# Jumping/flatwork critique needed



## Chestnuts73 (Oct 14, 2011)

Im having a hard time with my position at the moment and need major help..
So I was just wondering if you could help me!!!!!! I have just started jumping and am very new to it ( jumps between 30-50)I know my feet have slipped too far back 
Sorry for the bad quality
Also feel free to butcher me I can take it 

Welcome to Flickr!

Welcome to Flickr!

Welcome to Flickr!

Welcome to Flickr!

Welcome to Flickr!

Welcome to Flickr!

Welcome to Flickr!

Sorry I didnt upload them I don't know how to
Upload them from the app off my iPod to the HF


----------



## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

I'm on a phone, so sorry if this isn't accurate 

I only saw a few of the photos, and I think you should just do flat and really work on your lower leg. Warm up with a sitting trot, really pushing down in your lower leg, into your heels and wrapping your leg around your ponys belly. Do lots of standing work at the walk, trot, and canter. This will also help with the sinking down into your heels and applying your lower leg. While you are doing this, really open up your shoulders and think about the basics: posture, heels, leg, and hands. Shoulders back, lower leg under your hip, heels down as far as they can go, and your hands above the withers with a bend in your elbow.

I always like to think of your lower leg as your "roots". Without strong "roots", the "tree" can never grow to be strong and effective. Mastering and constantly practicing your flat work will allow you to focus on the basics, thus making the jumping part so much easier.

Try posting some videos instead of pictures onto YouTube for those of us on phones can see  you seem like your willing to learn and that's the key to success!! Hope this helps a little 

Oh PS: try watching some videos of other riders on the Internet. I suggest watching any medal final or clinic by professionals so you can get a better idea, if your a visual learner like I am 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Showjumper1 (Dec 20, 2011)

The links had problems and didn't work for me. It could be my computer though. Sorry :/.


----------



## Chestnuts73 (Oct 14, 2011)

justjump said:


> I'm on a phone, so sorry if this isn't accurate
> 
> I only saw a few of the photos, and I think you should just do flat and really work on your lower leg. Warm up with a sitting trot, really pushing down in your lower leg, into your heels and wrapping your leg around your ponys belly. Do lots of standing work at the walk, trot, and canter. This will also help with the sinking down into your heels and applying your lower leg. While you are doing this, really open up your shoulders and think about the basics: posture, heels, leg, and hands. Shoulders back, lower leg under your hip, heels down as far as they can go, and your hands above the withers with a bend in your elbow.
> 
> ...


thankyou very much I'll work on that 


----------



## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

Photo #1










You have allowed your heel to "go light" causing it to go up. This has allowed the stirrup to slip back past the foot's arch. As a result, you are unable to sink any weight into your ankles/heels. This tends to unbalance your upper baby badly. Even with this, your upper body is not that bad.

You need to keep the stirrup on the balls of your feet and sink down into your relaxed ankles. This will help keep your heels down which will help counterbalance your upper body.

Photo #2










Overall, you don't look that bad here. Again, the stirrup has slipped too far back on your foot. keep it on the balls of your feet and keep those heels down. With the heels down, the stirrup can't slip back.

Photo #3










You are pointing your toes down (not up) and the stirrup is unable to help you keep your balance because your heels can't go down. It looks like you are unbalanced and had to plant your right hand on the pony's neck to balance yourself. You biggest problem is, again, stirrup placement and stiff, inflexible ankles.

Photo #4










You are grabbing with your knees. When you do that, it makes it very difficult to "wrap" your leg around the horse's barrel. This will let your lower leg slip too far back. That, complicated by the stirrup too far back on your foot, has unbalanced your upper body (which is in a pretty good position, considering).

If your stirrup was under the balls of your foot, you could sink down into your heels which would help balance your upper body. If you relaxed your grip with the knees, you could wrap your legs around the horse and maintain more contact with the inside of your calf. This would help your lower leg stay further forward, at the girth, where it belongs.

Photo #5










The same observation. As a result of your lower leg going back and your heel going up, you are totally relying on the crest release to prop up your upper body.

Photo #6










Hmmmmmm.....Things are looking better here! You have the stirrup farther forward on your foot. While your heels need to be further down, they are not as light as they were in the other photos.I always tell my students to "land on their feet" coming off fences, which is mostly what you are doing (you are landing a bit too much on your knees, too). Your lower leg could be a smidge forward, but not enough to force your seat any further back. Your upper body may be coming back a bit too soon. I worry that by going back so soon you may accidentally snatch the horse in the mouth. I would like to see you a little more off the saddle and a bit more forward. It looks like you may be dropping too hard into the saddle too soon, but that may not be the case.

Overall, this one looks much better.

Photo #7










You've pivoted on your tight/tense knees allowing your lower leg to slip back. This has caused your upper body to topple forward making you prop it up on your hands.


These are all VERY common problems that all riders battle. Even now I sometimes do some of these faults when I get sloppy. These are a few exercises that may help

To teach you to relax your knees and keep your lower leg forward, as you bring your upper body forward into your jumping position, push your lower leg forward until you can hold your position without putting your hands on the horse's neck at all. Arms out like airplane wings. the further forward your lower leg is, the easier this will be. You will feel the back of your leg stretch and burn....GOOD!!

The whole time you are doing this, relax your ankles and allow your weight to sink into them. This will lower your heels.

Hold this position until it is comfortable standing still. Then do it at the walk until it is comfortable....then the trot....then the canter.

