# photos from our most recent lesson



## Deema (Jan 11, 2011)

It could have been better, if you don't mind me saying it but your position could have been much much better.


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

Deema said:


> It could have been better, if you don't mind me saying it but your position could have been much much better.


The point of critiquing is to give the person/horse something to work on. Not just say "it could be better."
Give specifics, or you just sound like a snob.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

Deema said:


> It could have been better, if you don't mind me saying it but your position could have been much much better.


 
ok then ???


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## BarrelracingArabian (Mar 31, 2010)

from what i see (im not a jumper but just from the few times i have jumped) it looks like your leg slipped back just a touch


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## BarrelracingArabian (Mar 31, 2010)

but she is gorgeous! :] i have a soft spot for dark horses lol


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Gypsy, somehow I thought you do dressage, not jumping!  

You have a very nice horse!


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## DunOverIt (Dec 14, 2010)

All I have to offer is she's VERY nice!


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## ErikaLynn (Aug 3, 2010)

I think you and your horse look really good. Judging from those pictures it looks like you had a great lesson.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

thanks guys !!

i love jumping, im not big into dressage, but i do it because i event ! i only jump green horses right now so its really hard to keep up with my eq but i try not to develop bad habits (do anyways though of course !). gypsy is a great girl, but she was fighting VERY hard in that lesson ! every time we did the oxer we trotted in, and she will jump pretty big over stuff !!


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

any more critiques ??


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Looks pretty good to me! Yeah, your lower leg has slipped back a hair, but your heels are still anchored and you're not pinching with your knee in a big way, so it still works. Your back is parallel to your horse's back which suggests the correct angle. You're looking ahead and giving your horse a generous release. I wish I had a pic of me jumping like that! 

The flat pic shows puppy dog wrists. It looks like you were just doing a little communicating with your horse, but just pointing it out. Hopefully other will ring in.


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## joppar (Nov 24, 2010)

I think you look very much "with your horse". You are not jumping ahead ( which I think it's the hardest thing to do when jumping) and your crotch is hovering above the saddle. You also give and release your hands over the fence. You head is up and you look at the next fence. 

Gypsy's legs kinda dangled over the fence. Her knees are pointing up so that's good. 

how long have you been riding? I hope I will progress to a great rider like you!


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## Electra (Oct 9, 2009)

I am not a jumper, so can't critique but I know what my eye likes, and I think you two look beautiful together. You two look like a team. Love it!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I think you two looked very good. I could not see any problem in postition at all. I couldn't jump that well in my dreams!


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

While I want to see you bring your lower leg forward, you seem to have a nice secure position. One that won't be easily shaken loose. You are on the right track, here.

The one flat picture worries me, though. You seem to have restriicted the horse too much, causing her to duck behind the bridle to escape the pressure (rollkur like). I hope you don't think this represents a proper frame. She needs more forward, and less restrictive contact. The other flat photo shows a good hunter-like frame, but for dressage, she needs more forward and more *constructive* contact.
I hope this all makes sense to you.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

Yeah it does allison, thanks !

In the picture where she is a bit behind ( which she tends to do a bit anyways to evade) I was counter flexing her a bit. Like I said in my first post she was being really quite bad. In no way do I think going behind the verticle is a good thing
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

Any other critiques ??
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

so the vet i work for came and looked at gypsy. i was worried she may be hock sore because that tends to present secondarily in back pain. but luckily (i know that sounds bad, but way preferable to needing hocks done) she just needs her back adjusted. so she will get that at the end of the month. until then i have some massages to do on her back.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

I thought you did good


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## justinebee (Jul 21, 2010)

i'm just getting into jumping, so i have no room to critique! haha but i do have a question. sometimes i see girls in two point with their arms somewhat folded underneath them, but yours are stretched out in front of you? is that a different style or technique? just curious and still learning


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## xXEquestrianBalletXx (Jan 3, 2011)

Very good position, and cute jumper! You've got a good release. A nice straight back, you're not ahead of the horse. Actually it looks as though you're a little bit behind the horses motion. Nothing to bad though. You're legs did slip back, and your heels are up. he combination and the photos make me think you're standing on your toes. Try and relax your heels and just shove your butt back, rather than standing up out of the saddle.


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## winstonsgrl (Jan 22, 2011)

You have a really good position and your horse very pretty.


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## ac0015 (Dec 29, 2010)

youre really good. im not great at critiquing but ill have to agree with xXEquestrianBalletXx about being a tad behind him, but thats not a huge deal. wish i could jump like that  (btw your horse is GOURGEOUS)


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

xXEquestrianBalletXx said:


> Very good position, and cute jumper! You've got a good release. A nice straight back, you're not ahead of the horse. Actually it looks as though you're a little bit behind the horses motion. Nothing to bad though. You're legs did slip back, and your heels are up. he combination and the photos make me think you're standing on your toes. Try and relax your heels and just shove your butt back, rather than standing up out of the saddle.


thanks for the critique !

in which photo are my heels up ? they arent jammed down but they dont look up in any of them.... (to me at least !)


