OMG help!!!?

Question

Okay, so I don't think I have bad eq, but it seems that the judges don't like it. Even though, I ride the same as my sister, and they always place her higher!!!!!! I'm like so mad, cause I just saw the current placings, and I'm very discouraged now. AND THEN THIS GIRL that we were competing against had HORRIBLE equitation and still got placed higher than us, and I'm absoultely positive that mines better than hers, she had a better horse, yes, but still..... If you want to see me ride go to youtube.com/inluvwithhorses16 tell me what I need to fix, also, remeber that those videos are not up to date, slightly old and I'm always imporving.

Answer 1

watching the video, you need to have a rounder frame while going around. more collection. softer feel. good luck!

Answer 2

if you really want to know you should ask the jugdes themselves. they can tell you why, who better to ask?

Answer 3

Obviously if you aren't winning or at least placing high your equitation is off.  I am assuming you ride hunt seat.  Get a copy of George Morris' book, Hunter Seat Equitation.

Answer 4

A good response from another about purchasing Geo. Morris's book on equitation...I have a question...how can you focus on your own equitation when you're watching someone else so closely?  You got beat by a mental game that you put on yourself.  

Worry less about others and more about how you can improve...you have the desire otherwise you would not have posted the question.   Maybe additional lessons for you.  Don't be so hard on yourself...you'll get there!!

Answer 5

Well it was kind of hard to tell as the video was really shaky (maybe try to get a tripod for your camera) but I didn't see anything too outstanding that you were doing wrong. The only thing I could pick out was when you came out of one of the jumps, it looked like you were leaning to the left a bit, and it seemed like you stayed that way like you were slightly off balance. Do you have a trainer? If not try to get one because they can see what you're doing wrong and fix it right there. Good luck to you.

Answer 6

What I saw from the video, I identify from decades past.  You are riding to phrase and old trainer of mine from the early 1970's, "Stock seat in an English saddle."  Your legs are WAY too forward.  Look at the video!  Your legs should be behind you.  You should NOT be able to look down and see your toes.  That sets the rest of your body off to an improper position.  Over fences didn't look that bad, but your horse's head upon approach was a bit high, which means so were your hands and I saw a "snatch" on your horse's mouth just before your last fence (The one where you're riding into the camera's view.)

I did not see the other girl's ride, but toes turned out if her legs were behind her properly, would not count down as much as your form of "stock seat" (Basically sitting in a chair, NOT riding your horse.).

I would have liked to have seen your horse more rounded on the rail and on your approach as well.

Keep working on it and you'll get it.  IF you don't have a trainer, find one who will yell at your equitation.  IF you have a trainer, then ask her to watch your legs on the flat and help you get your horse to round off on the rail.

Best of luck.

Answer 7

try to pinpoint exactly what you're doing wrong and work on a new thing each week. sometimes the horse you're on has an affect too. even though its equitation, judges can sometimes be biased on different horses.

Answer 8

Which horse are you showing on? If its the bay, I think I see the problem! Shes very cute, but it looks like shes a bit fussy, and shes moving erratically. Equitation isn't just looking cute over fences, its riding well between them as well. At the level you are showing at, judges want to see an overall good impression, and a horse suitable to the riders skill level. From what I could see, she was very choppy & broke down almost to a trot , didn't have lead changes, and just overall looked like you were fighting with her the whole way around.

Yes, I know its not fair that you have a more difficult horse and some of the other girls have pokey old steady-eddies who lope around the course, but it will make you a better rider in the long run!

I thought you looked nice on the paint, though you did roach your back  a bit on the downside of your fences.

Overall, I like your riding style. Keep on practicing and don't worry about the ribbons - they're not really what its all about.