the 'umph' needed to  get over and not loose pace. Galloping to the jump  will 'make' if you will  get off the horses back so the horse can jump the jumps.  Galloping to hte jumps  allows the horse to be balanced and is more adjustable on hte approach and  going away from the jump. /unlike hte glumpalong  gaits that  is populr in hte bred show 4h levels. Galloping will allow the rider and horse  a better chance of landing on hte  correct lead, and  actually make it down hte lines and when  she reaches the level where  combo jumps are  on hte course  will actually make the 1-2 strides inbetween right now  if a combo  were to appear the horse would  almost crawl over the jumps if  he make it  in hte allotted stride to begin with. So what was wrong with gallop to jumps?   Please tell me what I said was so wrong? Rememer I've been in this game for 30 yrs and  have more  1-3rd placings than 4-6th and more tri colors than I care to admit more sivler than I wish to  polish, more trophys, plaques, medals etc  than I have wall space to display if I chose to display them If I  did not choose to return them to the show managers/ orgnizers for their use later...

Anyway on to the  new vid.

Cntact with  the horse  face would help I think. though he is moving more foward than in the first vids. you are always 'fixing' ( im sure the judge  commeneted on busy hands.. )which  transulates to  always fixing. At least for the first half of the test.  Some of your circles are more egg shaped and  the first one  seemed to be  a bit short but that could have been camera angle...  to achieve a circle remember the points of hte arena.. the short side at A the  long sides  just  beyond the letters (  that  I cant recall with out more coffee in my body) and X ( I assume the test calls for 20 m  vs 10 m circles) YOu  really just want to touch on those spots not  go to them. See this O  you  ride from X touch long side touch A then touch long side then touch X again. But as your skill  enlarge so will this ability so right now I think you are on track for that.

Like with jumping you want to  have contact with his face. Not  upper levl comtact but contact with out a  loop in the reins. See  how several times  when you  didnt free rein he  appeard to be searching for something? Poking  nose out a bit, a bob up then  'drag' down' He is searching for contact. So give it to him. when you did the first free rein  he did dive a bit into it.  YOu dont want to just drop reins but rather  allow him to  take the rein from you. He almost but not quite 'fell' into hte streach. And when you gather  reins back up make sure it is a deliberate, sure  take up not a  quiet, slow feed through fingers. Actually   take them up so contact is reestablished  and  'fast time'. See if you can find some  higher level riders  doing this manouver  and see how  they just take back hte reins? not  slowly feeding through fingers.

Honestly I think the horse  appears happier  doing dressage than he does jumping. That may be his  thing. That said if you  continue to  jump and wish to  go higher levels then dressage is always a good thing to have under your belt. You will be suprised how often dressage  saves  riders in touh spots when jumping.


If ponies were human.. most would be in prison.

Mrs. Smith COTH