Dont Bite your tongue! CC Please

Sit up, look up, engage your core (please :o ) relax your thighs, you look a bit like you're gripping with them.

Your hands are far too far back, you're fixing your horses in an 'outline' (or at least that's how it looks from these pics but appreciate they are only a snapshot in time) you need to allow the horse to take the contact forward. They need to be forward to the contact, so more impulsion needed from behind.

Put your stirrups down a couple of holes if you're schooling solely on the flat, you need to be able to get your legs around them more.

Lovely, lovely horses, love the grey!
 
Just to point out, as an overweight rider myself (and a physiotherapist), being overweight will ALWAYS affect how you ride as you use different muscles, and some common muscles more to cope with the weight, I have played various sports at county level and north of england/south of england. Being lighter didn't affect my talent but made my talent quicker, fitter and easier to move. On top of the horse it allows me to adjust my weight more effectively and rise and fall more easily, I never ;and more heavily when I am heavier, but I find it harder to control and all that effort is going into controlling the excess weight.

There is some tension showing in the mouth in a couple of photos but I believe that to be related to the hand position that others have mentioned.


:)
 
Just some quick pointers from someone who has never given CC before but ill have a go! :p

Bring your hands forwards more, shorten your reins a little, it will depend on the horse if your hands are carried low and wide or higher up.
Shoulders back and look up!
With the jumping ones, try to have a more secure, forward leg. This will allow you to push your bum back and rely less on your hands. While you are standing, take up a jumping position - you should be like this when riding too. At the moment, if you were to take the horse away, you'd fall on your face! :P

Apart from that, you're looking good and very lucky to be able to ride at a dealers as you will have such a variety of horses!

Hope that helps a bit :)
 
Amymay-please what do u mean by armchair?

Mp. Thankyou! Yes I do go splat if they have a dirty stop! Sadly not dealing anymore (too honest and didn't like the coming and going) but still ride a variety each day that have been kept on as 'pets'
 
imo the only picture where you look "armchair" is the one with the bay horse/red bandages and you wearing a green top.

It's where a rider sits with the lower leg forward as if they are sat on a chair being looked at sideways. In other words, where there is not a vertical line from shoulder/hip/heel. Most of the time your lower leg is underneath you, but you need to put more weight into your heels and less into your bottom and thighs.

It's quite difficult to crit a rider from photos anyway, but even more so with different horses/not quite right saddles etc!

If you came to me the first thing I'd do is make sure your saddle not only fits the horse but helps you to sit correctly - not possible if as you say you are using whatever is available on whatever comes through the yard. A correctly fitting saddle is the first step to a balanced rider!

Also, I don't agree with the poster who said sort your lower leg and don't worry about your upper body. To me, you need to take a holistic approach to riding - it's all about everything :) As Jo Winfield says, if someone walks like a duck, they'll ride like a duck :D (I don't mean you OP btw!) but it's true for everyone. If we can improve our posture on the ground, we will improve our posture in the saddle.

I would say you need to accommodate your horse more, with your legs around them, rather than sitting on top :) Imagine someone is pulling upwards on a string coming out of the top of your head - that will help your posture and also lift your ribcage off your pelvis (ie stop you collapsing through the middle) :)

I think you are VERY brave asking for CC on here btw :D
 
Beans2000 said:
never really done this before so here is a variety of random pics..crit away!!

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This is the worst of the pictures as you probably know. The horse looks really tense and unhappy. He is in an inverted hollow outline, but generally, looks on his toes. You are gripping up with your knees and pointing your toes. You have a stiff, downwards fixing hand and stiffness through your whole arm. Not a lot of positives to say about this picture. But as I say, you are probably aware of that.
Click to expand...
 
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Horse is on his forehand and again is hollow. Your position is far better than in the first picture and there is a nice line from elbow to bit.


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This horse looks extremely unhappy and worried, but your position is generally fine. You do appear to be fiddling somewhat with your inside rein and looking down too much. You need to push more weight down into your heels.


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Horse looks very unhappy and is telling you by swishing his tail. He is hollow and not tracking up. You are slumped in the saddle and tense through your shoulders and arms. Your hands look fixed .
 
You're brave OP ;)

You do what I do with your arms/hands. Let your elbow go a bit straight and end up 'fixing'. I find the advice that someone in CR gave once of trying to 'close the back of your armpit' actually really helps as it makes me sit up and lift my hands and the rest tends to follow. More weight through your heels would be good but if you're riding dealer horses I would imagine you often have a reason to be a little bit tense and your heels are creeping up because you're gripping ;)

I think you've taken quite a lot of crit when there really isn't anything horrendously wrong FWIW :)
 
one thing that is staring me in the face is the cavesson part of your nose band is too low
you slouch and look down (me too), the horses are hollow and the big bay does not look happy at all

get working long and low, they need to all build up muscles over their backs, get some lunge lessons it should help you and the horses, but nothing terribly wrong you just need pulling up on some stuff good instructor should sort that out:)
 
Beans2000 said:
never really done this before so here is a variety of random pics..crit away!!

skyjumping.jpg


Horse is basculing nicely and you are not inhibiting its head in anyway. However, you are in front of the movement slightly and this will make it more difficult for the horse to jump. Horse obviously has considerable talent and this is not therefore impeding him too much.


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Horse is very downhill here. You appear to be sitting in an armchair position and resting your hands on your knees. You look like you are slumped heavily in the saddle. However, you are more relaxed through your shoulders than in the other pictures and therefore the horse is far less tense. Lift your hands more, sit taller and look ahead rather than down.


burt.jpg


This is a nicer jumping position than the first one. You look nicely balanced and the horse is stretching his neck well.


goggs.jpg
Click to expand...

In this picture, your horse is working well for you. Yo have a nice line from elbow to bit. I like this one!
 
QR- You need to bring your hands up and together, ride the horse more forwards and get them pushing from behind and working into the contact. In turn this will work towards an outline, rather than having to lower/open your hands to achieve this.

Lower leg back and under neath you, together with getting your shoulders back. I was told to think about stretching my ponytail down my back and pointing my belly button to the sky.
 
So sorry row reach! Missed your post! I see what you mean I do collapse and I think losing weight is helping that! I just want tonbecome a better rider!
 
i haven't read all the replies, so apologies if i am repeating things.

my comments would be:

1. your hands are very low, and could do with being brought up, this in turn will help bring your shoulders back, and stop you slumping as much.

2. "you go where you look" (so dont look down! ) ;) (this is my own vice, and i need to remind myself to look up!)

3. i feel that you look a little perched in the saddle-

you may benefit from a saddle with a bigger seat, and i find that working with no stirrups has made a huge difference in deepening my seat and lengthening my leg, and bringing my lower leg back into a better position. ;)
 
For me you look like you are reaching for your stirrups a bit in the top pic, and would try with shorter reins slightly higher and further forward if that makes sense.
At least you get to practise on lots of horses I guess!
 
Well done Beans2k..if you are riding unfamiliar horses you are doing really well. I love your attitude too and your bravery asking for feedback.:eek: well done.
Ps..what happened to the grey one..he's nice.
 
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