New to the Community! :)
I feel the need to introduce myself.
My name is Jordan and I am a nineteen year old college student, currently residing in PA. I am from Akron, OH. I've been riding for twelve years and showing for ten. I've ridden at many different barns and in different disciplines. I enjoy them all; but my calling is saddleseat. I currently own one American Saddlebred horse... who is pretty special. :)
If you're going to tell me how much you hate saddleseat horses, then don't bother to comment. I don't like people who bash other disciplines. I love all of them and my horse has never been abused. My trainer rescues horses; but no saddleseat trainer I have ever been with has been abusive to any horses. So, I don't want to hear people telling me how awful I am. Otherwise, please comment! I love talking to people about my horse and theirs! :)
I started riding at 8 years old when I lived in GA. I started at a Morgan barn and had a very good trainer (her horses go to National's). I was always a very timid rider; I fell off a lot because I froze up when a horse spooked; and when my trainer was teaching me to canter, I used to cry until I got out of it. Eventually, I moved to a couple different barns where I did multiple riding disciplines on the side of saddleseat barns, and learned a lot more... but always kept my timidness.
My first horse ever is "Fred"-- a five-year-old American Saddlebred gelding out of very good bloodlines. His sire, Bi Mi World Premier, was a reserve world champion 5-gaited horse, that was a Nationally Nominated sire; his dam was also a very nice A-Rated five-gaited mare. Freddy was bred in Perryville, KY and moved to another barn that didn't think he was a nice enough saddleseat horse, so they sold him to me for pretty cheap ($5,000).
When I got him, I was at a different barn. He was three years old and pretty green. I started to teach him the basics; I taught him his basic commands, worked on flexing, taught him to "park out", etc. Eventually, I became very very afraid of him. Almost every day I rode him, he would spook at something--I would freeze, and he would take off on me. I'd go flying off of him and then the next time I rode, the same thing would happen. I began to avoid riding him and any time I went to the barn, I would just visit and make an excuse to leave when my trainer said, "are you riding today?"
I eventually gave up on him. I told myself I was going to quit riding because I had lost all of the confidence I ever had. My last resort was changing barns and luckily for me, I found the perfect one. I moved to New Beginning Stables, in Kent, OH in March of '09. The barn had just opened about a year before and the trainer recently moved from Maine.
Story made short: She noticed a lot of things that were wrong with him. First of all, he never learned to give to bit pressure, which made him not respond to the bit when he took off on me and made him look ridiculous when I showed him. His muscles in his neck were all in the wrong places. His back legs were screwed up and what we think are arthritic. He had a bad back. He hated the bit I used and the saddle I rode in pinched his back. He was on the wrong kind of diet (pure sweet feed & alfalfa-- pure energy); and never went outside at my old barn.
When she started teaching him to give to bit pressure; he was extremely awful. I talked to many trainers on forums who told me "sell him, he's way too dangerous". My trainer said the same thing but knew I didn't want to give him up so she worked on him. He would back up against walls and rear so your head would smack the wall; he would hit you in the face with his neck and almost break your nose, and would just throw awful tantrums. She kept me off of him for a few months and worked with him. She kept saying, "he's never going to be good enough to ride. you should just get a new horse." but continued to work with him.
Towards the end of last show season, she put me back on him. Our last two shows, I got in the top 5 ribbons in all classes. He got a few reserve championships, although he still didn't have a very great headset (which is important in the classes he shows in).
In the fall, I started working on bonding with him and learning not to tense up when riding. Tensing up made him feed off of me and we would have big problems. He is 17hh and lazy, so I needed a lot of leg muscle to get him moving forward and responding to me. Well, me being 5'2" and 110 lbs, I couldn't. My show footage from last season, my legs flap in and out. Now after doing a lot of bareback, no stirrup work, and working out--my legs are pretty steady. I can finally get him in an almost constant frame and looking good. When he spooks at something, I can now reassure him and he listens to me. I've ridden him bareback in a halter and I trust him so much more than I could ever imagine.
Not only can I not believe how much we've bonded, but I also learned something cool about Fred. He is not only an awesome Country Pleasure Saddleseat horse, but he also is great in many disciplines. I am showing him huntseat this year; he also does some lower-level jumping with the younger girls (for fun), western pleasure/trail, barrels, sidesaddle, driving, and more. He is extremely versatile for an ASB and he is only five years old.
I love this horse and am so glad I didn't give up on him. I actually wrote a story to send into some magazines--if anyone wants the link I will post it on here. I just really want people to realize not to give up. It really is so rewarding and I would not give up my "not good enough horse" for anything.
Now for pictures and videos?
At my old barn when he used to run away with me. He was in a full bridle without knowing how to give to bit pressure-- because my old trainer was dumb. I'm glad he didn't kill me.
First horse show when I moved, before Fred went into real training.
More tantrums!
Getting better!
Last show of the '09 season!
Photoshoot
Jumping
Sidesaddle
Bareback in a halter
This month! The riding pictures shows how nice his frame is now.
His headset was a little off in this but better than his nose out in the air.
I would have quit riding him after that if this was a year ago.
I have videos from yesterdays lesson. I might post them eventually but right now youtube won't upload any video on my computer.
The end. :) Haha, sorry! I love my horsey.
