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Anybody like to critique my tb gelding?

2K views 19 replies 8 participants last post by  HollyBubbles 
#1 ·
This is Mitchell, some of you know him from the forum, the pictures probably aren't the best but do what you will :wink:

-But please critique the horse, not me, I know my riding is discusting especially in the last picture, hands up, leaning forwards etc, it was discusting on my part I will be the first to admit it :oops:.
And in the first photo I think the most obvious thing would be my hands, again. -Forgive me I am trying to correct it all :oops:

Horse Mammal Vertebrate Bridle Grassland


Horse Mammal Vertebrate Mane Halter


Horse Mammal Animal sports Steppe Rein
 
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#4 ·
He is gorgeous! I know nothing of conformation sorry - but he looks great. :D

Where in NZ are you?
Thank's haha, I just wish he behaved great to, but we're working on that:lol:.

In the North Island, but over public internet I'd rather not specify a closer area:).
 
#3 ·
Its hard to tell by the picture you took if i had better pictures i could be more detailed. Specially without the splint boots. Pasterns look a bit upright along with the shoulder, he almost looks buck kneed but its almost impossible to tell with those splint boots. Ewe neck, long back, a little bit post legged. Overall hes a very nice looking TB i dont see anything major.
 
#6 ·
Yeah I've been watching the news on it ever since I got home from school. It's so damn scary to think it's all happening here for once, we should almost start a new thread on it I know there's a few kiwi's scattered round here somewhere.
 
#8 ·
Is that mainly in the first photo right? I did end up shortening them after I lost both stirrups in his canter (although it's so powerful I could probably lose them even if my boots were glued to them :lol:)
I'm lucky though 'cause I learnt to ride on the most uncomfortable horse ever (sorry bubbles) and I still can't sit her canter right, so Mitch's gaits seem so smooth and his trot is a breeze to sit to.

However I quite often ride with them that length on bubbles because I find I rely less on them so if I lose them it's no big deal.. Plus the saddle sits differently on her as I use a foam pad (her back is sunken with age etc)
 
#12 ·
It's just a general purpose saddle, and yes it is super comfy, I have ridden in kreigers and keiffers and gotten a sore back from them which I think is wierd, everyone comments on how comfy my saddle is haha.
I'm pretty sure it's english leather to, but it has no brand on it, some people tell me they think it's a craft/kraft saddle, but I don't know.
 
#11 ·
From what I can see he is long in the back and a bit sickle hocked. If his hind end was two inches further forward and his coupling over his rump was smoother he would be fantastic.

Due to his long back he will be a bit difficult to collect and get working off his forehand (see cantering photo.. yes, as you self critiqued, your position is forward and hands up, but he is all the way on his forehand too).

You have a lovely place to ride.. work him on circles and transitions to get him thinking about his hind quarters and trot him up those hills (let him blow at the top!). Work on balance.. and going from extension to collection and back to extensions at the trot using the half halt. Work on spiral circles.. starting large and working smaller and then spiral back out again. Pick a spot on the ground and trot him in nice round circles to get him supple and bending.

Horse has potential. Sit up straight and use your butt and legs to drive him forward and up into your hands.
 
#13 ·
From what I can see he is long in the back and a bit sickle hocked. If his hind end was two inches further forward and his coupling over his rump was smoother he would be fantastic.

Due to his long back he will be a bit difficult to collect and get working off his forehand (see cantering photo.. yes, as you self critiqued, your position is forward and hands up, but he is all the way on his forehand too).

You have a lovely place to ride.. work him on circles and transitions to get him thinking about his hind quarters and trot him up those hills (let him blow at the top!). Work on balance.. and going from extension to collection and back to extensions at the trot using the half halt. Work on spiral circles.. starting large and working smaller and then spiral back out again. Pick a spot on the ground and trot him in nice round circles to get him supple and bending.

Horse has potential. Sit up straight and use your butt and legs to drive him forward and up into your hands.
Just putting my stupidity out there:lol:, but can you explain what you mean by sickle hocked?

Yeah it's very pretty but all those tree's provide pesky birds that provide "spooking excuses" for Mitchell *rolls eyes*. We own all the way back to a river and some decent hills to. -But mind you I would never swim in the river or take my horses in it, it looks horribly polluted.

I was told when I bought him that he doesn't use the hindquarters properly, which I agree he doesn't, I have been working circles and transitions, when I do circles I start off big and spiral inwards until they are quite small then spiral outwards again and he seems to have no problem doing it. (Since I have had him we have also mastered trot to halt... YUSS:lol:)


And I don't particularly know what working off his forehand means, I'm sure I've been told before but I can never remember.


I'm going to try and get one of the local trainers to come out and give me some lessons, but I live so far out that will be like squeezing blood from a stone, but it's worth a try.

Oh and I figured out he actually does know how to use those hind quarters, just not in the way he should be using them (Bucking me off does not count as using your hind quarters Mitch!!!):lol: Now if I can just make him use them effectively.
 
#16 ·
Your riding is not disgusting. I think you are doing a wonderful job with him, and you seem like a very open and eager learner..I try to be the same way. :) I am sure in no time you two will be perfect.

As far as he goes, he has the sweetest eye and expressive face. And, I am jealous that you get to ride in a tank top in february :lol:. I know none of this is helpful info..lol.
 
#17 ·
Your riding is not disgusting. I think you are doing a wonderful job with him, and you seem like a very open and eager learner..I try to be the same way. :) I am sure in no time you two will be perfect.