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

so HOPEFULLY gypsy is back with no more kicking/bucking/sore back issues ! i have the chiro out for her yesterday and she adjusted her neck, withers, back, and hips ! im going to lunge her today and start riding her long and low tomorrow and see how she feels =]


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## Wancata (Dec 6, 2010)

justinebee said:


> i'm just getting into jumping, so i have no room to critique! haha but i do have a question. sometimes i see girls in two point with their arms somewhat folded underneath them, but yours are stretched out in front of you? is that a different style or technique? just curious and still learning


I thought I would take a quick stab at your question, Justinebee. I think the difference here is an automatic release and a crest release. It looks like Gypsygirl is doing more of an automatic release, where her hands extend and kind of telescope out with the movement of her horses neck. Which is Awesome! A crest release, when you see people resting their hands on the horses neck and kind of tucking their elbows underneath them. This is a more novice move. I do it sometimes when I feel like Im losing my balance over a bigger jump. I haven't mastered an automatic release. Gypsygirl seems to have it!


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## Ray MacDonald (Dec 27, 2009)

I think your position looks very good. I think in that last picture though, you look a little too forward, push your shoulder back a little. Just they way I think looks better.


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## Eliz (Jun 16, 2010)

Wancata said:


> I thought I would take a quick stab at your question, Justinebee. I think the difference here is an automatic release and a crest release. It looks like Gypsygirl is doing more of an automatic release, where her hands extend and kind of telescope out with the movement of her horses neck. Which is Awesome! A crest release, when you see people resting their hands on the horses neck and kind of tucking their elbows underneath them. This is a more novice move. I do it sometimes when I feel like Im losing my balance over a bigger jump. I haven't mastered an automatic release. Gypsygirl seems to have it!


Actually, in an automatic release your elbow is in a direct line with the bit, Gypsygirl's hand is still at the horse's crest. I think the elbow thing comes from how big a release is given, or maybe how long the horse's neck is. Or it could be that Gypsygirl's release is somewhere between a crest and an automatic release, which is perfectly fine because she looks like a competent rider!

Gypsy:
Over all, your position looks very solid! Good job! Your horse looks super too!


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## xXEquestrianBalletXx (Jan 3, 2011)

gypsygirl said:


> thanks for the critique !
> 
> in which photo are my heels up ? they arent jammed down but they dont look up in any of them.... (to me at least !)


You won't see them literally "up" per-se 
but you'll see that they could probably go down more without tension. In other words, you weren't letting all of your weight sink into your heels. That's all I meant.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

thanks for the comments guys !

it is a crest release, i have no straight line from elbow to mouth. i very rarely do an automatic release with her because she sometimes jumps huge, but out of stride and i would rather do a crest release and not bump her in the mouth accidentally.

UPDATE= gypsy got her first chiro and has been GREAT she gets her followup next friday and after that one we are going start jumping again =]


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## Ray MacDonald (Dec 27, 2009)

Awesome! You should post some more pictures! LOL


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

i want to get some pics of her going, shes so loose and happy again ! sadly i have no camera and i usually use my mums but she is out of town for a month and took her camera with her.

here is a pic of her over the summer though !

one thing we need to start working on is not jumping so far out on the landing.


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## Ray MacDonald (Dec 27, 2009)

She's gorgeous! I'm jealous!


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

thanks !! she is my dream horse, i think shes totally perfect !! =]


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## Ray MacDonald (Dec 27, 2009)

What breed is she?


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## howsecrazy (Feb 2, 2011)

I think that your doing ok. Your heals are down your hands are right. Im not much of a crique but to me it looks like your doing good.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

thx

she is half hanoverian and half TB


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## Ray MacDonald (Dec 27, 2009)

Nice mix!


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

yeah i think so too ! my favorite horses have always been TB or half TB.

she has TONS of siblings and half siblings, they are all bred for hunters but i plan to do mostly eventing/fox hunting with her, but some hunters and maybe some jumpers.


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## Ray MacDonald (Dec 27, 2009)

Sounds like fun!


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## fuadteagan (Jun 10, 2010)

She is very gorgeous. I love her. I love how she jumps. She is such a beautiful mover. Now on to you. You are a good flat rider but over the jumps I think your position can improve a tad. Grip the saddle with your knees more and have a bigger two-point. I want you to get a little more on his neck. But, your a talented rider.


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

fuadteagan said:


> She is very gorgeous. I love her. I love how she jumps. She is such a beautiful mover. Now on to you. You are a good flat rider but over the jumps I think your position can improve a tad. Grip the saddle with your knees more and have a bigger two-point.


Do not grip more with your knees. You are doing that now and, as a result, your lower leg keeps slipping back. Let go with the knees and add grip with the inside of your upper calf. Not the back of you calf.





> I want you to get a little more on his neck. But, your a talented rider.


MORE on the horse's neck? No, she is low enough now. Lower than she really needs to be with this size of a jump.


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## GeminiJumper (Jun 12, 2008)

fuadteagan said:


> You are a good flat rider but over the jumps I think your position can improve a tad. Grip the saddle with your knees more and have a bigger two-point. I want you to get a little more on his neck. But, your a talented rider.


This makes no sense!


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