# Please critique rider: beginner



## Oxer (Jul 9, 2010)

i'd shorten my stirrups... but that's just me.


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## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

sit back and relax into the saddle, you look a little bit to 'posed' i think, that will help the leaning forward. sit deep in the saddle and pictures string on the top of your helmet pulling your whole body STRAIGHT up in a relaxed way... thats what i always think about, and i think it helps


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## FreeDestiny (Jul 3, 2011)

Definitely shorten those stirrups, it looks like you have to stretch to reach them, I'd bring 'em up 2 holes or until the bottom of the iron is about level with your ankle when you foot is hanging loose. After that my coach says every foot you jump bring you stirrups up a hole 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I agree. YOur stirrups are too long. Your foot is too far through them, too.

The second photo shows the horse almost at the third beat of the canter, when the leading leg strikes the ground. This is when the horse is in its' most "downhill" angle. YOU, on the other hand, at this point should be leaning back or at least very upright in the saddle, just as you would be if your rode your horse down a hill. This helps your and his balance. when he is in the next beat of the canter , reaching under with his strike off leg, he will be in his most uphill part of the canter, when you can be angled a tiny bit forward, as if you were riding him up a hill. If you are leaning forward too much, your hips will be locked and you will not be able to make there adjustments.

Also, your inside shoulder is dropped and advanced too much. This is somthing that you might not need to pay so much attention to as a beginner, but as you go along, you will need to correct his twist in the body. It makes your spine collapse to the inside, and centrifugal force pull you to the outside.

You look up very nicely and in the last two canter shots, your hand position is pretty darn good.

that horse reminds me very much of the mare I leased 11 years ago. She was a dingbat, but a lot of fun.


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## Tulula81 (Oct 11, 2010)

Thanks for your critiques so far! Very helpful. I was using this saddle for trail riding and lengthened the stirrups so I could get on and off easier in the woods (I'm only 5'1" and he's 15.1hh). Guess I forgot to put them back up. Whoops. I definitely see how my inside shoulder is dropping now that you point it out. Something to add to the long list of things to work on!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Can you get some video? Pics are only a shot in time and don't really give a good picture of your riding.


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## Tulula81 (Oct 11, 2010)

I won't be riding again until next Wednesday, and then it will only be with my instructor. Maybe she will be willing to shoot a couple minutes for me at the end of the lesson.
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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I thought dressage riders rode with a long leg.

If it was me (and I'm still at beginning level and don't ride English very often anymore), I'd leave the stirrups long and move your heel back a bit. Shoulders tend to follow heels.

English riders don't ride on their seat pockets, but I'd try a bit of that as an over correction...makes it easier to pull your heels back, and then the shoulders will follow.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Riding with very long stirrups in dressage is not correct. One doesn't get a long leg just by making the stirrup really far away from the hip. On the contrary, too many dressage riders make their stirrups too long and end up "fishing" for the stirrup, riding on their crotch and having their weight stop at the knee, 'cause they are often gripping with it.



Besides, as a beginner rider, she would do better to have shorter stirrups.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

tinyliny said:


> ...One doesn't get a long leg just by making the stirrup really far away from the hip...Besides, as a beginner rider, she would do better to have shorter stirrups.


Well, I don't do dressage. However, it works both ways. A long stirrup does not, by itself, create a long leg, but a short stirrup will, by itself, eliminate a long leg! If the OP feels a need to 'fish' for the stirrup, it is too long.

And why would a beginner do better with short stirrups? It takes more balance and flexibility to ride with legs folded than hanging down. When I began, a short stirrup allowed me to avoid developing a seat - but the seat is far more important than the stirrup.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

In that case, it is better to ride without stirrups altogether. If the rider intends to post, then stirrups need to be at a reasonable length to make it possible to post in the correct way. Your description of the coiling legs was excellent, and if the stirrup is too long, this cannot be done. IN the case of a stirrup too long, the rider ends up kind of heaving themselves up off their knees and sometimes the mouth of the horse, too.

If this rider wants to post, then having her stirrups a notch or two shorter will make it easier for her to move weight down into her ankels and heels and use that "coiling" action you described.


