Our worst jump school ever | Tack up and ride Winnie with me

Why am I uploading this? Because horses aren't linear and sometimes simply working on an issue won't make it go away, sometimes you need to step back, go deeper and make a more efficient and effective plan.
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[@AccidentallyOnPurpose]

Just like humans, horses have bad days too and it's okay, there is always tomorrow 💜 I love how supportive your partner is and how he's genuinely interested in what you love.

[@that_horse_g1rl]

Edit: Wow no one is gonna read this😂 I’m so happy, that a horse trainer like you, don’t just post perfect things of them jumping like 1.50 with their GP horse! Like we all have bad rides, even the very good riders. But you definitley learn a LOT, from those rides. About your horse, but also about yourself. I ride a horse that ppl always talk about like “the easy pony”, and “she’s good at jumping, but you have to have your riding on point”, and it sometimes just makes me feel like a so bad rider! But i started to gain more confidence, and trusting myself and Mille (the horse), and after that, we both got so much better! Proof that no one is perfect!❤

[@gracematassa5523]

Thank you for sharing even the tough moments of working with horses. Looking forward to seeing more of Winnie's progress!

[@amber_matthews]

I always said if I was going to have a platform it would be brutally (and sometimes embarrassingly) transparent and sometimes that looks like this! I look forward to looking back on this video and seeing his change!

[@nagsen1232000]

@@amber_matthews hi I love ur vids

[@Dressage_Ponies]

Bad rides make u a good rider ❤

[@amber_matthews]

I definitely have a lot to learn from the past month! You never stop learning and growing with horses!

[@Dressage_Ponies]

@@amber_matthews exactly 👍 That’s why I love my sport ❤

[@starfire6279]

I just go around barrels and my horse still dont cooperate most days i can't even imagine him ever jumping- i tried walking him over a pole as my trainer was putting them up for poles and he didn't even notice he just kicked it-

[@DeclaireSpArkleEQ]

A beautiful horse!

[@Kira.equestrian]

Yeah I had 2 bad rides in a row it but everytime I have a bad ride I just want to go again!❤

[@oliviathomet8337]

I had a period like this with my horse. Every situation is different, but my boy always struggled with holding his left lead in the hind and there was a period where he COULD NOT hold it. Vet was out, couldn’t find anything wrong. Best guess was he had a mild injury to his SI and then lost muscle after he didn’t use it for a short time. Ended up giving him a few months off, acupuncture, chiropractic work, then taking it really slow getting him back into work. Flat work, more flat work, poles, and more poles. Really focused on his foundation. He’s back to full work and the best he’s been in 4 years.

[@amber_matthews]

I think our boys could be similar! We’ve had vets etc out for Winnie just in case and they assume he probably has an old injury that he anticipates and sometimes that shows in how he moves… anticipation of pain can be so much worse than pain itself!

[@oliviathomet8337]

@@amber_matthews that’s the exact problem my horse had coming back into work! He would get really stiff and strong and almost unrideable through the corners bc he anticipated being sore. He’s working on getting strength back now and has been doing so much better. I hope Winnie gets better soon!

[@toomanythoroughbreds]

Don’t even worry about it. Think how far he’s come, as you said, progress isn’t linear and at some point you’ll look back at this and be glad about every ride ❤ you’re a great rider don’t let these kind of rides define you

[@Bri_Eventing]

You handled that so well even if it’s low or a short ride ending on a good note is the best way to fix issues

[@Hannah-and-Ponies]

You are the best rider I have ever seen, I love the way you handle your horses when they aren’t ready or are nervous about the jump or something outside of the arena, I love how honest you are compared to other equestrians that hate telling people about their bad rides. Keep going Amber I will always watch your videos and wish to meet you, maybe I will at Equitana! You will always be my idol and inspiration

[@Lilzequestrian]

So proud of you! You stayed positive and didn’t get frustrated that is what makes a good rider you are my idol ❤❤❤❤

[@luciebushell3319]

Ahhhh so great to hear someone talk Sense and not rush things for goals and not nail the foundation first ❤️❤️❤️😊

[@lukeytrags]

Yayyy long formats are here!!!

[@janmeyer3129]

Feel so envious- used to have so many sub-optimal rides that I would be on the point of concluding that I just didn’t have it and should give up - and he would throw in a BRILLIANT session - energetic, responsive, honest. Just enough to keep me going, the sod.

[@Anna-gb6vd]

Tysm for sharing the imperfect parts of riding bc I’ve been struggling with my jumping (I’m no where near your level tho) but this has honestly made me feel so much better it’s hard to remember that bad days happen bc often social media only shows the good 🙁

[@candiapple1360]

this video really helped me realize that bad days happen and theyre just learning opportunities. i love how you post the worse days, too. youve come so far and are doing great!

