Anabel - I have to say
THAT IS HOW A JUMPER IS SUPPOSED TO LOOK!!!
Oh my gosh, I want to pull my hair out when I watch people ride today, riders who have 0 - little amount of Dressage under their belts, and they think they look good and are doing good.
It is very refreshing to see a horse jump, how they are supposed to do the job. Light, rounded, soft, on their hind ends, soft and smooth.
Why, WHY can't people see how important dressage is, to be successful at jumping? For the horses sake!
I go to my barn that is a Hunter/Jumper barn, very large and very involved with the LMHJA, and not 1 horse looks like that - because - they don't do dressage.
All they do, is get on, do some "flatwork" incorrectly *horses never lift backs, round, soften, track up and riders have no clue how to use their bodies because all they do is ride on their crotches with upper bodies forward* and then jump, jump, jump and ..oh yeah, that's right - jump some more.
They ride with gadgets on, German Martingales, Standing Martingales and blah blah blah.
I would LOVE the Eventers and Jumpers on this forum - to watch this video and learn!
You both look fabulous, and you are living proof of how important dressage is for jumping. Afterall - jumping is dressage with speed bumps.
If GP Jumpers spend 5-6 days a week doing dressage because of this very reason - then so should we!