# OK be brutal - I wont cry



## border reiver (Jun 28, 2010)

A quick disclaimer - this is the first time I have ridden a well schooled horse for years and am mainly just a happy hacker. It was very thrilling. However, I am very aware of my faults and am keen to see if they are as bad as I fear, worse than I know and what other faults and ways to improve that other people might pick up on. (I have resisted the urge to only include the "good" pictures) Thanks in advance.


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

I'm no english expert, so somebody correct me if I'm wrong. Learning experience 

- it looks to me like you have piano hands. Get those thumbs up 

- I think you should shorten your stirrups just slightly.....they look a little bit long to me for jumping.

- Also, maybe lengthen your reins just a little. I tkind of looks like you're hanging on his mouth a little bit.

- It looks like your leg is slippng back in the jumping picture. Could just be the angle though....

- And finally, it looks like you're toeing out a little. keep the ball of your foot int he stirrup and really press your heels down and it should stop that real quick. I have that same problem. :/

Once again, I'm still a bit new to the world of english so anyone feel free to correct me ^^


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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

SorrelHorse, I found the same things you did. But when you say lenghten her reins, do you mean in the jumping pic? If so, I think you mean she must release?


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## border reiver (Jun 28, 2010)

Hah! I never even noticed my piano hands!:-o
Main things I noticed were me collapsing at the hip, dropping a shoulder and motorbiking and gripping up with my legs. 
The instructor told me to keep shortening the reins - I tend to ride on a long rein. Then I would shorten the rein and then straighten my arms because it felt too tight on his mouth - so I had to stop doing that. 
Yeah definately release on the jump - he was p*ssing off with me as he approached it so I hung on too tight. Should have released quickly for the jump and then picked up again quickly landing.
Thanks very much. Keep it coming


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Oh yes, release - Still trying to transition from reiner to jumper for critique


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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

No problem lol, even I sometimes forget what its called  ^^

He's a beautiful horse btw


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## border reiver (Jun 28, 2010)

SorrelHorse said:


> Oh yes, release - Still trying to transition from reiner to jumper for critique


Am jealous - would love to learn western and dream of riding an amazing cutting horse. Sadly, western riding isnt something you can learn entirely out of books and on the web :/


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Unfortunately not, but it's worth the wait and the struggle to get there.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I wouldn't lengthen your reins at all, you're not hanging onto his mouth much at all, he just looks to be the type that will suck back to evade the contact and just needs to be driven up more into the bridle  

Biggest thing that stands out to me about your position is that you are collapsing to the left. Your right shoulder is being carried higher than your left, and as a result I would say that you are losing your balance slightly to the outside. This will make it difficult for you to ride a horse dead straight, there will also be a little bit of head tilt, crossing of the hind legs or swinging out of the quarters of forehand. Not one person has got dead even shoulders, but you can improve on it. Best thing you can do is get mirrors in the arena and ride towards them to look at where your body is leaning. Imagine you have a pair of braces on holding up your pants. When you lean to the left, the brace on the right pulls tight and the one of the left goes slack. Try to even your body up so that the braces pull at even lengths. 

You appear to be gripping with your knee slightly, with the toe turned a little out. Keep your toes pointing forwards, matching them with your direction of travel  As for the gripping knees, this also brings the heel up and the lower leg off, losing the effect of your aids and your balance will go over the front of the horse, putting him on the forehand. Even so much as a glance downward can put your horse on the forehand, so leaning forward or having your weight forward is going to have a marked impact. Rather than shoving your heels down so that you feel tense in your thigh and lower leg, focus more on sitting back onto your seat bones, and letting your weight flow run down the back of your thigh, the back of your calf and into your heel. 
I'd also like to see your foot a little further back in your stirrup. Yes we are told the ball of our foot, but to be able to use your weight aids and leg aids most effectively, with the best balance possible, the stirrup must rest across the 5th metatarsal joint (your little toe) - so the 'knuckle' where your little toe joins the ball of your foot. Make sure the stirrup does not sit at an angle on the foot or again, you will lose some effectiveness of the aids.


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## wren (Dec 13, 2009)

just wanted to say that your horse and where you live are both BEAUTIFUL!
Good work, and i can see why you are a happy hacker with those hills around...


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## BrewCrew (May 12, 2010)

Kayty said:


> Biggest thing that stands out to me about your position is that you are collapsing to the left.


Noticed this also. Good looking horse!!!!  Must have been fun to ride!


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Just curious. Does your collapsing to the left cause you right leg to sneak forward or up? Just asking because I collapse too and it creates the additional leg affect.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Puck, collapsing does impact the entire body. You will often get head tilt, then the shoulders will be higher or lower on one side, the hip will go out as well, one leg/knee will be more forward and often a toe will stick out more as well. You cannot expect a horse to be straight when this happens! And it's not generic between all riders that when they collapse to the left their weight will go out the right. Everyone's body works in different and interesting ways to say the least!


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Kayty, I'm well aware of the various connections in the body and know how it affects the way a horse moves. I was just curious if the OP's cause and effect are the same as mine. I have a C curve in my spine, so my shoulder does in fact directly affect my hip bone on the opposite side which pull my leg up and forward.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Sorry for trying to answer your question, big bad me *smacks hand*


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## CowGal (Jun 29, 2010)

You've got a bit of a chair seat, but that's easy enough to fix. Over the xrail it looks as if you're grabbing on with your knee?


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## Valentina (Jul 27, 2009)

SorrelHorse said:


> I'm no english expert, so somebody correct me if I'm wrong. Learning experience
> 
> - it looks to me like you have piano hands. Get those thumbs up  Yes - ride with your Thumbs up
> 
> ...


My response is in red font above.


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## border reiver (Jun 28, 2010)

This is all highly cool. Thanks a lot all of you. 

Re the sucking back thing that Kayty mentioned I think she is right as the pics are in reverse order of how they were taken, so he is overbent horribly, overbent not as much then not overbent. I think I remember her (owner) telling me to shorten rein (I tend to ride far too long for English) then leg then release a little - I just remember doing something w my shoulders, relaxiing them or something.

How do I correct the chair seat? I am very aware of it and try really hard to get rid of it but it obviously isnt working. I was told that it was all the bareback riding that created it as your leg tends to hang down froom the knee and rest in the groove between the belly and shoulder - like this: Parthenon Frieze - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Obviously, I was fully clothed when riding bareback! :shock:


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## apachiedragon (Apr 19, 2008)

I fought against a chair seat for a long time, and discovered many years later that it was my saddle that caused it. When I got a saddle that fit me better, my leg went into the proper position so much easier. I'm not saying this is the case here, that was just me. And off topic, but what type of footing is that? It looks lovely and cushiony.


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## FloJBH (Jan 3, 2010)

i would definitely say that you need to improve your release, lifting your hands off his neck slightly.

your heels need to go down a bit and toes in, and ttry not to lean too far over on your shoulder, you should be leaning a bit but not too far.

i think that's it, you look brilliant!


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## bigzee (Jul 4, 2010)

I most noticed the drooping shoulder, because that has been a problem of mine. My trainer tried a million things to fix it, and what finally worked was telling me to think of opening my other shoulder. I did, and it worked! Now if she tells me to open my shoulder, I know what my problem is.


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## border reiver (Jun 28, 2010)

Hi, I have been away for a while. Straight back onto this thread! Am pretty much taking notes and working on it. I will probably come back to this in while with new pics and ask if there has been any improvement. Though it will be on my own, unschooled horrid pikey pony so the pics may not be as elegant - but that shouldnt matter and in fact it would be super useful to get feed back on her way of going and how I am hindering her and how I can can help her.


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