As far as he goes, he has the sweetest eye and expressive face. And, I am jealous that you get to ride in a tank top in february :lol:. I know none of this is helpful info..lol.
Lol well I think it is, i'm sure there's people out there that are just to polite to agree with me even though the think the same haha.
Well I've got to learn somehow right? I don't have a professional trainer I can go to for every problem, because I live to far out for them to come to me, and I don't have a float. I have 'lessons' with a few friends that have lessons with the trainer though, one in particular that has some qualifications in horses so she's good help.

Yeah that's what drew me to him, I actually found out about him by pure luck and it turned out to work out for the better after searching for a new horse ended up with me being thrown off once, a friend being thrown off once, 2 being sold underneath me and another one diagnosed with laminitis before I bought him. -I looked at 6 horses in total before I found Mitch.

Haha yeah I love it, it's still summer here and it's great except for the lack of rain. Although I find I can ride in a tank top anytime I like, I don't feel the cold to badly when I'm riding.

I wouldn't say we will be perfect lol, structurally on my side of the fence im built like an idiot so I will always be unbalanced when riding, I'm just lucky enough that he's co-ordinated enough to keep himself corrected when I do lose my balance a bit.
But I can ride bareback etc fine my spine doesn't hold me back from anything it just means I have to put up with pain and I will never be judged best rider lol :lol:
 
#18 ·
Working off the forehand means his weight is on his front legs. He has not learned to curl his back, reach under himself with his hind legs and shift his weight rearward.

To curl his back (not that horses can REALLY curl a lot) and tuck his but and get his weight off the forehand, he has to have well developed abdominal muscles. A great way to develop those nuscles and stretch the topline is to trot up hills.

When you ask for transitions, you need to use your seat and legs (firmly, not kicking) to squeeze the horse forward into your hands.. and then you resist with a half halt.. which is like a gentle squeeze and release.. like you are squeezing a sponge. So, you shift your weight back by sitting up tall and straight in the saddle, tuck your own seat deeper into the horse and squeeze him forward with both legs and then, when he responds you gently squezze with your hands and release (nice and gentle, like a massage motion so you are not hitting him in the mouth but making a request with your hands). The horse's response to the half halt should be to shift his weight rearward. The release with your hands (because you squeeze and release) is the reward for him responding to your request.

It can take YEARS to train a horse to readily move in a collected frame easily. The half halt and driving him forward is where you start, usually at the trot. It is a very subtle thing.. but mastery of the half halt is one of the best tools you can have when training a horse IME.
 
#19 ·
Working off the forehand means his weight is on his front legs. He has not learned to curl his back, reach under himself with his hind legs and shift his weight rearward.

To curl his back (not that horses can REALLY curl a lot) and tuck his but and get his weight off the forehand, he has to have well developed abdominal muscles. A great way to develop those nuscles and stretch the topline is to trot up hills.

When you ask for transitions, you need to use your seat and legs (firmly, not kicking) to squeeze the horse forward into your hands.. and then you resist with a half halt.. which is like a gentle squeeze and release.. like you are squeezing a sponge. So, you shift your weight back by sitting up tall and straight in the saddle, tuck your own seat deeper into the horse and squeeze him forward with both legs and then, when he responds you gently squezze with your hands and release (nice and gentle, like a massage motion so you are not hitting him in the mouth but making a request with your hands). The horse's response to the half halt should be to shift his weight rearward. The release with your hands (because you squeeze and release) is the reward for him responding to your request.

It can take YEARS to train a horse to readily move in a collected frame easily. The half halt and driving him forward is where you start, usually at the trot. It is a very subtle thing.. but mastery of the half halt is one of the best tools you can have when training a horse IME.
Ahhh right this makes perfect sense now thankyou:)
I will start work on this properly when I get him back, at the moment he is at the neighbours house in a very little grass paddock being hacked out by heavier riders than me after he threw me quite nastily. I did get back on and I was willing to ride him still but I bruised the entire inside of my knee so it hurt to ride and I found I couldn't squeeze properly. So I thought instead of having him sit in a paddock doing nothing until my knee came right I sent him next door where my neighbour was willing to help (thankyou humphrey!)
-He threw me thanks to being on sweet summer dairy pasture after rain. He obviously needs either huge workouts each day, or normal workouts and tox defy added to feed :?. I figure if working him good each day doesn't work then I will resort to tox defy.
Big 7yo thoroughbred + Dairy pasture = Not good :lol:
 
#20 ·
Ok, next chance I get i'm bringing my boy home, went next door to see him today and he looks scared and depressed, now I know the humans wouldn't have done that, the mongrel horses have.
I walked into the paddock to see him and he didn't even have his michievous(sp?) twinkle in his eye, he was almost lifeless looking, he has cuts all over him, nicks from the barbed wire fence, BITE marks from one of the horses he's with, that BLED, and I know exactly which horse did it as he damn well did it in front of me! He has rub marks from his halter (I don't paddock my horses with halters at my house) he also has bits where the flash strap sits under his chin, that looks like the skin has been lifted off and put back on.
Said horse that bit him did it less than a metre away from me, and all Mitchell did was run away scared, I don't blame him that was a big bite! He tried to walk to me and to do that he had to walk past mean horse, and as he did so he sped up considerably to get past him, still walking but he did so a lot faster and relaxed once he was past him.
-I'm not leaving him there any longer than I have to he's coming home I'm not leaving my horse like that he's petrified.

On another note, this picture was taken a few weeks ago, on a day where he was being your typical Mitchell, playful and happy but seeing what he could get away with.
Any good? I know he is probably a bit too tucked under, but I'm working on that... Or rather, will be working on that, once my poor boy is back to himself.
Horse Mammal Pasture Grassland Bridle
 
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