Here's what you said about these riders:
Rider #1 - Nice job! Love the smile!
Rider #2 - Sitting up too straight. Needs to put heels down.
Rider #3 - You seem to be all over the horse's neck. Relax a little and don't arch your back so much. Loosen up on your reins and give the horse his head. You really seem to be hauling back on those reins. your pony's mouth is wide open and his gum bent back.
Rider #4 - PERFECT! as my trainer would say
Rider #5 - LOVE how you are looking to the next jump. That's very important. Remember to arch your back a little more and just relax. It's all for fun! You might could put a little more weight in your heel.
~ Emily
Rider #1 - This girl has very good position and seems to be having fun she has a slight arch in her back and her leg is just behind the girth.
Rider#2 - Is standing too high over the pommel her heels are not down and she is just standing in her stirrups and her hands are burried in the horses neck. If she bent her knee a bit more this would look alot better and the closer you are to the saddle the harder it is to fall off or lose your balance after a jump.
Rider#3 - Has very nice eq. Her back has a nice arch in it and her heels are down.
~ Alex
I think #3 is awesome.
Rider #4 seems to be having fun and looks very good.
~ Amelia B
Rider #3 - This rider has a nice arch in her back. Her heels could be down a bit more. The pony looks very alert. The rider's elbows could be forward
a bit, but by the speed of the pony on the landing, I think they must have to be back there.
~ Molly
Here is my attempt at what George Morris might say:
Rider #1: This rider is obviously very accomplished and is having a LOT of fun. Her leg position is very good but could have a hair more weight in her heel. Her
crest release is allowing the pony to really use its head and neck, although her fingers seem to have opened up which could allow the reins to slip out. She needs
to press them down on the crest rather than have them floating a bit above the neck. Her back is straight and flat and she's looking ahead. The pony is jumping beautifully
and their turnout is top-notch.
Rider #2: This rider appears to be standing in her irons over this crossrail which is causing her heel to come up, her leg to straighten, and her crotch to be much too high
above the pommel of her saddle. She needs to sink her weight deep into her heels and create a nice bend in her knee which will allow her calf to be in contact with the pony and
her upper body to close a little by the motion of his jump. She is doing a very nice crest release that is not hindering her pony's use of his head and neck at all. It's really hard to tell how well
the pony is jumping over a small jump like this, but he looks to be a great horse for a rider at this level and their turnout is really nice (shiny pony, neat appearance).
Rider #3: This rider appears to be very confident and secure on what looks like (from this photo) to be a very speedy pony. Her leg position is great but, like the first rider, she could also put a
little bit more weight into her heel rather than most of it being on the ball of her foot. Her back is beyond flat into a kind of exaggerated arch. This may be her own confirmation or it may be
an inadvertent attempt to "pose" in the air. Her head is up and her eyes are looking straight ahead like they should be. Her stomach is VERY close to the pony's neck, meaning that she is ducking somewhat to stay with the
motion of this pony's thrust. Her crest release is an advanced automatic release that she is doing very well, and considering the apparent speed of her pony, is a good idea
for maintaining more control on the landing side of the jump. I don't know how she can do it without gloves though! I can't really comment on the pony's front end--one knee
is way up but the other is lower and he is not tight below the knee--because it looks like he may already be opening them up for the landing. Over something a little bigger or if the photo was taken
a split second earlier, he might bring them up together. His head, neck and expression is really cute, but if this picture is what it looks to be, he needs
to slow down. Because his rider is forced to use a tight automatic release, he isn't really able to drop his head and round his neck, and his mouth is
nearly opening up as he resists the bit. This is also causing him to jump inverted (his belly is low to the jump rather than a nice arch to his back away
from the jump). Overall, I think this pair could be very competitive in the show ring if they can maintain a nice (not too speedy) pace.
Rider #4: This rider looks very confident and relaxed. Her upper body position is ideal with a nice flat back and her head and eyes looking ahead. She is doing a very good crest release that has freed
up her horse's head as her mare makes a nice round jump. Her heels are way down but it looks like (it's hard to tell at this photo angle) her knee angle is a little bit too open. Maybe her stirrups are a
bit too long or she might be jumping ahead of the motion a little. It looks like her crotch is right over the pommel or even slightly in front of it. Even so, she does not appear to be at any risk of
getting unseated if her horse were to stop suddenly. She could just bend her knee a little bit more and wait for her horse's motion to close her hip angle for her instead of "ducking" (although that is too
strong of a word here, she is only very slightly too close to her horse's neck) at the jump and doing too much of the work herself. Her horse's knees are not up in this photo but it may be because the jump is
low or because the photo is taken before she's really left the ground. She is nice and shiny and a good weight. Overall, it looks like a very nice, capable pair.
Rider #5: This rider has very nice leg position with proper stirrup length and a deep heel. She looks to be pinching a little bit in the knee which has caused her lower leg to swing backwards just a tiny bit, but overall,
a very nice leg position. She is jumping a little ahead of the motion (notice how her crotch is almost in front of the pommel of the saddle) and her shoulders seem rounded to compensate. Her head and eyes are up and she is looking toward her next fence. Her crest release is a little too close to the saddle for my liking. I'd like to see her hands a few inches up
her pony's neck and pressing right down into the crest. She isn't hindering her pony any, however, as he or she is jumping in beautiful form with knees tight and square and up to his chin with a nice round
bascule to his whole body. The pony is also gleaming. A very nice pair!
~ MB, Webmaster
