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Major League in her pedigree? Those are pretty well known to be easy to work with. Shes cute.
Now, you KNOW we don’t like the low poll and she would look better if you let her bring it up to level and get out from behind the bit. But most of us realize it’s a QH and the “look” is a little different in those shows. It’s not objectionable given that you show in that environment. But if you go Open, you’ll need to adjust…depending on your judge.
I like her, well turned out.
Can you try not to lean your shoulders forward and let your leg slide back so your toe points down? Realize that is common in the QH but if you are going to be jumping? Muscle memory needs to be developed to keep shoulder back and heels down so you are secure against any bobbles or stumbles instead of risking a face plant. If you always ride in the correct position every time you are on, it’s easy to stay there without thinking about it.
Ill give you a bit of a pass for jumping ahead here because it is uphill but you are weighting her forehand more then you should when you do that. Makes it harder for her to drive off her rear and you do risk going off over her head if she has a heard rub and stumbles on landing. Shorten your stirrups to jump too, that helps force the heel down and the leg to stay put under you which, in turn, keeps your shoulders back where they belong.
And, to be just a little picky, leaving such a big loop in the reins over a solid jump outside and uphill is probably not ideal. She may need some support to stay balanced and you give her none this way, try to stay on light contact so you can aid her if needed. Don’t throw throw the reins away thinking its a favor to her…
Nice job overall though. Keep updating, I look for some solid improvement pretty quick with the good start and basics here.
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I think she’s amazing and her color is so beautiful. Looks like you are having so much fun with her and that’s what it’s all about. I bet you will surprise yourself with a lot of good ribbons in the future 
I am not critiquing; just wanted to do a happy dance with you!!!
Awwwwww…that picture of her with her mommy is sooooo CUTE:).
And giggled at the thought of some slobber on your cleavage, BTDT-carriage horse at a wedding reception…
I think when you drop back in the saddle with your hips, get your shoulders in the proper alignment with hip and heel and STOP pinching into your knees, it’s going to let you get behind her a little, drive her ahead of your leg and look a lot better. Just going from back to front is going to lift the front end and let her reach out further ahead in front and step up and under behind.
Remember its back to front, leg to hand and you don’t bring the head back and down to the body. You drive the body up to the head. That’s classic theory in a nutshell.
Take some Dressage lessons either from a D trainer who knows you are cross training or from a knowledgeable H/J or Event trainer who can tailor to your needs.
You can always drop your leathers a few holes, hunch your shoulders and take a little leg off to let her drop her nose for your QH rail classes so you can itty bitty step pitty pat around in line like the others:lol:.
Love the first B&A comparison. Adorable!
The before and after shots are great, what a difference!
Thanks everyone!
We certainly have a lot still to work on! But I just love this mare to pieces, she will back my husband around in a western saddle walk/trot and even will tote some of my boarder’s kids around.
So this will give us some homework for the remainder of the fall and then I’ll probably give her most of the winter off, although a local barn is allowing me access to their indoor! Work on fixing my position so I can be more effect and look better lol. And then on pushing her forward from my leg into the hand so she uses that engine behind better.
I’m hoping in the springtime I’ll be able to haul her to take some lessons with a good hunter/jumper friend of mine and then I might look for recommendations for a dressage trainer in my area too! It’s hard riding at home alone all the time, I need a good yelling at to remind me to pick more on me!
She looks great. Beautiful horse. Love me a good qh or paint (lightly marked lol). And love the buckskins. My newer guy is a buckskin paint. Only two white splotches that go under his belly on each side so not highly marked. I agree just sitting up more and pushing her up into your hand more if you want to so the hunter circuits. If you want aqha she looks very nice. The only thing I worry about is if that pic of her jumping is how she jumps because it can be very dangerous. She is under herself and hanging which over that solid jump could cause a rotational fall easily. Does she always jump like this or was this just one of those moment in time jumps that we all have on occasion.
I think it was one of those moments and greeness. It was nearing the end of the pace, which we mostly walked/trotted, cantered only in some of the fields and to a couple of jumps, both my horse and the lady I went with are fairly green. We had popped over a couple of smaller logs earlier in the pace very willingly and quietly.
So I think she was a little surprised or unsure/unfamiliar with the size, but willing to go for it since I asked. It’s bigger than we have previously jumped and I think I rode her a little bit toooo deep into it. I think if we had been a little further back and I had given her a little more room she would have picked herself up better. And then I jumped up her neck so I didn’t help either!
But yes I think she just needs more schooling and miles over fences to learn to more properly use her body parts. And we’ll probably never go any bigger than 2’6" anyways, I’m not that super brave as I was 10 years ago lol.
So my goal is to work on my position on the flat and picking Bea up by pushing forward from her rear end this fall! And she’ll get most of the winter to just hang out and be a pony with my other guys. And then spring time I think I will def. invest some money into getting some good lessons!
I’m happy dancing with you!!
She looks fabulous! What a great job you’ve done with her, the transformation is impressive.
The jump picture is pretty scary, however,…she’s hanging her knees over a solid fence, eek!
When my horse used to drop his shoulder at a deep distance, we started doing lots of STEEP crossrails (like, poles at the top of the standards). This helped him become more aware of his body, and his form has improved dramatically, even from the tight distances, although he’ll always prefer a gappy distance over a short one.
She looks like a neat horse- have fun with her!
