[Oxer]

My trainer has been schooling my horse lately and we're both very pleased with how much he has progressed since i first bought him.
He loves to jump! The intro says he's 16.1... but he's actually 15.1 maybe 15.2 if he's lucky hahahaha (gonna have to fix that typo!).
My trainer is the one riding him in the vid. She rides him 100 times better than i can, especially with how hard he jumps sometimes. Anyway, just thought i'd share!

 

[lubylol]

He's cute! And I love the song
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[sullylvr]

Frankly I'm horrified about the way your trainer forced his head into that position behind the verticle on the flat. He's very cute and looks like a sweetheart but if i were you I would make sure she never rides him like that again
eta: she improves as the video goes on but the first 20 seconds or so is badPosted via Mobile Device

 

[caseymyhorserocks]

Beautiful horse. And like Sully, that head position... Just disgusts me, IMO.

 

[Oxer]

she's definitely no dressage rider, and i appreciate everyone's eye with that sort of thing. You guys notice things i tend to miss. Although, i don't know much about a horse being "behind the vertical". He's still learning to reach down and out to the bit... we work on the flat a few days a week doing the "long and low" kind of stuff. But it's a process, and i'm taking my time with him. I have her ride him from time to time to keep him brave to the fences and so he can focus on his jumping... where as i tend to get nervous and make him focus more on where i am and what i'm doing. hahaha!

 

[caseymyhorserocks]

What the horse is doing, behind the verticial, is called rolkur, and causes severe damage to horses. It cramps their neck to their chest, cause difficulty in breathing, swallowing, and their saliva glands don't work correctly. Great video here:

The comment right below the video is also great, sit up straight, tuck your head to your chest, put your fingers on bottom teeth and push gently, and then try to run around while doing this.. I would immediately change trainers, this is NOT a matter to be overlooked... It doesn't matter if your instructor isn't a dressage person, that is what I would call cruelty and every horse owner should know that, dressage or not.

 

[Oxer]

hmm well... i don't know much about that kind of thing. just wanted to share my video and my sweet boy, is all.

 

[DraftyAiresMum]

Casey, I wouldn't go so far as to call what Oxer's trainer is doing "rolkur." Yes, Indy is behind the vertical, but rolkur (or at least my understanding of it) is more drastically behind the vertical as well as lifting the horse's head and neck up to create a dramatic curve to the neck/poll.

To me, it looks like the trainer's hands aren't as quiet as they should be in the sitting trot and Indy is getting behind the vertical so that she isn't bumping him in the mouth so much. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure what's going on with the trainer's hands in the first part. She's got them really wide and her wrists are kind of curled under so the top part of her hand is facing forward. That's shortening the reins quite a bit, so that, combined with the "all-over-the-place" hands is making Indy go behind the vertical to avoid the pressure and bumping. Indy's mouth isn't gaping, as you'd expect to see with a horse forced into rolkur, so it doesn't appear he's having extreme difficulty breathing or is desperate to avoid the pressure.

Oxer, Indy is very cute. I love his trot. It's adorable. His jump looks nice and honest, too.

 

[Oxer]

ah, now that's an interesting point, Drafty. So more of evading the bit backwards??

 

[DraftyAiresMum]

Looks like it to me. Aires did this to me when I first started riding him, but he only did it when I asked him to stop. He'd pull his head in (just like Indy is doing) and just plow on through the bit. If you really look at horses that are forced into a rolkur headset, they are usually gaping their mouths to avoid the extreme pressure of the bit. Indy isn't doing that. It just looks like he's not comfortable with the way the trainer is riding him, so he's trying to relieve the pressure/bumping.

When you ride Indy at a sitting trot, does he do the same thing (pull his head in like that)?

Also, what's with his head tossing as he approaches some of the jumps? I noticed it several times, especially toward the end.

 

[Skyseternalangel]

Beautiful horse, I want to see you ride him!

 

[Oxer]

i don't ride him in a sitting trot. he was previously a western horse... so does a sitting jog count?? haha! I tend to tense up at a sitting trot, so i will sit his jog but for trotting, i post or 2 point. You know, it could very well be the bit. This bit thing has been a long and arduous journey. We started in a corkscrew gag when i first bought him because he was pretty hot. I changed his diet and we worked a TON on the flat, and were finally able to move to a simple D snaffle. Now he's been with me for 6 months (or so) and is quite fit and brave. As a result, i've wanted more control over fences... so now he's in a plain mullen mouth (for about 2 weeks), which he doesn't seem to like. ugh!
He does the backwards evading with me from time to time. Actually i notice it the most when i simply ask him for a downward transition to the walk.

Thank you, Sky. When i learn how to ride his lofty jump without looking like a spazz, i will post some vid of me riding. haha!

 

[DuffyDuck]

Subbing so I can see the vid at home
I'm at work right now.. grrr!

 

[eventerdrew]

Beautiful horse! He sure does know how to jump doesn't he?!