My name is Jordan and I am a nineteen year old college student, currently residing in PA. I am from Akron, OH. I've been riding for twelve years and showing for ten. I've ridden at many different barns and in different disciplines. I enjoy them all; but my calling is saddleseat. I currently own one American Saddlebred horse... who is pretty special. :)
If you're going to tell me how much you hate saddleseat horses, then don't bother to comment. I don't like people who bash other disciplines. I love all of them and my horse has never been abused. My trainer rescues horses; but no saddleseat trainer I have ever been with has been abusive to any horses. So, I don't want to hear people telling me how awful I am. Otherwise, please comment! I love talking to people about my horse and theirs! :)
I started riding at 8 years old when I lived in GA. I started at a Morgan barn and had a very good trainer (her horses go to National's). I was always a very timid rider; I fell off a lot because I froze up when a horse spooked; and when my trainer was teaching me to canter, I used to cry until I got out of it. Eventually, I moved to a couple different barns where I did multiple riding disciplines on the side of saddleseat barns, and learned a lot more... but always kept my timidness.
My first horse ever is "Fred"-- a five-year-old American Saddlebred gelding out of very good bloodlines. His sire, Bi Mi World Premier, was a reserve world champion 5-gaited horse, that was a Nationally Nominated sire; his dam was also a very nice A-Rated five-gaited mare. Freddy was bred in Perryville, KY and moved to another barn that didn't think he was a nice enough saddleseat horse, so they sold him to me for pretty cheap ($5,000).
When I got him, I was at a different barn. He was three years old and pretty green. I started to teach him the basics; I taught him his basic commands, worked on flexing, taught him to "park out", etc. Eventually, I became very very afraid of him. Almost every day I rode him, he would spook at something--I would freeze, and he would take off on me. I'd go flying off of him and then the next time I rode, the same thing would happen. I began to avoid riding him and any time I went to the barn, I would just visit and make an excuse to leave when my trainer said, "are you riding today?"
I eventually gave up on him. I told myself I was going to quit riding because I had lost all of the confidence I ever had. My last resort was changing barns and luckily for me, I found the perfect one. I moved to New Beginning Stables, in Kent, OH in March of '09. The barn had just opened about a year before and the trainer recently moved from Maine.
Story made short: She noticed a lot of things that were wrong with him. First of all, he never learned to give to bit pressure, which made him not respond to the bit when he took off on me and made him look ridiculous when I showed him. His muscles in his neck were all in the wrong places. His back legs were screwed up and what we think are arthritic. He had a bad back. He hated the bit I used and the saddle I rode in pinched his back. He was on the wrong kind of diet (pure sweet feed & alfalfa-- pure energy); and never went outside at my old barn.
When she started teaching him to give to bit pressure; he was extremely awful. I talked to many trainers on forums who told me "sell him, he's way too dangerous". My trainer said the same thing but knew I didn't want to give him up so she worked on him. He would back up against walls and rear so your head would smack the wall; he would hit you in the face with his neck and almost break your nose, and would just throw awful tantrums. She kept me off of him for a few months and worked with him. She kept saying, "he's never going to be good enough to ride. you should just get a new horse." but continued to work with him.
Towards the end of last show season, she put me back on him. Our last two shows, I got in the top 5 ribbons in all classes. He got a few reserve championships, although he still didn't have a very great headset (which is important in the classes he shows in).
In the fall, I started working on bonding with him and learning not to tense up when riding. Tensing up made him feed off of me and we would have big problems. He is 17hh and lazy, so I needed a lot of leg muscle to get him moving forward and responding to me. Well, me being 5'2" and 110 lbs, I couldn't. My show footage from last season, my legs flap in and out. Now after doing a lot of bareback, no stirrup work, and working out--my legs are pretty steady. I can finally get him in an almost constant frame and looking good. When he spooks at something, I can now reassure him and he listens to me. I've ridden him bareback in a halter and I trust him so much more than I could ever imagine.
Not only can I not believe how much we've bonded, but I also learned something cool about Fred. He is not only an awesome Country Pleasure Saddleseat horse, but he also is great in many disciplines. I am showing him huntseat this year; he also does some lower-level jumping with the younger girls (for fun), western pleasure/trail, barrels, sidesaddle, driving, and more. He is extremely versatile for an ASB and he is only five years old.
I love this horse and am so glad I didn't give up on him. I actually wrote a story to send into some magazines--if anyone wants the link I will post it on here. I just really want people to realize not to give up. It really is so rewarding and I would not give up my "not good enough horse" for anything.
Now for pictures and videos?
At my old barn when he used to run away with me. He was in a full bridle without knowing how to give to bit pressure-- because my old trainer was dumb. I'm glad he didn't kill me.
First horse show when I moved, before Fred went into real training.
More tantrums!
Getting better!
Last show of the '09 season!
Photoshoot
Jumping
Sidesaddle
Bareback in a halter
This month! The riding pictures shows how nice his frame is now.
His headset was a little off in this but better than his nose out in the air.
I would have quit riding him after that if this was a year ago.
Click to viewI have videos from yesterdays lesson. I might post them eventually but right now youtube won't upload any video on my computer.
The end. :) Haha, sorry! I love my horsey.