3-Year-Old Colt - 4th Ride

This is the fourth ride on the young colt I have been working with. His first ride is also uploaded if you want to see and have not. (it also gives a little more information)

He is off the longe and going well, but we do need a whip person to reinforce what I am asking. He is very laid back which is good, but sometimes he is too laid back. So, we are really trying to establish what he understands as forward on the ground to forward from me the rider and under saddle. The guy you see standing in the middle is my boyfriend. He does have a lot of horse experience and I was directing him. He really is starting to click. I did not tape the ride after this, but he did grow a lot in understanding. I would have left in audio, but the wind and machinery blaring was terrible. It helps more in seeing how he started to understand. The whip was not active the entire time - only when I asked and I asked less and less through the ride.

You may notice he drops out in the right lead canter. That was a small 'whoops'. I asked for a little help, but I was a little slow and in turn my boyfriend could not react to catch him. So we just picked it up again.

If you have any questions about anything you see in the video, feel free to ask. I have no problem discussing and much prefer it to someone assuming ;D.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• horse
• horses
• ride
• riding
• dressage
• colt
• starting
• trot
• canter
• backing
• warmblood

[HazardousAmusement]

though training doesn't always mean that, if your hands are to far apart it doesn't give the horse a place to reach down into the contact. I find that they are constantly searching for contact if you hold your hands to wide, and as for the leg sucking back would be more of a problem if you had to leg as opposed to a firm leg to propel him from behind. It is better to have leg then to leave the horse with no leg and then suddenly one day work them with leg and have then shy away from it.

[halfpassgal]

Wide hands does not affect the horses ability to reach to the contact. Wide hands can be adjusted just like a narrow base and kept just as soft or made strong. It does not change the horses willingness to stretch into it, just aids in balance and training. Leg wise, my leg is lightly on him, but putting more leg on would cause more reason for him to believe I am 'holding him' from going anywhere. So I keep it lightly on his side so it is there, then give an aid when needed.

[HazardousAmusement]

your legs also move quite a bit when you get a look at them from the side or from behind, try sinking down into your heel more and holding with your calf and your leg wont move as much

[halfpassgal]

Again, while position is extremely important in training a young horses, equitating is not. Holding my calf makes a huge difference. He started out more sucked back and holding my leg on would only give him more reason to suck back. Certainly would rather have the horse progress than worry about a mild bit of movement. The mild motion in my leg is not a big issue, which is actually my ankle. Holding my calf is not a good solution to this on any horse.

[HazardousAmusement]

you shouldn't hold your hands to high and so far apart it's easier for the horse to understand your cues if your hands aren't a foot apart

[halfpassgal]

I am not sure where you see high in my hands, they are wide though. I purposely put my hands at a wider base with young horses in general. It gives an easier place for them to find blance in as well as making aids a bit more clear without throwing them off balance or being too sharp. As they learn and gain balance I can bring my base in to a more typical place. Training doesn't always mean equitating.

[Onaziz]

Very nice and calm riding! I agree with you not having too much pressure on him, neither on legs or hands. Only apply an aid when needed (more speed/less speed/turn/ etc.) and then just sit still and let the horse work. Lovely!

I just uploaded a video with my 4th backing (second time in saddle) on my 3 year old German trakehner, have a look if you like.

[bananatangarang]

Wow, everyone is so critical. I think you did beautifully. Lovely horse, and amazing for only his 4th ride.

[gcoxalaska]

Girl, it looks perfect to me..

[billyiscoolohyes]

Brilliant rider and brilliant horse.. wow what a horse. Warmblood??

[kaeso100]

Riding a freshly backed horse with hands wide apart is very beneficial in helping it find balance. Although laidback, this colt has powerful hindquarter movement, making it easy for amateurs to believe the lower leg position is unstable, when in fact you are keeping the leg aids as consistent as possible considering its movement under saddle. Teaching a young horse various aids isn't about looking pretty, it's about consistency, and you do this well. Lovely horse, good luck with him.

[BeautySwift]

Beautiful! You did extremely well with this guy! I just have one question; did you start him cantering on the lunge line or without one? Was this his first canter?

[HazardousAmusement]

though i agree with what you are saying, i am just saying what i ahve found, horses tend to get confused when they are looking for the contact when your hands are so far apart. With your leg i think it can go both ways but i find that without holding your leg on them horses tend to lack propulsion and i find that they suck back more...

i also failed to say that he is a really beautiful horse and you look like a good rider in these video's