can someone crituqe my riding?

[TheHoglet]

hi i was wondering if anyone could critique my riding? i am a terrible rider and i lean forard too much and have my hands in the wrong place:rolleyes:
i got some vids of me and skittles tonight but mam took them so there is a lot of shouting and most of it is of the grass:p also skitles was in a verry bad mood and was being terribly naughty so that made me look awfull too (although i shouldnt blame it on him) anyway i hope they work:
http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=8B28F735EF3741A4
http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=33A47E8EDFEF4644
http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=065BBCA0082F6C95
http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=AD57B019A01E1658

and a few stills
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e325/cobsrgood/skittles/DSC00467.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e325/cobsrgood/skittles/DSC00473.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e325/cobsrgood/skittles/aa.jpg

thanks for any comments:D

xxx bex

[cvb]

Bex

Neither the stills nor the videos are great for critiquing... the videos are quite low resolution... but you are certainly not a "terrible rider"...

But - some questions - I think your saddle is a GP ? It looks quite forward cut ? So for example, if I try and drop a line through shoulder, hip and heel - well try it and you'll see ;)

But if I got you to open your hip and bring the leg more under you, I think your leg would be off the back of the panel ?? (I can't really comment more as to what might help you, because of the difficulty in assessing from the video).

From what I saw, I wouldn't agree with your own assessment of leaning forward - but the leg position might make you feel off balance and *will* affect your ability to carry your hands..

it much harder for the horse to achieve self-carriage if the rider can't !

The other thing I was wondering was whether Skittles was forward going or not ? If its not the saddle pulling your leg forward, that could be another reason. You *can* adjust the leg within the limits of the saddle design - but its much harder work if the saddle is always repositioning you again !

[PinkGlamourGurl]

haha bex i love it! "just bl***y ride!" :D I've seen you ride, you arent terrible. Cant really comment much, was distracted by your mam hehe, you are looking better though :) You still need to come and ride fleur sometime, i'm on a riding week this week but i could do saturday. Im also away from 20th-24th so anytime after that ;) I've been on skittles twice now so tis your turn :D Natxxxxx

[xXSundanceBayXx]

you need to bring your leg more under you. and you are far from rubbish. :D

[cvb]

a quick thought - re my previous comments about the leg and the saddle panel... are you sure you are actually sitting in the lowest part of the seat ? I have a feeling if you were a fraction further forward your hips may be a bit more level and you'd have a bit more space to bring your leg under you.

Some possible reasons why you might not be doing this - you may be sitting a fraction back in the saddle as you find it harder to sit to the trot and canter with an open hip ? Or if you have some stiffness in the hip joints ?

[TheHoglet]

cvb-yep the saddle is a gp and it's realy uncomfy and difficult to ride in :( skittles is far from forward going he is one of thes slow as a slug plodder types in those vids he was being extreemly naughty as well :(.
i'm not rely sure where i sit in the saddle but i'll try sittig a bit further forward and see if it feels any better thanks :)

pinkglamourgurl-i'm having a riding month hopefully :p oh and i'm away bank holiday weekend xc rides and stuff :D so just whenever suits you realy but i'll have to ask mam first but i'm sure it'll be fine ;)

[Rafflesmoose]

Hi
What was he doing to be naughty? He looks lovely by the way - lucky you having a plodder, no matter how hard I try I just can't find one! *sighs* ;) :)
Hard to tell from vids, but maybe your back might not be quite straight enough? You certainly didn't look rubbish tho! :)

[TheHoglet]

he was hust being a stubborn little pig because he dosnt like to be schooled
oh and thanks btw you can have him for 50p if he carries on like that again :p honestly it was pathetic :rolleyes:

[fishiz3434]

Your definatly not rubbish! your mom's funny tho hehe by the looks of it you sitting too far back in the saddle and need to put your legs further bac underneith you instead of infrount...try to make it so that you have a verticale line from your ear to your sholder to your hip to your heel.
Your pony is so cute!

[Miriam]

Becca get your mum to arrange a time to get over to me. I'll get you on either Peter or Rhi. Can't really tell much from the videos but you dont look that bad.

[TheHoglet]

ok then :) you'll have to pm her or something ;)
oh however will i manage riding all these horses *hides behind computer chair-scary scary!* :p

[eventerbabe]

i couldn't actually see much in the vids, but in one of them, your ear/hip/ankle line was well out. i agree with cvb that your saddle seems awfully forward cut and this may be pushing you out a bit. a little exercise to try for you. Lift your thigh off the saddle, stretch it back, then lower your thigh back to the saddle, pushing your knee into the saddle and making sure your heels are down and toes pointing forwards, not out. Do this with each leg one at a time and it should give you a feel for where you should be aiming to have your legs.

