Dressage Competition: Critique!

Please critique the horse and me riding!

Video:
1. Plads I LB3 - HesteGalleri.dk

Very nice, the one thing I want to critique is to let him open up a little more. He seems to be a slower and shorter gaited horse so try to let him go a little and he'll open his stride.

Didn't watch all of it, just a few seconds. But the main things I see are that at times you are leaning back too far, hands are too far back, and sometimes are too far apart. Bring your hands forward more, they should not be past the saddle pad. I also agree with barefoot to let him out a little more. He looks really restricted.

Yeah - you are very behind the verticle - and your legs are way to active. Every moment your body absorbs isn't being dispursed correctly...creating way to loud of legs, and you are jabbing your horse with those spurs.

Your horse is tense and on the muscle, with ears pinned back.

You looked pretty good for the most part...

Your hands and legs are a little more active than I'd like, I would work toward lighter cueing though, teach your horse to respond quicker to lighter pressure.

You look tense, which does transfer to your horse; take some time to relax, or learn some relaxation techniques for before, during and after a show. The more you can relax, the more you'll be able to get out of your horse. I think he might have extended out more if you would have let him out a bit more. As you get more ring time, I think, the more you learn how to relax, you just gotta work at it bit by bit.

Your horse looks rather tensed. Also, if I remember quickly from these rules I've been reading, you'll want to discourage him from moving his head too much. Then again, I haven't read through all of them, so I may be wrong.

But he's a very pretty horse in general!

I thought the horse went nicely in the bridle with good contact, but as the others noted, there is tension in the horse's back. I think too many people sit behind the vertical to push their horses forward, which doesn't work. If you lighten your seat, sit up straight, your horse will have more swing in the back and more power from behind. I thought there was nice bend and good straightness, at times, I thought the right haunches were carried in and the left shoulder out. Very nice little horse!

Haha, your pony is totally cute. I don't think he's actually that tense. Laterally he moves well, although he could have a bit more motion in his half pass. His ears aren't pinned-in fact, they are attentive and moving backwards and forwards, exactly as they should be. He needs to open up a bit more in his stride though and also in his neck.

For the most part, I think you sit fairly well. You are absorbing most of the motion well, but you are being left a bit behind, and you appear to be pinching at your knees a bit, which is causing your lower leg not to be wrapped around the horse and causing you to spur him. Also, lift your hands a bit :)

I think the main reason you're having problems with an overactive leg is simply because your stirrups are too short. But at the same time, any longer and you won't be able to effectivly communicate with your pony. You're already having to bring your heal up a good bit to spur him.