ugh - horse help!

[Miss Z]

The jumps were like 2 feet. At the most.

I know how to do the 180 turn thing. We used to practice those a lot, but Junior doesn't know how to do them, so we don't really anymore.

We basically do whatever we want at the trot, but after that, its very structured on the cantering and jumping. Could my riding have something to do with these problems? I have a short (very very short) clip of me riding Joey at the canter a few weeks ago, maybe it'll help? I had no stirrups..first time in a long time. I will be getting a few more videos up later today, but thats the one I have.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvRE8Maa9HA

What is leg yielding?
The thing is, Caspers' owner lets him get away with anything, so if I did ride him more, everything I would be doing with him would be ruined again when his owner rode him

I still might ride on friday, I have a lesson i've got to make up.

Perhaps you call leg-yielding something different over there? It's a simpler version of half-pass. It's easiest ridden down the three quarter line back to the track. You get yourself on a good straight line first, then push the horse over with your inside leg. The result is the horse's legs cross and he moves sideways and forwards at the same time. His entire body should reach the track at the same time, not his nose or his backside, as some horses try to do.

LOL, I was so confused when I loaded that video, I thought, ummm...that's a dog...

Well it looks pretty good to me, the only thing I would say is that the canter is a bit flat and his hindquarters don't look as if they're pushing him forward that much. He has a nice rhythm and you have a good seat, but he doesn't really look like he's trying for you. But then considering you had no stirrups, I understand that you may have asked for a smoother canter.

I couldn't make it out entirely from the video, but perhaps carrying your hands a bit more and taking up a firmer contact would encourage a lighter and more forward canter.

I know how frustrating it is when other people ride the same horse badly, I'm in the same boat when I go riding. One time, the woman on a lesson earlier in the day rode the mare who had the overdeveloped muscle, and, well, let's say she isn't the best of riders. She just basically hung on the rein all lesson and her posture was a mess, and she was also *ahem*...rather chunky, so when the poor mare cantered she had a heck of a weight thudding on her back. When I got on her a little later she was really tight in her back and has waaay to much on the forehand, and I felt so exasperated that I'd worked hard on her to try to improve her and then all my efforts were spoiled.

But, even though you may not have very many lessons, horses do remember you, and when they realise that you know what you're doing, you'll realise that they'll play up with you less and less, even though they still might with others. You may not be able to make a difference for everybody, but you can do for you! I admit though that it does take a whole lot longer than if you alone were training him, but we can only make do with what we have.