Hello all! This is my first post in these forums! Here I am wanting to post (could someone please tell me how?) a picture of my 1998 AQHA gelding “Rhinestone Zipper” or Stoney, if you all don’t mind could you critique his conformation once I have a photo posted below. Don’t be afraid to be harsh. However, I am well aware of his weight it’s a huge work in progress. I will post his pedigree below too if you could! As for my training question, he has been ridden with Spurs and a leverage bit for years, he is quite dull to my leg and I would like to transition him down to not using Spurs if possible through the use of a crop (properly used, obviously). Any suggestions for doing so? He is extremely lazy and has to be “held together” so to speak so I believe such big changes may be hard to accomplish. My other question has to do with the leverage bit… Since he clearly has little to no muscle, I am currently working with him on moving correctly, relaxed and consistent. To do so I am having to ride with two hands. I’m afraid if I did ride with a snaffle he may hollow out his back and have a high headset but I feel it’s a better option. Do you guys have any thoughts there? I really do love this horse and I feel I can do better for him. Thank you!!
[QUOTE=RZStoney;8827381]
I am wanting to post (could someone please tell me how?) a picture of my 1998 AQHA gelding “Rhinestone Zipper” or Stoney [/QUOTE]
You will need to use some sort of hosting website. I myself use PhotoBucket. You upload the photo to the outside sit, and then use the “Link” button to post the hyperlink. We will then be able to click on the link to view the photo.
You can use the same method to post his pedigree. You could scan a copy of his papers and then link the photo. Or you could add him to AllBreedPedigree and we can view it that way.
The type of bit you use should not dictate how your horse travels.
Collection (and a raised back) start from behind; NOT from the bit. You have to get his hindquarters reaching underneath him, and it actually very difficult physical-muscle-wise to do it right. I wouldn’t expect him to do it correctly for very long, until he builds the muscle stregth to travel correctly.
With some horses and some leverage bits, I don’t mind going two-handed. But it depends on the horse and depends on the bit.
From the sounds of it, if he is getting high-headed in a snaffle but not your leverage bit, I’m going to assume you have a “false collection” or a “false softness” in the bit that he’s reacting to from the leverage. Based on w hat you have described, if there are holes with the snaffle bit, then that is where you need to start. Might not be the bit that you finish with in the long run, but it’s a good starting point.
Collection is rather difficult to explain on the internet and is much easier if you have someone in person giving you instant one-on-one feedback. Is there a trainer you can take a few lessons with?
Seems that allbredpedigree has a horse listed under that name:
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/rhinestone+zipper
Those are very nice show and all around blood lines, sensible, good minded and good sized horses.
As for his training, maybe you can find a trainer that could show you what he knows and how to ride him best?
If he was trained by a professional and shown, spurs are used as an aid to give very subtle signals, you don’t use them to poke a horse with them, just tap a bit, more precise than a whole leg can be.
Depending on what disciplines he was shown in, you use different cues to ask a horse what to do next.
How to ride your horse is something no one here can tell you without knowing more of his training, all that can be said is generalities.
If that is a well trained show horse, it would be in his best interest that you also become familiar with what he knows, then you can transition to what else you want to teach him.
Those older schoolmasters are wonderful to teach a beginner in their discipline, best way to learn with a well trained horse, if that is what you have.
[QUOTE=Bluey;8832659]
As for his training, maybe you can find a trainer that could show you what he knows and how to ride him best?
If he was trained by a professional and shown, spurs are used as an aid to give very subtle signals, you don’t use them to poke a horse with them, just tap a bit, more precise than a whole leg can be.
Depending on what disciplines he was shown in, you use different cues to ask a horse what to do next.
. . .
If that is a well trained show horse, it would be in his best interest that you also become familiar with what he knows, then you can transition to what else you want to teach him. emphasis added
.[/QUOTE]
I agree wholeheartedly. I wish I’d taken the time to figure out what one of mine knew to start with, instead of plunging into a whole new discipline with him. Which we’re now unlearning, in an effort to see what he may remember from before so we can build on that. I think I caused this guy a lot of unnecessary upset by my ignorance and insistence that we do things my way. Particularly since I didn’t really know what I was doing at the time.
[QUOTE=pAin’t_Misbehavin’;8833294]
I agree wholeheartedly. I wish I’d taken the time to figure out what one of mine knew to start with, instead of plunging into a whole new discipline with him. Which we’re now unlearning, in an effort to see what he may remember from before so we can build on that. I think I caused this guy a lot of unnecessary upset by my ignorance and insistence that we do things my way. Particularly since I didn’t really know what I was doing at the time.[/QUOTE]
Good advice Bluey, and pAin’t, boy can I agree. This is hitting home with me right now. I have a nice western pleasure bred and trained gelding who was sitting in a field for a while before I got him. I immediately put him in a snaffle and started working to get him to accept contact and get moving more forward. I’ve encountered some frustrations along the way, but I bet he has been more frustrated than me. In retrospect, I should have ridden him the way that he was accustomed to being ridden to get him back to being fit, and then started transitioning things. Looking at it from this perspective, he’s actually been a lot more cooperative and willing than I’ve given him credit for.
[QUOTE=meaty ogre;8834594]
Good advice Bluey, and pAin’t, boy can I agree. This is hitting home with me right now. I have a nice western pleasure bred and trained gelding who was sitting in a field for a while before I got him. I immediately put him in a snaffle and started working to get him to accept contact and get moving more forward. I’ve encountered some frustrations along the way, but I bet he has been more frustrated than me. In retrospect, I should have ridden him the way that he was accustomed to being ridden to get him back to being fit, and then started transitioning things. Looking at it from this perspective, he’s actually been a lot more cooperative and willing than I’ve given him credit for.[/QUOTE]
Exactly what I did! And mine got a bit of an attitude. And no wonder - not only was I changing all the rules, it also turns out that substandard (though regular) dentistry gave him periodontal disease so he had a toothache into the bargain. And probably allergies.
Knowing first hand how bad a perio abscess feels, I think my guy is probably a saint for not pitching me into the nearest swamp. :lol:
