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Critique my last show :)

3K views 16 replies 8 participants last post by  guesy 
#1 ·
This is me and my trainers horse at my most recent show. This was just a flat class. Please tell me what you think. (The horse is a quarter horse, and i was 12 years old at the show- it has been a while since my last show) :?

p.s. i had to take the pictures off of my tv because my dad taped the show on a camcorder. thats why they are bad quality.


trot^


trot^


trot^


horrible hand position^


trot^


canter^


canter^


how is headset?^


walk^

ONLY CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISISM PLEASE
 
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#3 ·
I agree his nose is behind the vertical and he needs to be ridden more from behind. Leg into hand rather than the other way around.

Not a critisism but a question on the stirrups.
I've noticed in a few of the photos on here that stirrups are shorter (sometimes a lot) than I would ever ride on the flat and for trail riding. Is it an accepted length in America?
I'm just interested in the way other countries do things that's all.
 
#4 ·
I can't be sure of the class but if I had to guess it almost looks like a road hack type of class. In this class type the horse will tend to have a more rounded appearance but I agree with the others that the head is behind the verticle and not where it should be. What I did notice is the way you hold the reins with the rein fully through the hand and all fingers around the reins (pic 4) and what this does is put a lot of pressure on the bit. The horse's jaw is not relaxed and this could be the reason. A long time ago I was told that the fewer fingers around the rein usually the softer the hold. Try holding the reins with just 4 or even 3 fingers.

I also agree that the stirrups could be a hole or two longer and this would give you a more balanced and "neater" position.
 
#17 ·
Yes i agree with the holding the reins for fewer fingers, my hands are a horrible habit that i have, almost everything about them i have trouble with. Also yes i do think that my stirrups should be shorter, but even i am not sure why they werent.
 
#6 ·
This was a hunter jumper flat class. Yes i actually agree with his head problems, but like i said this is my trainers horse and when i asked him for collection that is what he gave me. However, i do not agree with just because he is a quarter horse that he should have the low western head set. My stirrups ARE way to short but i had a jumping class right before this class and i just either forgot to, or didnt change them. Also, this happened just before this class:



(That was on the photographers website, yes it is me and the horse)
So i was a bit shaken up. But thank you all :D
 
#11 ·
This was a hunter jumper flat class. Yes i actually agree with his head problems, but like i said this is my trainers horse and when i asked him for collection that is what he gave me. However, i do not agree with just because he is a quarter horse that he should have the low western head set. My stirrups ARE way to short but i had a jumping class right before this class and i just either forgot to, or didnt change them. Also, this happened just before this class:

(That was on the photographers website, yes it is me and the horse)
So i was a bit shaken up. But thank you all :D
I'm not a show person...so my opinion probably isn't wanted...but you did ask how the headset was in the line up... It looked to me like the horses on either side of you had a lower headset. I would be nervous if I didn't feel confident in my horse's headset if it's totally opposite of the headset of all the other horses in the ring...especially if I didn't win... Don't know if you did or not, did you say? Hope you did well though.

I'm also not sure why you just wouldn't change your stirrups (if you didn't forget) when you're going in a class that needs longer stirrups. Maybe I'm too much of a perfectionist, but I'd want to be perfect going in the ring if I were to show (which is a big reason why I don't show).
 
#7 ·
I can see your point that he was showing in a hunter jumper class, my point was if you were showing english pleasure at a non hunter/jumper show you would not be competative the way he was carrying his head/neck. Its very hard when its not your own horse. I would still try to soften him up and relax his head carriage.
 
#12 ·
What I see - is a rider who is focused on a false headset, instead of riding the horse correctly.

I see you really stiff in your hands/elbows/shoulders - resulting in a rider holding onto the horses face, forcing this false headset or "collection"

The horse is stiff, on the muscle, compacted and just held there - in this fake frame.

You ask for collection by riding Seat into legs into Hands. Not Hands first.

He was trying to evade by going behind the verticle.

He looks really miserable in the canter pictures.

Get rid of the idea of a "headset" and start rethinking about True Collection and Engagement.

