# Beginner alert! Please critique



## Small_Town_Girl (Feb 15, 2008)

Lovely horse! I don't ride english, but you definately need to
work on your posture in the saddle and remember to relax!  

You look Great!


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## TheVelveteenPony (Aug 22, 2008)

Relax? What's that? lol 
What do I need to fix with my posture?


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## Small_Town_Girl (Feb 15, 2008)

lol, alot of people need to relax when riding, I even have to remind
myself sometimes! :lol:

When I said "your posture," I seen in the first pic when riding
around the ring you seem to be leaning forward a bit, I would 
straighten up a bit (unless you were about to jump, I don't know).
I think in english riding posture is a BIG DEAL, but like I said
I ride western, but I was giving my honest opinion and help.  

Do you own that beautiful horse you are riding?


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## TheVelveteenPony (Aug 22, 2008)

No I wish, his name is Sebastian, he's a lesson horse and an absolute sweetheart. I think he's a thoroughbred; it's quite a change to go from him to my tiny 14.2 Arab.  

I don't know why I'm leaning forward lol. I'll have to work on that. I kind of had this image in my mind that that's what hunter/jumper riders do.... I always sit up straight in my dressage saddle though.

Thank you!


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## Small_Town_Girl (Feb 15, 2008)

Your Welcome! Wow, how tall is Sebastian exactly?


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## whitetrashwarmblood (Aug 24, 2008)

from what i can tell...
your release needs work, but for only your first jumping lesson you're doing very good.


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## TheVelveteenPony (Aug 22, 2008)

What exactly should I be doing? Do I need to put my hands up farther on his neck? 



Small_Town_Girl said:


> Your Welcome! Wow, how tall is Sebastian exactly?


I don't know... he's big though. Maybe 16.2 or 3? I forget how tall he is when I get off, and I'm like, where's the ground?


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## whitetrashwarmblood (Aug 24, 2008)

hmm
well from what i see in the pics
instead of giving him tons of rein
keep contact with his month, and rest your hands on his crest.
this can help with your balance too if you need something to hold on to 
when he takes a big leap 
and i'm sure if you look up show jumping on google images you'll see riders doing it 
if i didn't explain it well enough


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## whitetrashwarmblood (Aug 24, 2008)

...i just took another look at your photos
and on the last two you're doing it very well


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## gotxhorses (Jul 6, 2008)

For your first time, you look great! So I'm not even gonna really critique it because you're so new to it. I wish you luck with jumping! Its tons of fun.


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## upnover (Jan 17, 2008)

Wow, you look great for your first jumping lesson! I think the angle of your upper body position looks great. Hunter riders do close their hip angle more and at the trot you should be about 15 degrees in front of the vertical. In your third picture though you've rolled your shoulders forward and you do want to be careful of that! But with where your hands were, it kind of looks like you were maybe trying to do something there? Either way, shoulders back!  
I love the fact that you aren't jumping ahead (your seat stays over the middle of the saddle) as that is a very popular bad habit. The biggest thing is that in the first couple of jumping shots your heel has come up. Not dangerously, but it shows that you're bracing your ankle and tipping forward onto your toes instead of keeping your weight into your heels. Your heel gets better as the pictures progress though! Yes, you need need to learn to give a bigger release but that will come over time. Like I said, you look fantastic!


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## TheVelveteenPony (Aug 22, 2008)

Thank you I really appreciate it. I'll have more pictures soon so hopefully you'll all see some improvement. At the very least I have to get rid of the chicken wings.


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## SallyRC123 (Aug 22, 2008)

You look good for your first lesson, all I would say is a bit more crest release over the jumps. Beautiful horse though!


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

All that you have to remember when you're jumping is that it's just dressage with some speed bumps. Don't change your riding just because your stirrups are a few holes shorter.
Some useful things to focus on are:
Keep your legs/thighs back and under you. This allows you to put more useful weight in your stirrups/heels and keeps you more balanced because your seat stays over your heels.
Angle the stirrup so it is on the ball of your foot by your big toe, and by your pinky toe on the outside. This really helps with keeping your heels down.
Sit with your seat the same as you would in a dressage saddle. Keep your seat neutral and following in the saddle, don't brace out of it. If you change how your seat feels on the horse too much, that is when they are going to feel less secure and "take off" after fences, or be less balanced.
Shorten your reins up and ride from back to front, the same way you would in a dressage saddle.
When you are riding to a jump, think about keeping your elbows soft, your heels down and look beyond the jump. Then count down 3-2-1 to your takeoff spot and keep relaxed.
When you land, put your legs on and get him back to you by riding from back to front. 

You look really good though! I love cross training myself and my dressage horse, it really helps your dressage and keeps both your minds fresh.


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## TheVelveteenPony (Aug 22, 2008)

^ Thank you that's all very useful information


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## amandaandeggo (May 21, 2008)

congrats on your 1st jumping lesson . . . . just remember to sit up . . . the 1st pic is the only one where you realy didnt follow that rule but it helps to know that you can work on somthing . . . .and instead of letting your elbow point out to the sides of your horse try to keep them pointing behind you . . . other than that dresage has put a nice foundation on you and you ride well


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## deucenshylo (Aug 27, 2008)

If you follow the "american system of forward riding" like I do, you want to lean forward in teh saddle, but not too much. Almost in 2-point but not quite. 
On your release, definitely tighten up your reins about 1-2 strides BEFORE the fence. Did you start off by cantering or trotting to the xrail? I always find it easier when I am giving lessons to have the kids trot it first to get their position. 
I use a little trick with my students when they start getting the "chicken arms". Stick a crop behind your back and like through your arms. It make you have a straight back and your arms stay still. BUT only do this once you are comfortable over fences. Also, your lower leg is kind of all over the place.
Another trick, take a piece of bailing twine, and tie it to your stirrup to your girth. I have my kids ride like this for the first 1/2 hour of every lesson, no matter how experienced they are. It's a great tool to tell them where their leg exactly needs to be. 
Any other questions, I'd be glad to answer! I love jumping and have been a trainer for about 4 years now 
Good luck! You really do look great for your first time!


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## TheVelveteenPony (Aug 22, 2008)

Thanks! I wanted to try the whip thing but I was afraid people would look at me and wonder what the heck I was doing. Some of the jumps I trotted to, others I cantered to.
My lower leg is all over the place? Shows what I know! :lol:


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## anrz (Dec 21, 2008)

You are amazing for your first jumping lesson! You do seem a bit stiff, now that I have read the other comments. You have pretty good posture, though, and your leg is in the right position. You need to give Sebastian his head a bit more (release him by pressing your hand on the crest of his neck about two or three inches in front of where the martingale would rest.). You look really good though!


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