# Critique my jumping and my horse



## dustyboy1209 (May 26, 2008)

Thanks!


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## moomoo (Feb 21, 2007)

Its hard to say from just one pic to judge how good a rider you are

but you look great  your horse jumps well, has given it and extra foot  do you show him/her?


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## Gingerrrrr (Feb 12, 2008)

woah :shock: your horse over jumped that jump by alot!

otherwise your position looks great!


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

I personally don't think the horse overjumped the jump by a lot.

You have a wonderful release 
It looks like your lower leg slipped back just a bit

Other than that it's really hard to critique your position and your horse with only 1 photo. If you can get pictures of your horse standing square, we'd be able to give you a better critique


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## Gingerrrrr (Feb 12, 2008)

your right appy. its hard to tell since the standard is in the way so i had to study the picture. so i agree with appy about your horse not over jumping the jump.


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## Kyani (Apr 30, 2007)

Hmm, have to agree with Ginger: that is an overjump. But not in the strictest sense, I suppose. The horse has jumped far higher than necessary, but only because the knees are dangling way down there in the 'babyish' style; if the knees were properly tucked up, he could jump about a foot lower. It might be that the height is just below what the horse is capable of, so he's not using himself to his full potential.

As for the rider...not bad!
Could afford to be a little less ahead of the jump, but nothing major at this height. You probably don't need to fold as extremely over such small fences, though (although you might if the horse always jumps that big!) Nice straight back and looking up. The main concern is that the lower leg has slipped back - this might be because you've jumped a little far ahead, or also because the saddle seems to have slipped back on the horse, but you need to have your leg underneath you to provide a solid base. Also, toes in! No, they don't need to be straight forward while jumping, but moreso than that. If they weren't turned out so much I think it would help keep the leg from slipping back.

I wasn't sure whether to mention the release. It's a very nice crest release, which I understand is what is taught by many instructors in the US? However, I'm in the UK, so I've always been taught an automatic release (straight line from elbow to bit, keeping the contact all the way through the jump) and that a crest release was something for novice jumpers at risk of socking a horse in the teeth or for when something goes wrong with a jump. So, in short, the crest release gives ME the impression of a novice jumper, and I almost voted lower, but then I remembered that's often how people in the US are taught (Thankyou, George Morris...) 

Disclaimer: hard to judge accurately from one pic!


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## Just Jump It (Jan 13, 2008)

Your lower leg has slid back, sending your upper body forward. Strengthen your base by keeping your inner leg on the horse, don't let it roll back. Your heel is down but your toe is out, opulling your contact off the horse. 

Wait for your horse motion to close your hip angle over the jumps. I think youve thrown your uper body forward to stay with your horse . High headed horses tend to throw a rider back.

Your release needs some work. A crest release has two functions: to give a horse freedom while offering the rider support. You have given your horse his head but your hands are floating and not offering you any support at all. Press them into his crest and don't break your wrist. 

Kyani: yes, many folks are taught to use a crest release in the US and I think thats awful. An automatic forces the rider to be reliant on his base and not on his horses neck. It makes a rider so much stronger and encorages independent use of hand and seat. True, its helpful for many beginners, but so many of them never move out of that stage and into an automatic release.


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## dustyboy1209 (May 26, 2008)

I suppose I ought to get a more recent picture. This was a year ago, and i am STILL working on keeping my leg from slipping back. I don't see why an over jump is such a bad thing, except when it is like this:








LOL. He had never jumped a coup before and lets just say I wasn't quite expecting that big of a jump.
About the release, at the time my horse was having issues getting over jumps (probably part of the reason he was overjumping so badly), and the last thing I was worried about was giving him too much rein. The release has improved, but thanks for the extra advice.
Any advice on the toe thing? I have tried and tried to "staighten out" but it feels extremely uncomfortable and awkward, and my akle seems to roll when I do it right....Any ideas?
Unfourtunatly I don't have any more recent pictures, but here are a couple more from the same show:
















And here is one older picture, doesn't show much, but it is kinda funny, lol:


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## Kyani (Apr 30, 2007)

I'm now convinced your saddle was too far back on the horse at that show - can't have been helping.

The overjump isn't necessarily a bad thing, just a bit of a waste of energy and looks a bit untidy, like he can't be too bothered working for the little fences. Also, if he was jumping the true height of those fences, you wouldn't have to fold half as much. 

Your position is good overall and your release looks much less novicey in the rest of the pictures, but you do tend to jump ahead (I do, too) and let your leg slip back (I somehow manage to jump ahread while keeping my leg where it should be - STILL trying to figure that one out). It's just developing your seat. You need to close your hip angle, as Just Jump It said, and keep your bum over the seat of the saddle, not the pommel. Your weight should be pushed DOWNWARDS into your heels, whereas at the moment it looks like you're pressing OUTWARDS with them. It might be that your heels simply don't 'do' that position - mine certainly don't, but flexi stirrups have helped me a great deal.
The smallest picture easily shows you at your best.


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## love-a-hero (Apr 3, 2008)

Kyani said:


> I'm now convinced your saddle was too far back on the horse at that show - can't have been helping.
> 
> The overjump isn't necessarily a bad thing, just a bit of a waste of energy and looks a bit untidy, like he can't be too bothered working for the little fences. Also, if he was jumping the true height of those fences, you wouldn't have to fold half as much.
> 
> ...


I agree. Although your horse is really nice =]


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## Just Jump It (Jan 13, 2008)

Your overall position will improve greatly once you get that lower leg strengthened, especially on this type of mount. Your jumping ahead stems from your swinging lower leg. Once your lower leg sterengthens, you won't feel that you have to throw your upper body forward to keep up with him, instead, you'll have a steady base from which to follow his motion. 

Your horse looks really hot, fast, and sensitive. In the third pic you have extremely short reins, maybe because he was being strong. On this type of horse, your position is everything. If you are the least bit ahead or anticipating, he will feel it and react accordingly. Calm your seat down (if this makes any sense). Don't anticipate the jumps. Remain steady and he will be steady. 

If your position is the least bit unstable you will risk hitting his mouth or getting left behind like in a few of the pics. This will only make him rush the jumps more. 

A horse like yours really tests a rider, and you are doing a suberb job of riding him.


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## dustyboy1209 (May 26, 2008)

Hot, fast, sensative...yup, thats Poet. Nice eye, lol. And thanks! Like I said, that was a year ago, so I THINK I have gotten a little bit better, but I def. still need to work on it. Thanks again!


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## Gingerrrrr (Feb 12, 2008)

dustyboy1209 said:


> I suppose I ought to get a more recent picture. This was a year ago, and i am STILL working on keeping my leg from slipping back. I don't see why an over jump is such a bad thing, except when it is like this:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



after seeing this im am pretty sure your horse over jumps.


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