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

_As long as she is not cranking her stirrups up 10 holes to be in a "jumping" length stirrup, when she has posted that she will be taking dressage lessons..._


_Yes, stirrups should come up, but do it a hole at a time until you find the length that is comfortable to you...without having to really stretch for them._

_Because of the too long stirrups, you reach for them with your toes, making you tip forward, which in turn is making your leg slide back too far._

_You look tense through your shoulders, arms and elbows, and is giving you a stiff appearance. _

_I like that you are not a shoulder huncher, and keep a straighter back. _


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## BaileyJo (Aug 23, 2011)

I like where your elbows are but the too long of stirrups is throwing you forward and making you unlevel. Since you can't get up out of your saddle because you have no push with stirrups too long, all you can do is go push forward instead of up. I love where your chin is. So many of us new riders ride around with our chins on our chest.


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## Tulula81 (Oct 11, 2010)

Hmmm, looking back at the pics again, I definitely see that I am reeeeeeaching for those stirrups:lol:. Aside from taking them down a couple holes for my trail rides, I've been riding with a much longer stirrup since I stopped taking lessons ( I developed tendonitis in my right knee and my doctor wanted me to do physical therapy and lengthen my stirrups to put less pressure on it).

When I was taking lessons, it was in a Hunter barn and my instructor had my stirrups jacked up pretty high. As in the bottom of the irons were barely at the top of my ankle bone (she thought it would force my heel down). My right leg used to go numb at the canter and just sort of "flop" and I'd loose my balance. It seems as though I've gone the extreme other end and made them super long hahaha.

I confirmed my lesson for next week, so it will be a clean slate. It's hard to focus on so many things at once! My hands used to flop around and I was constantly staring at my horses ears. Now I've got a stiff body; but ok hands and I'm looking up, grrrrrr lol. 

Thanks again for the input everyone. I can't make guarantees about a video. It's hard enough to have to beg someone to come out and take pics. Plus I feel weird asking, like I'm being narcissistic


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## BaileyJo (Aug 23, 2011)

Tulula81 said:


> It's hard enough to have to beg someone to come out and take pics. Plus I feel weird asking, like I'm being narcissistic


Just think of it as part of your training. You're not doing it to see how beautiful and fabulous you are. You're doing it to try to get better. No harm in wanting to work on improving your riding.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I think you could stand to raise your stirrups at least one hole. I wish you had lighter pants on because I lost your leg in the pix. You are actually riding in a more hunt-seat type of position. One thing I believe I noticed is that you need to bring your lower leg back some and then put your weight in your heels. A shorter stirrup will help with that.

Next, if you are riding dressage you'll want to sit back straighter and sink deeper in the saddle. Right now you are kind of rolled up on your pelvis and riding in a hunter frame which is great if that's what you are aiming for. You look pretty solid though. Not too shabby...


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Great thread. Here is my perspective. When you are learning to ride, the way that you sit the horse is not a natural seat. The horse, unlike sitting in a car, shifts your weight constantly. The first (human) reaction to this movement is to pull your knees up, pull your head downwards, curl your back as if you're reaching for your toes, pulling your arms inward--basically, curling into a fetal position, a little or a LOT. ANY of these things make your "seat" (which is actually the way your entire body is placed on the horse) insecure and this makes it easier for you to lose balance. If you don't tackle all of these problems NOW, you will be fighting them for years. Teach your body NOW, and you will be able to use your arms independant of your torso independant of your legs, and your horse will become more responsive.
You sound serious about improving. I suggest (RE: stirrups) to learn to readjust them while sitting the saddle. To do this most of us pull our leg in front on that stirrup, then pull out to readjust, pull the stirrup leather buckle to the stirrup bar, replace any leftover leather into the guard, then put your foot back in. A lot of us pull the mounting leather longer to mount a tall horse, THEN readjust the leather to the match the length of the off-side leather while mounted.
Many instructors let their students adjust their leathers to what is comfortable length for YOU. You may find that sometimes they will be shorter, sometimes they will be longer. Remember, TOO, if you are riding in leather, rather than synthetic stirrups leathers, that the mounting side leather stretches, so you will need to switch the leathers periodically to the other side--trade sides, if you will.
My 2nd suggestion is to spend some time riding (in a safe place on a safe horse) without stirrups. If you could ride an entire afternoon, even in an arena, *without stirrups*, you would _REALLY FEEL_ what a deep seat feels like. Start at a walk.
I've always said that anybody could cram for a test on correct riding, and pass with an "A", but NOTHING replaces feeling this.
BTW, a good seat is same regardless of discipline or riding sport, or saddle. Hope this helps! =D


