# Video Critique from Hunter Show



## ocalagirl (Mar 31, 2010)

Hi everyone! I haven't seen you guys in a while because I've been busy riding! We finally started to show again, and I wanted to share a video. Please tell me what you think. I'm still not in great shape and my boy is a little hot but I was very proud of him. This is 2'9" hunters and he is a jumper, so that's why he isn't really trying to pick his knees up. He really is a cute jumper.


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## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

your video is private


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## ocalagirl (Mar 31, 2010)

I changed it! Thanks


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## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

Wow you have a solid leg! I didn't see it move! Generally, nice go for him being a jumper! You have good eq too! Way to go!!


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## ErikaLynn (Aug 3, 2010)

You look really good...and you executed your course very nicely. The only thing is, you jump ahead. Everything else looks great! Good job!


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

_Pretty flawless rounds actually!_

_The only thing that jumps out at me as a minor detail would be that when you came down the diagonal single, you should have waited until further into the corner before asking for the lead change. (Or opened up my inside rein slightly and put outside leg on before the fence to get the lead over the fence)._

_Kind glad I dont have to compete against you!!_


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

I never thought I would see the day where someone manages to do a CLEAN flying change in the hunter ring!!!!!! I was starting to think there was a rule against that!!! The rest of your changes were not set up nearly as nicely - however there is potential. You are getting a lot of your lead changes over fences which I love to see - a course of jumps doesn't usually require that a horse actually needs flying changes - as long as they get all their leads off of fences.
The reason we need clean changes and not auto lead swaps in the hunter ring is because every flying change is a transition into the new canter lead. If you are to do a bad transition (lead change) - you get a bad canter! And then you take that bad canter to a fence, etc.. etc...
He got hotter through the first course and into the second. In the first course on the last line I would have loved for you to sit down, regulate the canter and really ride that last fence into a right lead - or at least a nice clean change.
In the beginning of the second course you needed shorter reins and to sit back and ride. You let him really back you off! Just because it's the hunter ring doesn't mean the fence set up changes - you must still ride. Once you set up the first fence from a really nice, uphill canter he will stay better with you. Once you let him start barging over fences it is really hard to get him back while riding the course. In the start I would have cantered and done a nice big circle to really get a great canter and then gone to the first fence.

Otherwise - your horse is fit and well muscled and you are riding really well. Congrats on the Championship! Good luck


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

I noticed two small distractions in otherwise solid performances.

First, you start out with you hands a little bit low, breaking the straight line from bit to mouth slightly downward. I only see it in your hunter circles, during your course your hand and arm come up to the appropriate level. 

Second, your first trip had inconsistent pace/inconsistent spots. (Second go was much better.) Your pace was tentative to the first fence and got you to a weak spot; throught the rest of the course you tended to jump into the lines a little weak and then move up to the second fence. Again, second trip was better, but with an able horse and rider combo, I like to see a marching pace and *nailing* the first distance. Lots of riders start weak and pick up pace as the course goes on, nailing the first distance and holding a consistent, forward, rhythym all the through is a simple way to distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack.

I know this was a hunter class, but I do want to comment that your position in the air was lovely, with no jumping ahead or laying on the neck - rock solid, in the middle of the tack, with an appropriate fold to your hip.


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## sandsarita (Jan 20, 2008)

The main thing I would work on is rhythm, keeping a more metronome pace throughout the course. There were some changes, often closer to the jumps than I like to see. If you need to make a change in stride length, try to make it early. Once you get about 3 strides from the fence you should be pretty locked into your take off spot. Think about how you take the first fence in the line. If you are deep, plan to ride a bit more aggressively down the line. A big spot, half halt a stride or two off the fence to back your horse off. Overall a nice ride though. I was just excited to see someone actually use the entire arena and get some bend through their horse.


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## ocalagirl (Mar 31, 2010)

Thanks guys! I agree, Maura, our first jumps could be stronger. I was suffering from a bad (and rare) case of the nervous jitters and sadly felt the need to take conservative distances. Generally Ocala is very consistent, though also strong. Do you think he will be better in the jumper arena? What can we work on in your opinions for that? 

Anabel, thank you for commenting on his lead changes. I put them on him myself and am very proud of them. They aren't hunter changes, per se, but at the time I was a dressage rider. I was trying not to make big moves with my body on the course because it was hunters, but in all honesty I don't know if I could if I was showing jumpers. I am very weak right now, out of shape and all.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

I got nothing other than, can I have your lower legs?


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## ocalagirl (Mar 31, 2010)

Haha y'all crack me up! My trainer's biggest comment to me is that my legs need to get stronger xD Thank you  You can borrow them anytime


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## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

ocalagirl said:


> Haha y'all crack me up! My trainer's biggest comment to me is that my legs need to get stronger xD Thank you  You can borrow them anytime


ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! My trainer takes my stirrups completely off my saddle for the whole summer! I need to do some dressage because obviously it works


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## ocalagirl (Mar 31, 2010)

Do you think we are good to show 3'0" jumpers this weekend?


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Ocala, 

Sorry I didn't respond earlier. I think your horse has definite potential for the jumpers, just consider that it might be difficult to get his huntery attitude back after doing the jumpers. 

