Rider 1

Overall: This rider might be the most novice of the group, but her basics are quite good. Her leg position is great, but she should make an adjustment to her release.

Leg: I like the stirrup position because it’s right on the ball of her foot. The outside bar of the stirrup is ahead of the inside bar, and her toe is turned out slightly. I like how she has contact with her calf and thigh. Although her knee is against the saddle, I don’t think she’s pinching with her knee. The angles in her ankle, knee and hip are excellent.

Release: She’s using a long crest release, which I like for her level because it gives the horse the most freedom to use his head and neck in the air. Though it does look like her hands are floating above the neck. I’d like to see her hands pressed into the neck more to support herself.

Upper Body: Her back looks flat without being stiff. Also, her eyes are looking up and ahead to the next fence.

Horse: The horse has a great expression. His ears are pricked, and he has a cute face and an intelligent eye. Like the rider, he appears to be looking for the next fence. Even though he’s not super tight or classic with his front end, the horse’s style it is still quite good for this level. He could be a little rounder in his back over the jump, but it’s easier for a novice to stay with a horse who jumps with a flat back.

Turnout: The turnout is excellent, and the horse’s coat looks great. The tack and boots are clean and shiny, and the tack is all fitted very well. The bridle is classic with a fairly simple bit and plain noseband. I like that the breastplate has an elastic portion along the horse’s shoulders to allow freedom of movement while jumping. I’ve had some horses break breastplates that didn’t have any elasticity to them.

What you’ll see in the video: The round starts off with a nice pace, but the rider needs to reorganize more through the turns to balance her horse and not get too quick to the fences. I like the level of the rider’s hands with a straight line from her elbow to the horse’s mouth between the fences, but I want to see her press into the horse’s neck more to make sure she gives him enough of a release over the fences. Overall, it is quite a good round.

Rider 2

Overall: I like this horse. He looks young, but he’s a good jumper. The rider’s leg position is excellent, but she should give horse more freedom with her release.

Leg: Her foot position in the stirrup looks excellent. The stirrup is right on the ball of her foot, and the outside bar is angled slightly ahead of the inside bar. I also like the contact in her leg. She has contact with the back of her ankle, calf, knee—but isn’t pinching with her knee—and a little bit of her thigh. The angles in her ankle, knee and hip are excellent.

Release: In contrast to the first rider, she’s using a short crest release, but I think it’s too restrictive. I’d like to see her hands a little farther in front of the withers to give the horse’s head and neck more freedom. It looks like he wants to use his back, head and neck, but she’s caught him in the air a bit and is blocking him with her hand.

Upper Body: Her back is flat, but not stiff. It looks very natural to me. Her eyes are looking up and ahead to the next fence.

Horse: The horse looks like quite a good jumper. He’s not super tight with his front legs, but since it’s such a low jump, he doesn’t really need to be. He has a nice bascule in his back and wants to use his head and neck. He’s quite generous over this small cross-rail.

Turnout: The turnout looks good. It’s probably a hot day because the horse is a little sweaty, which makes his coat look ruffled up by the reins. But he has a shiny, healthy-looking coat. The rider’s boots could be shinier. I think she’s practicing at home, but even there, it’s good to have the discipline to polish your boots. The tack looks like it’s a good fit. I like how the bridle’s simple noseband and plain snaffle creates a pleasant picture while they’re schooling at home.

Rider 3

Overall: My first impression is that it’s a beautiful photo—the horse’s expression, the background and everything.

Leg: I’d like to see the stirrup more on the ball of this rider’s foot because it’s almost “at home,” where the heel of the boot starts. Since the stirrup is too far back on her foot, her heel is up and she is standing on her toes. I think it’s partially because she’s pinching very slightly with her knee in the air. I’d like to see more angle in her ankle with her heel down. That being said, she has good contact with her calf.

Release: I like her release. Like the previous rider, she is using a short crest release, but her hands are farther in front of the withers. This is giving her horse more freedom to use his head and neck.

Upper Body: Her leg position has caused her seat to be too far out of the saddle, but it is a big fence that requires a bigger jumping effort from the horse. Also, she has a slight duck, where she’s a little too close to the horse’s neck in the air. She should try to stay more open in her hip angle over the fence.

Horse: I love the horse’s expression. His ears are pricked, and his eye looks intelligent. He has beautiful style here. His front end is fairly classic with his knees almost higher than his forearms and his back legs are even as well. For a more expressive jumper, you would want his back a little rounder with more of a bascule, but he really has a beautiful, classic style.

Turnout: The turnout is exceptionally good. The horse’s coat is very shiny. The rider’s boots are shiny. Everything’s very clean—the saddle pad, breeches, the horse. The tack looks clean and very well fitted. The bridle is a simple, uncomplicated setup with a snaffle bit and a figure-eight noseband.

For More:

• For more of Beezie Madden’s Jumping Clinics, click here.
• Check out Madden’s article on correct rider position and why it matters for all disciplines here.

About Beezie Madden

Beezie Madden captured Olympic show-jumping team gold medals in 2004 as well as 2008, where she also earned the individual bronze medal, all riding Authentic. She won the FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in 2013 with Simon and in 2018 with Breitling LS. Other accolades include an Olympic team silver medal in 2016 riding Cortes ‘C’, with whom she also took 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games team and individual bronze medals. She won the prestigious 2019 CP ‘International’ at CSIO Spruce Meadows and was voted the 2019 USEF International Equestrian of the Year. She and her husband, John, are based out of John Madden Sales in Cazenovia, New York.

Casting Call for Jumping Clinic With Beezie Madden

Want an Olympian to assess your jumping position? Don’t miss out on the chance to have Olympic show jumper Beezie Madden evaluate your jumping position—including your leg, seat, release and upper body—and provide her impression of your horse’s overall presentation, as well as your turnout. This is a positive space for educating riders on how to improve their skills in the saddle and their partnerships with their horses.

Submit your photo and/or video to be critiqued in Jumping Clinic With Beezie Madden.

This article originally appeared in the Winter 2025 issue of Practical Horseman.