Critique horse and rider.

Assuming I got the pictures in here correctly...

Here is my boy, and us at our first off the farm horse show in 2 years, last Saturday. How do I fix those ankles?

I'm not very helpful with advice, but you have a very nice looking horse. What breed is he?

What do you think is wrong with your ankles?

I would bring your hands back towards you just every so slightly, and pick them up just a hair. There's barely a bend in your elbow.

Lovely horse, and nice presentation.

I'm assuming that by "fix those ankles" you're talking about your position/equitation?

The first step is to move your stirrup forward onto the ball of your foot; in the last photo in particular you can see that it's much closer to your heel than your toe. You also want to wear your stirrup with the outside branch slightly ahead of the inside branch with your foot at a slight angle through the stirrup. Next I'd advise you to release some of the weight in your heel and stop forcing the heel doen - allow your wieght to stretch down into your heel as far as it can go comfortably, but no farther. That will take some of the "break" out of your ankle and allow you to softly wrap your leg around the horse. The exaggerated weight in the heel and break in the ankle is actually forcing your leg off of the horse and robbing you of some security.

Well if you're wondering hoe to fix your ankles at halter try picking up his back foot I know with my orse he squares up wen I do this.

Thanks, Maura. That is what I think is wrong, it seems my ankles are all sticking out and not on the horse.
Maybe I am gripping with my knees? I didn't feel too nervous, but I'm sure I was, a little. Baloo was nervous, he ended up having a bucking tantrum at the canter. Not very "pleasurable"." Silly boy.

Val, he is a AQHA quarter horse. You can't quite see, but he totally has a quarter horse butt :).