Okay so I started jumping a little over 2 years ago. When I started jumping I didn't have very good form(of course) but I always stayed out of my horses mouth and gave a really good release(with slack in the rein). Now, last summer I began to do an out of hand release during my lessons, I knew I had to learn this in order to improve and move onto higher fences, but ever since if I don't have anybody watching then I will do like a half out of hand and a half crest release. It's really bugging me and now that I'm switching over to hunters I'd like to work on getting back a more solid soft release. Anybody got any exercises that I can do to work on this? Here are a few pics of me jumping.

 this is from spring 2008

These 2 are from february 2009

see I hate this broken line from my hand to the bit uhhh I'm so disappointed  lol

oops open hands 

 sorry they aren't the greatest piccs 

 Before you can do an automatic release, you will need to strengthen your base of support, which is your lower leg (calf). In the two most recent pictures, you are pinching with your knee, which has caused your lower leg to slip back. In order to balance, you have to use your horse's neck in the long crest release that you are demonstrating in your photos.

The first thing I would do is work on strengthening your leg. Do lots of work in two-point. Make sure that you turn your knee out in order to keep your calf glued to your horse's side. To make this really effective, shorten your stirrups to jockey length and practice standing in them at the walk, trot, and canter. Then, with your stirrups at regular length, you should be able to jump through a grid "no hands" stretching your arms out to the side, so you aren't using your horse's neck for support. Don't try the automatic release until your leg is very solid (Think a couple weeks of working on the leg). Once you have accomplished all this...

 ...A helpful way to learn the automatic release is through the use of a "driving" rein. A driving rein is basically holding the rein "backwards" or the wrong way. (think the way a first time rider will try to incorrectly hold the reins) It will allow you a better feel to learn how to follow your horse's head and neck better. Think about keeping a soft, elastic contact with your horse's mouth at all times, including over the fence. It would really be good to employ the help of a trainer or coach if you can. I think this is something that is hard to learn on your own with out an eye on the ground. However, if that is not possible, try to take a lot of pictures and video and we can do our best here to help you out.

 Hope that makes sense! If not feel free to ask any questions!

 Thanks so much, I hate when you sorta know what you have to do but really don't know how to do it. I broke my ankle last summer so I'm still strengthening my leg from that. I was taking lessons but then stoped, my parents gave me a choice of either taking lessons or showing, I chose showing as I really didn't feel like I was learning much in lessons anymore. I ride all of our horses that are green and don't have much experience, so I'll have to find some time to get on my sisters horse, who is completely dead broke, lol. I always get on a very easy going horse when I'm working on myself. Thanks again for letting me know what I should be working on. It looks like it's drying up outside so hopefully I can get out and ride today.

There's a video of Anne Kursinski teaching the George Morris Hosemastership students how to do the automatic release on the Practical Horseman website. However, it requires the rider to be very balanced and secure, so I suggest working on your position with the crest release for now. I just wanted to point out, too, that when you're doing even a short crest release, there should be a bit of slack in the rein, as the purpose is to allow the horse to use himself. In these photos, even though you're doing a crest release, your reins look very tight.

 Yeah the pinto horse I'm jumping, is very forward moving and so it's a little harder to get that slack on him, and the bay horse it must have just caught me at a bad moment, or I'm in a habit of not giving enough slack, either way it's somthing that needs to be improved. I'll have to try and get someone to video me sometime soon, I've gotta get a horse that will jump willingly now(I sold both of the horses in the pics). Thanks for your advice, I'd rather take more time on a creast release and get my base down before moving forward and just falling apart. Plus it'll be another 2years before I start showing hunters, so I've got the time to work on it . Thanks again, I rode today but I didn't really get to work on much, the horse I was riding well lets say he's scared of EVERYTHING!!! and today was super windy which didn't help at all! I almost fell off 4 times. But luckly by the end we were going around pretty well. He's a project and a little stubborn at times but he is gorgeous, lol I just not love him, although I'll admitt that I do get pretty frustrated at times. Hopefully tomorow I can get on a calmer horse and work on myself.