Standing martingales are regularly worn by many show hunters in North America. Quite like how over here it seems like everything goes in a flash and running martingale.
An automatic release (also known as "jumping out of hand" or "following hand") is when the rider's hands move forward and down alongside the neck over the jump, ideally creating a straight line from bit to elbow. The auto release offers the horse the most freedom over the top of the fence. This is the most advanced of the releases, and requires independent hands and a strong core/base of support from the lower leg.
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I hate to agree with this but unfortunately this has been my experience so far in the UK, and the reason why I don't do grid schools with the yard staff anymore. The first grid school I was asked to trot into a 21 or 22 ft one-stride....impossible to do safely unless you're riding a 19h freak of nature. I asked it be shortened three feet, so she did....and then she also shortened the second one-stride at the end of the grid, which was set to a 1.10 oxer.
I hate to agree with this but unfortunately this has been my experience so far in the UK, and the reason why I don't do grid schools with the yard staff anymore. The first grid school I was asked to trot into a 21 or 22 ft one-stride....impossible to do safely unless you're riding a 19h freak of nature. I asked it be shortened three feet, so she did....and then she also shortened the second one-stride at the end of the grid, which was set to a 1.10 oxer.
In another grid school with another staff member, I asked for a bounce to a one to a one, as we used to use that pretty regularly in our weekly grid schools back home in the US to "reset" my horse's jump and get him to slow down. He gets very ahead of himself mentally, and when he's rushing in his head, he rushes with his feet. The "trainer" refused to do the bounce and then informed me "bounces are never used to slow horses down. They're used to get horses jumping off their hocks..." and continued to explain that to me like I was a five year old child who had never jumped before. I think he was genuinely trying to be polite, but I was appalled by the condescending tone of voice.
The last (and I mean LAST) grid school I did with a third member of yard staff, they set four trot poles only 2.5-3 feet apart from another. That would be fine if I was riding a pony....My horse usually needs 4 feet between trot poles for it to be comfortable for him. He bumbled his way through them and I asked her to please roll them out, but she declined, saying that this is supposed to get him to lift up his feet and elevate....WHAT!? Maybe I was educated on another planet but no...if I want my horse to develop push over poles, I need to raise either (or both) ends of the poles. I've never been told to shorten the trot poles and expect the horse to just go up instead of out. Sig got so frustrated in these grid schools because he tries very, very hard, and when he feels like he's making a mistake or being continually forced to jump the same thing over, and over, and over, it just spins him up. So for his sake I've gone back to what I know, and am shopping around for another jump trainer to bring in.
I am still very impressed by the independence of most riders here in the UK and the workmanlike attitude I've seen. I've seen some truly inspiring riding. There are issues, and I do agree with others about the releasing over the fence (neckstraps are a wonderful thing!), but as said before, every system has good and bad examples of riding.
Agreed. Distances really are necessary for a rider to make the best decisions on course for their horse (if it's a long five and you're on a smaller strided horse, knowing to package up and wait for the six, etc). You can absolutely ride by feel and be well disciplined in your distances. Plus, a lot of courses involved unrelated distances, where feel is important. Good riders need both skills, not one or the other.
