# (New Here) flat critique



## xChelseaxxSmilex (May 24, 2009)

note- i know my stirrups were way too long in this video. Last week i raised them up 3 holes. That was the cause for my swinging leg and also my wrist were incorrect.


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## morganshow11 (Dec 19, 2008)

Your hands are too far apart, try putting them closer together, other than that you look great!


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## xChelseaxxSmilex (May 24, 2009)

Thank you so much! yes i have been working on my hands so much since the video!


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## xChelseaxxSmilex (May 24, 2009)

bump please i want all the advice i can get


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## morganshow11 (Dec 19, 2008)

do you happen to have any rescent pics or vids?


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## xChelseaxxSmilex (May 24, 2009)

I wish i did! I'm about to make a new video this week, so i'll be able to post it on here. i'm going to stat making videos weekly of my lessons.


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## morganshow11 (Dec 19, 2008)

Ok i will make sure i see it


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## morganshow11 (Dec 19, 2008)

I know you said that you knew your sturrups were to long (which they are). But just a little pointer tip thing.

When your stirrups are too long it will cause your toes to go down, especially during the posting trot. Since you are pushing of your toes/feet your toes will go down becuase of the pushing. So putting your stirups shoter will keep your heels toes from going down.
I know you said that you raised them but i was just saying.


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## xChelseaxxSmilex (May 24, 2009)

Thank you! Yes me shortening my stirrups has helped a lot!  I can't believe how low i had them. I probably just got into a habit with it.


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## xChelseaxxSmilex (May 24, 2009)

bump please!


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## xChelseaxxSmilex (May 24, 2009)

xChelseaxxSmilex said:


> Hello I am Chelsea and am new here. This video was taken about 3 years ago. I have only been riding for two years. I have trained Diamon by myself. I have went through so many instructors with him as they just wanted to train me on a different horse, so i just decided to follow other trainers ideas. I now have a instructor who is here to help both of us. This is the best video to critique i think but i have others you can check out on my yt page. ps there is one clip where i'm in a hunter hack class, but most of it is flat.Thank you!
> 
> 
> YouTube - Diamon-Baby It's Fact


 I meant to say 3 weeks ago.lol. Sorry about that.


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## gabrielstriumph (Mar 15, 2009)

Wow, he's a cute, cute, cute horse!
And you have a lovely back and posture! He looks really smooth. 
I won't say anything else because everyone already said hands. 
But good luck!


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## Quixotic (May 22, 2009)

First I just want to say that wide hands actually aren't a bad thing when used effectively, like if you're using them to support your horse through turns and corners, or when approaching a jump. They can also be extremely helpful when riding young horses who have not yet fully developed their muscles & found their balance, or when riding any horse who has a tendency to stumble a lot.

For starters, you need to put more bend in your elbow and lift your hands. You never want to be resting your hands on your horse's neck or on your saddle. (The only exception to this would be reaching forward and grabbing mane if you feel yourself losing your balance, as breaking position is always preferable to ending up on the ground.)
I noticed that when you turn your horse, you tend to bring your inside hand way out and back. You should be turning your horse with your eyes, inside leg, and outside hand. The outside hand should have a consistant yet elastic feel on the rein, and act as both a support and a block - the support will help to keep your horse balanced through turns and corners, but it'll also serve to block him from veering away from the direction you want him to be going in. Your eyes and inside leg should work simultanously through turns. As you turn your head to look where you want him to go, your inside leg should apply pressure just behind the girth to push his back end out into your outside hand, allowing him to make a nice turn. Always looking ahead towards the next turn or obstacle (or towards the center, when making a circle) will help your horse anticipate where you want him to go, since by turning your head you also are making very subtle movements with your seat as well that your horse will pick up on (even though you probably won't even notice that you're doing it.) The only time you should really have to use your inside rein for turns is for corrections, such as when he ignores (or is unable to understand) your seat and leg, or becomes crooked. A simple squeeze with your fingers in a take-give motion on the inside rein is best, and this would be made easier for you if you shortened your reins a bit, since it would eliminate the need for you to pull your hand so far back (since essentially your hands should be staying even with one another).

He's a very lovely boy


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## xChelseaxxSmilex (May 24, 2009)

gabrielstriumph said:


> Wow, he's a cute, cute, cute horse!
> And you have a lovely back and posture! He looks really smooth.
> I won't say anything else because everyone already said hands.
> But good luck!


Thank you!


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## xChelseaxxSmilex (May 24, 2009)

Quixotic said:


> First I just want to say that wide hands actually aren't a bad thing when used effectively, like if you're using them to support your horse through turns and corners, or when approaching a jump. They can also be extremely helpful when riding young horses who have not yet fully developed their muscles & found their balance, or when riding any horse who has a tendency to stumble a lot.
> 
> For starters, you need to put more bend in your elbow and lift your hands. You never want to be resting your hands on your horse's neck or on your saddle. (The only exception to this would be reaching forward and grabbing mane if you feel yourself losing your balance, as breaking position is always preferable to ending up on the ground.)
> I noticed that when you turn your horse, you tend to bring your inside hand way out and back. You should be turning your horse with your eyes, inside leg, and outside hand. The outside hand should have a consistant yet elastic feel on the rein, and act as both a support and a block - the support will help to keep your horse balanced through turns and corners, but it'll also serve to block him from veering away from the direction you want him to be going in. Your eyes and inside leg should work simultanously through turns. As you turn your head to look where you want him to go, your inside leg should apply pressure just behind the girth to push his back end out into your outside hand, allowing him to make a nice turn. Always looking ahead towards the next turn or obstacle (or towards the center, when making a circle) will help your horse anticipate where you want him to go, since by turning your head you also are making very subtle movements with your seat as well that your horse will pick up on (even though you probably won't even notice that you're doing it.) The only time you should really have to use your inside rein for turns is for corrections, such as when he ignores (or is unable to understand) your seat and leg, or becomes crooked. A simple squeeze with your fingers in a take-give motion on the inside rein is best, and this would be made easier for you if you shortened your reins a bit, since it would eliminate the need for you to pull your hand so far back (since essentially your hands should be staying even with one another).
> ...


Thank you so much for explaining really well! I have some basic habits to fix that my new instructor is working on. I haven't had a instructor since last summer, so that's where i got the habits.lol. Thank you! He defaintly wasn't like that when i first got him. I wish i had a pic of him before.


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