This is my baby!!

[Cochise]

Hi!!
I finally got the guts to put a pic of my horse on here!! He is a lovely jumper as you can see....although I rode him rather enthusiastically into a small jump and we got a bit big!!!! but I think he looks impressive...we have just started jumping a metre....just need some help with our walk.....please can some one help us in dressage....."Help with my walk"

Oh and can someone suggest any help with flying changes after jumps...I have tried turning his head while in the air over the jump in the direction of the leg I want to land on, but it doesnt always work...Any suggestions???

I put another pic of us down the bottom somewhere...enjoy!!

[cvb]

try doing a figure 8 exercise with the jump as the cross over. Every time he lands on the wrong leg, calmy and quiety change through trot to the right leg. Bet he'll get the idea quite quickly...

By the way, as you're a fan - here's my happy appy...

[walking polo!]

hi!!!
your jorse looks sooooooo cute!!!!!!!

[Cochise]

awwww!! your appy is gorgeous cvb!! they are wonderful horses aren't they? thanks for your help on flying changes. i will go and practise today!!

[myEllie]

Get your horse doing flying changes on the flat before you worry about them over fences.

[Cochise]

Thanks Ellie, but its not really an immediate problem for my dressage....We are only going out at novice level eventing so its just a thing which I want to help me with better times in my show jumping...instead of always landing on the wrong leg. As for my dressage...we are only working on getting his basic paces and obediance right for what the novice tests ask for. Plus I need to get our speed up in the show jumping and I know that I can get the changes over the fences without worrying about it in between.....Anyway I think I got that ok......Lol

[cvb]

actually a lot of people advise teaching flying changes over a pole or small jump :D . Asking for the correct lead on landing after a jump is not the same as asking for a change on the flat.

Most horses will pick up about correct lead on landing once they learn your 'cues'. i.e. looking in the new direction, which will also move your hands and weight a little, and so on.

[Cochise]

LOL!! Cvb that is exactly the point I was making too!!Thanks...you are cool....after all you have an appy too....and you probably understand some of the problems that you cn encounter with them. LOL!! Well that is a generalisation, well anyway....

I went and did some practise yesterday and Cheeky got very frustrated with me, what with the huge gusts of wind that were rushing around us and the fact that I was being very strict on making him listen to me, but he did eventually get it...even though he started to do huge bucks everytime landed wrong.....but it only takes time....LOL:D

[Cochise]

He is actually a lovely show hunter too. Here is us with some of our prizes! In New Zealand red is first place and blue if second place. This photo was taken after he won the hunter over 80cm and I got 2nd in best rider. This pic also shows off his colour really well. I was VERY happy that day!!

[cvb]

he's a nice looking chap ! I do wonder about these appies. My first pony was 1/4 appy, 1/4 arab, not sure about the rest. Now, after lots of years, I have a full appaloosa, and they do seem to be characters :) Great to be around but with a bit of a spark.

We just moved stable, and Fi has started some new tricks. She's such a comedian. Picking up buckets (even with water in them) and turning my grooming box over to try and find a way in. Could not find an opening so was going to bite her way through the hinges !

[Cochise]

LOL!! yes Cheeky will grab his reins and chew them when he is bored, chew on the fence, picl up his feed bin in his teeth and fling it around. A ball ended up in his paddock (its next to a public park) and he deflated it and picked it up in his teeth and flung it around. He will semm to giggle behind your back and pull faces. Then he will try and look really innocent....he's a real character!!lol
He will try out new riders all the time...you have to be 2 steps a head of him at all times...the first time I rode him was after a very late night out and I was feeling a little hungover.,...he knew this and played up on it....bucking going into canter, bucking coming out of canter, bucking after jumps....al because he knew that my reactions wouldn't be so quick to deal with it and freak me out!! Its nothing dirty, just a cheeky and cunning personality which I have fallen in love with!! Well we havea one day event tomorrow, so wish us luck and I will let you know how we get on!! I had better start learning my dressage test now!! OOPS!!! And get an early night so that he will be nice to me tomorrow...he certainly does make you want to have nice quiet nights in!!
Bye bye!!

[Emma_G_NZ]

Cheeky is lovely!
Good luck for the event today and tell me alllll about how it went on MSN :)

[Cochise]

Well I had my one day event today and I am absloutely shattered!!(tired). Well after a very cold and early start, we did a lovely dressage test, but got low mrks for our walk...(surprise surprise) LOL!! We got 7th in that out of 25 people, so I am really happey. Then came our cross country...lots of drop fences and tight corners and jumps in out and out the of the creek. We had one stop because he was so busy goggling at the people standing on the bridge watching that we got a bit flustered. We also got heaps of time faults, but its better off to start slowly and get him jumping confidently. Our show jumping was wonderful!! Where other horses went to fast and took too wide a turns, resulting in flat jumping and knocked rails. Cheeky kept up a beautiful pace and tight corners and left all the rails up.
We didnt get placed overall, but we ended up 5th in the combined training ( dressage and showjumping scores combined)...so Im really happy!! ok Im going to bed now!!Pony club tomorrow...wow he keeps me busy!!LOL

[sillisuzi]

em im no use on dressage, my attitude is "dont go der" lol well not every1 is like me. but im ok at flat work so wat i do wit my horse when jumpin is when u jump a jump lean SLIGHTLY to the leg u want him or her 2 land on. it usually works with all horses but there are exceptions!! giv it a go xoxoxoxox love suzi xoxoxoxoxo p.s ** horse is the double of my horse!!!:) :)

[horseygal90]

Suzi - This thread was started 4 years ago! :p And can you please not use text speak, some members find it hard to understand as they don't speak english as their first language. :)

[Cochise]

Yes, this was 4 years ago! I've come a long way with this horse since then!
And please do refrain from using text speak. Do you have an appaloosa too?