Please critic this video for an equitation contest!

[Dakota Sunrise]

I want to enter this video in a youtube equitation contest, but I'm not sure if it's good enough.:innocent: So please critic anything and everything in this video so I can decide whether or not I should enter it!:D

I know some of the clips are a little far away (and of course the quality isn't the best, it gets worse once it's uploaded for some reason:doh:), but since I film almost everything by setting the camera on a fence rail, barrel, tree, etc. this is the best we got.:rolleyes:

This is a mixture of western and bareback clips, some of our best I *think*. But even our best may not be all that great, lol.:p So tell me what you think of my equitation (or lack of it:innocent: lol, jk:p), and be honest please! I want to hear about everything I'm doing wrong and everything I'm doing right.
Thanks, hope you enjoy it.:)

YouTube - Re: equitation contest

Note: there are very few special effects in this video, I thought it would be easier to judge that way, and I suck at effecs anyway.:D But I didn't want it to be too boring either so there's lots of different clips in it.:)


ETA: hey, would you guys do my a favor? Someone on youtube keeps giving my videos low ratings, and I don't know why. I mean I'm sure some people don't like my videos but it's not like there's anything bad in them that would warrant such a low rating. It's starting to annoy me.:mad: So whoever watches the video, could you maybe rate it so I'm not stuck with only three stars (I had a four star rating which isn't too bad, but some one then rated it really low so it dropped)? It may not be the best video ever but I don't think it sucked that bad, lol. So if you guys don't mind, I would appreciate it!:D

[twofingers]

Ok, I'll bite. the main thing that I see is that you are ON the horse rather than being a part of the horse. That is to say that I see you and trying to stay balanced on top of the horse in deference to being a part of the horse, or so it seems. look at your pictures see how your back is straight and rigged and it appears that your butt is above rather than contacting the animal. These are of course not derogations but observations, as you are clearly a better rider than I.:cool:

[Dakota Sunrise]

Yep, that is mostly true. When I'm on Beauty (the bay) I really have to concentrate to keep from bouncing around too much, and I'm constantly trying to sit deeper in the saddle. Her gaits are SO rough!:doh:


I don't feel that way when I'm on Dakota though.. not at all. I'm so totally comfortable on him, but maybe my riding doesn't show it. Did I look that way in the bareback clips too, when I was riding the sorrel?

Thanks for your response!:)

[doc_western]

as far as what twofingers mentioned, it seems that you're like that more on beauty, not so much kota. you're a very good rider! :cowboy:

[JackieB]

I don't know much at all about equitation, but I think it's good riding. I agree that you look much more relaxed and smooth on Kota, but you ride Beauty well, too.

I can offer one suggestion. The word you are looking for is "critique". You want us to "critique" for video, not "critic" it. Common error, so don't feel bad or anything . The critic (crit-ik) is the person who does the critique (cri-teek).

Anyway, good job. Nothing to be ashamed of on that video, that's for sure.

[Dakota Sunrise]

Thanks guys.:) I know I feel completely at ease on Dakota, but maybe it doesn't look that way. Beauty is definately more challenging, althought it used to be a lot worse.:innocent:

So anything else that you see that I need to work on? I want to hear about everything I'm doing wrong and everthing I'm doing right.:)


JackieB: See, I told you I'm a terrible speller!:p Thanks for correcting me:), my mom would thank you too if she knew.;) My spelling drivers her crazy, lol..:D

[Dakota Sunrise]

just a friendly bump.:D

[JackieB]

So anything else that you see that I need to work on?

I would keep working on getting Beauty to achieve collection. Since she's not the easiest horse to ride really smoothly, that will certainly help. All the flexing, transitions, softness through the head, poll, and neck. Getting those hind legs up underneath her.

You've made tons of progress with her for sure, but she's more your "project horse" than Dakota, so you can work on this stuff with her for the rest of her life and still make nice improvements, I'm sure. That's the way it is with me and Buster, always trying to get a little smoother, more collected, softer.

This post will also bump up the thread again, too. :)

[Dakota Sunrise]

Thanks, Jackie.:) Beauty and I will deffinately keep up with all the flexing, transitions, etc. I hope to one day have her actually be able to lope like a normal western horse!:p Wouldn't that be amazing?:D

She is definately my project horse, the challening one. Riding Dakota is more like hanging out and goofing off with a best friend.:) I'm glad I have both. :D