Clinic photos (spotty dressage horse)

[mari]

I was booked to ride in a clinic with our South African national coach this past Saturday, but had to fly home for a funeral unfortunately. My lovely dressage instructor agreed to ride Odin in my place. We're making our Elementary (2nd level) debut this year. The clinician is happy with his progress, which was good to hear

Our homework since our last clinic with her was to really work on suppleness to the left, and to be so super careful to never allow him to curl up deep, especially in the canter. Rather "walk" my hands up and forward. She gave me some good visualisations for this, and I've been diligent. It's still not quite where the right canter is, but we're getting there.

Sitting trot is still my nemesis. I'm being assured it does not look bad at all, but it feels terrible. Practice practice practice...

[Flight]

He's looking really good!

[Sue B]

Wow! He's really beginning to muscle up now and look like a dressage horse. Great job!

[Chisamba]

nice progress shown

[Ryeissa]

great work! thanks for sharing. Can you share more about walking the hands forward? I have a horse that likes to go deep as well.

[PNG_Pony]

Lovely!

[demi]

What a handsome fellow!

[Code3]

I just love your boy!

[mari]

great work! thanks for sharing. Can you share more about walking the hands forward? I have a horse that likes to go deep as well.

Last year, she first had me try just lifting my hands up and forward briefly, with some leg support. From the beginning, this pretty much made no change in his posture. He would just twitch his head up and then immediately go deep again once my hands went to neutral.

So she told me to think of where I want his head to be as 5, on a scale of 1 to 10. He tends to want to go to 2 or 3, so when I ask for "up", I must try for 7 or 8 for a stride or two, so that when my hands go to neutral he goes "down" to 5. Not sure if this is a helpful visualisation for everyone, but it clicked a bit for me.

So to get up to 7/8, I raise my hands like steps, first the inside a step, then the outside slightly higher, then the inside slightly higher. Up and forward, but with sustained pressure and some leg, until he changes his balance. He seems to react to this slower request much better than a brief upward hh (which we hope to get to, but for now I can't make it work).

I'm not sure how "classical" it is, but over the last year we've had such a huge improvement in his posture at the trot. The canter is still a bit inconsistent and deep, but I think with some sweat it will get there.

[mari]

Thanks for all the kind words everyone, he really is a love

[Kathy Johnson]

Lovely!

[demi]

I had to go back and look at he funny comical horse pic thread. And yes! The spotty horse with the cool hairdo is yours! I love him. I showed it to DH and he said "that's a wig"

[mari]

I had to go back and look at he funny comical horse pic thread. And yes! The spotty horse with the cool hairdo is yours! I love him. I showed it to DH and he said "that's a wig"

He really looks ridiculous every time we take plaits out!

[Ryeissa]

great work! thanks for sharing. Can you share more about walking the hands forward? I have a horse that likes to go deep as well.

Last year, she first had me try just lifting my hands up and forward briefly, with some leg support. From the beginning, this pretty much made no change in his posture. He would just twitch his head up and then immediately go deep again once my hands went to neutral.

So she told me to think of where I want his head to be as 5, on a scale of 1 to 10. He tends to want to go to 2 or 3, so when I ask for "up", I must try for 7 or 8 for a stride or two, so that when my hands go to neutral he goes "down" to 5. Not sure if this is a helpful visualisation for everyone, but it clicked a bit for me.

So to get up to 7/8, I raise my hands like steps, first the inside a step, then the outside slightly higher, then the inside slightly higher. Up and forward, but with sustained pressure and some leg, until he changes his balance. He seems to react to this slower request much better than a brief upward hh (which we hope to get to, but for now I can't make it work).

I'm not sure how "classical" it is, but over the last year we've had such a huge improvement in his posture at the trot. The canter is still a bit inconsistent and deep, but I think with some sweat it will get there.

Makes sense! thanks~ I've had a lot of success thinking "up and out when" I use the reins (one at a time, like for bending) not back and down which is very common. This keeps the bit higher up in his mouth.

[klark_kent07]

He looks great mari, he's filled out and looking so much stronger in these last pics!

[PaulaO]

What breed is he? He is lovely.

[mari]

Thanks PaulaO

He's out of an Appaloosa mare, by a big Belgian wb stallion called Ulior van het Wuitenshof (http://www.capital-stud.co.za/ulior.html).

Fortunately he inherited his dad's lush mane and tail, and not the typical Appaloosa wisps

[LeoApp]

I love him. <3