Been working hard, is it paying off?

Well I haven't posted pictures in a really long time but decided I should update you guys, well at least you guys that now of Junior and like to see him :]

He has been doing really great, he is out lame right now with an abscess, but that is just cause of the weather. I live in the rainiest state in the US lol.

Ok so here we go. I have been working really hard on closing my fingers around the reins! Any better there?

September, when I first moved him to his current barn and actually started really working with him:


October:



November:






December/January:






^^ Just tossed this one in just because. It was our first time jumping over like 18" in a couple years. His knees are horrid I know! But other than his knees/hooves I like this picture :]

Anyway please critique, I am working with a trainer, but just wanted to see if others think we have improved at all. Does he look better? Worse?

Thanks!

Excellent! I can see the work you put in and you are certainly getting some payback.

I agree

Was this an older horse? I cannot remember.
I can see him moving much nicer and seems to have built up some more muscles and carrying his head better.
Watch that you don;t let him come behind the vertical . But keep your focus on getting him in his hind end, pushing from there.

Thanks :]

Tinyliny: Yes he is older, he is 22 1/2 right now, 23 in May. We have been working a lot with headset and getting him to engage his hind end. He fights you to no end about using his hind but I have been trying. Some days are really good, but we have more bad days than good ones. I just feel like I have been working my butt off so was curious if it was showing at all :]

He is no doubt stiff. Do some work with him where you don't give a hoot about his head, but just ask him to really push forward. Let him canter full speed and ask for a few bursts of MORE!

After he is really warmed up, do some lateral work, including asking him to back kup and to flex his head and neck to each side some. And try to get him to really step his inside rear leg under himself. So try doing squares, and at each corner have him do a turn on the hindquarets. At a walk
He looks like a very dignified gentleman.

Perfect way to describe this horse, dignified gentleman.

Thanks Tinyliny. I already do let him warm up with his head, I don't ask for his head until we have done about 15 minutes of walk and trot on a looser rein so that he can stretch himself out :] As for the cantering, I try lol. I think it will be easier when I can ride him outside, he has more energy when he is outside of an arena, it is too rainy now though. He has no desire to canter fast and despite me pushing I rarely can even get a nice canter out of him haha. I shall definetely try though! Also as for the square thing, how would I go about that? I don't know how to make him turn on his hindquarters...if he even knows how lol.

I like that, dignified gentleman, it suits him. I thought about retiring him but he is still willing to work and loves to jump so I don't see a reason to despite many others telling me he is too old. He is perfectly healthy and sound.

Well, let's see . .
Turning the square involves using the outide rein and the inside leg. YOu wnat to be sure you have him lightly bent to the inside with clear connection to your outside rein as you approach the corner. Prepare him to slow down and even almost think about backing up (he should rock back onto his hind a wee bit),
Keep your inside leg kind of solid on him at the girth, and use your outside leg and outside rein to move him over in kind of "pulses" with his steps. So think of kind of "lifting his shoulders and pushing them over to the 90 degrees turn, with that outside rein.

Probably not the best explanation. Ask the dressage folks.

Take it from someone who has second-guessed herself and has wanted to give up many many times... Hard work will pay off in the end. No matter what the circumstances. It might not pay off right away, but when it matters most, it will!

You look like you are really improving and are really dedicated to the sport and your horse. Good for you! Keep it up :)

In a few pictures between November and December/January, you actually looked a bit better in November! It could've been the moments when those pics were taken, but in November you were fantastic... Make sure there's a straight line from your head to your hip to your heel (in just a few pics that was off) and your shoulders could come back a liiiittle more. Back and down, mind you, not just back. :) In Nov. You look really relaxed and confident(:

You look great in the jumping picture. Your good boy will improve with experience. Mudpie gets better as we start jumping higher, so I can see him being fantastic!

:)