# I would love to be critiqued!



## ArabianRider (Jan 29, 2015)

I've been riding about two years, never had a lesson until a month ago I had two.
So all self taught.:shock: I ride dressage but my boy was trained western pleasure before he came to me.

So more so a critique of me as I'm not trying to make Mischief a dressage horse, we just have fun

Things I know I do...I look down way to much, sometimes have a prob keeping my heels down when I post, most the time I don't ride with as much contact as dressage normally "calls" for as he is not used to that yet.

Also I did have hip surgery 4 years ago so I have problems being loose on the left side.


----------



## ArabianRider (Jan 29, 2015)

Shot 2


----------



## ArabianRider (Jan 29, 2015)

Shot 3


----------



## ArabianRider (Jan 29, 2015)

Shot 4


----------



## ArabianRider (Jan 29, 2015)

I'll make this the last one, but I do have more


----------



## Roman (Jun 13, 2014)

Put your heels down a tad more and shoulders back.  You look like a pretty good rider.


----------



## TessaMay (Jul 26, 2013)

It looks to me like your toes are pointing outward and you are poking him with the spur in every photo. Toes should be pointing forward, try rotating your entire leg so that the side of your calf, not the back, is lying along the horse's side. This will bring your toes forward.


----------



## ArabianRider (Jan 29, 2015)

Ah yes my shoulders :/ I was a competitive swimmer so I have way too much muscle along my shoulders and neck ...consequently I can't roll them back...
I can get my back straight but I don't know what I can do to roll my shoulders back more 
And thank you!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## ArabianRider (Jan 29, 2015)

Oh! Yes I forgot my toes point! Duh lol
I assure you though my spurs are close they don't touch unless I mean them to.
I need to consciously think to roll my legs in and unfortunately can't keep them there very long because of my hip surgery.
I think maybe stretching will help?
But I never do that :/
But thank you, I will continue to try working on that 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

lovely beginning! you've got a very natural position and relaxed and weighted seat . your horse is moving in a very comfortable manner and I can see a good bond between you. you seem to have a good enough hand, though in some shots the rein is twisted

. If I could see a video, I could tell more about how well you are connecting to the mouth. at the moment, it looks like a soft, somewhat passive connection, which if fine if you are not trying to create a big influence.

you look like someone who has spent time riding bareback. that's good, but if you wish to ride dressage, you might want to shorten your stirrup one notch so that you foot does sit ON the stirrup bar, and there's enough weight that wishes to continue down the leg that it will make the back of the foot drop down, just a bit. 

be sure that by "using" a stirrup you don not allow that to mean "push my leg out against it, further forward". if anything, you need a bit more bend in your leg such that the lower leg comes back more , under you, which would mean openning your hip angle to do this, (something not be possible for you)

overall, you look to ride well and have a really lovely mount and make a nice pair to look at.


----------



## TessaMay (Jul 26, 2013)

Yes, I remembered what you said about hip surgery after the fact and thought that might have an influence on your leg position. I'm sure consistent stretching would help, but it could only be to a point depending on what shape your hips are in post surgery.


----------



## ArabianRider (Jan 29, 2015)

Tingling, thank you!
I do sometimes allow the reins to be twisted, sometimes I just don't pay attention or I forget lol does allowing that make much of an impact? 
And I do normally keep a very soft contact, he does well with it though. I have just started asking for more contact and he is doing well with it but for the most part unless I'm specifically practicing something I let him be 

I do spend a lot of time riding bareback (which people think I'm crazy for...MIschief bolts sometimes, but honestly im ok with that as long as I stay on!)

And I believe in the first pic I posted I had just raised the stirrup one hole, also the first pic and I think one other is a different saddle, I am much happier with that saddle than the other as it doesn't seem to keep trying to pull my leg forward.

So based on the first pic should I go up one hole from there?
If I understand properly when I do I would just need to keep my leg back with keeping it bent which should help with my heels?

Honestly when I first started riding my husbands boss (who has some Elite mares and scribes and judges) thought I was trying to be a jumper because my heels were SO down! Lol
So perhaps I over corrected too much 

And TessaMay, perhaps I will actually start stretching! I did do physical therapy after surgery but my full strength on the one hip never returned and I think a lot of the pain left over and problems is because they cut the IT band (the main tendon) to make it longer....
Really kinda wish I hadn't had the hip surgery, but! I try! Lol


----------



## ArabianRider (Jan 29, 2015)

Tinyliny, sorry but I got autocorrected on your name above


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

looking only at this photo:










it looks as if the saddle is a bit too far forward. scooch it back an inch. the stirrup IS too long. your toe is lower than you heel. level is ok, but not LONGER.

yes, twisted reins give a garbled signal. make and keep them straight.

and take care not to allow an inward bend to your wrists. some riders do this and say it is ok, but if it starts getting big, it looks bad and makes your contact with the horses mouth start and end at the wrist. the contact starts from where your elbow and core meet, so it's anchored in you core, and is another reason for keeping a bend in your elbow, and your thumbs on top.


----------



## ArabianRider (Jan 29, 2015)

Thank you! I will try out all your tips on sat 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Goldilocks (Jan 30, 2015)

You look very good for self taught 

Get your elbows to your hips (without giving more rein) and get your heels down, and try to get your heel in line with the hip. Usually if you move your thighs out and wiggle a bit you can find that your legs will sit better. Roll your shoulders back. If you make these tiny changes, i can see you having a very good seat 

Lovely horse too, looks very well trained.


----------



## ArabianRider (Jan 29, 2015)

Thank you Goldilocks 
I'm like a sponge when I watch things so I just pay attention on many videos and reading articles and autided a clinic once.
I think the advice from tinyliny will help greatly with my leg position (I hope!)

And I will try wiggling in my seat lol!
And I really need to find a way to roll back my shoulders 
I have WAY to much muscle there so it is very hard and hurts after a while :/

And thank you, I love my boy  he a perfect Arab fire cracker lol!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Goldilocks (Jan 30, 2015)

Just do it all the time, its good for general posture. Chin up, stick your boobs out! 

If your upper arms feel a bit strained they are too far forward, so bring your elbows back. they should not feel anything but the contact.


----------



## ArabianRider (Jan 29, 2015)

Oh no, arms never feel strained, it's just extremely hard for me to roll my shoulders back.

I grew up as a competitive swimmer so I have an over abundance of muscle on my shoulders, mainly below my neck where it ties to collar bone (think body builders who have too much muscle there so they turn their body instead of neck)

I just don't normally keep full contact on my boy
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

you really dont want to stick your boobs out. this is not correct. you want your back to be slightly longer than your front. reason being if you tell people to stick their boobs out, the hollow the lower back and raise the sternum. 

instead think about lengthening your back WITHOUT hungching. you can lengthen by dropping your tailbone deeper into the saddle , rather than lifting your head or shoulders.

it's a subject for another post.


----------



## ArabianRider (Jan 29, 2015)

I was just playing around with it while watching tv (hubby already knows I'm a bit off so it's ok ;p)

Anyhow, I think I found out what might help me with the shoulders!

I have to do more "neck up, shoulders down" seems like they roll back more than usual doing that, so I shall try on sat along with everything else 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## myperuvianpaso (Feb 2, 2014)

In the pictures where your reins are a little longer, he looks more relaxed (ears forward). When you have tighter contact, his ears are back and he doesn't look too happy.


----------



## ArabianRider (Jan 29, 2015)

Yes, he is not used to such contact, so the majority of the time I ride with a loose rein and just now have started introducing him to more contact every so often 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------

