What a huuuuge difference from before. He may have had a slower progress but wow, he was certainly worth the wait. You can see just how much more balanced he is and doesn’t jump flat like he did last year. What a happy boy he is and you ride him so effortlessly despite he’s big and powerful jump. Thanks for sharing Holly! You’ve done such a great job with him (and Khal).

i really enjoyed the voice over with the training and how it transferred to the show!:))

I could watch Dali all day..he's going to be jumping some great heights 🤞🤞

I love the voice over videos, they’re so so interesting, it’s great to hear how you’re working with your horses!

Lovely! Helpful explanations of what you do and why.

So amusing to see him talking with his tail. It is very animated throughout his work session and the comp. Khal doesn't seem to use his tail quite so much from what I can recall.

My mare gets really excited when I have full seat she also prefers when I’m slightly out of the saddle and stays calmer

Great video Holly - thank you!! I remember him from the beginning and what a fantastic job you have done - to me what is so impressive w/both Dali & Kahl is the confidence you have given them - they are so forward and brave - you're riding in this clip is beautiful - great job!

@HollyLenahanSJ

4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much, that’s very nice to hear ☺️

He's looking much better!

I’d love for you to do a little gear breakdown sometime! Why you choose to use the flash on Dali versus plain cavesson on Khal, the bits you use and the mouthpieces you’ve tried, the spur type you use (roller vs static), what you’ve found the winning combination for each horse is! Do you put your stirrups up during shows versus training at home? In your show vlogs when riding Dali your stirrups look shorter/right at the top of the spur patch, but at home your legs look longer (could be the spurs vs no spurs throwing me off tho!). The little tidbits we don’t tend to emphasise much that make everything work together fascinate me 😅

@HollyLenahanSJ

3 ай бұрын

The flash for Dali is just to give a little bit extra control between fences. The bits are French link loose ring snaffles - I try to keep it as simple as possible! The spurs are just short round ended static. And the stirrup length is the same all the time, I never change it! I’m always so curious too about other people’s tack choices, I understand! 😂

Super interesting, love the in-depth explanations.

Really nice and educational video.

Hi Holly, lovely seeing Dali's progress. He's really come on leaps and bounds and he looks like such a pleasure to ride. Correct me if I'm wrong but he seems like such a big softie and a very sensitive soul. He may have taken a little longer to grasp things but those kinds of horses are so worth the wait! Big fan of Dali

@april5666

4 ай бұрын

I was going to say exactly the same things. He has progressed so strongly in the last few years. I love this kind of voice-over and training to show versions -- really helpful and clear. You rode beautifully Holly and great respect for identifying the areas that still need a little tweaking and how you are doing that. As those fences rise in height they become increasingly difficult with changes required not just the complexity of the jumps. You and your horses have talent X work and it is beautiful to watch your progress with them.

@HollyLenahanSJ

4 ай бұрын

He’s definitely a sensitive horse but he really really wants to please and that’s the most important thing ♥️

@HollyLenahanSJ

4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much ♥️

Thank you for sharing. It is helpful hearing your strategy on improving between shows. It is also helpful to normalize that lead changes are a process.

So amazing, Holly. For such a BIG boy, you ride him beautifully. Well done! ❤❤❤

Wowww I loved this video!! So cool to hear you walk through your whole thought process and approach to training!

@HollyLenahanSJ

4 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

The voiceover was very helpful.

Dali is going to be a fantastic horse. ❤ I’m living my riding through you right now as my horse (the same age as Dali) is currently lame because my farrier trimmed his bare feet too short…😢😢 My horse is super sensitive. I have to wait for the feet to grow…which sucks.

That tail is priceless, if he were a puppy he would be a very happy puppy. It reminds me of a propeller! 😊 Holly he L@@KS stunning! 😍 I just LOVE to watch you ride, you have such a beautiful seat and hands. He is so light in your hands for such a a big guy.

@HollyLenahanSJ

4 ай бұрын

It never stops! 😂

@caroleyahoo1965

3 ай бұрын

@@HollyLenahanSJ 😍

Niiiiice go Dali!!

Love love love the voice over. I also think that Dali looks more comfortable than last week. Maybe you feel more comfortable and that translates or Dali. Really enjoyed this Holly.

@HollyLenahanSJ

4 ай бұрын

I think we’re both getting back into the swing of shows again now ♥️

I notice he pins his ears and swishes his tail a lot. Is that just his thing or is he unhappy? Is he unhappy he needs to slow down?

Has Dali ever come up for physical issues? From the footage you posted, he is showing pretty classic signs of stress. Things like an active swishing tail, tenser eyes/facial expression and gaping of mouth are highly correlated with stress stemming from physical pain/discomfort. It's pretty cool honestly that we have the science to be able to read and interpret what our horse's expressions might mean. Its been instrumental to me getting a better feel for my own horses. Just some food for thought :)

@HollyLenahanSJ

3 ай бұрын

I get this comment so so much but I promise you guys, he has had absolutely everything checked out - full set of X-rays, regular physio, dentist, saddle fitter, lameness exam. We can’t find a single problem and he’s still so keen to work and jump so I’ve just had to put it down as a quirk of his!

@emilyeide5414

3 ай бұрын

@@HollyLenahanSJ I know how frustrating it can be trying to figure out how to help a horse. I just wish they could speak human and tell us what’s going on with them! Would make everything so much easier. Good luck with him.

Awesome, does it also differ between in and outdoor??

Nice to see a proper 'clean' flying change from left to right at the 4:20 minutes mark. I think it's the first time on your vlog (he may have done ones that aren't on video) that he's done a complete flying change (changing through from behind all in one stride, rather than front legs first and back end on the next stride) and it was nice - really balanced. I think it will happen cleanly more often if you really work on controlling his shoulders and keeping them straight into the change.

@HollyLenahanSJ

4 ай бұрын

Yes I said in the voiceover, having got the balance better by lengthening and shortening the canter, I was able to get a perfect change. It’s actually not the shoulders with him, but the balance ☺️ Also with showjumpers, I often don’t mind if the change is one stride late behind because doing a clean change as he did there often requires a slightly shorter stride length and gives more upward motion, whereas changing one stride late behind allows the horse to be moving a lot more forward as is required during a showjumping round if that makes sense to you?

@CrownhillEquestrian

4 ай бұрын

@@HollyLenahanSJ thanks for your reply. Actually, that does make perfect sense as a flying change is otherwise quite an upward, uphill sort of movement and I guess you are trying to keep him flowing and in an even rhythm. I wasn’t meaning to be picky, he just looked so cute the way he did it. He almost looked surprised! 🤣 Can’t believe how quickly he’s gone up in (jump) height and confidence over the last year or so. Really looking forward to seeing what you achieve with him this year.

You should try eventing with Khal!! I would love to see how he goes :))

👍🇮🇪💚🍀👍

Are spurs a prerequiste for competition, i.e. a part of your 'uniform' ? He is such a lovely big boy!

@HollyLenahanSJ

3 ай бұрын

No, they’re optional ☺️

@lmp8932

3 ай бұрын

Thank you. @@HollyLenahanSJ

Why are you training with low jumps, i would think you should do the same hight as in competition. But i understand that you warm him up before the competition with some low jumps. 😊

@HollyLenahanSJ

4 ай бұрын

Because the improvement with Dali needs to be made on his rideability between the fences, his jump is already good. So there’s no need to put repeated strain on his legs by jumping constantly. Doing cavaletti means I can practice all the important parts of jumping courses without the jumps ☺️

Wow. Wayyyy to much. I was bored out of my mind !!