DefinitelyDressage.com

Ponichiwa

So Kiwi has always been in-front-of-the-leg horse, to the point where I rode with my legs off her barrel for a significant portion of her under-saddle career to avoid unintentional acceleration. It was only later that I realized that what she actually needed was more leg-- or, more accurately, a mor...

Ponichiwa

That's definitely the risk of a lower budget. Because of that, I'd rather not import; it's much easier to weed out prospects in person! I really wish this mare was palomino, because I've liked all the Benidetto offspring I've seen (from afar-- never have actually interacted with any in person). And ...

Ponichiwa

That's a good-looking horse, redsoxluvr! I understand the challenges of retraining, especially from the shut-'er-down type of training. It's hard to get them back from that, but it looks like your guy is doing well. I went to go see the craigslist quarterhorse, and he's actually pretty darn cute (pl...

Ponichiwa

Any quarter horse people willing to help me out with some bloodlines? There’s a nearby breeder who has a couple potential prospects for sale— Mr San Peppy/Dual Blue Boon bloodlines. Looks like cutting breeding to me. Any experience turning cutters (unbacked) into dressage horses?

Ponichiwa

First really hot week of the year has come, and I was not ready. I may never be ready. I may melt for the next 3+ months until temperatures get back under control again. But I did have a bit of a breakthrough on the one day where I scrounged up enough motivation to actually work and not just hack a...

Ponichiwa

In my limited experience with the double, I find my gal is fussy if I'm not steady with the contact, while she's fine if I give her a place to settle. I think all the hardware intimidated me into trying to be "soft" especially warming up, and not taking a feel or giving away what I did ha...

Ponichiwa

Yesssss. 100% support this behavior.

Also saw this Clyde/TB mare (Ottawa, $7k):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Dressag ... 463231508/

Ponichiwa

First really hot week of the year has come, and I was not ready. I may never be ready. I may melt for the next 3+ months until temperatures get back under control again. But I did have a bit of a breakthrough on the one day where I scrounged up enough motivation to actually work and not just hack ar...

Ponichiwa

Thanks for the tips and links, all! For now, I'm keeping the hunt to 6yo and younger. LOL, I am also on an impossible horse hunt. Except I want another GP prospect that can also work a cow. If you want a yellow horse, there are good uphill QHs (maybe not with 8-9 gaits per se but adequate and that h...

Ponichiwa

tlkidding wrote:They have a 2016 palomino colt for sale right now

http://www.avalon-equine.com/gelato-davalon.html

This guy is adorable. Thanks!

Ponichiwa

Thanks for the feedback, all! If I had to describe my goals for my next (and current, really) horse in one blurb, it'd be: Competitive at 3rd and above in local/regional shows, but not necessarily world-beating at TL/1st. So I need 3 clean, workable gaits that can be made expressive and powerful wit...

Ponichiwa

UDBB, I'd like to tap the power of this board for a horse hunt. My current mare is 12 and is going well, so there's no immediate urgency (i.e. I can look at unstarted and/or young horses), which is good because my wish list is ridiculous. True confessions time: I have always wanted a palomino. More ...

Ponichiwa

Mid-May check-in: I'm having great rides with Kiwi lately. Sunday was Double Bridle Day and the connection was great. Just super. Extensions? Check. Collection? Check. Lateral work in medium and collected gaits? Check and check.

I'm afraid to jinx it.

Ponichiwa

Sue-- the panels and gussets should compact with time if they're wool-flocked. There's going to be some settling. I had to take some conformation shots of Kiwi for her Coggins, and am required to share because look how cute she is. https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/31398231_1015640783115...

Ponichiwa

I've got Kiwi wearing a Schleese-- the right saddle fit makes a world of difference. Gratuitous picture because she's adorable: https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/31543144_10156407830985990_306290747991130112_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=0370565cb5bb89ddce690de163a9d754&oe=5B94E42B That sai...

Ponichiwa

Khall's got my logic here. I need to improve the sit and carry and turn in the canter to the point that we can transition into and out of sitting and turning at any time. We've schooled a bit of canter square already but the corners have not been true 1/4-pirouettes. They've been a bit of either the...

Ponichiwa

Thanks for kicking this off, Tuddy! The long days are really helping my goals this year. Next threat: Texas summers. Time to hydrate. Goals this month for me and Kiwi are: 1. Up the ante on the changes by asking for changes to counter canter from true canter at least 1x/week. 2. Build power in the t...

