# First critique ever!



## MaggiStar (Mar 19, 2010)

Ok your jumping position is very upright its like your standing. You should be folding from the hips.
Your legs are to far foreward in the second picture they should be underneath you. 
It looks like your quite heavy with your hands. But that could be the horse also im not sure.


Thats all i can think of right now hopefully someone will correct me if im wrong or let out something!


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## Mickey4793 (Sep 24, 2009)

I'm not one to critique, and I'm no good at it, but your back and shoulders look very stiff, and you look a touch hunched forward.


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## Beau Baby (Oct 28, 2008)

Yep I noticed all that stuff. I have very strong legs and I tend to use them a lot {by standing in the stirrups}. I needed to be firm with the buckskin, it was his first x-country and he was going crazy. He's a 17 year old Fjord and he thought he was a 5 year old TB racing the wind. I know my leg was forward. He is the only horse I seem to do that on and I'm not sure why, I don't have my legs that forward on anyone else.


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## palominolover (Apr 28, 2010)

Mickey4793 said:


> I'm not one to critique, and I'm no good at it, but your back and shoulders look very stiff, and you look a touch hunched forward.


 
i'm not an english rider, but i do agree you do look very stiff.


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

In most of these, you are way, way too much over the pommel. You exaggerate your two point too much and are stuck tense, forward, and standing in your stirrups. I think you put too much into your jumps. It isn't necessary to go that far up. 

It may help to try some smaller jumps at home and try to get that two point 'smaller'. Get your form, and then go back to height. :wink:


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## Sphi (Apr 8, 2010)

Think about "folding" over the saddle. These are some random pictures I found that are examples of how the 2-pt position should look:


















In these pictures, see how the rider is over the horse's center of gravity, and bent at the hip?

Think about not standing UP in the stirrups, but lifting your bottom slightly and "folding" at the hip. It will take a lot of getting used to but you can practice this position at the trot or canter, too.


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## tealamutt (Aug 21, 2009)

FWIW a lot of these things are critiques I have of myself so don't think I'm judging harshly, just trying to give you some of the great advice I get from my coach and that has helped me tons!! Yikes! If your horse refuses, you can see the trajectory you're going to take straight up and over! Definitely work on your two point, doing lots and lots of trotting around in it to strengthen your legs and muscle memory. I do like how you're looking up and through the jump, it is really hard to break the habit of looking down once you develop it so bravo there. Also, you've got a nice long straight back, but do try to relax just a bit. Take a deep breath and let it out right before the jump. When my coach counts out strides to me before the jump, instead of (3, 2, 1) she says "breathe breathe breathe".

Also, even though the top horse is a strong, forward horse, your body is telling him to go forward (you're kind of pitched forward) and then you're hauling on his mouth to slow down. Try to use your seat to slow him down, maybe a bit more flatwork is on order for you guys? Part of your chair seat is coming from the fact that your lower leg is braced and you're pushing your stirrups out and forward (I think you mentioned that you know you do this). Try riding without stirrups for a while, this will help open that hip up and let the lower leg come back.

Last comment is to give a little more release. I think this will come when you get better at folding at the hip, but that poor buck could sure use a little relief over the jumps! Good luck !!


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## Beau Baby (Oct 28, 2008)

haha. thanks guys. I am working on everything. Next week I'll start lots of work to help with getting my leg back. I have a show coming up this weekend and I'll try relaxing more.


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## LoveTheSaddlebreds (Jul 9, 2009)

You need to put your hands forward and not throw your body towards the jump... don't try to stretch your neck forward and 'jump for the horse'. and btw the top horse is a dun, not a buckskin, and he's soooo cute :3 Is he a fjord?


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## Beau Baby (Oct 28, 2008)

he is a buckskin and yes he's a fjord/arabian cross


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

I'm a newbie but I think you are a little too heavy with your hands. I understand if he was hard to control....my hard headed horse is like that somedays. Also you look like you are standing more than you are bending at the hip.
Anyways that is what i think...but you are a lot better than me. I jumped my horse a couple of times...tiny tiny jumps...she got scared and I probably looked like a moron,hahaha.


