Anyone care to critique me?

[elevenelevenxo]

Alright, so here's my story. I struggle with trotting because the majority of my riding experience came from a Tennessee Walker mare that I leased and owned. Before that mare, I did take a handful of lessons, but they were Western and I really didn't do much trotting at all, so I learned nothing there. This spring, I signed up for hunter seat lessons and began learning about the wonderful world of the posting trot and all other things that apply to 3-gaited horses and not so much gaited. :) Here are a couple of videos from, I want to say about March 2008, when I had about a month's worth of lessons under my belt...

Video of riding4 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting


Video of riding3 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

And a bit of cantering:




Video of riding5 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Sorry about the video quality!!

Anyway, here is some video from YESTERDAY of me riding a different mare at the barn I'm currently at. Might be a little dark.... If the mare appears slightly lame, it's because she's coming off of a suspensory injury. She doesn't belong to me, so please no critiques on her - and her vet has OK'd light under saddle work (and in the cantering video she coughs....he knows about that too but says it's not a big concern).

YouTube - Trotting Oct 27 2008

YouTube - Posting Trot II Oct 27 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0P5Tvj5ZQw

Thanks guys!! I'm hoping to get good enough to try showing for the first time in the spring. We'll see though....

[elevenelevenxo]

Hmm....let me know if the YouTube videos don't work.....

Or just go to:

http://www.youtube.com/user/almostspotless

[WashingtonBay]

Hi there... in trying to figure out why the videos wouldn't play... it looks like you have disabled embedding in your settings there? It says "embedding disabled by request"

[HeartofSteel]

You have improved alot so good job on that!
Make sure your feet are under you, I know that really hard to do but try to focus on that a little each ride. Imagine that if your horse was to be taken out from under you, if you land on your feet exactly how you are riding would you fall forwards, backwards or be perfectly balanced?
You seem to pinching with your knee's a little bit, just let the horse push you up to post. Let your legs just hang like wet noodles against the sides. A little trick I like to use to loosen my legs and hips is to lift them off the sides of the horse, starting just at a halt and then walk and evetually trot and canter. This will almost immediately give you a major cramp in you upper thigh so be aware of that. This is because you are using your hip abductors and you hardly ever you use these muscles in your everyday activies. Strengthening these will make you a stronger rider.
You should try to find your core strength, that will stabilize you in the saddle. Riders require greater core and back strength and flexibility than other athletes. You must have great core strength to maintain your posture while applying the correct aids at all the different paces of the horse. Appearing still on a moving animal requires great control of your deep core muscles.

You have improved greatly so there is no doubt you can do it! Everyone has to start somewhere and you are doing great!

[KittySawrus]

I see lots of improvement, and in such a short time space!
What I picked up on:
Pick up your hands - they seem to be very low.
Sit back and up a little - shoulders back - this can help the horse move a little freer up the front and can also improve your balance.
Also, get after that horse more! It's barely moving! When you do shows, depending on the class time can be of the essence, so either invest in a crop or build up thine legs of steel!! (Yes, legs of steel!)
Speaking of legs, your lower legs weren't moving too much so that's a very good thing...mine seem to have a mind of their own in canter :P
Otherwise, that's a great advancement (lol, word existence?) in so few months! Well done you.

[Mandzanita]

For having trouble with trotting you look great posting! You seem to have a very nice rythym and a clean up and down motion. I see alot of people, who are learning to post, bounce a bit in between strides but you've got a nice up, down, up, down, up, dow.

My only critique at this point would be to second what KittySawrus said about picking your hands up a little. You don't want them in your lap, you want them to rise and fall with your hips. I think you look great, keep up the good work!! :)

[shynbvs]

you look like you have come a long way in such a short time, good job! Here are just some on my suggestions:
- keep your legs under you and steady.
- your arms aren't really bent and they are too low. they should be almost at a 90 degree angle and thats should make them at the right hight too
- make sure that you are always sitting up tall.

[elevenelevenxo]

Thanks all!

The last trainer I had made me keep my hands down. In her words, pinkies touching the pommel. This baffled me because I knew my arms needed to bend and at the same time she was telling me to keep them that low, she'd tell me to bend my elbows too.....so I was really confused and thus, as you see in the videos, developed that bad habit. My current trainer (who is gobs better....) gets after me the very most about relaxing and not stiffening up and keeping my arms soft and bent.

Does anyone feel like those stirrups are too short? I feel the most comfortable with that length, but this was the first time I've seen any video or pics of me at that length and something just looks "off" to me. But I have an awkwardly shaped body - short legs and a long torso....and really do feel the most comfortable with the irons where they are there. I can really get my heels down and keep my legs steady.

KittySawrus: Oreo's more of a Western mare than an English mare. The speed she's going in those videos is about as fast as she goes....she WILL go a little faster, but for the most part, that's her gait for ya. I won't be riding her in the show ring - I'll be riding a different Paint mare who does have a really nice little English trot. Unfortunately she cut her coronet on a fence and has been on stall rest letting it heal. :(

WashingtonBay - that might be it. I'll mess around with it and see if it changes so that they can play on here.... I've never used YouTube before to upload movies. :)

[Gliderider]

I can't critique as I am also new to riding English on a non-gaited horse. I just had my 2nd lesson today. I just wanted to say I think you are doing great. Keep up the good work.

[shynbvs]

Thanks all!

The last trainer I had made me keep my hands down. In her words, pinkies touching the pommel. This baffled me because I knew my arms needed to bend and at the same time she was telling me to keep them that low, she'd tell me to bend my elbows too.....so I was really confused and thus, as you see in the videos, developed that bad habit. My current trainer (who is gobs better....) gets after me the very most about relaxing and not stiffening up and keeping my arms soft and bent.



I totally get that. When i started canter off the lunge line (9 yrs old) i developed this bad habit of pinching my knees and I have had 3 instructors since then and none of them helped this at all, it just got worse. The instructor I have know the best and I have fixed the problem.:)

[Annasmom]

you seem to have improved a lot! :) make sure you give more emphasis to the rise when your posting you seem to be coming down hard sometimes when you sit also good hands pull them up a bit.:) keep up the great work!

[twofingers]

i think your doing kinda ok.
As for constructive criticism, I think the hands have been mentioned. You seem to be leaning froward a bit, that's something I have to watch myself with. and it looks like you are forcing your post and not letting the horse "toss" you up. What someone once told me was. [sit straight, imagine a marry-go-round poll going out of your head up to the sky and out your but through the horse into the ground, that's your center of gravity and the connection to the horse. now ride the merry-go round. as the horse comes up it tosses you slightly above he saddle stay there as the horse drops, when it comes back up and touches your but go down with it.] It is a lot easier on the legs and your not bouncing or popping on the horses' back so it is more comfortable for it too.

[Nudge_gurl58]

I think you're doing a great job! Make sure to keep the hands soft and try and keep a steady contact on the horses mouth, and yeah I know what you mean about the low hands, I had the same problem, but the trainer I'm with now is helping me get out of it, now sometimes they are to high hehe!!
Great work! :)