You have a natural position with your upper body. Now, just get your legs under you and you will see a huge difference. Hope this helps you!


BTW, your pony looks like a small version of my horse. We could do mismatched pairs class!! That would be too cute!


----------



## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

Okay, I'll try to offer you some helpful little tips.

The Flatwork photos - Firstly, cute pony! Okay, see how your feet are really far through your stirrups? This is actually, very bad. I use to have this habit and it took me ages to get out of it. Having your feet so far through your stirrups is a huge safety issue. If your pony was to spook or something and you were to fall, you could easily have a foot stay in your stirrup and you were to get dragged or something horrible like that. SO, try not to put your feet so far through your stirrups. Remember to push your heels down and your toes up as well. 

Work on securing your leg, keeping it still and your shoulder, hip and heel in line.

Sit back and be tall! You lean forwards over your ponies neck a bit. You really need to sit up, it will help with everything. Probably will even help with your leg issues as well. You'll probably find that your bracing on your hands a little bit too - it's hard to tell in the photos. 

Over fence - I'd leave the jumps for a little while personally. Get your core nice and strong and your legs under you. Make your position on the flat super AND you'll be going over jumps MUCH nicer! But, over the fences - again, your legs. Your legs need to be under you. They're like your seat belt. Your heels need to be DOWN. Your bracing on your ponies neck a bit, maybe your unbalanced, tense or nervous? You seem to be jumping ahead a little too, wait for your ponies movement and go WITH your pony - don't rush it. The jump won't run away.
BUT, I do love your release - it's really good that your not catching your pony in the mouth! 

Do you take lessons? We all need instructors, even the Olympians have trainers - someone on the ground to give you tips might help!


----------



## Chestnuts73 (Oct 14, 2011)

Allison Finch said:


> Photo #1
> 
> 
> 
> ...


_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Chestnuts73 (Oct 14, 2011)

Allison Finch said:


> Photo #1
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ok Thankyou very much I'll work on that.....apologies for my trackies I miss-placed my jodphurs for a couple of days....hahahaha they do look alike...just except mines 13HH 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Chestnuts73 (Oct 14, 2011)

ChingazMyBoy said:


> Okay, I'll try to offer you some helpful little tips.
> 
> The Flatwork photos - Firstly, cute pony! Okay, see how your feet are really far through your stirrups? This is actually, very bad. I use to have this habit and it took me ages to get out of it. Having your feet so far through your stirrups is a huge safety issue. If your pony was to spook or something and you were to
> 
> ...


Thankyou I think I'll stop jumping for a 3-4 months and worry about flatwork like you said... I know I have bad heels and lower leg so I'll defenatley start working on that...

In answer to your question-I go to pony club but that's on a different horse and my BFFs mum is an instructor and she usually will give us a couple of tips every now and then 

Thanx so much everybody for your (very use full critique)
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

Pony club is excellent, you learn so much there! Also, it's great that your friends mum is willing to help you out!


----------



## Chestnuts73 (Oct 14, 2011)

ChingazMyBoy said:


> Pony club is excellent, you learn so much there! Also, it's great that your friends mum is willing to help you out!


Yeah pony clubs great. My friends mum is also the president haha..... I wanna go to a lot more clinics and camps this year and hoping I might be able to do a couple of small local shows
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

I noticed that the photos have all gone wonky and one is removed. Have you taken them down? Too bad if you did as many others could learn from them, too.


----------



## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

i cant see any of the photos !


----------



## Chestnuts73 (Oct 14, 2011)

Try and see if it works now.... Sorry I'm still trying to figure out my Flikr and I turned some of my other photos on private and it turned all of them on private in sted .....sorry I hope it works now
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## ElaineLighten (Jan 1, 2012)

The first thing I noticed was your feet placement in the stirrups, your stirrups are pushed right back towards your heels, where they should be much further forward, at the balls of your feet. 
You're also leaning forward a lot in your pictures, are you feeling unbalanced in the canter or are you in a light seat for learning to jump?
Good job on giving your pony the reins over the jump though and not catching him in the mouth  You also looked nice and secure in your landing.


----------



## Radar Star Stables (Dec 31, 2011)

i agree about the way your feet are in the stirrups and how you need to do lower leg exercises until it burns and burns. when i was in training my teacher almost killed me lol. you gotta get in the walk before the trot and you gotta get it in the trot before the canter. also i have some videos for you from Jane Savoie and she is an angel when it comes to teaching. you need some help with your hands and these videos are good beware and dont advance into the aids until you have worked your way to that point on the training pyramid. i believe that the pyramid applies to people as well as horses. 
Jane Savoie on the Basic Use Of the Aids in Dressage Training - YouTube
janesavoie's Channel - YouTube


----------



## Chestnuts73 (Oct 14, 2011)

Thankyou very much everyone for your help... I have been focusing on flatwork and I think i look a bit better balanced..but my stupid heels But anyway tell me what u think


This is the ride after the other photos ( like 3 weeks ago)

Untitled | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Chestnuts73 (Oct 14, 2011)

Oops u have to go to my photostream to get the next photo which is next to my photo sorry 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## ErinMalone (Jan 30, 2012)

Needs improvement:
Put weight into heels.
Release should not use whole upper body, just release with your hands.
Keep your leg under you and a little behind the girth over the jump.
These are all basic problems a beginner has. Everyone has to start somewhere, keep up the good work!


----------