Ponichiwa

We May-d it! (heh heh heh). Goal check in: 1. I actually lost weight-- 11 lb from March to mid-April. Still a ways from where I want to be, but hey. Baby steps. I have fallen off the wagon for the pre-work workouts though, and my energy has really suffered because of it. Time to get back in the groo...

Ponichiwa

My mare is one of those horses that has a natural tendency to rush the tempo as a response to any increase in pressure-- tension, asking for more engagement, whatever-- and I've found that in my own riding the rising trot helps steady the tempo and then subsequently build the swing and cadence. This...

Ponichiwa

I was thinking about that question (Why train changes if you're not planning on showing?) while I was riding yesterday. FCs are a bit of a peak movement, like pirouette or passage. They aren't the next step to anywhere. However, their quality is indicative of the underlying quality of the canter and...

Ponichiwa

Lovely updates, all! Kiwi and I have had a breakthrough on the quality and consistency of the half steps over the last week or so. Where formerly she'd get a bit, uh, explode-y if I asked for them to be too on-the-spot for her level of connection, now she's really taking weight behind and coiling in...

Ponichiwa

A Stephen Clarke USDF symposium clip touches on the extended walk:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=56wfiFCP2Tw

With some commentary on common pitfalls and mistakes. I think the walk shown is a bit hurried initially but improves as they continue in the clip.

Ponichiwa

Does Capstone still post anymore? I think she's near Dallas and may be a help in settling in. I actually got my start in dressage via lessons with Lyndon and Julie of LTR Dressage mentioned above back when they were located in the Houston area; they're both consummate horsepeople and have an active ...

Ponichiwa

It's interesting how this varies from region to region-- in my former place of residence, there were 0 shows within 3 hours, so I was committing to staying overnight no matter where I opted to show. Nowadays I may have a bit more flexibility, but some shows restrict haul-ins and/or require that you ...

Ponichiwa

I am having a great spring. Kiwi is now 11, and looking adorable as ever: https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/29178445_10156285929355990_6951210564903239680_n.jpg?oh=9cbfd0b933f1c2dc713bca84615babda&oe=5B378D44 I've been riding 5-6 times a week now that it's lighter later, and it's sho...

Ponichiwa

Snipping for exercises: Logically if feels that the place for us to start doing these is from a CC to a true C at the end of the long side. Going across the diagonal, which I was doing last year when we got to this point, could get a bit strung out and rowdy. because of the above mentioned ability t...

Ponichiwa

So sorry about your arm, Heddy! Ouch. Chisamba and DJR and anyone else still braving the cold: hang in there. But the next bit might be out-of-sync with your experience. Mid-March Kiwi update: Things are going well. There have been some springtime heat shenanigans that resulted in my pony taking an ...

Ponichiwa

Kiwi and I are ready to rock this challenge. Here's what our March/April goals look like: - Build cadence in the trot work; ensure that it is consistent within and between movements (i.e.: do not drop Kiwi on her face within or transitioning into/out of half pass, for example) - School half-steps an...

Ponichiwa

Reflection time. In January, I'd said I would: - Ride 4x/week - Expand the no-change zone in the canter with serpentines, leg-yield, and shoulder-fore in true and counter canter. Commit to only asking for changes when the canter feels very relaxed to improve the anticipation issues. - Touch on half-...

Ponichiwa

I <3 flying changes. I'm not a natural at much in dressage but I have been able to put the changes on 5 horses over the years. And they were VERY different types of horses. I'm in the process of transitioning Kiwi's swaps to true flying changes: I'd introduced the concept of hunter-type changes very...

Ponichiwa

I bought Kiwi some bell boots because I noticed she's clipped her heels a few times if the extensions get a little... too dramatic.

I failed to remember that she's never worn bell boots before.

There were legs everywhere.

Ponichiwa

musical comedy wrote:You think Kiki is going to be ready to step down in work effort at age 15?

Honestly-- barring injuries, probably not. Ponies do seem to work for quite a while. The above is mainly a justification to myself that it's OK to buy a cute young horse.

Ponichiwa

Ponichiwa I thought of you when I saw a FB ad of a DHH g, 5 yr old. Cool looking horse, good price and already started. Would you mind sending a link my way? I'm not actually actively looking for another horse (I tell myself...) but if the right one comes along I'd be an idiot not to, right? Right....

Ponichiwa

Sadly a moot point at the moment-- someone offered on the horse I was looking at approximately 12hrs before I did. Thanks for the feedback, though!

