# Dressage Critique-Rider as well as horse



## EquusPeace (Oct 17, 2010)

Overall, you have very good position! i would look up a bit more, a common vice for riders, including me, is to look down


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## MightyEventer (Sep 28, 2010)

EquusPeace said:


> Overall, you have very good position! i would look up a bit more, a common vice for riders, including me, is to look down


Thanks! and yeahh ive been getting into that habit lately... tisk tisk on my part lol

but another thing that i have a habit of that you cant tell in pictures is that i have "posting hands" as my trainers call it. i cant ever keep my hands still no matter how hard i try to "post threw my hands" rather up and down, any suggestions on how to break that habit?


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

I don't know if you can afford to do this with your horse (if his temperament will allow it) but one exercise my instructor had me do once to stop me relying on my hands while posting was to let the reins out pretty slack at the trot and post that way. I didn't even realize how much I was using my hands to balance until I had to do that.

That's not all, though. She made me work on posting to every other stride... so I had to stand in the stirrups for two strides, sit, stand for two strides, sit. All without touching my reins. You can also try to "glue" your arms to your sides to keep your hands from moving all over the place.

Also, I can't tell for sure, but it looks like your hands might be turned in more of a "piano hands" position rather than with your thumbs up in the more desirable manner.


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## MightyEventer (Sep 28, 2010)

ill post a video of me riding from a while ago so everyone can see exactly the problem, Eolith, ill try what you suggested today, sounds like it would help


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## MightyEventer (Sep 28, 2010)

ignore my legs kicking---broke that habit lol, and this is really old so my horse was a lot younger and was just getting the hang of going on the bit...just focus on the arms!!

http://s481.photobucket.com/albums/rr175/ilovejet123/?action=view&current=DSCN0217.mp4


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

Hm, it doesn't seem to be working.


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## MightyEventer (Sep 28, 2010)

really? when i click it,it works...oh well, i tried haha

i dont know how else to do it


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

_I got it to work Eolith... Here is the link again._

_ DSCN0217.mp4 video by ilovejet123 - Photobucket_

_All I have to say is look up and heels down just a smidge. You look "flat footed" in the stirrups. I see what you mean by using the reins to post. you are pretty much using them to pull yourself up. If you can trust your horse, Eoliths suggestion of slack reins is a good one._


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

If you can't trust your horse to keep a nice steady trot pace on loose reins while you work on your posting, you could ask someone to put you on the longe line too. The idea of the exercise is to pay more attention to what you're doing rather than what the horse is doing. So as long as the horse is smooth and steady, it doesn't really matter so much if he's on the bit and looking pretty.


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## MightyEventer (Sep 28, 2010)

i do let my reins out to let my horse stretch at the trot and canter with loopy reins as warm up and cool out, not to focus on my hands, but to get him relaxed, when i do let them out should i do anything to work on my hands? or just keep doing it? sorry if that sounds confusing, not the best at explaining things


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

MightyEventer said:


> So i rode my horse for the first time in a week since the ring has been frozen solid so i decided to hack out to the jump field. I was trying to work on teaching my horse to lengthen his stride because we need to move up to extended trot, so my position is a bit sloppy. Please critique my position as well as what you think my horse needs to work on( i know a picture cant really show the horses "problems" but if you see any just tell me!)


 I think you guys looks great, but you want to be careful with asking for extensions on hard ground. You can't guarantee that the ground is rideable everywhere and you wont run onto a patch of ice, and you saying that the other areas are not soft enough for riding, means to me that field can't be either.


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## MightyEventer (Sep 28, 2010)

Ah good point luckily I didnt do much of it, and at the moment ive just been working on doing a slow collected trot and move into a larger working trot, so its not true extensions, im just getting him used to changing his striding in his trot without rushing into a canter. 

Thank you for the tip!


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

MightyEventer said:


> Ah good point luckily I didnt do much of it, and at the moment ive just been working on doing a slow collected trot and move into a larger working trot, so its not true extensions, im just getting him used to changing his striding in his trot without rushing into a canter.
> 
> Thank you for the tip!


