[ARMwins]

mk guys i have once again chosen a few pics for you all to critique.
for those who dont know, i jump w/out lessons, as now we cannot afford them. BUT i have lessoned o/f on him quite a bit

may 9:

[CowGirlUp1833]

Okay... Your getting slightly left behind in both pictures. You want to make sure you "meet in the middle" with your horse when you take a fence.... don't wait too long to go into 2 point. Think of "folding" your body as you feel him lift/rock back to take the fence. Most people get ahead, and thats worse because you weigh down thier front end making it hard for them to lift, but if you get left behind you'll often loose balance and land hard or grab the mouth. So make sure when you do get left behind to push forward with the hand as to spare thier mouth

Overall looks pretty good! Cute horse too

[ARMwins]

thank you cowgirlup

bump?

[Just Jump It]

I agree with cowgirl up!

Also, keep your arms in. You are making big efforts with your upper body to compensate for being left behind.

[DiamondRio]

In the second picture it looks like you almost are bending at the wrist over the jump. It may just be because of the blurriness but just make sure you keep your wrists straight
It also looks like you need to arch your back over the top a little more but its hard to tell because of your jacket
I love your heel in the first picture but in the second one you could be pushing down into them a little more.
Good luck!

[JBandRio]

Originally Posted by ARMwins

may 9:

Not much to dissect in this picture Your leg is exemplary. If anything, you are a little too folded for the relatively small jump effort here. Your hands seem to be floating above/beside the crest. You look quite stable enough in your lower body to have control of your upper body, so get working on a following release If your hands really are just floating there, you're not using them to stabilize your upper body anyway

Your leg swung back just a smidge here, with your heel having come up a little too. Nothing bad, but don't let it get worse You have a bit of a roach in your back this time,and your hands are different. Your hands almost look like "piano hands" - possibly your hunched shoulders combined with trying to keep/get your hands on his neck have causes the look. You look less relaxed here than the first picture.

Ok, what's going on here It looks like you're trying to drive him to a jump he's not sure about. I like that your hands have come up to keep a straight line with his mouth. Your leg position has suffered though, I'm guessing in your attempt to get more leg on him. If this is on an approach to a fence, then your position is very understandable and acceptably effective, even if it's not textbook equitation. Good equitation is about being effective as well as "pretty".