Ponichiwa

Hey everyone, I am potentially out of my mind, but I am inquiring about a young horse (yearling) that has caught my eye. If you were the buyer of a dressage-bred WB yearling from a well-known barn, how extensive of a PPE would you go for? I'm assuming no flexions since that's a young young horse wit...

Ponichiwa

Too funny about the sweating. I rode a mare that had been living the leisure life for ~10 years between getting started under saddle at 3yo and when I arrived on the scene. She had some very definite opinions about what constituted fair questions; "NOBODY makes me sweat my own sweat. NOBODY!&qu...

Ponichiwa

I also keep an eye on the horses-for-sale sites because I'm a glutton for punishment. Found a palomino Gelderlander/Hanoverian yearling that I want real bad. Talk me down! Do it. Don't wait. Ride as many horses as you can as often as you can so that you'll never look back and regret playing it too ...

Ponichiwa

I've heard the same thing and am disappointed. The rider's egregious behavior (one-handed whipping, reefing on the bridle after the halt) is independent of qualifications AND the rider actually has some decent scores at I2. In other words, a qualifying system would not have prevented that ride. You ...

Ponichiwa

Found a palomino Gelderlander/Hanoverian yearling that I want real bad. Talk me down! That little description alone makes it hard to talk you down. I think you need to share a photo. At your age and with your experience, I'd definitely go for it. So long as you have a place to board it so that it g...

Ponichiwa

I think the rider was being extremely unfair to her horse, especially w.r.t. her use of the whip and reins. I also think the reaction to it is at least in part magnified by the perceived income/status of the rider and the fact her horse looks like a saint. I don't think it would have gotten the outc...

Ponichiwa

We've made it to the half-way point, and here's what's happened: - I've been working out in the mornings for 30min before work as a part of a workout pact with my sister. I'm actually feeling more energetic in the afternoons now. Psychosomatic or real? Either way, it's a good thing for getting rides...

Ponichiwa

That's a helpful way of describing it. When watching the Graves and Dover clinics, I was struck by how often they both said something like "you need to work on your horse's rideability" or "he needs to be rideable here" (so that the rider could influence and improve the horse). ...

Ponichiwa

Chisamba nails what rideability isn't. For me, rideability is the horse allowing the rider to provide input without resistance. That means changes to bend, balance, and tempo are accepted without much fuss. Horses come with different baselines of input acceptance and that baseline may shift over tim...

Ponichiwa

Lateral work in the walk can reinforce the rhythm, so it's not usually a risk to the purity of the walk. My sister had a horse that had a very lateral/pacy walk when he was tense, but if you put him in shoulder-fore or slight shoulder-in, his walk rhythm improved dramatically. His impure walk was ac...

Ponichiwa

The schoolmaster + full training + lessons route helps a lot, for sure, but it's not mandatory to get above 2nd-- as DJD clearly illustrates above. Riding the movements on a schoolmaster helps you develop feel. Full training helps your horse connect the dots. Taking frequent lessons helps you mainta...

Ponichiwa

Progress already! Lovely changes, Flight. I had a great, albeit not goal-progressing, ride on Sunday with Kiwi. It was our 5th straight ride (a 2018 record) and so I took it easy and went out for a stroll in the fields. As recently as 2 years ago, that meant keeping her on the bit for the majority o...

Ponichiwa

Car insurance rates are on my list to check, so thank you for the heads up! I'm hoping my insurance agent can get me some comparison quotes if I give him zip codes. So it sounds like in order to work w/in 30 minutes of home (our goal), we'd have to live in-city, if we chose the DFW area? Turnout is...

Ponichiwa

khall wrote:Abby that would be equine nasopharyngeal cicatrix syndrome, quite familiar with it and can be some nasty stuff. Pretty bad in TX this year especially after the drought then hurricane.

Agreed.

It's also been cropping up in NC and FL: http://www.performanceequinevets.com/we ... awareness/

Ponichiwa

Texas resident here, in the greater Houston area (which is, btw, massive). Commuting here is rough. This town gets to work early and stays late; rush hours are 3+ hrs long on both ends of the day, depending on where you are. Uninsured drivers are a huge problem in TX so auto insurance may give you s...

Ponichiwa

Having been on the bargain-dressage-horse hunt sporadically over the years, I can say that the low-mileage quintessential trail horses that I've looked at have not appeared dramatically sounder than their sporthorse (i.e. trained) counterparts. That said, I'm hardly habituating the rarefied air of t...

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