# Riding critique needed!



## kershkova (Jun 25, 2008)

Welcome to da forum, and by the way i love the last pic with all the orange.


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## Harlee rides horses (Jan 13, 2008)

You seem to slouch a bit, and your horse seems behind the vertical...

but by golly, he's gorgeous!


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

Some good movements there.


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

You need to look up stop looking at your horses head, I know it's hard, this is my biggest issue. He is a stunning horse.


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

First of all, you have a lovely seat and legs. I really commend you on your position, it is wonderful!
Just a few nit-picky things I noticed:
Your hands sometimes have a tendency to work backwards and too wide. In the halts and on the one extended trot picture you are working too much backwards, remember that the half halt is a combination of aids, with the hand being least important. Try to ride the downwards transitions more with your seat and back and bring the forehand up in the half halt, not back. Also in the bending movements and some of your corners I noticed that you raised and indirectly used your outside rein. This is not correct, instead the outside hand should be down and the outside leg should push the horse around the inside leg, with the inside hand coming slightly up to flex and bring the forehand upwards.
In the walk, you do not so much slouch as crouch in your seat, and aren't sitting up properly and riding with the walk motion. You also don't ideally ride your walk half pirouettes. You kind of just shift your hands over and twirl your horse around without riding the steps individually.
Overall, your horse is not as collected as he could be, and I think this is because you aren't riding the collection, and instead you are just always pushing forward. He is definitely active enough that you can start closing him up more with your seat, legs and "up" thinking half halts. I noticed this especially in the trot, he gets long and his poll gets too low, especially in the half pass. The canter is much better and the walk really needs work. He almost runs away in the walk, you need to get it so that you are riding every step. A good exercise is to halt and take two steps forward and halt and take two steps forward, until he is on your aids and really thinking about his walk. Then in the pirouettes you can really start riding him more.

Just one other thing is in the pictures where others have said you are "slouching" and your horse is behind the vertical, I'm assuming these are warm up pictures. As a side note to others, this is not slouching. This is compressing your body so that you can reach your hand far enough down to stretch the horse. I have the same problem. Outside of the warmup this would be incorrect, but in this situation it is perfectly alright because there is not slouch, it is more of a reach. Her abs are still toned and she is still sitting in the saddle.
Also, yes the horse is behind the vertical. To fix this, don't put your hands so wide! Just rest them on the withers and ride the horse to the contact instead of pulling him into it. He will do the correct stretching if you ride him correctly to the contact.

Good luck!
I also really like your horse, my horse's grandsire is Comeback II and I can see a really big resemblance between mine and yours! Kepp up the good riding!

PS. How old is your horse?


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## huntseat7 (Dec 31, 2008)

you guys look awesome to me! Don't know too much about dressage, but watch your hands sometimes the get a little piano handish but it's not constant. And look up, but that seems to be a "thing" with dressage rider i noticed to be looking a little down more.


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## Strange (Jan 11, 2009)

Anebel nailed almost everything I was going to say, especially the comment on the collection. I think that, because you're not really riding him into collection as much as you could be, he seems to have a slight tendency to get a little bit unbalanced. (This is from watching the video) The other thing I noticed while watching your test was that your horse looks like he was a bit tense, especially through the beginning. I'm not sure if that's just because he was at a show and a little distracted, but that's really the only other thing I noticed. He's absolutely gorgeous, and I know I don't have an extensive enough background to do a really thorough dressage critique. 

By the way, I absolutely love your choice of music.


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## KGImages (Jan 10, 2009)

Thanks Anebel! Thats the critique in need.
About my hands to wide.. It happens automaticly. It's practice!
And his collection is not his best point. But, were working on it.

Thanks Strange!
That happens when you've seen Pirates Of The Caribbean to much.


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## tawariel (Dec 27, 2008)

WOW! you and your horse look great!!! the choreo and the music are also wonderful! 
of course there are some mistakes, but who is perfect? something that has not been mentioned yet are your tiptoes. they are a little bit turned outside (I do it myself...)


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## Equuestriaan (Nov 5, 2008)

I don't do dressage so no critique from me, but out of curiosity... why are you wearing a microphone in some of the pictures? XD


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## horsegirl123 (Jan 7, 2009)

I don't do dressage so i'm not sure if you are supposed to do the following things that i'm going to mention, but here goes:

It looks like your feet are pointing out a little too much, and in some parts of the video your heels aren't pointing down.

Also, you should look up more. It seems like you are always looking down. Dressage riders seem to do this a lot.

I like your choice of music! Your horse is gorgious!

Also, I was wondering the same thing as Equuestriaan, why are you wearing a microphone in some pics?

Overall, good job!


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## Strange (Jan 11, 2009)

Because she was in a clinic, so she was explaining things as she did them, I would assume.


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## KGImages (Jan 10, 2009)

About the microphone:
I was explaining some training ways for warming-up. Thats why he's behind the veritcal on some photo's. These are trainingmethods to get the best you can out of your horse.


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

No critique from me, but your horse is absolutely gorgeous!!  He has lovely extension and a beautiful headset. Wonderful job!!


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