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Setting Jumps Properly

Yes!! I absolutely need to improve quality of canter. He’s huge and as long as a boat. He carries himself very low and flat, so rocking back is a challenge. Hoping we can get there!!

Yup, he looks big and long and liable to get heavy. You do not look like you are built to the same physical scale as he is, so I bet he is a little tricky for you to get motivated off the leg, and that he can pull you out of position when he gets a little low. He’s adorable, he’s just kind of a moose! :slight_smile: Transitions between and within the gaits will help to rock him back onto his hocks and help you get some more dynamics in your canter. And core work will help you to get him there!

Hi OP,

I won’t belabor what everyone else has discussed regarding the jumps/pole colors/etc. as I fully agree and I think the point was well made.

I watched both of your videos and the first thing that really sticks out to me is your nerves. Your reaction when your horse stopped in the first clip appears very much to be one out of fear. Your horse was behind your leg, didn’t have the impulsion to jump from the spot he had available, you leaned at him, and then you got very tense when he stopped, got after him a bit in the mouth and then went for your stick. That to me says more about how you were feeling in that moment than how your horse was reacting to the color of the top rail or to a lack of fill. Please do not take this as an insult or a dig; simply an observation as nerves are often a major contributing factor to these types of issues.

Watching this second video more closely and looking back over your other videos that popped up as recommendations after these played, the other thing that may be a contributing factor to your impulsion issue is the way that you use your arms. You have an absolutely gorgeous, textbook release, but you are incredibly active with your arms in between the fences and it appears to be sending a lot of mixed signals to your horse. I love that you are trying to provide an elastic connection, but it’s over exaggerated to the point that it appears to interfere with him. You also carry your hands quite high for a horse with such a nice, level top line. I think if you work on your shoulders and core and getting him in front of your leg and then relaxing around him, this will help to quiet your hands/arms.

Your horse looks like a super good egg. He also looks very big, hard to put together, and like he lives on the lazy side of life. Nothing wrong with any of that, but these are issues that must be managed! These jumps look to be about 1.0m which is getting into heights and spreads which require a certain amount of accuracy and rider participation. In your second clip, you very much appear to be the passenger. You’re deep into your tack on a horse that looks like he would benefit greatly from a light seat, you’ve let him fall far behind your leg, and there is not much management of that lovely stride. Because he’s clearly very scopey, he was able to make up for much of this, but you could see him trying.

I’ve been exactly where you are. Several of my horses are built quite a bit like your guy and riding them is hard work! If I were in your shoes, I’d bring it back down to basics for a few rides and work on your impulsion and adjustability in your canter over some cavaletti courses. On a horse like this, I like to think about my canter in terms of MPH; so if your standard canter is 5 miles per hour, find 7 miles per hour. Then find 8. Then find 5 again. And once your horse is truly in front of your leg, find 3 miles per hour; same impulsion, same quality of canter, but with collection. This will also help you to engage your core and bring your shoulders back so that you can offer more support at the base of the jump.

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