http://s245.photobucket.com/albums/gg59/Gracep/

Can you please critique us? Thanks!!

Chloe is the grey pony. She looks very fat, but I can feel her ribs so I think she's fine. Lila is the palimino and I got her in Semptember and these pictures were taken in Oct. Her head is small and dished and always apears behind the bit.

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!

They're both beautiful! :)

Jessi

Wow they both look awesome!! Chloe is a super cute jumper!! You two look good together. Lila is really pretty too. she looks to be a really  gorgeous mover, and from what I can see in the pictures she doesn't look like she's behind the bit. Is she 1/2 arab?? She's got a gorgeous face and beautiful coloring!!

Phizzy1623:

from what I can see in the pictures she doesn't look like she's behind the bit. Is she 1/2 arab??

Thanks!! That made my feel better(not being behind the bit) No, she a Morgan, and I think she has pretty good breeding.(MEMC Morgans and Triple S) She does look (and actt )like a Arab

Phizzy1623:

Wow they both look awesome!! Chloe is a super cute jumper!! You two look good together.

Thanks!! Chloe is a little out of shape, so she is usually a bit better.

http://s245.photobucket.com/albums/gg59/Gracep/?action=view&current=MVI_0274.jpg

http://s245.photobucket.com/albums/gg59/Gracep/?action=view&current=MVI_0276.jpg

Two pictures of Lila jumping.

Both are very cute and move very nicely.

 In terms of a critique:

 #1 You stand quite a bit in your stirrups. You need to work your thighs and knees a whole lot more. Particularly in your jumping shots with Lila you can really see how much you are standing in your stirrups, not only by your feet but also by your body shape and the position you hold yourself in as you jump.

#2 On the good side of things, you seem to do a generally good job of allowing the horse to move forward, terrific give on your reins!

 #3 You need to gain some confidence in those shoulders! You really need to work on rolling them down and back, you have some hunching issues and it affects your arms as well.

#4Particularly in your shots at the canter with Chloe, you REALLY brace wiht your seat. You need to shift this to using your abs effectively. In both shots you are really bracing with your seat and in the one your feet are way out in front of you, so you can tell how much you doing it. Try to tighten your ab muscles, like you needed to do a sit up, this will draw your focus there and allow you to find your center of balance instead of fighting the motion of the horse. If you can use your center of balance in terms of tightening the abs, stretching up in your torso and dropping your shoulders down and back you will find it much easier to use your body effectively rather than having to try to go up against the natural movement of the horse's gait.

 You look like you need some no stirrup work to me. Strengthen your legs and work on your balance. You will be great as you look great with your horses.

ASB1:

#1 You stand quite a bit in your stirrups. You need to work your thighs and knees a whole lot more. Particularly in your jumping shots with Lila you can really see how much you are standing in your stirrups, not only by your feet but also by your body shape and the position you hold yourself in as you jump.

I try to jump for Lila. How can I stop this bad habit???? Do I look any better with Chloe??

ASB1:

 #3 You need to gain some confidence in those shoulders! You really need to work on rolling them down and back, you have some hunching issues and it affects your arms as well

I have been working on putting my self in a better place to have Lila in a better place, and it is working. When my shoulders are back and my elbows are back it is easier to use my body!!

ASB1:

#4Particularly in your shots at the canter with Chloe, you REALLY brace wiht your seat. You need to shift this to using your abs effectively. In both shots you are really bracing with your seat and in the one your feet are way out in front of you, so you can tell how much you doing it. Try to tighten your ab muscles, like you needed to do a sit up, this will draw your focus there and allow you to find your center of balance instead of fighting the motion of the horse. If you can use your center of balance in terms of tightening the abs, stretching up in your torso and dropping your shoulders down and back you will find it much easier to use your body effectively rather than having to try to go up against the natural movement of the horse's gait.

It is harder to keep Chloe going in the snow. I think I push with my seat and my legs go out. I have been working with Chloe at the canter at a half seat and having her go foward and it has been making Chloe move foward. She is also freer when I ask her to work at the trot. I haven't been doing any real work at the canter because it might undo the work I've done.

Thanks for the help!!!!! 

#! The standing in teh stirrups, you said you try to jump for her, how do you quit.

 I would start by holding off on the jumping until you are more ready. I would just focus on your two point for a while, remove the stirrups from your saddle for a month or so. This will really help you get your body in the right place because you will be forced to. I always tell my students, get your body right FIRST before you move on to a faster gait or to a jump, because you won't be able to fix it once you are doing it. So, get yoruself where you need to be FIRST then do some small jumps with no stirrups. This will make you FEEL where you need to be over the jump and it will mean you will not be able to stand in your stirrups. Once you can do small jumps with no stirrups and do it well, you can add the stirrups back and make sure you stay how you were.

 #2-your shoulders...absolutely, when your shoulders are back and down, it brings the rest of your body into a good position and your body becomes much more useful. With your shoulders back you can't bob your head, you can't bounce your weight as much on your horse, there are all kinds of benefits. Not to mention that fact that it benefits your horse.

 #3-your seat and your abs. You defnitely need to work on the abs and not bracing so much. You can do this by trying a sitting trot/job instead of a canter for a while and make yourself sit without fighting the movement of the horse. THen move into a slow canter. By working on your legs and your abs you will be able to use your body more effectively and not brace yourself. You don;'t want to be so stiff that you are fighting the movement of the horse but you don't want to look like you are on a rocking horse either. Just work on really tightening your abs, all the time.

Yesterday Lila and I rode bareback with a halter in the ring(which has no fence ) She was great at walk, put at trot she was really bounce because she was hollow. No use trying to have her soften in a halter, so I got her bridle. She'd go on the bit and she would be so round. I realxed to her gait, but kept my shoulders up and my hands in the correct position. She didn't lean on my hands!! She cantered over a jump pretty well too! We kept our dressage canter untill 3 strides before the jump, and regained 3 strides after!! I THINK she is starting to realize that if she approches a 2'6 jump at 100 mph she'll die. Nowshe only goes this fast at poles!! Smart Lila knows that she can barge through poles cause there small!

Hi!

Umm, I really couldn't find which one you wanted to critque, so I just looked at the ones that has your horses in it. Your horses are AMAZING jumpers, but you don't need as much release as you are giving her. Get off of her neck and let her have her mouth. Loosen up your reign a bit so that when you aren't up on her neck you won't be hitting her mouth. Other than that, amazing position!

Breanna