[@rushmoom42069]

had me nervous with all the jumping talk lol, so i was so glad to hear you talk about flat work. foundations and basics are oh so important as we all know!

[@AvaOHolley]

Something I am so grateful to have learnt when I was a kid was, even the best can do the worst. Failure isnt always bad, you learn from your mistakes, that theyre only an animal and you're only a person, you cant always get it right and cant always do your best, the hard thing is dealing with it, you might get upset or angry or feel overwhelmed, always pick your moments, know when to stop even if you havent done much, lessons can be quick or long, they dont always have to be a set time, were not robots, we have minds. so whenever you think "Just one more!" you should stop, and leave it the best you got it so you come back to continue it the next time.

[@aleb_equine]

you are always working with the horse where they are to get where you want ❤ love it

[@Valandsallythestar]

Quite frankly I don’t understand why you would get hate for this because this is just horses and this is how they work and that’s life like spooky days like the ride I had on Friday Doc bolted form the canter I lost a startup but kept going and that’s what improves you ❤️✨💅✨

[@CHOCOequestrian]

Love your outfit! First (I think) Can’t wait to watch the rest of the video!❤ Your such a good rider Amber, your so pretty (not in a weird way), your so kind, your such a good role model, your such a good person, your such a good horse owner, your such a good dog mum, your such an amazing fiancé❤ your just amazing in general 🫶🫶🫶

[@amber_matthews]

We hope you enjoy!

[@CHOCOequestrian]

@@amber_matthewsTHANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REPLYING!! I love your channel so much and I always will❤❤❤

[@haleymoore1998]

You are such a good rider and I’m so happy that you said that ur not going to raise the jumps even though you want to because it’s better for your horse❤❤❤

[@writerspen010]

Not every day is a good riding day, and that's okay! You've come a long way with Winnie already, and it's important to see days like this so that you can see the progress that has been made and get a sense of the solutions you can work on tomorrow and appreciate the journey when you're finally on the other side of it. I appreciate the honesty and think we can all learn from a video like this.

[@megandonovin8329]

I’m proud of you for not only being real but recognizing there may be holes or things that need fixing and taking a step back instead of pushing him to bigger fences.

[@Teto_kasane234]

I love the way he got happy when you said you love him

[@olive_eq08]

This helped me SO much thank you. I ride western and my 4 year old has had a week like this, saying "nuh uh' to contact.

[@Original.Equestrian]

Amber you are an amazing rider, trainer and person! These rides are better then good rides ❤

[@Riversprite0]

Keep up the long format🐴💜

[@Moon_MyBean]

I wanna jump so bad😭😭 also Winnie is ADORABLE and yours so pretty, ever one has bad days which makes good days

[@parissilva588]

It’s Winnie lol❤ 😂

[@Patch_and_Ruby1]

As soon as you said I fell in love with Winnie his ears went forward bless him 😂

[@stazi5712]

Bad rides make you a true equstrian. An equestrian who doesn't give up even if some rides don't go to plan. 🐎🐴❤

[@that_l3sbian]

you’re doing great amber!! dw abt the bad rides! you can’t change the past :)

[@Indi_eq]

Better than me jumping regularly 😂 good job!

[@EquestrianHaze_Edits]

When I have bad riding lessons, my horse bolts (multiple times), fights the reins, stops infront of jumps, etc. After even just the smallest mistake like counting your strides wrong or getting left behind on a jump wants to make me cry. The confidence knocks are crazy.

[@Lexie_and_willow]

Winnie is the cutest horse and your a great rider and sat that very well❤

[@-MansBestFriend]

I only ride lesson horses but last week wasn’t my favorite lesson. The horse I’m riding currently is the newest one they bought so she’s still getting used to everyone but doesn’t freak out around them unless it’s a gelding bc she doesn’t like geldings. She’s normally super quiet but when I got up to the arena she was super interested in the donkey, she was making noises towards her but had her ears up. It still made me a bit nervous bc I’ve never seen her do that and she’s normally in the same pasture with her. When I finally got on her the donkey got into the arena and I was pretty anxious about it, I got off of her for a second till she left and got back on. After that it was jsut a btu of a weird day bc there was tons of people riding and I normally ride with 2-3 people. Towards the end I just decided to canter more instead of jumping bc I just didn’t to overwhelm myself more since she’s hard to get going over a jump. I’m still getting used to her, I’ve been riding a calm gelding who just likes to canter and jump and just listens for months now. ( please ignore my grammar lol)

[@Ala_Rider123]

Don’t worry we all have our bad days I’ve had a few :) but you did great and making mistakes is the best way to get better

[@miaa_equestrian0]

Bad rides will teach you what you did wrong so you can fix it the next time!❤️

[@Reese-j3u]