And yes, sure, I think you'll be fine doing 3' in the jumper ring. Have fun!


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## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

ocalagirl said:


> Do you think we are good to show 3'0" jumpers this weekend?


What show are you going to this weekend? You can PM me if you'd like! And I always switch from hunter arena to the jumper arena, and right back to the hunter arena and mines fine. It actually IMO makes them more versatile and quiet depending on how you ride the jumpers
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## ocalagirl (Mar 31, 2010)

Thanks! I usually do jumper type exercises at home with him. The intent was to make him a jumper, but that show didn't have jumpers available. I'm gonna ask one more question and then I'm done. Ocala jumps strangely to me, and I would love to know why and if that's a bad thing. I would especially like to know if it's me! Also, if you have any exercise ideas please let me know.


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Do you have any still photos of him? Sometimes it's easier for me to analyze form from a still photo. In the meantime, I will go back over the video. 

Can you be a little more specific about exercise ideas? I got lots.


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## ocalagirl (Mar 31, 2010)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/5443749818/in/set-72157626043870534/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/5443743638/in/set-72157626043870534/








^^ One of my students was taking photos. They were pretty bad, this is really all I have.

I'd like to clean his jump up a little. My trainer has really helped with his other issues, and I am now riding him in an elevator at home to get him off my hands. It works like a charm, I don't even have to touch him anymore! I love when a bit lets me not touch my pony's mouth.


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## haleylvsshammy (Jun 29, 2010)

You are such a lovely rider! I want your lower legs... I've started slacking and my legs are really feeling it! I love your horse too, he seems like an enthusiastic jumper!


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Ocala, 

In the two photos, what's clear is that he likes to drop his right knee, or perhaps bring it up later than the left. Judging by the videos, where he appears to be dead even, I would guess that he's late with the right knee, rather than hanging it. 

Watching the videos again, what I noticed was something peculiar to lower height hunters and eq horses - the "landing gear up/landing gear down" jumping style. You can't truly say he's hollow or inverted, but you also can't truly say he rounds his back over fences. He holds his body relatively still and just snaps the "landing gear" up. 

Once I noticed this; I noticed he's what dressage folks call a "leg mover" - he moves his legs but the motion doesn't actually travel all the way through his body. This is actually, sadly, desirable in eq horses, as it's easier for a rider to maintain position on this type of horse than one that moves correctly through its back and makes appropriate balancing gestures with its neck. It also means that you kind of have to "fake" contact - you pick the phone, but no one picks up the other end of the line. 

Solutions? Well, first of all, decide if this "problem" is something you really want to solve. Consider the old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it. He's a pretty nice horse, who's clearly fairly good at his current job. If you want to continue with 3' hunters and eq, and even 3' jumpers, he's just fine. However, if you want a more athletic jumper, and do more difficult classes, the answer is gymnastics, gymnastics, gymnastics. When they get technical and tough enough, he'll begin to round and use his back. They'll also get him more even, and bringing his right knee at the same time as his left. 

The other solution is dressage based flatwork, spending more time going to the right than the left to get his right side more supple. Include lots of lateral work to get him reaching well under himself and to keep him working. If you can get him moving through his back and moving into the contact on the flat, he'll become a better mover on the flat and it will carry through to his work over fences. 

HTH, and let me know your progress with him. Good luck.


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## ocalagirl (Mar 31, 2010)

Thank you very much. My trainer wants him to go to Low Children's this year and I want to get him there. When the jumps get bigger, he supposedly jumps well but I have never taped or took photos of him. I will work on gymnastics. What do you mean by "tough enough"? What combos would you especially suggest? I only have limited jumps at home but my trainer has quite a few.


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

By tough enough, I mean tight distances to spreads and ramped oxers. If he gets in close to broad oxer, he will have to rock back on his hocks and use his back to jump it. 

Sequences of bounces will help him be quicker with the right knee. 

So you could set up a placement rail to a crossrail, tight one stride to a vertical, tight two to a ramped oxer, then add a bounce in between the one stride and vertical after he's jumped through a couple of times. Then you can add a one stride to another ramped oxer at the end.


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## ocalagirl (Mar 31, 2010)

Thanks! I have some pics from the show this weekend over much larger jumps. Do you think he looks better? This is 3'6"ish

IMG_3464 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Yup, definitely better over bigger fences. The first photo in the stream is *really* nice. Still doesn't seem to really want to use his body; but that may be because he's been huntered and eqed to death. 

He's still a very nice horse who's very good at his job. He's certainly worth doing some work to improve his form, but at some point, you'll just need to accept that he is what he is. A nice 3'6" horse that's easy to ride (and can do the hunters and the jumpers!) is not something to sneeze at.


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## ocalagirl (Mar 31, 2010)

Thanks! That makes me feel better. He certainly feels like he uses his body over those larger fences, but that may just be my being out of shape. I will work on gymnastics this month for our next show, I like the exercise you mentioned.


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

To clarify, in the photos it looks like he's using his back better, which I'm sure you do feel. The odd thing is that he isn't using his head and neck, and is actually behind the vertical in a couple. At somepoint in his life, he may have been ridden by riders with an inadequate release, too much bit or both. It's certainly not you - you're riding with a big, generous release.

Good luck with him, and I would love to know how your schooling and showing goes!


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