Hi all

So My 4 yr old mustang mare, Aiyanna, has been under saddle since January. Really, i'm not doing much training... just riding.. lol She's been a bit difficult to train as she doesn't like the arena, so we just trail ride.. She picks up on training quickly, she just doesn't like learning...But once she learns, doesn't forget a thing.

The only thing I've done with her lately was put her into a training curb bit, so she's doing both the curb and/or a snaffle.. She's learning to neck rein and since she hates turning, is doing pretty good at that..

I've finally cantered on her.. She's got a very smooth, what seems to be a ground covering stride. She is 14.3hh... No bounce at all in her canter...

There are some shows coming up that I'd like to show her in.. just some local shows...

Anyways.... here's some pics of her... Critique her pls...

Here's my daughter riding at a walk... Ignore her heels :/

My daughter trotting:

I'll leave the critiquing to those better than me, but I just want to say what a beautiful girl she is :) (I think I've told you that before?)

Jessi

She looks well put together to me.  But I have become quite partial to mustangs since I got my two babies  

 I like her!  You didn't say what classes you intend to enter with her.  It's hard to tell from still photos, but it doesn't look like she tracks up at the trot.  That's something you can work on--getting her more collected.  She's got an open hip angle, so you're not likely to get a WP jog that will win a class, but you should be able to get an English Pleasure trot.

Regardless, she looks like a really nice horse, and I'm sure you'll have a great time with her.  I would LOVE to have a horse that prefers trails to ring work!  Mine are all prima donnas who lust after the roar of the crowd, even if the crowd is only one neighbor kid and a bunch of blackbirds.  LOL  

Cute mare!

Nice nice balance to her muscles for a 4 yr old. She is working very well off her rear and I would expect her to be smooth just looking at her even muscling.

The classes for now that I would like to enter her in are just the Under Saddle under a year ... and maybe a halter class... The mustang association is having a class in September that I"d like to enter her into....  The under saddle classes I think are a Walk/Jog class...

WHat do you do in these types of classes anyhow? I've never shown before...

 As far as work goes.. Yeah she does need a lot... I agree.. I've just been enjoying the trails and being lazy and not wanting to train... but im motivated to get her going as I would like to show her, even if we dont win its still a good experience for her...

I agree with the english trot on her. I can get her to go long and low at a walk without much asking.

Here's a video of her and my daughter riding. This was taken the same day that the riding pics were:|
http://media.putfile.com/Laura-Riding

And, just some video earlier this year of her trotting in the round pen:
http://media.putfile.com/AIyanna-Trot3
http://media.putfile.com/FreeTrott-1-08

She does have decent confo all the way around. 

 She does need alot of work to develop her 'working off the rear' aspect...in those trotting, and even the walking pic, she has the appearance of just dragging her back legs along for the ride; she's not reaching well under her at all...but this has to be developed in most horses, otherwise they are 'content' working off the front end.