# Riding Pictures of Jubilee & Me! (Dressage People??)



## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

Here's some pictures of me riding Jubilee. These first couple are from September 07 when I first got her. Just some background, she has a lot of dressage training in her, unfortunately I have no training in dressage. I've been riding for 5 years, but have only been riding English for about 3 and a half years. I've done English equitation and hunter-jumper.

Anyway .... Please be honest, rip me apart if you have to. :wink: Oh, and I know my posture is bad in some of them.  I am aware I need work. Haha. 


















































































These two pics are from this May (mind you I did not ride much over the winter):


















THANK YOU!!


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## chasin the dream (Jun 2, 2008)

4th 5th and 7th you should lean back a bit more.also you should probably try straightening out your back a little bit more.shes gorgeous by the way!! oh trust me...you look better than i do in the saddle lately so don't feel bad.haha.very nice


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

Thanks! If I look good only a little, its all because of her! Lol. And yeah, I really need to work on my posture.


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## Supermane (Sep 23, 2007)

With a really quick look you need to shorten your stirrups. Your thigh and calf should make a right angle.

Edit: And you definitely have a chair seat.


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## amightytarzan5 (Mar 20, 2008)

Yeah, you have a chair seat, but I'm not sure how to correct it! Sorry! Another thing I noticed is that you need to turn your toes WAY in.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

There are far too many pictures for me to critique each individual one, so I'll just do an overall critique:
- you need to bring your leg back under you; you should have a straight line down from your shoulder to your hip to your ankle. 
- elbows back at your sides and bent to make a straight line from your elbow to your horse's mouth
- flex your head back so your neck isn't so stretched out
- your toes need to be pointing straight ahead rather than out to either side
- thumbs up
- don't have such an angle in your hip, lean back more.. the maximum angle on the flat should be 30 degrees. 
- keep your hands off the horse's wither
Your horse:
- should be on the vertical
- should be bent to the direction it's going

Sorry I have the attention span of a fly right now...  

Overall you two are very cute together, and I definitely see potential!


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

JDI, thanks for the critique. I do think maybe my stirrups are too long. It's weird because on the horse I used to ride I didn't seem to have this "chair seat" problem. About the toes pointing outwards, I do realize this too. But by far, it is the hardest thing I have ever tried correctly about myself. My feet just won't go that way ... :? What do you mean "on the vertical"... as in framing?

Any conformation ideas about her?


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Jubilee Rose said:


> Any conformation ideas about her?


Yes, being in a frame


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

Ok. I actually meant to ask what you thought of her conformation wise, as a horse.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

You guys look great!  
I agree, working on your posture is good. Maybe some bareback work?  He's really cute!


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## Miss Katie (Dec 30, 2007)

You can try to relax your legs much more, you seem to be jamming your heels way to far down and gripping with the back of your calf.
Relax thru your hip and let it follow the whole way down your leg. The inside of your calf should sit flush with the horses side, but doesnt need to be 'gripping' her. You dont need to push your heel so far down.


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

PoptartShop said:


> You guys look great!
> I agree, working on your posture is good. Maybe some bareback work?  He's really cute!


Thank you! SHE you mean.  

Miss Katie - Thanks for the advice. :wink:


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Jubilee, in order to give you a correct conformation critique I would like to see pictures of her without a saddle and squared up


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

JustDressageIt said:


> Jubilee, in order to give you a correct conformation critique I would like to see pictures of her without a saddle and squared up


JDI, I don't have any right now. But I'll post some soon.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Jubilee Rose said:


> JustDressageIt said:
> 
> 
> > Jubilee, in order to give you a correct conformation critique I would like to see pictures of her without a saddle and squared up
> ...


Looking forward to it! She's a very pretty horse, you must be proud


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

I mean she* LOL sorry!!


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

Poptart, don't worry about it. Haha.


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## Kadiel (Mar 28, 2008)

Firstly I agree with what most people have said. about your legs and toes and things  Though I've rushed reading everyones replys so sorry if i repeat anything.

I think you two are a nice match, very cute 

I think however She is quit a bit hollow. And since you aren't riding her on the bit there isn't much of a need to ride with short contact. I would loosen up your reins a bit and let her stretch out her neck. So its nice and relaxed. This will help to also built up some more muscle along her top-line. 

To me it seems she is looking a bit jambed up. Compacted almost. More so in the 1st half of your photos.

Haha I'm not the best at Critique. What is everyone else's opinion, can they see what I'm seeing? 

Is she a forward moving horse?


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

Kadiel - Yes, she is definitely a forward-moving horse. The reason she might look compacted is because I was probably trying to slow her down. I have been riding her on a looser rein and its been helping. Thanks.

And what do you mean by hollow?


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

JustDressageIt said:


> Looking forward to it! She's a very pretty horse, you must be proud


Thanks! I am. I love her to death.


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## Sara (Jul 6, 2007)

I'm actually wondering about your saddle fit and whether or not that is effecting your seat...it looks downright awkward in several of those last photos, looks like the whole thing is sitting uphill on your mare's back.