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## speedy da fish (May 7, 2009)

think about folding over the jump rather than standing up.
you also need to release the reins over the jump too, you are catching the fjord in the mouth especially, and also pulling on the flat (second picture).
put your heels down and point you toes forward.
relax your shoulders, they look very tight, this can be practiced on the flat and helped by some lateral work.
you look very confident, whick is the basis for good riding, well done.
good luck x


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## speedy da fish (May 7, 2009)

just read some other posts and realised that your horse is a fjord/arab cross hes lovely!
but sorry he is dun :s
http://www.bluebirdlane.com/colour.html


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## EA Alayna (Jun 14, 2010)

I like your picures. The buckskin is cute!
To me it looks like your bracing in your hands. I think you should let your hands soften and use your seat more than your hands.

I think you needs to just relax your seat and bend in all points of you body as much as you can. 

It all takes time.


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## RogueMare (Feb 17, 2010)

In my college experience... ".coms" Aren't exactly unreliable, but anyone can have a ".com" here are a couple of ".net" and ".org" Associations...
AMERICAN BUCKSKIN REGISTRY ASSOCIATION, INC. ~ Registration
Colors Eligible

I say buckskin based on these sites.

__________

Back on topic
__________

I'm not the best, but like you said, you're elbows are out. And your toes are also pointed out. I'm not a jumper personally either, but your shoulders look pushed forward, roll them back and that might also help with your elbows. 
Hope I helped and not hindered.


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## chevaliernr (May 24, 2009)

As everyone else has already said, you're standing up in the stirrups when you should be folding into a two-point. Get that position down on the flat, then over small jumps before you try anything bigger.
And second, RELEASE. Regardless of how strong your horse is going, you need to give him his head over jumps. Don't just let you hands float in the air. Remind yourself to shove those hands forward towards his neck. Interfering with his jumping and catching him in the house isn't going to help the situation.


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## Beau Baby (Oct 28, 2008)

Thanks guys! I didn't post this thread to argue about color and I believe he's a buckskin and so that is what h shall be. Nobody take offence to this I jsut pride myself in him and his smexy color. 

For those of you who in the past 4-5 posts who didn't read the previous ones I stated why I was stiffer and I stated why I was pulling and not releasing quite so much. It was his first time and if I were to have let him go he would have galloped like there were no tomarrow. I thank you all for the critique though.


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## chevaliernr (May 24, 2009)

I understand that you need to pull back between jumps if he's running like a wild-man, but regardless, you should be releasing over jumps. If you maintain contact but still give him his head, you'll have the same control over him upon landing. Pulling back over jumps will just teach him to dislike jumping.


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## VanillaBean (Oct 19, 2008)

RELEASE! you are depending on your pony's mouth for balace, relax and breathe!!
VB


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## x Branded Heart x (Jun 17, 2010)

Okay so I've read over all the posts so far, and people are telling you what your doing wrong, but not exactly how to fix it, lol. This may be a little long, but I'm just trying to help :S. 
Soo, I'd just like to start out saying, your horse is GORGEOUS. One of my favourite breeds  
Back on topic.. So for the flat picture, like others have touched on, you have hard hands. That and your pony looks to have a preetty hard mouth, which is what is causing your chair seat. You are bracing your leg and sitting really deep in order to hold onto his mouth. Which doesn't seem to be helping one bit because that pony is a strong little thing!! Now, as fun as jumping is, sometimes you really need to go back into the arena for some schooling on the flat for a break. Which I think is exactly what that pony needs for a day  . 
So to fix this, try half halting. Now I know there are lots of opinions on half halting and everyone has their own different ways but I will just give you my way for now. So working as a sitting trot (for example) pull one rein, and then the other, alternating between both reins back and forth like a see-saw. NOT hard though. It needs to be soft and subtle. Almost like your milking a cow! LOL . You need to sit deep into the saddle and encourage a slow movement with your body. AS SOON as you feel him slow, drop his head, and work off his hind end. Immediately give him his head. It is important that you reward him with a loose line after he obeys. He will get the idea quickly that way! Also, when riding him in the arena (I don't suggest this on a cross country course) loosen your reins quite a bit and make him work on his own so that he isn't relying on your hands for support. Because he is a 1000lb. animal, and you cannot possible take on his weight!! 
Now onto the jumping pictures. Well both horses seem to be decent jumpers. There knees are up relatively even and are in general, good little horses. As for you, well you need a little work.. I will tell you where and why first, and then how to fix it. 
You have a nice flat back and your eyes are forward. But your leg has slipped back in all of these. You have not allowed your hip angle to be closed by your horses jumping movement, causing a stiff look. Your heel has slipped up in most of these and you have not given a sufficient release to any of these horses. 
Now, to fix all of this, first, I don't think it's a matter of strength (as it is with most jumping problems for riders), because you look like a strong little rider. I think that it is a matter of knowledge. You just need to get a feel for it! So what you need to do, is to really push your heel down and to keep that stirrup on the ball of your foot. Try to keep your foot at the girth, and bend your hips back so that your bum is over the saddle. From there your need to use your stomach muscle to hold your tummy up a few inches away from their neck, and then stretch your arms forward, lining your upper arms along the crest and your hands resting at least half way up their neck, if not more. 








