Video Critique: Bob and Luke
San Diego Horse Trainer Will Faerber from Art2Ride discusses the video sent in by Bob and makes suggestions for further improvement.
6 responses to “Video Critique: Bob and Luke”
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Dear Mr. Faerber,
My name is Nancy Tuscano, hello. You mentioned in the critique that a riders leg should be long enough to reach the under or rather the area where the side begins to go back in. I am short 5’0 I am about to take dressage lessons, I’ve never seen a small dressage horse place in a competition, I have ridden equitation over fences and some green hunter divisions. To be honest my height has hindered me in the events, although I was told I did well, I have never had the look of a tall lean rider, I’m short but within a good balanced weight 135lbs, I look great walking about, but on a horse I look like a midget. Is taking dressage a mistake if I plan to compete?
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Kali says:
Hi Nancy, it is not a mistake for you but you do have to be realistic about the horses that you ride. As I said in the video your leg must go below the median line on the horse’s side, that is where it starts to go back in toward the belly, in order to be an effective rider. There is nothing wrong with small horses and I would say if anything the trend is going the other way as far to many ladies in the past have bought horses that they couldn’t ride. Look at the horse my wife is riding on our site, Perhaps, she is barely 15.2hh.
Youu referred to “kissing spine”. I was sold a horse that “was the best” for dressage and was perfect in fox hunting!! Totally false, as they laughed all the way to the bank! My Vet said when he ( elegant guarter horse) was shipped to me (there was a delay while owner took a cruise!!). came to the barn that I had paid money for a wreck and rescue horse!!! It was been exactly a year,with chiropractor,acupuncture,laser treatments and injections in the spine. He is not in any more pain and has stopped being agressive!! I have been driving him in a halter at the WALK for three weeks and have 3more to go. Core strength, back up and shoulders free and moving forward are goals. The back stretch, low and over the back will be the next step in this journey..I love alll your work. The film on the Chambon was a great suggestion, thanks from heart. He has damage to his tongue, also and I wonder if you could suggest a bit that could be comfortable in his mouth? I am not a novice,so that has me so guilt ridden…”r” dressage for 12 years, Pony Club D.C. Field master in hunt field and a horse of the year in 1980! Horse training has been my only passion all my life, as I birthed my own horses and started them under saddle and thro their lives!! When, for the first time in my life I need advise, you are in Ca and I am in Ms!!! I have never dealt with a horse with problems, like the girl with your rescue; I I thought I should put him down, as he was wrecked in poll, neck, carrying his withers low, and a crippled back. 3 Vets have worked with him and my main Vet assures me that he could be ridden, when I have his trust( and not drugged, as before). I am behind you with all your theories, as in how to lift their backs with you heel!! Classical and True allllll the way!!! I am so grateful that I found you web site. I will sent you a film of him when we progress in our work. Be blessed, and thank you again. Joan Walters
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Thanks for your kind words, we appreciate it and thanks for not giving up on the horse. I use only one kind of bit, a loose ring snaffle, single or double jointed. Undoing the damage that has been done will take some time but just know in the end you will have made one animals life better and that is worth it all. So a snaffle with a correctly fitted nose band not tight! As the horse becomes more physically comfortable, you will see all the bit problems disappear.
Julie Reichwein says: Hi. I’ve been following you for some time now, and I was fortunate that my first Dressage trainer years ago was adamant on the stretching and proper back development. My question is this. I have several horses but I also rescue a few OTTB’s as my roots were at the track. I have an OTTB that I rescued a year ago and he’s doing much better but my vet said he had the worst case of kissing spines he’s ever seen. I’ve been stretching him for a year now and his back has come up about 4-5 inches and still needs to come up more. His hunter bump is almost gone, but he’s still very sensitive about grooming when I approach his area past the girth. Is this something that just takes more time to completely eradicate it or are there horses with kissing spines so bad that they can never completely heal?
Thanks.
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Answered by Art2Ride Associate Trainers:
Ekaterina Krylova: Hi! In case of worst kissing spines – of course he needs more time to rehab. It’s very individual how the horse will respond to work and of course we can’t remove physical memory, so don’t give up, you have already a huge progress with his back up and his hunter bump disappeared in one year! Continue your work and I think he will completely heal after time- how long will it take – God know – but he definitely will. And we know that approximately one year takes for a normal horse without big health issues to develop top line. And in case of bad kissing spines of course it will take more. Take a look at Contigo – Allison Emily Brunelli beautiful horse with KS issues, they show very nice progress!
Emmeli Johansson: Sounds like you have done a great job so far. I don’t have any personal experience with kissing spines but I believe that the right training can do wonders. It’s of course very individual and impossible to say for sure that you’re horse will be fine. The key is patient and sadly I can’t say how long it will take. Don’t give up.