Please make more of these types of videos!, they are sooo good❤❤

[@Silence-zn2qd]

If we don't have the bad days, then we don't see how far we have come, we do lots of ground work to get to jumping better, and grid work,, there is our bad days and our good days, you are doing an awesome job, and trying everything you know so don't critisize yourself to much, love your content, maybe just take a day out to work on your canter only, you will do it. ❤❤❤❤❤

[@viktoriaosust]

Hey Amber, I'd just like to say, we all have bad days sometimes and you've definitely done an amazing job with Winnie. You'll have a breakthrough💖 I can find this video relatable, as I've been having trouble jumping my horse lately, she's been rushing and kind of switching off when we're jumping, and I try to half halt her and relax but not pull. Any tips? I liked this long format video btw:)

[@horse_gamer1212]

You’re a real equestrian for showing the bad parts too.

[@yourpersonalfrenchfryoffical]

do you have tips on cantering and jumping? im a masssive fan and you ride so well and have an amazing seat!

[@Horse_Girl_11]

I think Winnie is the cutest in purple

[@AA_Equestrian]

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger 😅

[@Sammy-y9z]

Even though you did fall and slip you still did amazing ❤

[@jjrides]

Absolutely commend you still posting this despite it being not as planned. One thing I'll say and I hope I dont get hated for saying it, but he looks to be not using his off-hind fully, and it seems to explain to me what you're commenting about. One thing long form let's us analyse a bit more too 😂 absolutely not trying to hate, just hope it helps

[@amber_matthews]

Yep! As I said his canter is the problem and he gets quite challenging to engage fully (hence why I said just going ‘faster or more forward’ won’t help which a lot of people would suggest as it just turns a sloppy canter into a flat, speedy canter), so we’re going to go back to more dressage work and encourage him to push from behind better and engage his core to lift 🥰

[@JadesEquestrianworld]

Winnie is so cute! Can I steal him! Bad rides are helping you build up strength for a good ride!!❤ I’m making a edit for you! (It has other KZbinrs are in it)

[@amber_matthews]

He's such a sweet boy! He's so forgiving and allows me to learn so much as someone that never got to showjump as a teenager!

[@jblechman88]

You’re so good!!

[@nataliebailey6385]

Brumby has already gotten so big!

[@donnamil]

Loved the new "long" format. 10-15 minutes is ideal for my attention span.

[@flaxoneventing9190]

Only the greatest riders make mistakes and have bad rides ❤ you are so amazing at riding, I love your videos and you are so funny ❤ Swayze is my favourite! I love paints and pintos! (I’m sick so my brain doesn’t think, hope I spelt his name right)

[@TheBestMoonEver]

I just did my first couple of jumps the other day. At first I was nervous but I eventually got more comfortable. lol

[@Kay_Equestrain]

Hey Amber do you have any tips on how to train a horse to jump farther? I was jumping my mare and she was jumping high enough but her back hoof kept hitting the jump.

[@amber_matthews]

grid work! Winnie is naturally quite a flat jumper and this improved his scope/form MASSIVELY... this has reminded me we need to also do more gridwork instead of single fences!

[@Evelyn6110]

Aaaaa I love this vlogggg ❤

[@Belle2323-y7c]

You are my favourite KZbinr and my pony Yoyo is just like Winnie ❤✨🌹🏇

[@EvaGriffiths]

I watch you on tiktok all the time

[@Yippeee-123]

Love your horse it is so cute❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@theequestrain17]

I just finished a really tough ride, but every equestrain needs bad rides to gain good ones🐎🐎🐎

[@olive.b5149]

SO EARLY OMG, I hope u have a great day amber ❤

[@serenityfirefly70]

I enjoy watching your videos and shorts(so funny). Even horses have a bad day. Is it possible your energy was really off and he picked up on it? You were definitely frustrated

[@EvieCullen1997]

My boy had 13 homes in 3 yrs he was unridable full of scars not mental but physival he was scared of everything we rebroke him and worked with him for 7 yrs hes now eventing at 1.10 mtr 😊 we all have bad days like when the hedge tries to eat us and nearly get decked into the fence😂

[@AmeliaSeel]

Early! (Kind of) this released just when I got to school 😭 Im bouta watch this instead of doing class :P

[@pod6679]

What are your hands doing at 6:55 ?

[@LIVS_HOBBYHORSE_LIFE]

Cantering

[@ellenmadsen7308]

Why don’t you leave the jumps set up?

