Western Riding critique and confo critique on Romeo

Thank you! I try really hard to watch my hands...an was having to be a little more in contact when the pics were taken due to his "Pet me" behaviour...but ill watch myself :)

And the bit isnt tight I promise...no wrinkles what so ever...its actually fairly loose...he just chews on it for some reason...never figured it out...he mostly does it if we have been standing still so I figure he gets bored... but that is one thing I will swear by! His bit fits perfect!

And thank you! Im glad everyone thinks he looks so good! Last time it was just about agreed that more muscle and weight was needed so I've tried hard with that...

Bump...any comments on his confrmation? I've gotten a lot on my riding so far...but anything on him? Lol past he's gorgeous lol

Confo wise I think he is a very well built animal other than he might want a little more muscle along the top line( his neck looks really flat on top). Other than that id say get outta his mouth loosen that bit and just chill. If he acts goofy around people and other horses(dont worry Dhom is a hamm and a half w/ other horses and riders around so I feel ya) go back to the basics and reinforce the fact that when you are on his back or the end of the leadrope you are the boss and noone else matters....

You need to move your lower leg back a little and relax your lower back. In the second picture when he's turning, you're leaning to the right which causes him to lean also. Be sure to keep the ball of your foot resting on the stirrup, with your heels down.
He's such a cute horse!!

Pic 1 your position isn’t too bad. But try and keep your lower leg back. This will help you engage the hind quarters.

2. Looks like the horse is pacing. Probably due to balance. So remembering to sit up ,not lean and engaging the hind quarters will help in getting the trot happening.

3.were you asking for a halt? If so you need to be halting with your seat and not the bit. Weight into your heals and roll back onto your pockets.

4. You don’t look relaxed, your quite perched on your pelvis. Try sitting back and tucking your tail bone underneath you. Length of stirrup is good, and I like how your shoulders are always back :)

5. Probable my fav picture, just remember elbows in.

I think you might find that your leg position has a lot to do with your saddle. It doesn’t look balanced and will cause your leg to swing forward.

Pidge,
I didn't see your last critique post so cannot say if improvement is there or not.
I rather like your position, fundamentally. . I like that you look up and sit up nice and vertical. There is some tension in the lower back AND because your knee gets locked, you end up either being braced into your stirrup when he is giving you some trouble, OR you rock forward onto your pubic bone too much and you lose your stirrup. IT's there but since your foot is through it too much, it is useless to you and dangerous to boot.

Sit down on the horse, get vertical as you like. Take a deep breathe and lift your legs straight OFF the horses sides (out of the stirrups) let them fall back to the horse's sides. Take another breath and have him walk on. Ride at a walk with no stirrups for a good 10 minutes, then stop, pause and just lift your toe and find your stirrup NOT tightening your knee. When you find it , then try not to change that feeling of a loose knee and a draping leg down into the heel. Your upper body is good . I like to see the bend in your elbow and that your upper arm hang hangs vertical with the elbow back, almost behind your torso.

That good enough for ya?

You might try shortening the stirrup ONE. Just a thought

It looks like you are hollowing your back in the 4th picture and in the 1st pictures you look stiff.You should be relaxed. You should also not have the reins up by the horn(1st picture looks like you are holding them past the horn and I was taught that it should be).

You guys do look good together and your horse is nice looking. In the 3rd confo pic his front pasterns look a bit long but it might just be the angle as in the other pictures it doesn't.It is hard to tell with the pictures. You should make sure you have him squared up for the most part and try to have his head level.

I agree with tinyliny,
I rather like your position. So no major issues there, however, your legs and feet need some work. It looks like your stirrups are too long and you are reaching for them. If you are having pain when using them I suggest riding stirrup-less. It's much safer than having your foot in too far, and it will benefit both you and your horse if you no longer have to think about trying to keep your foot in there. Make sure, when you ride without stirrups, that your leg is in the same position it would be if you were riding with them. Keeping your heel down, a soft bend at the knee and having your ankle lined up with your hip and shoulder.

As for your horse, he seems to be quite a character! His muscling is coming along nicely, although it still has some ways to go. My only concern is the bit, yes it may fit him, but something definitely seems to be bothering him.

Maybe work on asking him to give to pressure and it may fix his resisting of the bit? I'd have to see him in action to really understand what is going on, but anyhoodle.

Good luck ! :)

I know this advice is coming a little late, but hopefully it can still be helpful.

Pic 1) It was said before, but I'll say it again, relax. You look very stiff and not very deep in the saddle. Also your hands should be touching mane/hair, you have your hands really high, especially considering the aggressive bit you've got.

Pic 2) You're over leaning into your turns and judging from your elbows your hands are probably still too high. However your seat is good (aside from the leaning) and your leg looks better than in pic 1. Did you adjust the stirrup or is pic 1 a bad angle?

Pic 3) You're standing in the stirrups rather than sitting and putting weight in them. You are leaning forward. You are really up in the horses mouth at this point. I read about the situation and I think you are trying to turn him. I think I see why you are having trouble aside from the horse being stubborn. You have heavy pressure on your right side (presumably to pull the horse around) however you also have a lot of contact from your left hand. This would be confusing for the horse and results in the head being brought up to avoid the pressure. You might want to try gentle, tugging pressure from the right rein only, letting the left rein go almost entirely slack. Also, don't forget, you have legs; inside leg inside leg inside leg! I hope that made sense. Also, it might be a bad angle but it looks like you are drawing back with the reins, you might want to draw up or out or a combination (depending on the training of the horse).

Pic 4) You are really far forward and your feet are too far back. Really kick them out there, this is western, relax, lol.

Pic 5) Are you posting? Stop it, stop it now, lol. You can post in a western saddle, I sometimes do over rough terrain, but if you can really put the pressure in your stirrups and get a good deep seat, sitting a trot would really improve your tendency to lean forward. Also your hands are too high and you are really in the horses mouth. Let the reins drop a little and get some neck contact. Also is there a reason you're using that particular bit? It gives you a lot of leverage, so it might be exacerbating being in the horses mouth.

Romeo is a real looker, he looks a little uphill and he has a smaller head and neck than I like, but nothing really jumps out at me.