[imjustjoking22]

Got some new footage today and I took these photos off of it- I will try to put together a video later

Am I looking more balanced, and jumping ahead less? I didn't realize until the end of the ride that my stirrups were a bit too short because a friend had ridden in the saddle, but I still felt like my leg was better than before.

This was my first time attempting some baby auto-releases... can't say they turned out so well but I think I get points for effort!
(got a little off-balance there- hence the exaggerated release!) (x-oxer)

My favorite:

[JustJumpIt111]

The first thing I can tell over fences is that your back is roached. In some of the pictures you are behind the motion as well, but that also could be due to the timing of the photo. Your back is rounded and your upper body is collapsing onto your horses neck, thus causing your leg to swing back sacrificing your base of support. Kudos for trying an auto release, and I am glad you are not catching your horse in the face in any of the photos (a common mistake for the first time auto release). In a couple of the pictures it also seems as though you are pinching with your knees, therefore bringing your lower leg back and having your knee act as a pivot point rather than support.

Cute horse Hope I helped.

[imjustjoking22]

Originally Posted by JustJumpIt111

The first thing I can tell over fences is that your back is roached. In some of the pictures you are behind the motion as well, but that also could be due to the timing of the photo. Your back is rounded and your upper body is collapsing onto your horses neck, thus causing your leg to swing back sacrificing your base of support. Kudos for trying an auto release, and I am glad you are not catching your horse in the face in any of the photos (a common mistake for the first time auto release). In a couple of the pictures it also seems as though you are pinching with your knees, therefore bringing your lower leg back and having your knee act as a pivot point rather than support.

Cute horse Hope I helped.

Thanks- that helps a lot! I have always struggled with my upper body- but I am trying to do exercises to strengthen my back and improve my posture, which will hopefully improve that as well.

[JustJumpIt111]

Originally Posted by imjustjoking22

Thanks- that helps a lot! I have always struggled with my upper body- but I am trying to do exercises to strengthen my back and improve my posture, which will hopefully improve that as well.

Of course! Yes, riding is based upon core work. With a strong core, everything else falls into place (well, a lot more easily!). Pilates is a great way to work those riding muscles, and I know people who have greatly benefited from it. I would check that out if you haven't already. Best of luck!

[imjustjoking22]

Originally Posted by JustJumpIt111

Of course! Yes, riding is based upon core work. With a strong core, everything else falls into place (well, a lot more easily!). Pilates is a great way to work those riding muscles, and I know people who have greatly benefited from it. I would check that out if you haven't already. Best of luck!

Thanks! I just got a wii fit and have been doing yoga and strength training - it's so fun!! I run as well.

Interestingly enough I have great core muscles but a very weak lower back- causes me to hunch and avoid supporting weight on it. So I am definitely focusing on that

[farmeress]

I do see some improvement

As JustJumpIt111 mentioned, you have a roach in your back that is the cause and affect of many things here.

The one major problem is your constant looking down which only encourages the round back and hollowing of the core muscles.

Instead of just dropping the eyes or neck, you look down with the whole upper body....

STOP IT!!!!! It is a bad, bad habit. Become aware of it and STOP.

The only thing looking down will get you over a fence that a horse has quit on, is to find a soft landing spot.

On the other end of the spectrum is the placement of the foot on the iron.

It is too far home for you to be soft in the ankle.

It is also causing you to lift your heel while bringing the leg "back" into the horses' barrel and pinching with the knee when asking for forward.

Forward is asked at the GIRTH, Half pass is asked where we see you leg at in the first picture....which you are also collapsing in and looking down to the inside.

You do still need to strengthen the lower leg more.



What can I say about the big boy????

Send him to me

[MIEventer]

You have a gorgeous horse! Looks allot like my TB - lol - ok I am a bit partial.

I used to roach my back too!!

I took an Eventing Clinic under Bill Hoos and I would roach my back over a fence, and he would laugh at me. Not in a rude way, but he would tell me I am going into Fetal Position and he would say I looked like "Oh my god, what the @#$# am I doing" lol.

He taught me to soften my lower back on approach to a fence. It really helped out. The moment I stiffened my lower back, I would cause the roached upper body.

You are also loosing your lower leg. If you want to Event, or are on a stronger horse - really work on keeping your leg at that girth. Well, you should regardless lol. Really work on strengthening those muscles and allow them to support your at that girth.

Remember, we want to be wrapped around our horses, not ontop. And I think your leather length is good - especially over CC fences.

You really have to stop pinching your knee's. When we do that, we are blocking that natural weight through our body, to be dispursed into our heels. Our heels have to take everything because they have to support us and anchor us over fences - and on the flat. We cannot jeapordize that or compromise that - we have to remain anchored and supported in our tack.

On approach to a fence, we want our leg where it is supposed to be, at the girth, our heels should be deep and ready to support us. The moment we pinch and loose our lower leg, we have issentially abandoned our horse. Some horses wont cover their riders booties - some just stop. Some say "oh oh, where did my rider go?" and halt.

