My videos Critique me please

hey if you go to these links can u watch my videos and reply on here and give me suggestions?! thanks everyone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTleGi8nc78

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUlQbZv7OSg&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSjrf0AvM3w&NR

Heyy,
For the first vidio you need to stop moving your upper body so much, but other that that they where great
good job!

You look great on your horse!

In the first video, I see your toes are really pointed out. Now, I dont mind that when you are just learning, so you dont pinch with yourknees, but as you advance, try to keep your toe foreword with your weight in your heels. Also, I saw once, when you tilted your shoulder down, it was probably by accident, but keep your leg around your horses barrel, and sit up tall with your shoulders square.

Also, I dont know if you are a hunter-type rider, or dressage, but fronm a dressage rider, you need to sit up even taller, I saw you leaning foreword a bit.

I like how your eyes are looking straight ahead, and you are pushing with your seat.

The trot, it is pretty good. I cant really see becasue of the video, but I think you coud bring your lower leg back a little more.

Hey Sarah, you are doing good!! You should be proud of yourself and how far you've come since you first joined this forum - I am proud of you girly!


Ok - this is coming from a Classical Dressage Seat Rider - not a Forward Hunter Seat Rider - so take what I say in stride. I do not want to undermine your Instructor.

The first video sweety,

Don't clench with your legs. The reason your upper body is moving so much, is because you are holding on with your legs.

You look great though, your arms are quiet, thumbs up, looking forward, your lower back is moving nicely too.

I'd like to see you drop your stirrups a hole or two, and learn to let go - heels deep *deepening your heels will deepen you in the saddle more...and you'll feel more stable to let your legs go*


The second Video:

I LOVE YOUR BODY POSTURE AND SEAT IN THIS VIDEO!!!!!!! You look great, comfortable and confident. Nice save on the stumble. Your arms are lovely, thumbs up, lower back moving and nice strait upper body.

See how your legs are longer, your back is strait and UP and how loose your lower back is and how little your upper body moves - that is because you are in a CLASSICAL DRESAGE SEAT here. THIS is what I encouraged my Riding =Students to ride *when I taught that is*

In the first video - your legs are haunged up more and you are leaning foward. In the second video - your legs are longer, loose, body moving nicely with the horse.

Notice the difference in the two riding postures???


Third Video:

You are posting nicely. Don't clench with your knees though - again, lengthen your stirrups just a tad. Drop your heels, deep - and learn to trust your center body to ride - not your legs.

Your upper body is nice! I love how strait it is but I would like to see you pick your arms up a bit. Don't allow them to drop that low.

Your heels are nice, toes are nice, looking forward, thumbs up very nice!

Ummmm well there is nothing for me to add because Kimmie hit everything!

Great Job!!! Keep Smiling :)

cheers,
Sienna

Uh, they would be better if they were less blurry...
Nice posture, I guess, but you're bobbing around a bit to much in the first one. I'm not really a good judge on those things though.
Bye the way, I like the saddle pad and polo wraps!:D

In the first video, I see your toes are really pointed out.

ya my riding instuctor told me to do that so now i just do it and its a bad habbit. but i will work on it.

thanks everyone i will work on everything u guys have suggested.

Thanks again

oh ya when i droped my shoulder i was sticking my right hand out cause she was cutting her corners

ya i noticed that too just really watch your toes cause they really doc people at shows for that but if your not showing anytime soon then dont worry about shows but you really want to work on that otherwise you will be like me and one foot sticks out and the other one is perfect sits the way its supposed to so really work on that and like hunter.horse said try not to rock yourself so much and try not to move your hips so much..i know its hard not to cause when i ride this mare at are barn{thoroughbred} she is a rocking horse when she canters so i had to really work on not trying t omove my hips soo much. Well thats my tips. Good Luck!!!

Shannon and Pepper

???Why go over a jump when there is a perfectly good path around it???

I think most of it's been covered.