You cannot go around holding your horses face - because it creates negative results. Horse stiff, horse on the muscle, horse tense. Not being allowed to move forward and under themselves, not being able to build and blanace by using the correct muscles.

You need to learn how to ride seat first. Your seat activates the back end. Riding on all 3 points *2 seat bones and crotch* with a strait lower back - allowing core to be effective. Engaging the back end - because that is where it all comes from.

Then your legs - your legs aid your seat by taking over and continueing with the energy you created through your seat. Your legs must not only keep the rhythm you created, but also aid in lifting your horses back/ribs - because now, your horses topline can work.

Energy, recycles into outside rein. By keeping soft, supple contact through your outside rein, this allows that energy you created to recycle back thorugh, instead of gushing out your horses front end. Also, proper hand carraige aids your horse to be lifted up and off of their forehand.

Right now - your horse is stiff, on the muscle, on his forehand. Not using himself correct. Not being able to move forward and under himself. Instead he is compacted in due to rider trying to get this incorrect headset.

Allow your horse to work correctly - and then, and only then, will a proper headset come into factor.

It is all said and done with words on a computer screen, that is why you need a good coach to beable to teach you this correctly.
 
#13 ·
What I see - is a rider who is focused on a false headset, instead of riding the horse correctly.

I see you really stiff in your hands/elbows/shoulders - resulting in a rider holding onto the horses face, forcing this false headset or "collection"

The horse is stiff, on the muscle, compacted and just held there - in this fake frame.

You ask for collection by riding Seat into legs into Hands. Not Hands first.

He was trying to evade by going behind the verticle.

He looks really miserable in the canter pictures.

Get rid of the idea of a "headset" and start rethinking about True Collection and Engagement.

You cannot go around holding your horses face - because it creates negative results. Horse stiff, horse on the muscle, horse tense. Not being allowed to move forward and under themselves, not being able to build and blanace by using the correct muscles.

You need to learn how to ride seat first. Your seat activates the back end. Riding on all 3 points *2 seat bones and crotch* with a strait lower back - allowing core to be effective. Engaging the back end - because that is where it all comes from.

Then your legs - your legs aid your seat by taking over and continueing with the energy you created through your seat. Your legs must not only keep the rhythm you created, but also aid in lifting your horses back/ribs - because now, your horses topline can work.

Energy, recycles into outside rein. By keeping soft, supple contact through your outside rein, this allows that energy you created to recycle back thorugh, instead of gushing out your horses front end. Also, proper hand carraige aids your horse to be lifted up and off of their forehand.

Right now - your horse is stiff, on the muscle, on his forehand. Not using himself correct. Not being able to move forward and under himself. Instead he is compacted in due to rider trying to get this incorrect headset.

Allow your horse to work correctly - and then, and only then, will a proper headset come into factor.

It is all said and done with words on a computer screen, that is why you need a good coach to beable to teach you this correctly.

~~~

Aside from that, your seat is nice - I like that it is on all 3 points. And I like that you are looking up and ahead of yourself.

Also, another thing I see - is that you grip with your knees allot. You cannot have a functional seat, when you don't have a functional lower leg. Open your knees up, allow your heels to absorb your bodies weight and allow your inner calf to be effective.

The moment you grip and pinch with your knees, you block that flow - not permitting energy and weight to flow down into your lower leg and heel.

Your lower leg has to be effective, so that your seat can be. Your seat has to be effective, so that your upper body can be effective. Your upper body has to be effective, so that your elbows and hands can be effective...so on and so forth.

Chain reaction - you loose one link in the chain, you disrubt the rest.

Again, you need to find a coach who will beable to work on this with you :)

All the best!
 
#15 ·
I disagree with almost all of this, the stuff that you said about my knees, etc, could not possibly be seen from these pictures. Also, the horse was not stiff at all, he was well warmed up and only not under himself in the canter. Im sorry to be rude, but you dont know the horse or how he has to be ridden. I am completely aware that i asked for critique and thank you for your input, i just feel completely opposite of what you have apparently been trained to do. Thank you.
 
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