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## Tulula81 (Oct 11, 2010)

farmpony84 said:


> ... One thing I believe I noticed is that you need to *bring your lower leg back some* and then put your weight in your heels. A shorter stirrup will help with that.





VelvetsAB said:


> _..._
> 
> _Because of the too long stirrups, you reach for them with your toes, making you tip forward, which in turn is *making your leg slide back too far*._


Just wanted to clarify (and maybe the answer is somewhere in between)....is my whole leg too far back? Or do I just need to move the lower part of my leg farther back?

I will ask my instructor to add in no-stirrup work; but sometimes he will stop abruptly when your feet are out of the stirrups. 

I've tried riding him bareback but his withers are shark-fin and I prefer not to get jabbed in my lady-bits to remind me to have a better leg/seat hahaha:lol: I suppose that's a quick way to do it though!


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## Tulula81 (Oct 11, 2010)

tinyliny said:


> The second photo shows the horse almost at the third beat of the canter, when the leading leg strikes the ground. This is when the horse is in its' most "downhill" angle. YOU, on the other hand, at this point should be leaning back or at least very upright in the saddle, just as you would be if your rode your horse down a hill. This helps your and his balance. when he is in the next beat of the canter , reaching under with his strike off leg, he will be in his most uphill part of the canter, when you can be angled a tiny bit forward, as if you were riding him up a hill.


Tiny,
Thanks for the reply. I always look forward to your insight when I'm snooping around the critique section! I don't think that I actually knew which way I was supposed to move with him on the canter and your description makes perfect sense!


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## JustRide (Jun 28, 2011)

During this ride did you feel "off balance"?


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## Tulula81 (Oct 11, 2010)

I didn't feel off balance. Never lost my stirrups or anything, but looking back they could have been shorter. My lesson is at 8pm tomorrow and I have someone who is willing to take additional pictures and video for me.

It will be my first ever dressage lesson so be prepared to be underwhelmed  I'm warning everyone now that I will be riding in my close contact saddle though. Don't want to unload hundreds of $$ on a saddle yet. Want to make sure I like this new discipline first .
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## Tulula81 (Oct 11, 2010)

Ok, here is a video from my first lesson with my new instructor. I really like her, she is USDF Bronze medal and is very down to earth. Please remember, I'm a newbie and the video is pretty bad hahaha. Also, my horse has never had lessons either, so as you can see, we are both trying to figure things out. My saddle is not doing me any favors, but unfortunately, it's all I have. It naturally puts me in a forward position (the lowest point of the seat is farther back, coupled with my shorter arms and trying to keep my hands over the withers, it looks like I'm always sticking my bum out:shock:.

Apparently, I've been "steering" my horse incorrectly the whole time. Pulling the rein and not relying on my seat or leg. My instructor was trying to teach me to use my leg and seat to get him to move over to the wall. We practiced leg yields and turn on the forehand. As I said, it's pretty bad, but we all had to start somewhere right? lol 

Thanks in advance for your replies and insight.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

That was great!! you two are going to be awesome. I love your horse. Love the instructor and love your attitude. I think you have just TONS of potential with this horse/instructor. I feel very excited for you.

YOur horse is so sensitve to the leg. Do you know what a gift that is? Never dull him out there and always thank him when he moves off your leg so willingly. With his long legs and long neck, he will be awesome in dressage.

Honestly, go treat yourself to the saddle! It will help you sit up and stay right over his center of gravity, not that you are doing such a poor job in that saddle. 
YOu get an A+ from me.


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