[@srtsniper75]

I’m in the same situation right now with my horse

[@AnyaE12345]

I have a love hate relationship with jumping lol 😂

[@Violet_Pinklion]

I wish Amber was my neighbour, that would be awesome

[@kristianhotson5000]

i know it wasnt ur fault that it didnt rlly go well💗💕

[@LauraStutzman-j4m]

What kind of horse is Winnie and is it a boy or a girl

[@sammiwastaken]

shit happens, its part of being an equestrian

[@horselovergirl502]

I'm a bit late. I feel like a bit too late but anyways it's okay if you have bad ride. At least you're not abusing❤

[@RosieMiller-sx2ic]

Do u want to try get my horse into shape he bucks and rears and he is so bad

[@jaderein893]

can u make a vid of u training someone?

[@kmiklaszewski]

Have you thought about working with someone that is trained and certified in rider biomechanics? It’s will completely change your riding and will help your horses in everything they do when you ride. It looks like you are having trouble riding back to from. No hate. We have all been there and some never get out of this type of thing but as someone who studies rider biomechanics, you can see some issues with your contact/ connection with the reins and the feel of the bit in the horse’s mouth. There is so much wiggling sawing the bit side to side in the mouth and especially with your inside hand. This is very common but does not help either of you. I have some great videos saved that I can link. There is a great one on the connecting half halt that is a game changer and I have tons of great full length rider biomechanics lessons that are filled with really helpful stuff. I love how committed you are to trying to work stuff out for your horses when you can feel that something isn’t right. Lucky horses!

[@amber_matthews]

Goodness me… talk about commenting on someone’s entire history as a rider, trainer and their understanding of horses from a holistic level based off 1 video. Understanding this horse and why he was ridden this way on this day is incredibly important, this was SAID to be an EXTRAORDINARY bad day… but I guess any time people can have their expert opinion they will.

[@kmiklaszewski]

Sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I was actually very impressed on how much work you put in and how dedicated you are into helping your horses. I’ve been in your same exact situation with Frustrations and trying to figure things out. I realize every day with every horse is and can be a different situation and the goal is to always just be better Going out of the arena, then you were when you were coming in. If what you’re doing is working for you go for it I was just making a recommendation and trying to be kind.

[@spfisterer3651]

I actually love that you showed us an off day. It's just realistic. But yeah, saw his "hollow" back while cantering.. Then again, jumping could have made him change the canter so it was worth a try! Good luck with him❤

[@amber_matthews]

Not quite that jumping was ‘worth a try’ - he’s a tricky shaped horse so engaging his long back is difficult at the best of times, he’s a horse that will take years of training and strengthening before he is completely engaged all the time, hence the small jumps even on a ‘good’ day. So that element of his canter wasn’t my concern as much as his lack of drive from behind

[@elenamuzi5930]

Wait you actually reply to comments!

[@Pony_Crazy]

I love oxers

[@amber_matthews]

They're either my best friend or my enemy... I never know lol

[@AllieLaRosa]

Hi amber!

[@amber_matthews]

Hey!

[@AllieLaRosa]

Can u pin me please😊

[@ash-dh4ee]

Lol why can't you just leave the jumps out?

[@EliPfarms123B]

Wow

[@thomasmayer5087]

It is also only a horse......

[@JessPriyasAdventures]

Your first long video so cool by the way I am a big fan of you Can you pin me by any chance ? 🎉❤

[@jazzy6318]

No

[@Noemi-hl7mu]

Why are you blaming the horse in everything when ur the one making the mistakes

[@Horsepower4life.]

His mouth! you need to make sure not to pull it’s so uncomfortable for the horse 🐎

[@amber_matthews]

Contact is not pulling, it’s crucial for the horse to engage their core, drive from behind, lift their back and BE comfortable

[@Sophiawroblewski-uu4lc]

Bruh I can't jump at all

[@ElliotSkeldon]

Have you ever thought tat maybe you need to improve and stop being a know it all because it is annoying

[@adelinegracee]

With Winnies girth you can just buy a girth extender saved me so much money from buying an entirely new girth ps. you rode so well btw 🤍

[@amber_matthews]

I have seen these! I think I definitely need to invest in one! Thankyou so much ❤

[@MJXC959]

Just make sure once one is bought , the shoulders don't run into the buckles❤ I have a rescue with literally balls of scar tissue from this ❤❤❤

[@Hannah-and-Ponies]

You are the best rider I have ever seen, I love the way you handle your horses when they aren’t ready or are nervous about the jump or something outside of the arena, I love how honest you are compared to other equestrians that hate telling people about their bad rides. Keep going Amber I will always watch your videos and wish to meet you, maybe I will at Equitana! You will always be my idol and inspiration

[@Hannah-and-Ponies]

You are the best rider I have ever seen, I love the way you handle your horses when they aren’t ready or are nervous about the jump or something outside of the arena, I love how honest you are compared to other equestrians that hate telling people about their bad rides. Keep going Amber I will always watch your videos and wish to meet you, maybe I will at Equitana! You will always be my idol and inspiration