Here is a video of me riding hunt on my Saddlebred gelding, Beau. I have only taken one hunter/jumper lesson and the rest of my learning was from books and watching videos. I really have no desire to pursue hunter/jumper because I don't have to resources or time to do both that and dressage, which is my first love.

Anyway, I am just curious as to what more knowledgable people think of my riding. I am also interested on your feedback on this horse as well. I know, being a Saddlebred, he is not suitable for "A" circuit or anything. But I have been showing him in local open shows in hunt seat and have placed well. We mostly compete against QH's under QH judges and one judge didn't even know what breed he was! haha So I have had a hard time finding a fair rating of him as a hunter horse.

Any advice would be most welcome! Thanks.

http://youtu.be/hfCJQc3eILo

You are a very nice rider and Beau is a very handsome boy!

If you intend to keep riding hunt seat then I would suggest you raise your irons a hole or 2.  As it is now your leg and hip angles open too much when you post.  I can also see you ride dressage by the way you post.  You need a more forward seat for hunters.  I little more closed hip angle with your upper body more forward.  As far as his suitability as an "A" circuit hunter, you're right, he doesn't have the movement, but so what.  If you both enjoy it...go for it!

In trot and canter you have Beau over flexed and over bent.  His poll should be the highest point and right now he's broken at the 3rd vertebrae and behind the vertical.  Let his neck out, lift your hands keeping a straight line from your elbow to his mouth and let him stretch into the contact.  If he still wants to hold his poll too low then give him a bump bump with the whip or your leg to get him to raise it.  Remember always steady soft outside rein (like a side rein) and just shape him with the inside rein.  Bend comes from the inside leg and you shape him with the inside rein keeping it soft.  Right now you're using too much inside rein and his haunches swing to the outside in canter.  There are times where he could be more forward, but I think that will fix itself when you let his neck out.  So basically I would want to see more leg, less hand.

There is also a twist in your seat and you push off harder with your right leg.  I have a tendency to do this too so I twist to the left making me put more weight in my right stirrup.  What helps with this is to make sure you keep your belly button in line with his withers.  I also watch how I sit in the car and my chair at work.  If I don't make a conscious effort I will see that I'm sitting with my legs off to the left just making me more crooked. 

Good luck with your riding.  Keep learning and taking lessons.  It's great to read and watch video's but you still need knowledgeable eyes on the ground. 

ps...  I know what it's like riding a non QH in front of a QH judge.  I finally couldn't stand to watch all those poor horses go around with their noses on the ground, so I stopped showing at the local saddle clubs.

I think you have done a fabulous job with your horse and yourself.  I have a National Show Horse (1/2 arab, 1/2 saddlebred) and can see the saddlebred in him by watching how calm your horse is.  Being this calm takes awhile with my horse being 1/2 arab.

My background is hunter/jumper and I'm now older and focusing on Dressage, however, we still jump and are even doing some low level x-cty.  I just wanted to say that my BEST Hunter when I showed Hunter/Jumper serously in my 20's and 30's had a dressage background.  I won everything, hands down with him in the Hunter division and he was on his way to Madison Sq. Garden with 100 points ahead of the competition when he came down with navicular in the Fall and couldn't finish the year out.

I have found doing recreational jumping, ditches, banks, etc. with my current horse is a real fun break for him and for me also from the Dressage work.  So like the person said, keep learning, take lessons when you can and have fun with the jumping!!!!!! 

 your horse is lovely.  i have no advice, just enjoyed watching you guys.

48northfarm:

BoyleHeightsKid:

If he still wants to hold his poll too low then give him a bump bump with the whip or your leg to get him to raise it.

A more effective way to ask Beau to raise his head is to lift the rein so that the bit contacts the corner of the mouth, where it is soft and pliable.