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Critique English riding

2K views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  DappleGrayHunter 
#1 ·
Could you critique this:


Thanks!
 
#2 ·
You need to bring your leg back underneath you so your heel, hip and shoulder are in line and then you'll be in much better balance and find riding easier and more natural looking. For UK english riding I'd also shorten your reins and carry your hands more forward. Hope that helps.
You may need to drop your stirrups a hole or two when you move your leg back.:)
 
#4 ·
First, your hands need some work. Try bringing your elbows in to your sides, which will help bring your thumbs up and hands in a more correct place.

It also looks like you're pumping your heels with each stride (see how your heels go up and you push them back down each time you rise out of the saddle?). Try to still that lower leg. Keep your heels down, but focus on steady pressure and not shoving them down with each stride. This is hard and will take work--I used to be a serious heel pumper, so I understand. I also think part of the reason you're doing this is that it looks like you're using your stirrups to push yourself out of the saddle at a posting trot. Try to really wrap your lower leg around your horse, and let his movement push you out of the saddle, rather than having to stand in your stirrups to do so.
 
#5 ·
First, your hands need some work. Try bringing your elbows in to your sides, which will help bring your thumbs up and hands in a more correct place.

It also looks like you're pumping your heels with each stride (see how your heels go up and you push them back down each time you rise out of the saddle?). Try to still that lower leg. Keep your heels down, but focus on steady pressure and not shoving them down with each stride. This is hard and will take work--I used to be a serious heel pumper, so I understand. I also think part of the reason you're doing this is that it looks like you're using your stirrups to push yourself out of the saddle at a posting trot. Try to really wrap your lower leg around your horse, and let his movement push you out of the saddle, rather than having to stand in your stirrups to do so.
Are you saying I need to bring my elbows back more? Because if you are than I agree, I've had problems with that.
I've had others comment on another website that I move my feet around a lot, but my instructors and others who have watched me in real life say I have a very nice, sturdy lower leg. I guess it just looks different in the videos.
I understand the impulsion thing-I can feel when he feels slow and draggy, and I have to use my body more to post. But sometimes he has SO much impulsion that it pushes me out of the saddle and makes me want and have to post. I need that more often from him...
 
#7 ·
You need to work on your lower leg, and yeah with more umph you can rise easier (NOT from your stirrups!!!) so you aren't posting as hard as you are now.. it looks really forced.

Also in the video you seem to be tilting more so to the right of your horse.. you aren't centered. Any reason?

Your arms are fairly good and at a few points leading up to 0:29, your horse gets to a really nice place.. then your contact gets jarring and inconsistent and he loses it. Make sure when he's there you continue to push him forward and soften your hands and he'll be encouraged to stay there instead of back off.

You could open your chest some more and that would help your overall balance. Chin up a little higher.

Your hands need to stay above your horse's withers. They keep creeping down. And not TOO widely spread either.
 
#8 ·
I think the biggest thing will be to get more impulsion out of the horse. you have to work too hard to post because the horse isn't giving you enough to post off of. I think your position is actually not so bad. you look reasonabley centered, have a decent elbow to bit line for much of the time, and I can see that you are working to keep you lower leg under you . I do see it "pulse" outward with each time you push up for the post. maybe if you were able to put a bit more of the inside of you calf against the hrose, which means turning your toes to be more parallel with the body of the horse, instead of pointing outward, as one tends to do when jumping. think of your weight going down the outside of your thigh, calf and past the outside ankle bone , through your heel and PAST your stirrup, so that your heels are pointing toward your horse's rear hooves.

I thought your arms were back just fine, except a bit more anchoring of the outside elbow will help to steady the outside rein.

Carry a crop a few times and ask him to move out. whnen he does, take up some contact and "string" that energy between your leg and your hand so you have something to post off of.
 
#12 ·
You definitely seem to be tilting to the right slightly. Also, your horse was constantly changing pace. More often than not, it seemed that he was going too slowly, so you might want to add some more leg. You also want to shift your lower legs back slightly; they were a bit too far forward.
 
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