# Riding critique O.O



## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

You have piano hands a little bit, and your stirrups looked a bit long in a couple pics, but other than that, you look fantastic. Gorgeous horse, too. =D


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## ilovelucy91 (Mar 11, 2009)

ack! my trainer is always yelling at me about my hands 
aaaah I thought I had fixed the stirrups darn...Thanks! She is my baby ^.^


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## ilovelucy91 (Mar 11, 2009)

Anyone else?


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## anrz (Dec 21, 2008)

It looks like you might be falling back into the saddle a little early over the jumps because your leg has slipped out from under you. Heels down, too. I second what Jessabel said- gorgeous horse!


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## ilovelucy91 (Mar 11, 2009)

I agree with the coming back down to early I have been having trouble with timing :/ those darn heels! Thank you


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## hotreddun (Jun 27, 2008)

It looks like your bit is to big for your horse's mouth. I can see the mouthpiece hanging out the sides in every picture. A jointed bit is only supposed to be 1/4 of an inch bigger than the mouth. That's probably why her mouth is gaping open in a few pics. Either its the wrong size or hanging to low in the mouth. Other than that you two are a lovely pair!


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## gabrielstriumph (Mar 15, 2009)

Aw man, I really thought your stirrups looked great. =/

I think most of what I will say, you already know. 

1st pic - It looks like you are bracing on her neck. Instead of doing that, grab mane, don't lean on the neck. It will really help you with releases too. It's what I do with Gabe a lot.

2nd pic - everything looks good to me. Just remember like everyone else said, thumbs up. Oh, and also, ask someone else, I'm not sure on this, but should your elbows be bent a little more? I've always heard you should have a straight line from elbow to bit. More like pic 4.

3rd pic - sink heels more

4rth pic - thumbs up, maybe raise your hands like an inch? MIEventer told me to never bury your hands in your horses neck, that they should be raised. So not quite sure about that one either. 

5th - again with the straight arms.

6th - your stirrups do look long here. sorry. =/ more release too.

7th - here you can really see the bracing on the neck thing. you have such a good straight back, you don't want to mess up your shoulders by leaning on her. i don't know if that makes sense. 

8th - toes could go in just a teensy weensy bit. and yeah you seem to be sitting back down a little too early. could of been a whole you thought she was going to take off early and went into two point and then when she did take off you were already sitting back down. 

9th - resting on neck again.

so all in all it's all just really super minor stuff you have to fix, and then when you fix those you'll be kicking butt. )
and maybe you can teach me how to open my shoulders and not slouch. 
you guys looked beautiful out there on saturday.


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## ilovelucy91 (Mar 11, 2009)

> It looks like your bit is to big for your horse's mouth. I can see the mouthpiece hanging out the sides in every picture. A jointed bit is only supposed to be 1/4 of an inch bigger than the mouth. That's probably why her mouth is gaping open in a few pics. Either its the wrong size or hanging to low in the mouth. Other than that you two are a lovely pair!


I will ask and see if the bit is to big (it probably is) but I know for sure that the bit was to low in her mouth (I forgot to adjust the bit... I have been borrowing that bridle) and the judge called me on it :/


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## ilovelucy91 (Mar 11, 2009)

> Aw man, I really thought your stirrups looked great. =/
> 
> I think most of what I will say, you already know.
> 
> ...


Haha thanks 

1st pic
Did you forget I have no mane to grab?  but you are right I have been bracing.

2nd pic
Yep Hannah has been trying to get me to bend more, the last couple of shows I had one bent arm and one straight arm lol.

3rd pic
Those darn heels!

4th pic
I don't know, maybe she will comment 

5th pic
^.^

6th pic
I am so busy trying to pace her I forget to release :/

7th pic
hehe thanks 

8th pic
haha I think you are right 

If only those "minor" things didn't take so long to fix lol, if you help me with my jumping!


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## gabrielstriumph (Mar 15, 2009)

Ahhhhh that's right. NO MANE! haha I totally forgot. 
And yeah, I really do understand the whole trying to keep the pace and forgetting to release, I'm very guilty of that.


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## hotreddun (Jun 27, 2008)

ilovelucy said:


> I will ask and see if the bit is to big (it probably is) but I know for sure that the bit was to low in her mouth (I forgot to adjust the bit... I have been borrowing that bridle) and the judge called me on it :/


You need to be careful of that. You can damage their mouth very badly with a low hanging bit.


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## ilovelucy91 (Mar 11, 2009)

I will definetly in the future, I wouldn't want to do anything to hurt her...I also asked about the bit and I was told that it wasn't to big.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

...pretty pony.... nice smile! I can't decide if he's trying to avoid the bit in a couple pix or if you need to release more w/ the reigns but pretty pony!!!


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## ilovelucy91 (Mar 11, 2009)

aawww thanks ^.^ yeah her bit was to low in her mouth :/ but I might have been holding her to tight (she likes to really fast so I have to remind myself not to pull on the reins but sometimes I forget )


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

I would very much suggest looking into the bit size. Not only does it look too big, your hands also appear to be very hard, see how she's opening her mouth to try and avoid the bit? With the hooks, she's getting poll pressure added to the pressure on her mouth. 
I would really suggest, before concentrating on anything else, to try and lighten up those hands.


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## ilovelucy91 (Mar 11, 2009)

I have asked my trainer about the bit...she told me it was okay (she did tell me that the bit was to low in the mouth but that has been taken care of) and I don't really have the knowledge to fit the bit, I will be getting her a new bit though. With the hands I am hoping it was just me being nervous at the show and not that I do it all of the time, I will be really watching that thanks . I have always been concerned with whether my hands are hard and I talk to my trainer about it and so far she has told me that aren't hard they just aren't consistent I go from contact to almost no contact which confuses her but like I said at the show she was pretty ready to go go go so I probably tensed and got hard on the reins (I know its a big no no and I am working on it)


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## Yogaboy (Jun 17, 2009)

Yeah Hands need mad work.... posture could be a little better but other then that you are good


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## ilovelucy91 (Mar 11, 2009)

And I thought I was on my way to the Olympics lol. Tomorrow I shall go out and work on my hands...


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

everyone has pretty much covered the position thing. But I agree that the bit is way too big. It looks as if the horse is chewing/grinding alot, and that's probably why. 

Cute horse! You guys look like a great pair!


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