# Critique a Prospect Jumper. ARAB!



## KANSAS_TWISTER (Feb 23, 2007)

that picture is qway to hard to critique, the jump is in 90% of the pic and too many shadows


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## Jump2GrandPrix (Sep 15, 2007)

The horse seems to be doing ok. He's lifted his knees evenly and is reall throwing himself into his job.

Your duck footed, bring your knees in. You are kinda standing in the saddle, rather than two-pointing over the jump, and that can throw the horse off. Your shoulders need to come back and your pupy pawed.

Now, I don't ride this level, I've just been taught to critique a rider's form. Maybe I'm just being a hypocrite.

Cute horse.


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## ThatClassyEventer (Jun 3, 2014)

The horse looks pretty great! he's lifting his legs evenly, and he looks very forward. He looks like he's dangling his legs a little though. See the pictures below. 

You however, are standing in the saddle a little. Sit lightly, and bring your bum back over the saddle.








See how this horses front and back legs are pointing right at where he took off? This is how the legs should be until the horse reaches the peak of the jump. The legs should stay tight until the mid-point of the fence. Then as the back legs pass the last rail of the fence, they should have been opening the knee joint in preparation for landing. (See pic below, on the down side of a jump)










However with a smaller, jump, theres not quite enough time to come all the way up, and then stretch the legs back down again. So with this little cross rail, her horse is okay to make a right angle in its knees by the half-way point, or by mid-jump.


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## xJumperx (Feb 19, 2012)

I don't have anything to add critique wise, others on the thread nailed it. I do have something to add about your attitude.

That jump doesn't appear higher than 2'6". Now I'll give you the benefit of doubt, maybe you usually jump much higher. But either way, I find your attitude of "I shouldn't need critique," "it's unlikely you'll find anything wrong with my position," very surprising. Usually, riding is a very humbling sport. If you haven't had a humbling moment yet, that tells me you probably aren't in those top Grand Prix levels. 

I'm not trying to jump on your back or harass you. If anything I'm trying to help you out. People that aren't open to critique, ESPECIALLY horseback riders, are the ones that never hit it big. Once you think you've improved as much as you can, and there's no way you can get better, you hit a wall and you never progress past that point. 

Like I said, try to keep an open mind. 
Keeping to the topic, I do like your little horse!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Malice (Mar 10, 2012)

People that no longer need critiquing in their riding ability have become stagnant and will not progress forward. Anyone that rides horses and are "good" at it know there is never a limit to where you stop learning about horses and you stop working on improving yourself. In our sport theres never a time where being stagnant is acceptable if you want to be great.:wink:


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Exactly. Watch the original "National Velvet" to see how people jumped before adopting the current Italian method.
We need a series of high pixel pictures of your horse before making any determinations, please.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

The photo's to small really
He's got one leg dangling below the other which puts him at risk of getting the pole between his legs - work him on lower grids to get some bounce into him before starting on jumps at that height
I don't like the idea of putting a horse in draw reins and a shank bit to get its head down - that's something that should be done by you riding him from behind through to your hand - what you're doing will get him working in a false headset and not in collection which is what you need to create impulsion for jumping
You are way ahead of him - don't get so far out of the saddle


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## updownrider (Mar 31, 2009)

jaydee said:


> The photo's to small really
> He's got one leg dangling below the other which puts him at risk of getting the pole between his legs - work him on lower grids to get some bounce into him before starting on jumps at that height
> I don't like the idea of putting a horse in draw reins and a shank bit to get its head down - that's something that should be done by you riding him from behind through to your hand - what you're doing will get him working in a false headset and not in collection which is what you need to create impulsion for jumping
> You are way ahead of him - don't get so far out of the saddle


^This!

Also, it looks like you are jumping out of a gymnastic/grid of some sort. A benefit of a gymnastic/grid is that it teaches a horse to rock back on their hind end and discourage knee hanging. If your horse isn't tidy in the front end through the gymnastic/grid, then the distance between the two fences typically needs to be shortened to be effective.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

The OP is from 2007...so I'm thinking/hoping she/he has probably already figured it out. :wink:


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

lol Wallaby I almost tore the OP to shreds over her attitude before I saw your post! I actually had my post half written and had clicked "go advanced" to attach a photo haha


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Unfortunately we tend to not notice that its an old thread if several people have already posted ahead of us


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