 Im sorry if I sounded a little rude. You guys look so great, it would be such a waste if all that happened was a bad slip and it caused a suspensory injury or it changed your boy's confidence because of a bad ground. There is a lot of lateral work or other under saddle work you guys could do or work on without risking slipping. Good luck with your progress


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## MightyEventer (Sep 28, 2010)

My2Geldings said:


> Im sorry if I sounded a little rude. You guys look so great, it would be such a waste if all that happened was a bad slip and it caused a suspensory injury or it changed your boy's confidence because of a bad ground. There is a lot of lateral work or other under saddle work you guys could do or work on without risking slipping. Good luck with your progress


oh no dont worry, you didnt sound rude, i know that typing can sound harsh when it was meant in a nicer sounding way


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

MightyEventer said:


> i do let my reins out to let my horse stretch at the trot and canter with loopy reins as warm up and cool out, not to focus on my hands, but to get him relaxed, when i do let them out should i do anything to work on my hands? or just keep doing it? sorry if that sounds confusing, not the best at explaining things


It's definitely a good thing to warm up and cool down on a long rein, or even to have a few "stretch breaks" after a really good few minutes of performance. I do that with my horses all the time, and they definitely appreciate it! It would be a perfectly opportune time for you to work on what I suggested with posting the trot on slack reins. It'll be good if your horse is just sort of relaxing and stretching while you work on that exercise.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

mighty,

I think you guys look very good together. The only thing I could see was that you might try to put your elbow more "with" your core. A bit more bend and keep it tucked in close. When you postition your hands, think of your bent thumb as the "roof" on top of your hands and that it points DIRECTLY at the rings of your horse's bit! Keep lasering in with your thumb tips to the bit, raise your hands enough to put a bend in. 
You are a good rider, no kidding.


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## MightyEventer (Sep 28, 2010)

tinyliny said:


> mighty,
> 
> I think you guys look very good together. The only thing I could see was that you might try to put your elbow more "with" your core. A bit more bend and keep it tucked in close. When you postition your hands, think of your bent thumb as the "roof" on top of your hands and that it points DIRECTLY at the rings of your horse's bit! Keep lasering in with your thumb tips to the bit, raise your hands enough to put a bend in.
> You are a good rider, no kidding.


Thank you for the compliment, i really appreciate hearing that because lately i feel like my progress with my young horse is going downhill because i am not a good enough rider that has much experience really training horses. My lesson with a dressage judge tonight def showed me that my horse has SO much potential and i got to see a glimpse of it while riding him  sorry off topic but thank you for the position tip, its a fantastic visual that i will remember!!


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## wildberryxX3 (Jun 28, 2010)

You guys look really good! I would say you could roll your shoulders back just a smidge, and that's being picky!  Maybe bend your elbows a little more and keep your thumbs (and eyes) up! But like I said, you guys look great! You and your horse seem to make a great pair! I love how he is really engaging and tracking over with his hind feet!


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## MightyEventer (Sep 28, 2010)

wildberryxX3 said:


> You guys look really good! I would say you could roll your shoulders back just a smidge, and that's being picky!  Maybe bend your elbows a little more and keep your thumbs (and eyes) up! But like I said, you guys look great! You and your horse seem to make a great pair! I love how he is really engaging and tracking over with his hind feet!


Thanks!! he is my dream horse!! and i will work on my elbows and eyes next time i ride!


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## MightyEventer (Sep 28, 2010)

Here is a recent video of me riding my horse, it was taken this monday. 

One of my dressage trainers(not the one in the video) had me lower my stirrups down a hole because i tend to pinch with my leg since my upper leg has trouble fitting in a lot of saddles, but i feel like they are too long, i constantly am trying to "find the stirrups" i dont know if its my pinching habit of if they are too long, when i ride i take my leg away from the saddle from my hip to lengthen my leg and "de-pinch" but they still feel a bit long in the trot and canter, and i end of getting flat footed... what do you guys think? 

Critique?


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## EquusPeace (Oct 17, 2010)

I can see more of the posting hands now w/ the video  I think if you decrease the movement in your posting, it will help a ton with the hands


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## MightyEventer (Sep 28, 2010)

EquusPeace said:


> I can see more of the posting hands now w/ the video  I think if you decrease the movement in your posting, it will help a ton with the hands


Thanks! I'll see how that works


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## monkeyleap (Dec 16, 2010)

Hm, like all the others said, over all, you have a good position, but I think you just need heels down, and look up. I agree that even non dressage riders should work on that.


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## MightyEventer (Sep 28, 2010)

monkeyleap said:


> Hm, like all the others said, over all, you have a good position, but I think you just need heels down, and look up. I agree that even non dressage riders should work on that.


Thank you, I'll be sure to start working on those flaws soon


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