Can you please help me with my equitation?

Question

I ride hunters and I recently did a show. I cleaned up in the beginner divisions and tied Reserve Champ for the Novice division. I want to show outside next year, but I don't know if my equ. is good enough on the flat and over fences. Could you please help?

BTW, I DO NOT ride too forward...its called HUNTERS people! I do not need to 'sit back'...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6PQCiczORQ

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa283/Jazzy_Horse/Chance/Rio6-21-08292-1.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa283/Jazzy_Horse/Chance/Rio6-21-08262.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa283/Jazzy_Horse/Chance/Rio6-21-08292.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa283/Jazzy_Horse/Chance/Rio6-21-08293.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa283/Jazzy_Horse/Chance/Rio6-21-08294.jpg

Answer 1

you need to make your back more straight while riding and losen your hands let your horse see where hes going. bring you hands up and work on your legs.

Answer 2

YOU ARE RELIYING ON YOUR HORSE TO MUCH TO KEEP YOU BALENCED

Answer 3

FIRST AND FOREMOST you cant even begin to worry about your equitation (or refining your already good posture)until you are an active rider. get the horse on the bit and betweeen the aids and working from behind with impulshion(which btw has nothing to do with speed)and begin to regulate your gaits from collected to extended once yo can do this WELL then you can worry about equitation but for now focus on being more active and RIDING LOL :) but you are not riding too far forward also. its called hunt seat for a reason it means forward riding. I think u look great but just focus on the horse for now

Answer 4

your hands are a bit low, your leg needs to move back a bit your toes nedd to turn in just a little bit and you need to keep you hands still, your snatching at the horses mouth.

Answer 5

you need to arch/flatten your back, you're all hunched over which isn't going to win a hunter class.

and even if it IS hunters, your shoulders need to be back, and you don't need to lean so far fore ward.  try to not think about being fore ward since its hunters, think more for whats comfortable.  also, relax  your arms and hands, your riding the horse, not stuck on it!

(once your in the flat classes you look a little better, but still stiff)

your stirrups need to be shortened, your leg brought back and your heel dropped down-all to secure your leg your not riding dressage!! haha

overall, you seem somewhat stiff, like all you do is ride in a ring and your petrified of your horse being bad.  shows are supposed to be fun!

watch this rider, shes nearly perfect for hunters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4Oa__xWO...

otherwise, you suit your horse and he looks very good!   i think all the aforementioned things will come with more riding-and remembering to relax.

but if you can clean up your eq just that little bit, you can easily compete in more/larger shows!

good luck showing!

Answer 6

SIT BACK!!!

Just kidding ;)

Overall, big kudos to your trainer, you look like a lovely rider. A bit of tweaking and you'll look great. I have to give you major props for your great release in your photos-I drool over straight lines to the bit, and I'm glad to see hunter riders re-learning the auto, it's a great skill for the tool box.

I also have to give you props for SITTING the canter. So many hunter people 2-point away. When I was back in hunter land I locked up, stiffened, and did NOT sit the canter for the life of me. I moved to jumpers a bit before I got my current horse, and boy did my trainer yell. I still am a very stiff rider, but I SIT and learn to supple up. It's nice to see a nice supple position.

I noticed that your leg is a bit wiggly and loose-you have established a good proper grip and it doesn't slip back, but it does wiggle-which might be from your stirrups being a bit long, but to be safe, drop the irons a bit and work in 2-point.

You don't know how happy I am to see someone who doesn't lay on their horses neck over fences, and fold like it's a 4' fence when it's 2'! You stay with the motion of the horse well o/f - and adjust your fold appropriately.

Another thing I noticed is that you will stick your elbows out at times(I'll do it on the flat sometimes..I look so stupid lol), riding with a dressage whip tucked under your elbows behind your back when you ride on the flat will polish that up easily. I can't tell for sure, but over a few fences it looks like you might've roached your back a bit? Overall, I noticed that your back was nice and flat - not overly arched like alot of people tend to get when riding hunters-I would try and open up your shoulders a bit more though, the eq. judges LOVE people that ride with nice, squared open shoulders.

Overall, you're a good, solid rider-a few tweaks and I think you're definitely ready to move up.

EDIT;

As someone else mentioned, toes in. Make sure the branch of the stirrup is up towards your little toe so that it forms a diagnol line, the upper part by the little toe, the line across the ball of your foot and the lower part towards the bottom of the ball of your foot.

Answer 7

you do slouch quite a bit, shoulders back. There should be a small arch in your lower back, flatten it and sit up straight, slightly leaning forward, almost a half seat but not a two point. Judges look for a hunter who looks like they can be out on the fields hunting all day (where the idea came from) without interfering with your horse.

Answer 8

Thanks for sharing your video and photos. You both look fantastic together. You've got so many good basics, I like your rein contact, lower leg, steady hands and over all position.

A few little tips, I see in the photos that your horse can jump nicely and obviously higher with forward momentum. If you can get a little of this forwardness you'd stand out more. It is just a little too ploddy - but not bad, better than racing.

Sometimes I see you look down, I know this is probably to see if you're on the right diagonal. Work on this in your flat classes so you can feel the diagonal without looking, then never look down.

When you are riding over the top of the jump, be looking for the next jump, even if it is a 180 deg turn, you must look for the next jump and corner. You'll look so professional when you do this. (have a look in the show (hunter) magazines and you'll see the riders with this look as they are in mid air).

If you do this turning of your head when you are over the top of the jump your horse will feel you and quickly learn to lead on the correct canter leg for the dirrection you're heading too next.

And last little tip, just in your flat classes you could carry your hands a little (fraction) higher and you'd look slightly more elegant.  And I wondered if you could roll your knee slightly more on the saddle to keep your toes in (just work on ankle flexion).

You are riding so nicely, I wish you the very best of luck and you're well ready to be riding in open shows - just beg borrow or steal some turnout clothes. Well done, I think you have the tallent to be a top class show hunter rider (hence all the tips). Keep up the good work. :)

edit note: to get to ankles in it can sometimes take pushing down on the outside of the foot and lifting inner part of foot up slightly.

And to sit up better for equitation requires flexion in the lower back. So sitting up is good, but if you bounce that is caused by the lower back not flexing backwards and forwards with your horse.

Answer 9

Well, I really like your leg. And I like that you are a very "quiet" rider. I understand that you want to be in a bit of a half-seat for hunters, but even in your eq. on the flat class, you were ahead of vertical. Stretch up through your spine and open your shoulders, or as I rather crassly like to say, stick your b***s out ! You look a bit hunched over. And your hand is a bit low. But overall, not bad at all.

You will need to canter all your courses, and not trot your changes.

Good luck!

Answer 10

first of all, i LOVE your release in those photos. Its the classic automatic release, below the horse's crest. i'm trying to get that.

you've got pretty decent eq. keep your back straight and look ahead, and keep your heels down! you seem to perch on your toe a bit. I had that problem too. Its easy to fix as long as you think about it for a while. then it'll just be automatic.