At 22:40:48 on 15.03.10, ToriSilverson wrote:
hey.i have an 8yo tb gelding that is a great jumper, but his flatwork sucks a bit. im entering a local 1 day event mainly for the jumping but if i have any hope of doin well i need to ride a good dressage test. he enjoys "stargazing" as we call it and iv been doin alot of work on the lunge to bring his head down, its been going well and hes beginning to ride in an outline. I was wondering if you guys had any tips to 1) help with the outline work 2) give a good dressage test on the day. cheers

At 19:34:27 on 28.03.10, JessAndGrenville123 wrote:
Erm music always helps. I love riding to music even if it on my ipod. Helps me and grenville relax and get a goos rythm. As for the outline try not to concentrate on using your hands to get him to accept contact but loosen the contact a bit and ride him forwards into the contact. An outline should be achieved by your seat and legs so lungeing really just puts him in a false outline. You should try riding bareback and sit deep and squeeze with you calves, you can do this with a saddle to but remember don't saw or squeeze his mouth this will probably make him behind the vertical or on the forehand. Just keep a light contact, but don't throw contact away, ride with your hands quiet and use your legs. Remember relax too and when you think up a dressage test (use music to help you) write it down and play the song over and over until it is in your head and by remembering the music you will remember the test. Hope this helps :)

At 00:33:18 on 31.03.10, ToriSilverson wrote:
hey thanks for the advice...i have been tryn to use my seat and legs more now...and we can even get downwards transitions with the reins tied in a knot now :) im trying to relax his entire neck by keeping a long rein and then gradually taking a stonger contact each day which will hopefully lower his head. i was gna be doin a wee dressage competition at my yard but it was cancelled cos the weather here is horrendous! i think the hardest bit will be keeping him calm...he gets very excited at a show cos he loves to jump...and hasnt been to any dressage competitions, so assumes hes jumping when he goes somewhere, but im doin a derby on monday so i think il do a little mock test while warming up if theres room and time lol and i would love to ride him bareback more...but he has a very high spine and anything more than a walk is jus too painful lol! i used to ride my pony bareback all the time so i guess i was spoilt with her fatness! lol i will definately do the music thing...i have ridin with my ipod playing before and it was good :) good way to remember the test. below is a video i made bout him on youtube :) jus so you can put a face 2 a name :D

At 08:36:54 on 31.03.10, Flicka wrote:
Great video-good to see how it can go wrong as well, but you look like you have a lot of fun together. I agree about not trying to force his head down. Try and avoid the quick fix and go for the slower option. Work on serpentines, transitions, leg yield and shoulder in will really help. Pole work is also good-straight lines and curves. Think more on getting him to swing through his back rather than fix from the front end and allow him to stretch. I use free schooling or some gentle lunging to allow me to observe how my horse moves without me on board and then praise them when they relax and stretch. Also if a horse stargazes always worth checking teeth and saddle pinching shoulders. Good Luck.

At 20:40:41 on 31.03.10, ToriSilverson wrote:
thanks...i think i was hoping to just miraculously get an outline lol silly me! i have been doin alot of circles, serpentines,transitions etc and its helping loosen him up. its hard to fight the temptation to jump, especially when there are still jumps up from lessons lol i did some polework 2day, which then turned into gridwork...we couldnt resist, he started jumping the poles and gave a wee buck, he was asking to jump and i couldnt say no lol! i was weak! the saddle should be ok, its new and was fitted at christmas time...but i might see about getting his teeth checked...he does grind his teeth alot...would this b significant?

At 11:37:02 on 07.05.10, Flicka wrote:
How's your horse going now? Have you done the one day event? Did you get his teeth checked? I think it's always worth doing once a year anyway. Grinding his teeth may just be a habit but when people do it, it can cause them soreness in the jaw and then into the neck so could be same with horses.

At 19:27:24 on 07.05.10, ToriSilverson wrote:
thanks for asking :) hes going well, he started to ride properly in walk and canter over the last few weeks, and now hes starting to come down on the bit in trot too. he was brilliant 2day! really working through his back and in an outline, not leaning on it either, just right :) the event was changed into a 2phase and seperate dressage event. which was a bummer cos he was suprisingly responsive and calm warming up for it. that was the 2 phase on monday i came 4th in :D theres a few horses at the yard that will need their teeth checked this summer so il get them checked then, im not rushing because he doesnt seem in pain and hes not off his food or anything. He seems to be coming along nicely but he doesnt bend very well, any ideas? ill have him going nicely but his head is straight, if i open up my inside hand and use inside leg he sticks his nose out and stiffens up, he bends a bit on the left rein but not at all on the right.