We have to always want to support our horses to that fence, through our leg and our upper body and our seat and our hands. Everythign works together to accomplish this goal, without one, the other has lost its' effectiveness.

Allow him to do his job. You cannot get him over that fence, only he can. Your job is to get him there in a rhythmic, steady, fluid pace, while supporting him and encouraging him. His job, is to get you both over it.

Allow him to close the angle. Work on not anticipating, focus on just staying over his center.

I would suggest lunge line work. Nothing wrong with lunge line work. Even GP Riders go on the Lunge. I go on the lunge.

It really does put you, as a rider - back into check. Legs - check. Heel - check. Seat, check. Upper body, yep. Core - THERE IT IS.

Do Lunge Line work with no reins.

Start going over cavaletti's if you have them. Work on riding him to the little bump in the path - work on TRUSTING HIM and staying with him.

Helps allot

[imjustjoking22]

Originally Posted by farmeress

I do see some improvement

As JustJumpIt111 mentioned, you have a roach in your back that is the cause and affect of many things here.

The one major problem is your constant looking down which only encourages the round back and hollowing of the core muscles.

Instead of just dropping the eyes or neck, you look down with the whole upper body....

STOP IT!!!!! It is a bad, bad habit. Become aware of it and STOP.

The only thing looking down will get you over a fence that a horse has quit on, is to find a soft landing spot.

On the other end of the spectrum is the placement of the foot on the iron.

It is too far home for you to be soft in the ankle.

It is also causing you to lift your heel while bringing the leg "back" into the horses' barrel and pinching with the knee when asking for forward.

Forward is asked at the GIRTH, Half pass is asked where we see you leg at in the first picture....which you are also collapsing in and looking down to the inside.

You do still need to strengthen the lower leg more.



What can I say about the big boy????

Send him to me

Thanks for the critique farmeress! I'm sure you would do a better job with Kai than me- but you still can't have him!

I have been focusing on keeping my leg back- now I will focus more on my upper body.

Originally Posted by MIEventer

You have a gorgeous horse! Looks allot like my TB - lol - ok I am a bit partial.

I used to roach my back too!!

I took an Eventing Clinic under Bill Hoos and I would roach my back over a fence, and he would laugh at me. Not in a rude way, but he would tell me I am going into Fetal Position and he would say I looked like "Oh my god, what the @#$# am I doing" lol.

He taught me to soften my lower back on approach to a fence. It really helped out. The moment I stiffened my lower back, I would cause the roached upper body.

You are also loosing your lower leg. If you want to Event, or are on a stronger horse - really work on keeping your leg at that girth. Well, you should regardless lol. Really work on strengthening those muscles and allow them to support your at that girth.

Remember, we want to be wrapped around our horses, not ontop. And I think your leather length is good - especially over CC fences.

You really have to stop pinching your knee's. When we do that, we are blocking that natural weight through our body, to be dispursed into our heels. Our heels have to take everything because they have to support us and anchor us over fences - and on the flat. We cannot jeapordize that or compromise that - we have to remain anchored and supported in our tack.

On approach to a fence, we want our leg where it is supposed to be, at the girth, our heels should be deep and ready to support us. The moment we pinch and loose our lower leg, we have issentially abandoned our horse. Some horses wont cover their riders booties - some just stop. Some say "oh oh, where did my rider go?" and halt.

We have to always want to support our horses to that fence, through our leg and our upper body and our seat and our hands. Everythign works together to accomplish this goal, without one, the other has lost its' effectiveness.

Allow him to do his job. You cannot get him over that fence, only he can. Your job is to get him there in a rhythmic, steady, fluid pace, while supporting him and encouraging him. His job, is to get you both over it.

Allow him to close the angle. Work on not anticipating, focus on just staying over his center.

I would suggest lunge line work. Nothing wrong with lunge line work. Even GP Riders go on the Lunge. I go on the lunge.

It really does put you, as a rider - back into check. Legs - check. Heel - check. Seat, check. Upper body, yep. Core - THERE IT IS.

Do Lunge Line work with no reins.

Start going over cavaletti's if you have them. Work on riding him to the little bump in the path - work on TRUSTING HIM and staying with him.

Helps allot

Yea I love lunge work- although I haven't ever done it in a jump saddle! I will try to get someone to lunge me in that saddle- that's a great idea. I am much more balanced in my dressage saddle than this one.

Grids will serve the same purpose as cavaletti, right? Because I can do those. I just need to get a little help setting them up.


If my stirrups are the right length then my leg is just not there yet- I can't hold it consistently back unless they are a tiny bit longer .

I *just* started supporting him up to the fences closer to how I should be doing, so I can totally see your point there. I am still on and off doing it, but I can feel the difference it makes.

Thanks so much for the critique! I will work on all those things, and try to relax my back on the approach as well.

[imjustjoking22]

little bump