Dear Mr. Faerber,
My name is Nancy Tuscano, hello. You mentioned in the critique that a riders leg should be long enough to reach the under or rather the area where the side begins to go back in. I am short 5’0 I am about to take dressage lessons, I’ve never seen a small dressage horse place in a competition, I have ridden equitation over fences and some green hunter divisions. To be honest my height has hindered me in the events, although I was told I did well, I have never had the look of a tall lean rider, I’m short but within a good balanced weight 135lbs, I look great walking about, but on a horse I look like a midget. Is taking dressage a mistake if I plan to compete?
Hi Nancy, it is not a mistake for you but you do have to be realistic about the horses that you ride. As I said in the video your leg must go below the median line on the horse’s side, that is where it starts to go back in toward the belly, in order to be an effective rider. There is nothing wrong with small horses and I would say if anything the trend is going the other way as far to many ladies in the past have bought horses that they couldn’t ride. Look at the horse my wife is riding on our site, Perhaps, she is barely 15.2hh.
Youu referred to “kissing spine”. I was sold a horse that “was the best” for dressage and was perfect in fox hunting!! Totally false, as they laughed all the way to the bank! My Vet said when he ( elegant guarter horse) was shipped to me (there was a delay while owner took a cruise!!). came to the barn that I had paid money for a wreck and rescue horse!!! It was been exactly a year,with chiropractor,acupuncture,laser treatments and injections in the spine. He is not in any more pain and has stopped being agressive!! I have been driving him in a halter at the WALK for three weeks and have 3more to go. Core strength, back up and shoulders free and moving forward are goals. The back stretch, low and over the back will be the next step in this journey..I love alll your work. The film on the Chambon was a great suggestion, thanks from heart. He has damage to his tongue, also and I wonder if you could suggest a bit that could be comfortable in his mouth? I am not a novice,so that has me so guilt ridden…”r” dressage for 12 years, Pony Club D.C. Field master in hunt field and a horse of the year in 1980! Horse training has been my only passion all my life, as I birthed my own horses and started them under saddle and thro their lives!! When, for the first time in my life I need advise, you are in Ca and I am in Ms!!! I have never dealt with a horse with problems, like the girl with your rescue; I I thought I should put him down, as he was wrecked in poll, neck, carrying his withers low, and a crippled back. 3 Vets have worked with him and my main Vet assures me that he could be ridden, when I have his trust( and not drugged, as before). I am behind you with all your theories, as in how to lift their backs with you heel!! Classical and True allllll the way!!! I am so grateful that I found you web site. I will sent you a film of him when we progress in our work. Be blessed, and thank you again. Joan Walters
Thanks for your kind words, we appreciate it and thanks for not giving up on the horse. I use only one kind of bit, a loose ring snaffle, single or double jointed. Undoing the damage that has been done will take some time but just know in the end you will have made one animals life better and that is worth it all. So a snaffle with a correctly fitted nose band not tight! As the horse becomes more physically comfortable, you will see all the bit problems disappear.
Hi. I’ve been following you for some time now, and I was fortunate that my first Dressage trainer years ago was adamant on the stretching and proper back development. My question is this. I have several horses but I also rescue a few OTTB’s as my roots were at the track. I have an OTTB that I rescued a year ago and he’s doing much better but my vet said he had the worst case of kissing spines he’s ever seen. I’ve been stretching him for a year now and his back has come up about 4-5 inches and still needs to come up more. His hunter bump is almost gone, but he’s still very sensitive about grooming when I approach his area past the girth. Is this something that just takes more time to completely eradicate it or are there horses with kissing spines so bad that they can never completely heal?
Thanks.
Answered by Art2Ride Associate Trainers:
Ekaterina Krylova: Hi! In case of worst kissing spines – of course he needs more time to rehab. It’s very individual how the horse will respond to work and of course we can’t remove physical memory, so don’t give up, you have already a huge progress with his back up and his hunter bump disappeared in one year! Continue your work and I think he will completely heal after time- how long will it take – God know – but he definitely will. And we know that approximately one year takes for a normal horse without big health issues to develop top line. And in case of bad kissing spines of course it will take more. Take a look at Contigo – Allison Emily Brunelli beautiful horse with KS issues, they show very nice progress!
Emmeli Johansson: Sounds like you have done a great job so far. I don’t have any personal experience with kissing spines but I believe that the right training can do wonders. It’s of course very individual and impossible to say for sure that you’re horse will be fine. The key is patient and sadly I can’t say how long it will take. Don’t give up.