Critique Western Riding/Stock horse Video

Please critique my stallion's: movement, balance, position, anything that stands out.
-What I am aware of: he is very mouthy about bit contact in some parts (he is a horse who prefers as little contact as possible, otherwise he pushes against it). I miss some of my lead changes.

Please also critique my equitation. Trust me, I know it is way out of whack...I have spent so much time the last three years looking at my horse and not myself that I have some catching up to do! Please try to pick out specific things that you notice.

Don't be afraid to hurt my feelings or my horse's :) I need the critique to become better!

Click on the link below and then click on the clip that says "Dez Western..." (the far left clip)

http://s242.photobucket.com/albums/f...afilter=videos

Sorry about the quality...I will try to replace it with better, but that takes so much more memory and time :)

I woul like to see him with his head down more. Most of the video it was quite high. Like you said, you need to work on his changes. His transitions need more work too so you can get the lope without speeding into it. I personally would suggest going back to a snaffle and teaching him to collect more before going with a curb again. Other than that, he has nice movement, a nice ground overing lope even when he's going slower. Your back ups are nice, straight and have even steps.

I watched your other videos, lol I love the cominaty :P

:) Yes, my husband can be an interesting video man :)

I am actually riding him in a snaffle in the video, and all show season. I have not transitioned to a curb yet, as he was five this show season. I have to get these things down by spring because I will have to ride in a curb next year. I have been working on his head, lead changes, and transitions a lot, but hopefully winter will give him some mellow time to really get solid with it. It seems like the mellower training of winter can be almost more effective than intense summer training.

He was getting much better about his head at the walk and trot at home, but the show seen, he forgets all of his training I still haven't gotten him there with his head at the lope. I was thinking of doing a lot of lope circles (large and small) focusing on headset and smoothness.

I hadn't noticed the speeding into the canter, that will be good to work on also.

Any other tips?

He just takes a few quick trot steps sometimes, but that comes with experience, and he's still young yet.
As for the head set, I'd recomend doing some bending and latteral excersises. Things like leg yeild (not sidepass, still moving forward), taking his head (and eventually front end) to the inside and the outside while keeping his haunches on the rail. This helps loosen their back and relax so they feel more ready to collect. There are suppling excersises you can to too. I don't know how much he knows, but this is the basics. Try , first while standing, take the rein and hold him, wiggling your fingers. When he drops his head to get away from the pressure, imediatly give your hand. Try this at walk and jog too and eventually lope. You can also give a series of half halts until he drops. Most horses after theyve gone round will stretch down after. These will help you when you go tot shows too. The bending especially. Don't be afraid to take rein. He doesn't want you to touch his mouth, but you have to teach him that if he doesn't keep it down, you will be touching it. When he's getting distracted in the warm up ring, do a LOT of bending and leg yeild, kkeep him BUSY. Never do more than a lap just going on the rail. It's also helpful to bring him to as many new places as possible so he soon gets used to being riden away from home. Young horses are tricky this way, but if you can expose him to as many different places as possible now, and work him like you would at home (consistancy is key when something changes), you'll have it much easier later.

Thanks for the tips. I actually do a lot of flexion exercises with him, and it really helps with his headset and collection after about 15 minutes of it, but it only helps so far in the walk and trot. He also relapses constantly, and needs to be re-softened and suppled.

I am hoping experience and time will help with his headset. He is getting much calmer in new places, but still pretty distractible. :)

Some thing you need to work on are collecting your horse up and trying to get it's head down. Maybe sitting deeper in your saddle having your shoulder, knee, and heel line up to be straight with your albow in, one hand on the rein and the other at your side and I think that would be it I hope you take my advice becuase I think you horse would be really good at pleasure if you get him collected and his head down!!!

Thanks for the advice, I will keep working on myself and him.

What makes you think he might do well in Western Pleasure? He can do a nice smoothe, pretty slow jog, but to tell you the truth, his gaits are nothing like those of the WP horses I have seen around.

Ok, first of all glad to find a wp rider. Haha

I would like to see him get off his front end. He also need to lift his back more, and that will automaticalle bring his head down.

The biggest thing I saw is he is going off his front end, when he needs to be propelling off of his hind end, he's got a big butt make him use it! (gotta love the paint hips)

Absolutly beautiful horse, just needs some trweeking, and i'll meet you at the 08' paint congress :)

Thanks Tessa Bear :)

Any suggested exercises for getting him working of of his hind better. I do a lot of serpentines now, and after I work really focused on them for about 20 minutes, I can really feel him start to round out and carry himself better, but he defaults back to the heavy on the front mode quick :)