[Fiera]

Originally Posted by CaliLove1994

1st picture:
Your horse- first off he's real cute but a little sloppy he's more under him self then bringing his knees up which in some cases is good, like my mare has more a jumper form but is very tight all over. He's kind of letting his legs dangle all over the place. I'd work on a lot of grids to help him keep it tight.
You- Over all i think your a cute rider but there are a few things to touch up (what rider doesnt ) You have a pretty nice leg but it looks like your pinching with your a knee a bit. I can tell because your crotch is aligned with the pomel meaning your moving your knee to lift your self over the jumps, making your body lean too far forward. You want to use your calf to lift your body up and bend at the hip only so that you stay centered over the saddle without moving your knee at all, that will also make your leg perfect Your release im not liking IMO its ok to give a floating release but thats me but you have a little too much contact with the bit for my preferance. But we all have our own opinion when it comes to releases.

2nd pic.:
Your horse- i think for whats going on he's holding up very nicely
You- Your sitting back WAY to early you should not be in that saddle until a stride after the jump. Thats a big hazard IMO because if your horse takes a bad landing he has to be able to get him self and YOU back in condition to get to the next jump. It also looks like your trying to turn left, unless your just leaning really far. If you are trying to turn make sure your out of the saddle and looking around that turn, turning your waist (leaving your hip straight) but moving your upper body facing where you want to go.
Third pic:
Your horse- i like his knees here but he's still being lazy with his knee and below. I'd also like to see his a little rounder over the jump, so i'd sit the jumps if you already dont and drive him to the jump (not faster but longer strides) so that at the base he rocks back and creates a even flow all the way over the jump.
You- your leg looks really scrunched here, normally i like SHORT stirrups believe me mine are really short but for you im not liking it too much. Remember elmows in and again the whole deal with your seat.

Your a really cute (i use that instead of nice, sorry if it bothers you) rider you just need to practice a little more on holding your body wieght. very nice looing hrose too!

Thanks a lot for a great critique! I sometimes don't know what my body should be doing over the top of the jump( folding, unfolding, etc.) so it's good to know that I actually should stay in my 2-point longer.

I also didn't know I was pinching with my knees, so I'll definitely work on using my calves instead. Thanks again!

And Biscuit has been getting better and better with her knees and legs. She was ridden in a jumping lesson today, and she was tight! She's turning out to be such a nice kids pony.

[Fiera]

Originally Posted by Cara

I just wanted to say that I saw the demo, and you guys looked great!

Another random connection... Do you work with Anita?

I don't train with her, but she and my trainers are good friends and I rode in a clinic with her a few months ago. I've been to her place and everything, and we know each other. She's a really neat trainer :]

[CaliLove1994]

Sorry i was saying he in my post, i've been doing that a lot lately

[JumpingBean]

Your leg appears to be fairly solid. It looks as if your weight may be coming out of your heels at the apex of the jump, but generally it looks good. I agree that lowering your stirrups a hole or two might help you a bit more. The only possible knee-pinching going on is in the second picture, and even there it is very slight. I am not sure where the others are seeing it.

The biggest problem is that you are getting left behind in the air. In the first picture you are just barely beginning to slip backwards, and in the second two pictures it's very noticeable. Morris likes to call it the cardinal sin of jumping . You're punishing the horse at the point of the jump where she most needs you with her and out of her way. Which leads me to your my point about release...

A floating release is never correct. It is not a type or a style of release; it's a term for an error in a correct release. In the first picture we can get a good look at what happens when it goes wrong -- you can see your hand beginning to rotate backwards as you fall behind the balance point, hitting her in the mouth. It's not so much that you aren't giving enough (she has plenty of rein initially), it's that as the jump progresses the hand is floating over the neck and isn't stable. Right now, consciously grab a BIG fistful of mane in both hands and press your hands into the crest. This will help in a variety of areas: correcting your release, keeping your balance over the jump/not falling behind, and saving the horse's mouth.

I'm also seeing a little tension, especially through your shoulders. I don't know if this is normal or just from this particular ride.

You mentioned that this was the horse's first time over jumps this size, which probably didn't help you look your best. I'd be interested to see you on some other horses, because my overall impression was that you are usually a very secure, effective, and balanced rider. The horse you normally ride -- why is he hard to do a crest release on? My first guess was that he jumps very round, which makes the neck look like it's "disappearing" in front of you. The reason I ask is because if that's the case, it might be worth experimenting with an auto to see if it works better.

[Fiera]

Thanks so much JumpingBean! I think you might have misunderstood what I said about my release though. I meant that I know I have a horrible floaty/limiting release, but I didn't mean I thought a floting release was actually a release. I know it's a heinous crime in the releasing department.

I do think both my release and falling back are results of my sloppy form when I ride the horse I'm currently on. She has a very round, explosive jump; and you are right on when you believe it's because it feels like her neck is "disappearing" beneath me. When I am on her, I jump behind her motion frequently and display my floating release. Actually, when I jump her I end up doing accidental, shoddy auto releases a lot of the time.

So basically these flaws are creeping up on me when I'm not being cautious. I usually do have a very nice release (I'd always considered it my strongest suite) and am more inclined to be too ahead than too far back, so it's weird seeing things inverted. However, in my last lesson on my other horse, I focused on pressing my knuckles into her mane the entire time and only did the "floaty" release a few times. I don't think I sat back too early at all this time, as well, other than when I was actually and truly left behind. I'm starting to get the hang of jumping her now, and things are feeling much better. This horse is notorious for being a very difficult ride, and I actually had a girl who is going intermediate soon tell me that she was the most uncomfortable horse she had ever ridden. ;D So that makes me feel less idiotic for my mistakes when I'm riding.

But anyways, I don't like making excuses for the way I ride, because either way I'm doing what I'm doing and it's incorrect. Thanks again Jumpingbean, your critique was really helpful! This is why I love critique threads

[JumpingBean]

Originally Posted by Fiera

Thanks so much JumpingBean! I think you might have misunderstood what I said about my release though. I meant that I know I have a horrible floaty/limiting release, but I didn't mean I thought a floting release was actually a release. I know it's a heinous crime in the releasing department.

I do think both my release and falling back are results of my sloppy form when I ride the horse I'm currently on. She has a very round, explosive jump; and you are right on when you believe it's because it feels like her neck is "disappearing" beneath me. When I am on her, I jump behind her motion frequently and display my floating release. Actually, when I jump her I end up doing accidental, shoddy auto releases a lot of the time.

So basically these flaws are creeping up on me when I'm not being cautious. I usually do have a very nice release (I'd always considered it my strongest suite) and am more inclined to be too ahead than too far back, so it's weird seeing things inverted. However, in my last lesson on my other horse, I focused on pressing my knuckles into her mane the entire time and only did the "floaty" release a few times. I don't think I sat back too early at all this time, as well, other than when I was actually and truly left behind. I'm starting to get the hang of jumping her now, and things are feeling much better. This horse is notorious for being a very difficult ride, and I actually had a girl who is going intermediate soon tell me that she was the most uncomfortable horse she had ever ridden. ;D So that makes me feel less idiotic for my mistakes when I'm riding.

But anyways, I don't like making excuses for the way I ride, because either way I'm doing what I'm doing and it's incorrect. Thanks again Jumpingbean, your critique was really helpful! This is why I love critique threads

Yeah -- my comment was actually more towards other critiques that indicated it was an acceptable release. I browsed through your other pictures in your gallery and noted that in most cases your equitation is excellent and flawless.

My sister has a mare with a disappearing neck... it is definitely a weird kind of ride compared to flatter jumps!