I feel very stupid [[horse people, help me out!]]

[JuniorxMyxLove]

Hehe. This is a thread FULL of questions. Please don't think I know nothing about horses...I do...just not this stuff :]

What is the difference between a trot and a jog (western..?)? Because Ive seen videos of people joggin their horse, and it looks different then an english trot...
...and is there any difference between canter and lope?

Does lifting your hands make you sit straighter when cantering? Because my friend was cantering Krystal(Little rocket there!) And my instructor kept telling her to lift her hands and sit straight.
Also...does jumping jumps with one stride in between them help slow your horse? Bc AGAIN my trainer was telling my friend to loosen up and Krystal wouldn't go too fast bc of the setup of the jumps. (actually...not my trainer..she took time off so we had sort of a substitute)

Oh and one more thing...When tightening the girth on a western saddle...if there's no buckle, how do you tighten is securely? (and whats the deal with the two girth thingies?) Haha I'm asking this one bc I might go to a hrse camp this summer and its western..i don't wanna look like a total..."newb" in front of the other girls there.

Hope you guys don't think I'm super stupid.

-Melanie

[Suki Wingy]

What is the difference between a trot and a jog ...and is there any difference between canter and lope?
I think it is just speed and cadence.

Does lifting your hands make you sit straighter when cantering?
I don't think it is directly related but lifting your hands helps collect the horse.

Also...does jumping jumps with one stride in between them help slow your horse?
I don't think so, but I think it usually sharpens you and your horse up.

Oh and one more thing...When tightening the girth on a western saddle...if there's no buckle, how do you tighten is securely?
I remember it 7+4=11. It's too hard to ewxplain without pictures so I'll see if I can find a web site.
http://www.western-saddle-guide.com/...ern-cinch.html
The steps make it look like a 7, then a 4, then the two straps are supposed to look like the 11.

[BC_MoM]

I LOVE riding western, but I have to say, I hate the girth!

[Miss Z]

I can't really answer the first and last question as I'm not a western rider, but I'll have a bash at the other two.

Does lifting your hands make you sit straighter when cantering?

Yes, that is correct. A lot of riders, myself sometimes included, allow their weight to fall onto their hands in canter. This subsequently leads to the rider leaning forward and their weight out of the saddle as the hands rest on the horse's withers. This isn't comfortable for horse or rider and often leads to loss of stirrups, sore knees, and falling off! By lifting your hands, you stretch down into the stirrup more and push your weight into your heels, thus causing your body to sit up straighter. It can be challenging to keep a constant hand position throughout all paces but it is very useful to be able to do.

Also...does jumping jumps with one stride in between them help slow your horse?

I'm not sure 'slow' is the right word. It makes your horse more attentive and obedient to the aids for sure, but gridwork is not intended to slow your horse down. The secret to jumping well is a confident and well-maintained rhythm on the approach, playing about with the speed and length of stride usually results in a refusal. The jumps should always be placed the distance apart of the horse's natural canter stride, so as a rider it is your job to not interfere with his rhythm but instead to be there to guide him over. I find gridwork useful, but bounce fences (jumps with no strides in between, just taking off straight after landing) is even better.

Hope that helps.

[buttercup132]

Hehe. This is a thread FULL of questions. Please don't think I know nothing about horses...I do...just not this stuff :]




What is the difference between a trot and a jog (western..?)? Because Ive seen videos of people joggin their horse, and it looks different then an english trot...
It's like a sitting trot in english, you dont post you bounce but have to keep your seat.

...and is there any difference between canter and lope?
No.

Does lifting your hands make you sit straighter when cantering?
No Your supposed to keep your hands low lean back but not too much, your not supposed to sit up straight like when you trot and post.

Also...does jumping jumps with one stride in between them help slow your horse?
I don't think so.
Oh and one more thing...When tightening the girth on a western saddle...if there's no buckle, how do you tighten is securely? (and whats the deal with the two girth thingies?)
It seems complicated at first but it gets really easy after someone shows you. It's way to complicated to explain over the net. Just get someone to show you.