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

Sara said:


> I'm actually wondering about your saddle fit and whether or not that is effecting your seat...it looks downright awkward in several of those last photos, looks like the whole thing is sitting uphill on your mare's back.


I was actually thinking the same thing. Maybe that's what is making my legs go forward a lot. .... :? Do you think the saddle doesn't fit period, or just too far up?

I was studying that last pic just now and it looks like I am trying to sit back more in the saddle, as if it should be back more ...
It's weird, because with another horse I used to ride in my lessons, I did not have a problem with my leg position. Maybe it is the position of the saddle..


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## Sara (Jul 6, 2007)

It could be some of both. Its nigh impossible to judge saddle fit with snapshots, so I can't comment on that. I will say that a too-narrow saddle will sit uphill on the horse. Position-wise, it does seem like your saddle is a bit forward in the later pictures. Here are a couple of photos showing the difference placement can make. http://www.polobarn.com/What'sNew/news2003/saddlefit.html


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

She's a cute mare, you guys look good  the only thing I'll mention is for you to shorten your stirrups at least 2-3 holes if not more.


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## Amanda7289 (May 20, 2008)

I don't think your saddle is the correct fit for you.  I have the same problem with one of my saddles, but it's more comfortable to ride in than my bigger saddle. :roll: Plus, it works better for the smaller girls that ride my pony. But, I think a different saddle may help your position.


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

Amanda7289 said:


> I don't think your saddle is the correct fit for you.  I have the same problem with one of my saddles, but it's more comfortable to ride in than my bigger saddle. :roll: Plus, it works better for the smaller girls that ride my pony. But, I think a different saddle may help your position.


Thanks for the advice. :wink: Do you think the saddle doesn't fit her? Or me? Or both?


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

My2Geldings said:


> She's a cute mare, you guys look good  the only thing I'll mention is for you to shorten your stirrups at least 2-3 holes if not more.


Thank you! The reason I didn't shorten them was because it was already on the last hole. Today I punched some more holes in my leathers, and it was a much better ride.


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## hunterchick24 (Jun 1, 2008)

You two look so good! 

A few things i noticed though is that you should bring your hands up a bit and put your thumbs up on on the riens you have piano player wrists * you can practice this by riding holding a crop in your hand under your thumbs.*
Another thing is that your stirrups are to long thats y you have a chair seat you also sit to far back in the saddle try moving your seat up but dont fall foward and your knee pads are there for a reason lol put your knees on them. also you twist your heals out more which means u can be sending your horse mixed signals cause you have constant leg on her... this can be fixed with strength exercise, that means you need i bet ur leg swings when u canter. If you do alot of two pointing and exercises called up up down and down down up you can work on leg muscle and u can work on your balance. 
Your horse is so cute though i really like her and you are a good rider all of your mistakes are just little ones not anything serious. I think you look amazing and are doing great!
Good luck with everything!


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

hunterchick24 said:


> You two look so good!
> 
> A few things i noticed though is that you should bring your hands up a bit and put your thumbs up on on the riens you have piano player wrists * you can practice this by riding holding a crop in your hand under your thumbs.*
> Another thing is that your stirrups are to long thats y you have a chair seat you also sit to far back in the saddle try moving your seat up but dont fall foward and your knee pads are there for a reason lol put your knees on them. also you twist your heals out more which means u can be sending your horse mixed signals cause you have constant leg on her... this can be fixed with strength exercise, that means you need i bet ur leg swings when u canter. If you do alot of two pointing and exercises called up up down and down down up you can work on leg muscle and u can work on your balance.
> ...


Hunterchick, thanks so much. That was encouraging, I needed that.  Sometimes I get frustrated and think that I'm doing everything wrong. Lol.


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## Kirsten93 (May 29, 2008)

you two look great together 
The two major things that stick out to me are:
your toes-they point waaayyy out. You need to get them back in.
your hands-piano hands. Get those thumbs up (as my instructor always says-you are not riding a bicycle)
There's other nitpicky things, but all in all you look great.


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## Gluey33 (Jun 2, 2008)

Jubilee Rose said:


> JDI, thanks for the critique. I do think maybe my stirrups are too long. It's weird because on the horse I used to ride I didn't seem to have this "chair seat" problem. quote]
> 
> Saddle fit on a different horse can affect this. If you have photos of you on the other horse have a look and see if the saddle looks different. My saddle is hopeless on my older gelding, I can hardly do a rising trot the balance is that bad, but on my 2yo its fine.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

She's a cute mover isn't she? I think everyone covered most of your issues but just for kicks, grab a ruler or a piece of paper and hold it up to your picture. From your heel strait up and down. You should line up....Heel to Hip to shoulder and your toe and knee should line up. That might help you with your chair seat. Your toes pointed out.... I did that for years and it was really hard to fix. At one point my old trainer tied my stirrup to the girth with baling twine so that I could feel the pull when I tried to turn my toes out but it just ended up making me angry... It was a good thought though. It took me along time to fix that....


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## Smartie (May 27, 2008)

cant say much jdi pretty much covered it lol but to fix most of these promblems ride at least an hour a week with a bareback pad, or just bareback. its great for your postition and im doin the same atm its helping me loads


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