Quick comment about your hands/elbows. You seem to have 'motorbike' hands in a few of the pictures. remember, thumbs on top and hands more upright, not turned over. By turning them as you have them, you are tensing different muscles and so won't get a great feel on the reins and won't have a nice, light contact. You also seem to have rather straight arms, would like to see a bit more bend at the elbows.

But seriously, don't worry!! these are only minor faults, and as i said, i'm not sure your saddle helps you out at all.

[friedegund]

I am no expert, a very green newbie myself who is fraught with bad habits, but I had to check out your videos and must say your Mam is a hoot, I love that "Just bloody ride!!!!!" comment, she sounds so much like me when faced with the challenges of controlling modern technology!

I am a Canadian, my RI is British, and a former Eventer. One thing I did notice is your hands, your palms are facing down instead of towards one another, though perhaps your RI teaches a different style. Myine is always at me to sit up tall, stick that chest back, and unround my shoulders. I seem to think I am sitting up tall, all the while she continues to shout at me from the ground, however, when I do sit up tall, I find my leg seems to fall in proper position and my aids are so sharper.

So, mu advice, keep on riding, and share more vids with your Mam's commentary!

[The Flying Irishman]

OMG I am sooooooo embarrassed, being the mam who shouts "just bloody ride" sorry peeps was trying desperately to work out the wonders of taking a vid on a mobile plus being miffed cos my horse has popped two verterbrae.

Anyway I think all your comments on spot on, the saddle is absolutely awful to ride on:(

Kath x

[iloveshearer]

I love the shouting!!! :D You're not awul at all Bex!!!!

[PinkGlamourGurl]

kath when can bex come down :D i would really really like it if she could come and ride fleur ;) i promishe she'll be fine, fleur is a confidence giver and wouldnt hurt anyone but me :p you may have a sit on ginger thing if you wish :D Natxxxx

[Rafflesmoose]

he was hust being a stubborn little pig because he dosnt like to be schooled
oh and thanks btw you can have him for 50p if he carries on like that again :p honestly it was pathetic :rolleyes:

awww! lol, i might just take you up on that.........;)
Vicky x

[Afellpony]

You're not that bad, infact I think you look ok. What I would say though you need to bend your elbows a little more by raising your hands just a bit. Your arms look rather straight to me.

[The Flying Irishman]

Well Nat if you're around Saturday :D

As for me riding Fleur ......do you really want a squashed ginger thing:D :eek: :p :D

Kath x

[PinkGlamourGurl]

Is saturday ok then? :D cant wait xxxx

[TheHoglet]

oooh scary :p what time? i think i'm riding in the morning

[PinkGlamourGurl]

oh err theres dressage on til bout 1 a thinkish so you could come up bout half past :D tisnt scary! hat needed :) NAtxxx

[TheHoglet]

right sorry to bring this up again as i know theres been a bit of a critque overload reacently :D but i have some more recent piccys of us and some cantering vids.

ok pics do you think i have improoved at all??
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e325/cobsrgood/skittles/hack1.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e325/cobsrgood/skittles/DSC00043.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e325/cobsrgood/skittles/DSC00041.jpg

right cantering vids (not on skitts obviously :D) critque these as much as you like i'm just lerning realy and i need all the help i can get!
http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=F10BB1F8C833F58B
http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=74C2F4BAC62ECD23
http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=EC4153E8970C8812

thanks for all the thinks everyone has said it's a realy good help :)

xxx bex

[TheHoglet]

**bump**

[cvb]

cobsrgood

take a look at the hip-hell angle in the second photo, and the angle of the foot in the last one.

I wonder whether you are pushing too hard into your heel ? which is pushing both the knee and the lower leg forward ?

In the final photo the lower leg is further back but the toe is out - and I *think* that is coming from the knee (and hence the hip) being turned out, rather than it all being in the ankle. It looks as if you have opened the hip, but then you need to rotate the leg - from the hip - so the whole leg turns towards the front. The feel of this can be worked on off the horse - which will help your flexibility as well, but probably earn you a few odd looks ! ;) Or work on it on the horse but with stirrups (and at halt first). Keep the leg soft, think of the hip being open and relaxed so that the leg just falls down the horse's side from the hip. I turn the hip/knee by imagining I have an arrow stuck on the front of the knee and softly turning at the hip so the arrow points more in the direction of travel. You must not force this - as that makes it all tense and tight. It needs to be gentle - so it won't get better all in one go, just a bit by bit.

The other exercise that can help - at halt without stirrups - take the leg back slightly from the hip - think of pointing the toe at the hind hoof so that the whole leg lengthens and stretches. Then let it relax back into "normal" position (only it will actually be a slightly improved position). This helps flatten the thigh muscle against the stirrups as well (without the whole "grab the muscle and rearrange it thing" which I personally hate, but have been forced to do by RIs, being a chunkier shape myself !)

[TheHoglet]

lol thanks :) i know my toes are awfull i just cant seem to get them to stay in the right place :p
i think i shall have a go at that stech thingy when i ride tomorrow ;)