Advice on these videos

[Tally.]

Well last week i made my mum come and take some videos of me riding. Looking back on them is a real shock :eek:
I seem to be bouncing all over the place in canter and my hands are going up and down like yoyos!
Plese dont be too mean, its only my 4th lesson after 13 yrs.

P.S. you might want to turn your speakers down as it was a very windy day.

Me in trot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obqhkJAdwQo


A trot with a circle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIp3x37ez_w

A short canter, took me while to get him started:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCoILKAhWqY

And no i wasnt supposed to cut the corner :rolleyes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdMsPGJxKU4

[Kittycat]

You are not that bad! I was expecting to see a sack of spuds on the back of a horse, don't worry you are doing fine!:)

I'm not the best to critique position etc being a relative newbie myself, but your trot looks ok to me. The canter was a little bouncy, perhaps you need to relax more? My instructor tells us to imagine we have a £20 note under our bum, we don't want it to blow away!:p

Considering it's your 4th lesson in 13 years, I think you are doing brilliantly!

Enjoy yourself!:D

[Nazdaq]

you are fine, you are waaaay too critical on yourself. I look similar on a horse I am sure (I am going to video next week!) but yes I would say you are fine, the key thing is to RELAX more, in trot, let the horse push you up as you look a little stiff becuase you are rising yourself. At canter, relax, legs long heels down. The second canter was better then the first. :D :D

[Shire Monster]

I think you look just fine, after a break like that you can't just jump back up an everything fall into place. Yes you were a bit bouncy in canter but it's only a matter of time before that all falls in, at least you know about it now and its somethin to work on.
Do you ride the same horse all the time?
Just wondered cos I went back after 5-6 years off and rode a lovely TBx my OH videoed short bits of my lesson and I was pleasantly surprised, my position was ok in all gaits, nothin I could really pick on myself for and so went the first 3 lessons until the premature dismount o lesson 3!! I've never really ridden slim horses like him and felt I wouldn't have fallen at such a small spook on a wider horse.
RI put my on a slower horse (bit chunkier) and OH has similar vids of me, my position is all over the place, I guess fighting with her to move changes my position for the worst, in WALK I seem to be rockin like I was in a rockin chair, absolutely atrocious.
What I'm saying is maybe the fella you were riding (gorgeous by the way) doesn't help with position in canter

[Cobgirl]

You were really good! Your canter was fine, mine was so bouncy, it bounced me right out of the saddle, lol!!

I think it is good that we put ourselves down when necessary, but hey in your case it was not necessary!! Excellent, well done.

[cwb]

Tally,

It'll all come right in the end - just practice, practice, practice.

My RI keeps upping the stakes, so every time I master something like cantering for the first time, next lesson she has me cantering over poles, then with short stirrups in 2 point and today in even shorter stirrups over poles in 2 point!

Result - I never get to relax - I video my lessons as well, it is amazing what you see and hear on replaying it - like stuff I never realised I was doing or thought I was doing well but saw different!

Keep up the good work!

[Kate F.]

Well last week i made my mum come and take some videos of me riding. Looking back on them is a real shock :eek:
I seem to be bouncing all over the place in canter and my hands are going up and down like yoyos!
Plese dont be too mean, its only my 4th lesson after 13 yrs.


I think my first tip is, when you look at videos of yourself, make sure you look for the good things as well a the faults. I can see a lot of good point there. The rhythm is very good, especially in trot, your hands a lovely and quiet in trot, and you make a harmonious picture together. That's no small achievement- especially after just 4 lessons after a long break! :)

Things to work on - try bringing your upper body a little further forwards in the rising trot and soften in your hip. Stretch up and forwards as though you had an eye on your chest that's looking up to the sky. At the moment you're a fraction behind the movement, which is why you seem to be standing up in your stirrups in rising trot, rather than flowing with the horse. You shouldn't feel any "stand" in the rise - the movement of the horse should push your seat forwards and up.

The same applies in canter - bring your upper body a bit further fowards. Your hands are bouncing up and down because you are slightly behind the movement. Make sure your knees and ankles are soft and able to take up the movement. The most common cause of the seat bouncing is gripping with the knees and/or bracing the ankles. Unfortunately, people are always being told "heels down" and that tends to make them push the heel down and brace the ankle. The heel drops down on its own when the joints are soft and open and the legs relaxed.

You may find it helps to shorten the reins a little and put your hands a bit further forwards. Keep the same amount of bend in your elbows - just move the whole thing a few inches forwards. This will help keep you over the horse's centre of gravity and with the movement.

Hope that helps! Have fun!

[Tally.]

You see, this is the problem with this place....

Your all so damn nice :D

Thanks for the comments, i dont feel so bad now, lol.

I ride a different horse each week which i like because i get to experience loads of different horses.
I like the idea of keeping a £20 note planted under my behind, i will try and put all of your advice into practice on Sat and let you know how it goes :)

Thank you again!