I'd definatly go with dropping the stirrups a whole or two.

And nice save on the trip, though I have to say ... most times a horse stumbles is their not putting effort into their stride, happenes to me all the time.

As for the third trotting video, I think she could be more forward. It looks to me (just from my view) your trying to hard to post... if she's a bit more forward it'll be easier since you can use the horses movement to help you rise.

Also try no to clench with your legs, I know sometimes it becoms a habbit. Like EventGirl said, sit up nice and tall. Not sure if your hunter or not...

Other then that I think you look great, things will come in time so no need to worry. We're all still learning, but I definatly like the second video.

I think everyone got everything!! Thats why I love this forum!;)m lol

ya my riding instuctor told me to do that so now i just do it and its a bad habbit. but i will work on it.

thanks everyone i will work on everything u guys have suggested.
I had this problem before. I would let it pass untill you can sit deep with all your weight in your heels, and have control of your lower legg without pinching your knee. Then thats when you can work on pointing your toe foreword to get rid of that habit. If you start jumping, I always like to stick my toe out about 15 degrees just to help balence in my seat more than my knees(which I have a problem with...lol) so thats when sticking the toe out is okay (well, thats what helps me;) lol)

Yeah I find sticking them out when jumping does help me. Though it's been a while since I've jumped.

Just be pateint and work at it and everything will get better. There may always be bad habbits lol, I know I still have some and I'm going on 5 years of riding xP

thanks everyone

I just got back from my lessons and i wasn't leaning so far forward but i've kept my toes some what in they weren't sticking out as much but i was riding this lil pony this time and so while i was working on my feet i sorta kept losing my stirrups*blushes* but i'll keep at it! i'll keep everyone posted on my progress!

Don't worry, just keep reminding yourself to keep your heels down. It happenes to everyone at one time or another... with me ... a little more then odd.

Well i just Got back from another lesson and i kept my heels down and tried to keep my toes in. everytime i went past a mirror and my toes were in:D:D but they gradually started to stick out! oh ya i put my stirrups longer too!

Longer stirrups always helped me, keep working at it and you'll get it. Keep us posted!

alright sounds good

A great trick my Eventing Coach taught me

When in the saddle, take your feet out of the stirrups. Keep your toes pointed forward and pull your foot up, your heel - right up to the horses hip.

Sit up strait, don't compromise your position in the saddle - hold your feet in that position

Then - after a few - put your feet back in the stirrups and tell me what happens.

How old are you? It looks so cute! :D

As long as you are not gripping with your thigh and calf, who cares where the toes are pointing to. This will come in time when your hip is more open, do not worry. Just thing about relaxing the knee and thigh, the rest will come sooner or later.

Too many people concentrate on that toe thing, and forcing themselfs into a position, pinching the knee or the thigh and stop using an open hip.

Loosing the stirrup indicates to me that you where gripping and pulling up your knee. Do not worry about those toes! just let the hip be open and if you must point your knee out to do so, so what, do it!

im 14. i donno i really am going to try my hardest to fix this toe thing!

That will be your problem! As long as you keep concentrating so hard on those toes, your hip will never be open and allow your leg to hang down loosly, without this your toes have to be pointed outwards or else you loose your balance. And as you said, you ar eloosing your stirrups= you are loosing your balance.
Do not worry about those toes, this is just an optical thing and will correct itself sooner or later as soon as you will understand to ride with an open hip and a loose thigh.

There is too much talk about *toes in* people are forcing their *toes in* without understanding that in order to have a toe forward leg position you must completly open your hip to gain that long loose leg with that nicely toe position.

Everytime I hear: toes in, i think to myself: well person, learn to teach first to how to open that hip before your students start cramping on those horses with an iron thight. :D

Ah yeah, just like everyone else said. Ha ha ! Looked good to me, but I don't know anything about the event stuff. I just wish my Lance would lope as smooth as yours. Thats just another one of those things I need to work on. Anyway you vids looked awesome!!!