The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Retraining - Racehorse to Dressage horse! One month on!

3K views 11 replies 9 participants last post by  OffTheTrack 
#1 ·
I found some photos and a short video from a few days after I bought Piper!





And here are some from a month later!




I think that he's come on a lot, but then I might be biased :wink: He learned to leg yield very quickly, but is still quite mouthy, he's had back/teeth etc checked, and is on bit number four (Monty Roberts sweet iron eggbutt snaffle with inlaid copper strips) so I hope it's not my hands!! But he does it on the lunge too so may just be him.

Advice and critique is always very welcome :D Please bear in mind I have a really bad back at the moment, so look a bit wonky! If anyone has any tips for relaxing and stretching the back (mine! not the horse's) I will love you forever!
 
See less See more
2 5
#3 ·
He's come a million miles! Well done!

What catches me about your photos is that your hands are pretty open and you've rolled your wrist over too far. You'll have a softer hand if you close the hand and bring your thumbs up on top - you may find this really helps him with his "mouthyness".

I can't watch the videos for some reason (they're making my computer freeze)... so all I can comment on are the photos.

I think you should be very proud of how well he's doing though, there's a huge improvement.
 
#4 ·
Ouch ouch ouch, I can see how sore your back is!

You have done wonderfully with him, congratulations. In some of the photos his head carriage is a little too much, but he is only learning, and for just a month - it's amazing.
I am a year in with my TB and have not come as far.
 
#7 ·
Thankyou guys! :D

You're right about his head carriage, he drops it when he's not working from behind enough, so I need more leg, you can see 8 seconds in, when the video changes, his head is in it's proper place - that is because I had gone and got a schooling whip! I don't like riding with one though, it makes him all jittery! So I only have it in that bit of clip.

Yes, my hands drive me mad - he's quite strong and I find myself tensing against him, which is never good!

My back is horrible, I think I did it in carrying lighting stuff for work! I really should go see a physio or something...

Thankyou for your crit and kind comments :) I will practise them and try and get some more video! I schooled him this morning and tried to sort my hands, he was a little ****** though, started him on a new feed, and he had a lot of energy, possibly too much :-p I don't know what's wrong with the videos, maybe youtube playing up?
 
#9 ·
Thankyou! :D I'm struggling with putting weight on him too! I had him looking quite nice but his ribs are visible again now! What are you feeding yours?

Piper is quite an easy boy, not a typical tb really, he generally tries his best to do what you want!! But I think the trick is to get them fit/supple/balanced enough before asking anything of them, so that it's not physically too difficult for em :) And just have fun! They are such lovely horses :D
 
#11 ·
You are very fortunate that ribs are all you see- Mine came to me as a 1.2 or so on the Henneke scale (you can see pictures in my blog in my signature). He's doing well now though. He is out all day so he gets pasture, free choice round bale, T&A flakes, Alfalfa cubes (the mini's becuase he choked on me the second day I had him) cracked corn and safe choice feed. He also gets joint supplement. Throughbreds have very fast metabolisms! My best friends' aunt had one that just recently died, he also was a dressage horse and jumper that was off the track. She had to feed her's (Eliot) alot of different things as well. But, God, are they worth it- Texas is the biggest hambone out of my three lol. I love it. And you are very right- getting them to flex and be balanced while riding is so hard. What bit do you use? I have to get shoes put on Tex according to my farrier also...how are your baby's feet?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top