Critique please.

[april89]

Constructive critiques with ideas/suggestions very much appreciated. :)

This is me on a RS horse in my Wednesday lesson. I know my hands/arms not quite correct. They are the bain of my riding life at the minute! :rolleyes: :o Any ideas welcome though.

Thanks, :)

Picture

http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=CD3E9F2FAAB6A28E

Video

http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=7BD815976F88C6DD

[Frances]

Well I watched the vid and looked at the pic!!!

You were definitely the best in your class!!! (sorry, but I did peek at the others!).

Anyway, I would lengthen your stirrups and try not to flap your legs about when you are squeezing to urge the horse forward. I would get some jodphur boots so your legs have more sensitivity and actually give aids to your horse that are between you and your horse (ie you shouldn't really see such leg movement from you!). More muscles working that actually kicking.

Your legs and you don't seem to be enjoying a good relationship - they should be queiter but more effective and a definite contribution towards your riding along with your bum!

I am sorry if this doesn't make much sense.

Ignore me if you think I am too harsh! But you did look nice and the horse looked happy.

Fx

[Crazyhorse]

I think overall you both make a very nice picture. Would agree there is a bit too much movement with your legs, probably from trying too hard, which is what I do, why is it so hard to do nothing! I adore the horse your riding, gorgeous floaty paces. Think you are doing very well by the looks of things x

[coss]

i would say your whole leg needs to come back a bit, from the hip as your shoulder-hip-heel alignment is out. was that the purpose of the no stirrups work?
i would take each leg individually and pull it back and out away from the horse, turn your toe in (even though you toe is pointing forwards which is a good thing :)) and then slowly slide your leg into place. It should take the inner thigh out from under your leg and you should have an overall straighter leg with your heel under your hip. it will make you more secure in the saddle too (although it won't feel like that at first).
With you leg more under you, you will be able to sit up more (you seemed to lean back a bit to compensate for your leg. i can still hear my RI telling me to do the lean forward and kick your heels above the horses bum :eek: from when my leg used to be too far forwards. having had that sort of treatment you tend to find ways to keep your leg under you so you don't have to lean forwards and click your heels together. (though it probably did me good - i was on a pony that didn't mind the noise by the way so no one go trying it alone!)
you are correct about your hands being to low, think about carrying to cups in your hands rather than the reins- you have to carry them, if you think of them as plastic cups it will mean you hold the reins gently so as not to squash the cup.

overall your position really needs tweaking, you look balanced which is a bonus, i think just carry your hands more and get your leg more under you and the rest will follow. :)

[doolally_tap]

The key to getting your arms and hands in the right position is simple. If you watch the video your arms are almost straight from the shoulder to the wrist a lot of the time. If you lift your hands higher, you will instantly have a bend in your elbow and consequently the elbow, wrist to bit line will fall into place.

[april89]

why is it so hard to do nothing!

Because for the first few years you are taught to (or need to) do a lot!


Anyway, I would lengthen your stirrups and try not to flap your legs about when you are squeezing to urge the horse forward. (ie you shouldn't really see such leg movement from you!). More muscles working that actually kicking.
Ignore me if you think I am too harsh! But you did look nice and the horse looked happy.

Don't worry, thats definately not harsh and if I dont like it then I shouldn't have asked the question! ;) I have been trying to use my leg a bit less but old habits die hard and what muscles?! :eek: :p Any ideas on how to make leg aids more effective?

i would say your whole leg needs to come back a bit, from the hip as your shoulder-hip-heel alignment is out. it will make you more secure in the saddle too (although it won't feel like that at first).
i can still hear my RI telling me to do the lean forward and kick your heels above the horses bum :eek: from when my leg used to be too far forwards.


My leg is strangely dependant on the saddle :o with one of the rs saddles I end up with the most embarassing chair seat :eek:, most saddles leave me like in the video and some help the straight line come through. Any ideas why? Especially when with no stirrup work my leg always fall straighter? :confused: I'll definately try to work on it but please don't go giving my instructor ideas like that! :p

If you lift your hands higher, you will instantly have a bend in your elbow and consequently the elbow, wrist to bit line will fall into place.

Is practice and repetition the best way to do this as I keep trying but then I get sidetracked and it all goes to pot again! :rolleyes:

Thank you very much everyone and any/all ideas and views welcome. :)

[curlycal]

I have a problem with tensing my shoulders, so every time I do it my RI says "shoulders", maybe you could ask your RI to do the same every time she sees you drop your hands.

Its hard when you have to concentrate on so many thing at once isn't it?

I find I get one thing right and something else goes to pot :o

Cal x

[coss]

My leg is strangely dependant on the saddle :o with one of the rs saddles I end up with the most embarassing chair seat :eek:, most saddles leave me like in the video and some help the straight line come through. Any ideas why? Especially when with no stirrup work my leg always fall straighter? :confused: I'll definately try to work on it but please don't go giving my instructor ideas like that! :p



Is practice and repetition the best way to do this as I keep trying but then I get sidetracked and it all goes to pot again! :rolleyes:

Thank you very much everyone and any/all ideas and views welcome. :)

with practise and repitition it will come... it just takes time.

when it comes the saddle problem, it is common. the best thing is work without stirrups i'm afraid. the reason your leg is better without stirrups is because the stirrup isn't pulling your leg forwards. you have to build up muscle memory in your legs so that even with a saddle pulling your leg forward you can hold your own position. if you get a chance to ride in a dressage saddle you will probably feel like your leg is being pulled back. i have recently bought a dressage saddle for my horse as i was fed up with fighting my GP.

The problem is that you want to have the "nice long leg" that is very effective on the horse but the more you get it the less support the saddle will give you as GP's are designed for shorter stirrups:rolleyes:
your position being reliant on the saddle is NOT unusual and it is a very annoiying problem. the more you ride without stirrups and with your leg in the correct position the easier you will find it to hold the position no matter what saddle you are in. the main problem with that is if you are on a forward cut GP and your leg sits right at the back of the saddle flap - looks very strange:D

i would definately do the mini exercises i mentioned earlier (pulling each leg back individually) as you can gradually learn to do that whilst on the move and not make such a big thing of it. and the frog thing... well.... lets not go there...
i won't even say how my instructor got you to sit up if you had the opposite to a chair seat :eek: if you were in between (ie- good position) you had to do both:eek: not good, don't suggest it!

[carrimclaren]

Hi, agree with everyone else about what they've commented on. You've got a really nice balance and look like a pretty quiet rider who's got a good seat. Like you've already said, you know what you need to work on points are which means you're already ahead of the game :) Knowing your faults as a rider always help you to move forward as you're open to learning how to improve. From the video i can honestly say i don't see that there's any huge gaping holes in your riding. Mainly just little tweaks needed here and there but don't we all need this ;) The legs being quieter and stiller will come with time. I used to struggle and nearly ended up in tears several times a week due to me feeling like my legs were flapping and such and then it just became more normal to have a longer quiet leg (i still do have flappy days tho). Also because my mare used to lean my arms did exactly the same as yours. You just need them a little higher and to have a little more bend in your elbow. I'd imagine it's a little harder on that mare too because she looks like she's got a cheeky streak :)Lovely mover though and lovely looking.

[Afellpony]

In one of the pix it looks as though, you need to bring your hands up a bit so you bend your elbows. This gives you more flexibility in your arms and shoulders. Holding your arms straight also causes your shoulders to tense up.