Hope you guys don't think I'm super stupid.
No, but I think your instructor might be.

-Melanie

[buttercup132]

I can't really answer the first and last question as I'm not a western rider, but I'll have a bash at the other two.

Does lifting your hands make you sit straighter when cantering?

Yes, that is correct. A lot of riders, myself sometimes included, allow their weight to fall onto their hands in canter. This subsequently leads to the rider leaning forward and their weight out of the saddle as the hands rest on the horse's withers. This isn't comfortable for horse or rider and often leads to loss of stirrups, sore knees, and falling off! By lifting your hands, you stretch down into the stirrup more and push your weight into your heels, thus causing your body to sit up straighter. It can be challenging to keep a constant hand position throughout all paces but it is very useful to be able to do.

Also...does jumping jumps with one stride in between them help slow your horse?

I'm not sure 'slow' is the right word. It makes your horse more attentive and obedient to the aids for sure, but gridwork is not intended to slow your horse down. The secret to jumping well is a confident and well-maintained rhythm on the approach, playing about with the speed and length of stride usually results in a refusal. The jumps should always be placed the distance apart of the horse's natural canter stride, so as a rider it is your job to not interfere with his rhythm but instead to be there to guide him over. I find gridwork useful, but bounce fences (jumps with no strides in between, just taking off straight after landing) is even better.

Hope that helps.

Your english riding is so different from here Maybe we need to just make up Canadian riding.

[Suki Wingy]

Does lifting your hands make you sit straighter when cantering?
No Your supposed to keep your hands low lean back but not too much, your not supposed to sit up straight like when you trot and post.

It's considered bad form to lean back. We two point the canter where I'm riding now usually, unless it's beneficial to have more weight on the horse as for control, etc, then we 3 point (sit) it.

[JuniorxMyxLove]

Hope you guys don't think I'm super stupid.
No, but I think your instructor might be.

Umm... why do you think my instructor might be stupid?

[JuniorxMyxLove]

Okay I thought of another question. People are always talking about horses with alot of chrome...what does that mean?

[Suki Wingy]

Large white markings on the face and legs. Think of minimally expressed Sabino.
This horse has a lot of chrome

[Beki]

Hey i sent you a pm, your instructor isn't stupid.

[JuniorxMyxLove]

hehe thanks for the pm. My instructor knows so much more about horses then me, so I would hope she's not stupid :]

And another one. Uhh I'm not sure what they're called, but they're like legs wraps..but not wraps...that like protects thehorse from brushing...I know the stap part goes on the outside but how do you put them on? And also bell boots. Oh and umm when you take a blanket off a horse, are you supposed to just haul it off, or fold it up somehow? Right now I kind of roll it into thirds andpull it off that way, but Joey really doesn't like that. AND one more...what part of the blanket are you supposed to fasten/unfasten first?

Thanks!

-Melanie

[Suki Wingy]

According to a few of my Brittish horse care books, you do up the straps from the chest back and taking it off is the opposite. I don't think there is a right or wrong way to take off a blanket but I usually fold it over first just so it stays neat. I don't know what bell boots are supposed to do exactly but I know some are rubber and supposed to streach over the hoof. (They are very hard to put on and take off so they usually stay on a while) The other style is velcoed on and off. There are a lot of different kinds of tendon boots. Most are just meant to protect the horse from banging his legs into eachother if he has a messy jump or a sertain striding.

[Miss Z]

I agree with Eva's answers to your questions. With regard to removing a rug, whilst most horses won't mind, a few horses object to a rug being hauled off their backs. I usually fold the front half over the back half whilst still on the horse and pull it off gently from there. It's easier in the respect that it's then neatly folded to put on the stable door, trying to fold a heavy stable rug on the ground is not easy!