# Critique Jumping Position



## Whipple (Feb 2, 2009)

I'm new to all this, so could someone explain what crest release is please?


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## cherriebark (Apr 9, 2008)

You look fairly good, actually, nothing horribly wrong, just small things. You are behind in a couple of those shots, so I would really focus on staying with the motion. Also, like every riding instructor has screamed a thousand times, heels down! Really sink your weight into your heels, it will help with everything. For the release, don't think of reaching for the neck or the mane, think of releasing your horse's mouth. In theory, your arm should create a direct line from your elbow, through the reins to the horse's mouth. I like to think of jumping as a big canter stride, instead of throwing your hands up there, give to your horse the same way you would at the canter, but exaggerated. If you have the balance to sink your weight in your heels and not touch the mane, that is ideal. I think your shoulders are slightly hunched, getting your heels down will help. Good luck!


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

How do you see that she is behind the motion? She is pretty darn solid and centered - so where are you seeing her being behind the motion?


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## upsidedown (Jul 10, 2008)

Thanks for the critique! 

I know I was behind in the second picture, but I also don't see it in the others. Maybe you could point it out?


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## XxXequinegrlXxX (May 24, 2008)

your position looks pretty good .. other than those toes !!!! sink into your heals and think toes straight ! i'm not an expert so i'll leave a more detailed critique to people who have been jumping longer


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## Equuestriaan (Nov 5, 2008)

The only thing I notice is that your toes look really funky turned out.


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## jumpwhat007 (Apr 10, 2009)

XxXequinegrlXxX said:


> your position looks pretty good .. other than those toes !!!! sink into your heals and think toes straight ! i'm not an expert so i'll leave a more detailed critique to people who have been jumping longer


Your toes shouldn't be completely straight though, they should be slightly turned out so you have the strongest part of your calf on your horse. 



Equuestriaan said:


> The only thing I notice is that your toes look really funky turned out.


Yes they arr turned out quite a bit. Also, shoulders back, heels down, and your feet are too far in your stirrups. Think the ball of your foot on your stirrup. Other than that you are with the motion of your horse, and your legs are in a good position as well.


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## LacyLove (Feb 12, 2009)

you look awesome. i see a lot of people jumping ahead(like me =P) and im glad to see someone doing it right =] but, i do agree with the others about your toes.


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## upsidedown (Jul 10, 2008)

Thanks everyone. Ever since I started riding its been a battle with my feet turning out, especially when I put my heels really far down (as seen with second photo), just because the way I naturally stand is quite turned out (I walk a bit like a duck).

Is there anything else to do that I haven't already been working on?


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## guesy (Jan 30, 2009)

I agree with pretty much everyone else, I think you look really nice. I just saw that your stirrups need to be on the ball of your foot, you toes need to be in, and your heels down. Also, in the first and third picture your back is a tinnny bit rounded. But not in the others. Very cute horse, you guys look great together!


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## mudypony (Jan 30, 2008)

I agree that you look pretty good and just need to fix a few minor things. I bet if you moved your stirrups to the ball of your foot your heels would go down much easier. You look very good over the jumps otherwise and I don't think you look left behind except a smidge in that one pic.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

Firstly, you are not behind the motion in any of those pictures. I don't know where this was seen - but in niether of your shots, is your seat behind or over the cantle of your saddle.

In NIETHER of your pictures, are you behind the motion.

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Leathers - 

Your leathers are the correct length. I wouldn't shorten them or lengthen them. You should have a 110 degree angle in your knees. The problem I am seeing here, are your legs - you are not ultalizing them correctly so that they can do their jobs correctly.

The most important factor to being solid and anchored in our tack, is our heels. They must be allowed to do their job - which is to take our bodies weight. This way, we are deep and anchored. 

BUT our heels cannot do their job, if we don't take the following steps to allow this to happen. Firstly - your irons are placed incorrectly on your feet.

Your irons should be at the ball of your toes, where the outter bar is at your pinky toe, and the inner bar is at the ball of your big toe. Right now, your irons are placed to far back, wich really hinders your heels abillity to anchor you. You must allow your ankles to be your shock absorbers, and your heels your anchors.

The other thing I see incorrectly here - is that you are gripping onto your horse sides with the wrong part of your leg, the back of your calf. Where instead you should be wrapping the inside part of your calf around your horses girth. 

Instead of focusing on the back of your calf for security - open your legs, allow your heels to take your bodies weight and wrap your lower, inner calf around your horses girth.

It is not that your toes are pointing out - it is that you are using the wrong part of your leg.

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The 1st and 3rd picture, you are jumping ahead and lurching yourself forward - not allowing your knees to close. See how much space is between your seat and your saddle? That is a huge sign of a rider jumping for their horse - anticipation of the fence. 

Rider not riding their horse, but riding the fence.

The 2nd and 4th picture - you are exactly where you want to be seat wise. Proper space between seat and saddle, seat over the center of your saddle and with your horses motion.

Allowing horse to lift you out of your tack, allowing horse to do their job. 

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Your upper body - 

You are at that stage now where you can support your upper body with your lower, and you have no reason to be doing the crest release anymore - you should be doing the automatic. 

The crest relase was only meant for riders who cannot balance themselves over their horses center of gravity, so they need their horses neck to support them while over the fence. 

The crest release was meant only for riders who cannot support their upper body with their lower bodies so not to interfear with their horses front ends. 



You also need to be merging into the automatic relase, you also have no reason to be doing the crest anymore.


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## upsidedown (Jul 10, 2008)

Thanks so much MIEventer, that was really helpful!

As I said in the original post I am trying to break out of my crest release, just not having much luck. Any helpful suggestions?


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## JMMarroq (Apr 4, 2009)

I think your release is pretty good  Are you trying to learn an automatic release? Your toes (like everyone else has said) are WAY turned out. Just keep THINKING toes in and your toes wont be turned out quite so much, because it's okay to ahve them out some just not quite that much 

Keep up the good work


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

I disagree about trying to correct the toes - the toes aren't the problem. Where she is gripping with her lower leg is the problem. She needs to re-establish where to place her lower leg at her horses side, not correct her toes.

When she figures out that she should be using the inner part of her calf at her horses girth, then the toes will follow.

She can still be using the back of her calf, while thinking toes forward - and that wont fix where she is placing her lower leg.


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## upsidedown (Jul 10, 2008)

Next time I ride I'm going to focus more on using the inner part of my calf, and I 'll try to get some pictures.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

I really like that pony. She is really well put together and I really like her technique over fences.


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## Trissacar (Apr 19, 2009)

I suggest you dropping your stirrups down.


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