[Hunter-Eq Rider]

Critique me and Paige!!! I know I look small lol but other then that how do we look??!?!?

[imjustjoking22]

very good! she looks happy- so that says something good about how you are riding her!

[Jenje!]

Aaw look it's a PEANUT, hehehe... *pinch*

You guys are cuuuute. But CLOSE YOUR FINGERS. I get nagged for that all the time!

I'm not sure if that saddle is just way too big for you or what... but I'd like to see you sitting UP rather than back the way you are. It's almost a chair seat. I think it would help you a lot to open your hips up and bring your knee and leg back underneath your body. What appears to be a nice flexible heel at first glance almost looks jammed in there at second, and that's going to lead to a stiff, inflexible leg. Use all the length of leg you can get!

[magic_rider]

You to look great, just remember to keep your elbows in and look up.

[China515]

You guys look so good! I would say to pull your calf back so that it is underneath your hips and turn your hands up so that your thumbs are on top if that makes sense.

[Hunter-Eq Rider]

Thanks guys!!! And yeah that was the owner of hers saddle lol It was HUGE On me!!!!

[farmeress]

Okay, first I want to say that I have hurt myself and have not been able to teach in a week and am getting my "fix" by the critique board so I tend to get veerry picky, but it is because I can envision the rider when these slight faults are corrected

Your body is not in alignment. While your ear/shoulder/hip are correct, they do not line up with your heel. Hence the "chair seat" position that the other posters have mentioned.
Open your thigh and take the knee off the saddle or stand up in your stirrups allowing the leg to come underneath the body and onto the horses' barrel more. Then sit down while holding this leg position. Riding without stirrups may help BUT be sure you do not pinch with the knee or tense in the upper thigh as this will contradict the purpose of the exercise.

In all the photos you are collapsing in the ribcage which has you leaning in affecting the horses balance.
This collapsing has you dropping the inside shoulder while allowing the outside shoulder to fall slightly forward opening the outside elbow too much and lifting the outside seatbone off the saddle. You are tense through the neck because of this. Pictures 2 & 3 show this the best.
Think of a string pulling you up from the centre of the helmet.
Now stretch up your inside ribcage and bring the outside shoulder back.
Relax in the shoulder and waist area.
Bend the outside elbow and allow it to rest softly at your side. Allow the inside elbow to relax. The relaxation MUST start at the shoulders which are both rolled forward instead of back and allowed to naturally drop down.
Sit with more weight in the outside seatbone.
Open the thigh allowing the leg to drop underneath the hip and shouler.

This is a very lovely pony who is slightly behind the bit/vertical at the moment. When you relax your shoulders and soften the wrist he will soften in his jaw and bring his poll up to the highest point allowing him to come off the forehand and use his hindend more.

You are a nice pair and on your way to being a complete package.

Keep up the good work

[equestsarah81]

I totally agree with everything said... So I don't need to say anything...

[~*GOJUMP*~]

AWWW!!!!!!!!!!!! You look so teeny! You are a very talented rider too! I do agree on everything farmeress says though, she nailed it.

[jumpthemoon]

Originally Posted by farmeress

This is a very lovely pony who is slightly behind the bit/vertical at the moment. When you relax your shoulders and soften the wrist he will soften in his jaw and bring his poll up to the highest point allowing him to come off the forehand and use his hindend more.

I believe this is quite a large horse (a draft cross, if I am not mistaken) and she is a mare not a gelding.

I am fairly certain I have seen this mare doing jumpers in shows. She looks very familiar. Yes?