Okay so here is a picture of myself, I know, not the greatest photo. But it'll show you where your foot and crotch should be. My arms are out infront, providing a sufficient release for this pony to stretch her neck down and bring her knees up over this jump. She took a bit of a long spot so I realise she is reaching and my posture is a little awkward but it is just an example. 
Anyways, not bad! Posting for a critique, I think, is a really good way to learn what things you need to work on! Great job and hope to see more of your pics up here soon


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## Beau Baby (Oct 28, 2008)

omg branded heart your my hero. everything I need in a critique. Thank you for helping me to fix the problems. The Fjord pics are from the beginning of May, the paint ones are from a little over a year ago and the bay is from October or November last year. For the most part I do do what you say. On the Fjord it was both our first time and I kinda threw things out the window, lol. Been working with him everyday and he is a lot softer on the bit. I don't have to pull so hard. 

My instructor has talked to me quite a lot about relaxing and going with his feel, posting slower if I need to slow him down instead of dragging on his mouth. As for jumping, she kicked my a$$ today cause I hold with my knees {it was a lesson}. So we'll be working on holding with the calf and having a proper leg.


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## x Branded Heart x (Jun 17, 2010)

LOL I'm glad to hear I helped you!! 
And your coach sounds very knowledgeable, I find it really helps if you think about it like this. 
Rather than 'not pinching with your knees', think of it more like 'holding with your calves'. Just before the jump, remind yourself to hug your calves around their barrel. I find it so much easier to picture in your mind right before the jump and makes it easier to remember!
Good luck


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## LeosAmericanShadow (Sep 5, 2009)

you look stiff and are standing up too straight, as previously stated. butt i just want to let you know the fjord is ADORABLE. i want one so bad.


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## Siggav (Nov 21, 2008)

Can't help you with the riding but the horse is dun not buckskin! One key difference is that the mane on buckskins is all black while on dun horses you'll have a black stripe going down the neck and paler coloured mane on either side.

The traditional 'haircut' on Fjords really emphasises that by cutting the paler coloured hair shorter than the black stripe so that the black stripe stands up and you have this textured mane in two colours. That's exactly the cut the horse has in your photos so I'm sorry to say but he's dun.

Also the Fjord horses are all dun and most Fjord crosses will be dun as well.


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## Beau Baby (Oct 28, 2008)

siggav i've already mentioned in this thread that he is a buckskin. some people agree some don't. i didn't ask for critique on his color I asked for critique on my riding. you may think this sounds arrogant and stupid but that's the way i am going to go about it. so people! please stop commenting about his color. if you wanna say he's gorgeous fine i love that but don't argue about how i'm wrong blah blah blah.


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## Siggav (Nov 21, 2008)

I'm sorry, I didn't intend to upset you.

I adore Fjords and dun horses in general so it's pretty close to my heart which is why I spoke up. Horse colour genetics and the exact criteria for what colour is what is fascinating but you are right this isn't the thread for that so again, I'm sorry.

..and he is gorgous


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## Beau Baby (Oct 28, 2008)

lol. thnx and sorry about getting huffy. i've been a bit short lately. stuff at homes getting to me.


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