Rider 1

Overall: This is a nicely turned-out pair, but the rider needs to make some adjustments to her leg and release to take her riding up a notch.

Leg: The stirrup is too far out on her toe, so I’d like to see it right on the ball of her foot. She’s turning her toe in a little, which is causing her knee to pinch the saddle and her lower leg to be insecure and slid back slightly. It looks like the angle in her ankle is good other than her toe needing to be turned out more. But she has the most contact in her knee, which is making the lower leg fairly insecure. In fact, the horse is jumping out from underneath her because she a bit behind the motion in this photo. But other than that, I like the angle in her knee.

Hip angle: I like the angle in her hips over the fence.

Release: I’m going to pick on the release because it looks like she’s restricting the horse. It’s kind of the fashion these days to not release the horse. You’ll see top riders releasing the horse more than this. It looks like she’s using the horse’s mouth for balance. She needs to give more of a release so that that horse can use his head and neck.

Upper body: Her eyes are looking up and ahead. Also, I like that her back is flat but not stiff.

Horse: The horse has beautiful expression. Although his knees aren’t perfectly square, he’s classic enough with his front legs, especially since it looks it’s an equitation class. The horse is making a nice jump over the fence. It’s a sweet, very pleasant photo.

Turnout: The turnout is excellent. The horse is gray, and he’s beautifully turned out and clean. The bridle looks like it fits properly. The tack is clean. The horse’s boots are clean. Her boots are clean. All in all, her horse, tack and clothes look impeccable. I love the turnout.

What you’ll see in the video

In the video, the class is an equitation work-off, so it is a short video. Like in the photo, you can see the rider pinching with her knee, which is not a good base of support. Her lower leg is swinging slightly, and she tends to get left behind the motion in the air as she opens her hip angle and uses the horse’s mouth for balance. I actually love this horse. He looks like a steady eddy.

The rider has a good feel for pace and rhythm, but she needs to make her base of support more secure. She can do that by working without stirrups and working in her two-point position, making sure her contact is more in her calf and thigh than her knee. Then, she’ll be able to have a better base of support and be able to control her body better.

Rider 2

Overall: I’m going to be a little hard on this girl because she looks like a capable rider, but I think her lack of proper basics could inhibit her from being a top rider.

Leg: The rider doesn’t seem to have much control over her lower leg. She has little contact other than her heel and ankle gripping the horse. Her leg has slid forward, which has caused her seat to go back and up. I’d like to see the heel down more and more bend in the knee by bringing her leg back. The stirrup needs to be moved back so it’s on the ball of her foot.

Hip angle: If she had more angle in her lower leg, that would open her hip angle, putting her seat closer to the saddle. Then, she wouldn’t have to duck with her body to stay with the motion of the horse.

Release: I’d like to see a more generous release. You can see the bit is pulled back in the horse’s mouth, and she’s restricting the horse’s use of his head and neck in the air.

Upper body: The rider’s eyes are looking forward to next fence, which is good. Her back is nicely flat without being stiff.

Horse: The horse is making a nice jump over this fence. I’d like to see him with more freedom in his head and neck, which might open his bascule better, allowing him to round in his back. I think he would make a more generous jump and show more scope if he had more freedom, though it looks like he’s a perfectly capable jumper.

Turnout: I don’t like the loose, untucked T-shirt. The boots are not polished and a bit dirty. The tack and the horse look OK. I’d like to see the bridle fitted better. The top part of the noseband should be tightened to bring the ring off the horse’s cheekbone so it’s more in line with the cheekpiece, and the throatlatch needs to be loosened.

Rider 3

Overall: This looks like a skilled pair with excellent turnout for a hunter class. Some minor changes to the rider’s leg will improve her form.

Leg: The stirrup is in the correct position right on the ball of the foot. Her toe is slightly turned out, which I like. Her angle in her heel is almost exaggerated. She’s pushing down with her heel so much that it’s pushed her lower leg forward slightly. If she could relax that a bit and open her knee up, I think that would make her leg just about perfect.

Hip angle: I like the angle in her hips. She’s nicely closed in her hip angle over the fence.

Release: She’s using a nice short crest release, which is good. She doesn’t have a loop in the reins but she’s also allowing the horse to use his head and neck as much as he would like.

Upper body: Her eyes are looking up and straight ahead to the next fence. He back is nicely flat.

Horse: It looks like the horse is looking up to the next fence, too. He has a beautiful expression and jump. I love the classic style with his front legs. His knees are even a little higher than his elbows, and they’re very even and square. He has a beautiful shine to his coat.

Turnout: The turnout on the rider is excellent. I like the gloves, especially for the hunter division, and the boots are polished. The end of the stirrup leather is neatly trimmed.

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.

View more submissions to Jumping Clinic With Beezie Madden.

This article originally appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of Practical Horseman.