Riding critique--am I a "good" rider?

I've been riding now for the past 3 years and have been leasing since May.

I know I still have LOTS of things to work on. My hands aren't steady, my arms and back are very stiff, etc. There are probably many other things that I'm not noticing/forgetting to mention! But overall, how am I doing?

Walk:
Trot:
Canter:

I would say you are a good rider and on your way to becoming a great rider. Keep up the good work and practice.

Any body that keeps the horse between themselves and the ground most of the time is ok by me.

Are you riding daily or for the past 3 yr has it been a couple times a week ? Your body and legs are not too bad, your hands are too active. And you obviously know that yourself. You really have to work on quiet hands.

Why is the tie down on the horse. I for one am not for apprentice that artificially put your horses head in a certain position. At a certain point in your riding your seat and legs with light hands should be doing this.

You might consider your body stiff, but I see a quiet body. You seem balanced and in sink with your horse. Wishing you continued good riding.

You certainly are a good rider on the way to becoming a great rider.

Here are a few things I noticed that you may considering working on:
-Try keeping your elbows a bit closer to your sides.
-Remember to keep your thumbs on top, I noticed puppy paws a few times.
-You have a quiet seat, but something looks a little stiff, maybe your lower back.

I'm so jealous you have an indoor to ride in! And your pony is just adorable, looks like a blast to ride!

Good luck in your riding!

I see a horse at the walk who is hesitant to walk out, due to him knowing exactly where the boundaries of that device are, and your seat being a bit stiff. I bet he is capable of so much more walk.

At the trot you are balanced side to side quite well, have a reasonabley quiet leg, but your hands are "bouncing" on the rein, and thus on his mouth. Probably due to a stiff elbow.

At Canter, again, I see the horse in a markedly cautious way of moving due to him not wanting to hit the boundary of the tie down.

CAn you ride out in the open? Can you ride without the comfort of the rail?
When you can walk and trot and canter without the rail or the arena, then you get into "good rider" territory. You do certainly have a very good start.

I've been riding once a week for the past 2.5 years and only most recently 2-4 times a week. The leg has come a LONG way in the past couple months but I know it's still got to be more still and stable. The hands are something I know (my coach tells me all the time) but I suck at sensing myself!

The horse is in draw reins because she has a bad habit of sticking her head out and causing herself neck strain. She's very unhappy without them and tosses her head. But with them she is a MUCH happier horse. I hold the draw reins in my hand so it acts more like a double bridle, since I can adjust the tension just like my snaffle rein. I'm working on riding effectively without them (leaving them very loose for parts of the ride) but it's still a work in progress and she is SO much happier with them on then off.

Very stiff lower back! I always feel stiff when I get off! Thanks for the tips I'll definitely try it! The indoor arena is a blessing! Although I do wish it was a little bit bigger.

She is an absolutely amazing horse and I am SO lucky to be able to ride her. She is so forgiving, willing and tolerant and such a sweetheart!

I explained the tie down up above. I hold the draw reins in my hand just like a double bridle, so I control the tension in them. That walk was just after a spook, so she was a little bit stiff. What can I do to keep her more supple even with the draw reins? She's ridden with them constantly, except for a few advanced riders and when we jump. I've ridden her without them and she's much more tense and sticks her neck out and ends up sore and unhappy after the ride. Any tips? How does the tie down affect her?

I do have a bad habit of riding on the rail. In the warmer months we have a huge sand ring and a gigantic hunt field so it's easier. I guess I should try to take up more space and ride in different patterns? In my lessons we do tons of serpentines, etc but when I ride on my own I get so focused on working on my hands, seat, etc that I just ride the rail because it's easier then working on all those things and planning where to go! Also, any tips for my unsteady hands? I know they flop around too much but I get so stiff when I try to keep them still that my whole body stiffens up.

Bump......