# Critique Please



## PrettyBlueOverYou (Sep 27, 2009)

Could you please critique my riding and my horses conformation if you get a good look at her or if I find a decent picture. 

















































































Sorry about the size, it wouldn't let me make them smaller.


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## Sunny06 (Jun 22, 2009)

I have no critique because... I am SO stealing your horse. I'm too jealous. Wanna trade?


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

WOW! I'll bet your girl places well in hunter classes. Her form is quite good and her color is magnificent!

As far as her conformation goes, I like her legs. She has a nice angle to her hock. But, her neck is tied on a bit low for my taste and her butt doesn't seem to match the rest of her body. That being said, it could be the angle of the picture.

She also looks like she's built a bit downhill.

What breed is she? I have a guess but I could be wrong.

VERY Nice horse overall.


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## PrettyBlueOverYou (Sep 27, 2009)

thank you, she is registered AQHA appendix by Skys Blue Boy
And i see what you mean by her neck being low, i noticed that too but i think it is just that picture because she doesnt usually look like that,


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

She looks quite lovely when she is in a frame so it's obviously not causing her any problems 

Yes! I was right about the breed.

Anyway, gorgeous horse and you look like a very lovely rider. What a pair!


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

I have no comments on the jumping pics other than you look great. Nice solid leg and a nice release that allows your horse to use himself properly. 

The flat pics suggest you are a bit heavy handed. You appear to be restricting your horse's head a bit and he looks heavy on the forehand. I would suggest letting the reins out a few inches and riding lots of circles and squares to encourage him to reach forward toward the bit on his own rather than you trying to pull his head into a frame. 

Very pretty horse!


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## PrettyBlueOverYou (Sep 27, 2009)

thanks, ill work on that


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

o/f I would like to see your stirrups 1-2 holes shorter to allow you to flex your heel slightly more and give more contact with your calf on her side to keep your leg from swinging back. I would also like to see a more open chest (read - shoulder back) but otherwise I like your style/form.
u/s you really need to un-kink your wrists, right now the position of your arms is hard, as opposed to soft. And your shoulders really need to get driven down into your hips to solidify you in the center of your saddle. You tend to move around (forward and back) in your saddle, as opposed to staying in the center.
I think you'd also benefit from riding in different seats (dressage seat, jumper seat) just to give you a little more range in your position.

Good luck!


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## Jake and Dai (Aug 15, 2008)

Ah my dream horse...a tall dapple grey! Gorgeous!


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## sixlets (May 1, 2009)

You look amazing over fences!! On the flat you just need to bring your shoulders back a bit, other than that you look great
(What brand is your saddle? It looks like a M. Toulouse, but I'm not sure...)


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## PrettyBlueOverYou (Sep 27, 2009)

Thanks for the advise everyone. Ill be sure to work on that,, Ive already started a bit on my shoulders and someone once told me they were amazed i could even ride with such stiff arms, ill just have to keep working on it.
Sixlets I have a Santa Cruise for my saddle.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

Your horse is absolutely stunning. I love, love, love, love dapple grey's! The color has always been my absolute favorite!

I have nothing to say about her conformation, that's not my gig - but I can help with you a few things with your form.

Your jumping pictures, in the majority of them you are appearing to be jumping ahead.

This one here:










See how your crotch is over the Pommel of your saddle? See how much space is between your seat and your saddle? You anticipated the fence, common error many, many make. 

Your leg is nicely at the girth, which is great - but you are not allowing your heels to do their job. Which is anchor you. 

In this picture here as well:










Same thing. You aren't as ahead in this one as you were in the first. But here you have lost your lower leg, and again - your heels.

We want our legs glued to that girth. Your toes shoud be just at the girth. Pretty much what Anebel stated, I agree with. But I do think the issue isn't the length of your leathers *they are at the right length - we want 110 degree angle in our knees* the issue is that you have no muscle memory to keep your legs at the girth.

We want to be wrapped around our horses, not just ontop. Our legs must be wrapped *in sense* around our horses girth. This not only aids our seat to be dead on, but it keeps us locked and secure in our tack.

I invite you to look at Beezie Madden's pictures, and pictures of riders back inthe 50's. Beezie Madden definately, is one rider to really look up to for very fucntional form over fences. Look at her legs, majority of the time they are locked at that girth.

We do not want our toes to fall back off the girth, nor do we want them to surpass the girth.

You also really need to open your knees and allow the weight from your upper body, to sink down into your heels. Our heels MUST beable to do their job - that job is anchoring us into our tack. 

The two work hand in hand. Leg at girth, heels absorbing bodies weight. 

This picture here:










You look pretty good, but again, you've lost your lower leg. And your heels are not doing their job. 

Your seat is pretty good. Not ahead, not behind. It is pretty close to being smack dab over the center of your tack. I love your back, and I love that you are looking up.

Here is a shot of Beezie Madden. See where he leg is - that is exactly where we want to be


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

I just want to add, that I love how you are NOT collapsing your upper body onto your horses neck. Bravo and well done!


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## CaptainLiecy (Sep 29, 2009)

a standing martingale isnt suitable for jumping, you would be much better off in a running martingale. standings can restrict the horse's head movement as they operate seperately from your reins. but i can see you have it quite loose so its flapping around, so its pretty much not doing anything. id say take it off or swap it for a running one because she looks really well behaved


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

CaptainLiecy said:


> a standing martingale isnt suitable for jumping, you would be much better off in a running martingale. *standings can restrict the horse's head movement* as they operate seperately from your reins. but i can see you have it quite loose so its flapping around, so its pretty much not doing anything. id say take it off or swap it for a running one because she looks really well behaved


In North America, it is considered fashionable for our "hunters" to wear standing martingales. 
The part that I bolded I did so because, that's the point apparently


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## PrettyBlueOverYou (Sep 27, 2009)

Anyone else have anything to add? Everyone has been so helpful 

CaptainLiecy, as anabel said it is pretty much the fashion for hunters to wear standings. Everyones is correctly fitted, most as loose as mine, so there really are no problems with them.


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