I love this rider’s leg. Her heel is down and in, her toe is turned out slightly and she shows real contact with her lower leg.

Like many pony riders, she’s jumping ahead of her horse instead of allowing him to throw her out of the saddle. It’s easy to get into bad habits on ponies–riders end up doing a lot of pushing and pulling. To reinforce the habit of waiting for her pony’s thrust to position her, this girl should ride without stirrups, concentrating on keeping her upper body quiet.

Her posture is excellent. She’s using a short release very well, resting her hands on the pony’s crest.

This pony is the best jumper in the group. He’s dropping his head and neck and bringing his knees up very high and square. His hind legs are still on the ground, with the right slightly ahead of the left; either he’s taking off from the right lead, or he’s going to throw his legs to the left as he jumps. Overall, he and his rider are well matched in size and ability.

The girl’s turnout is appropriate for her age.

Reprinted from the August 1989 issue of Practical Horseman magazine. Is this photo of you? Email Practical.Horseman@EquiNetwork.com, and we’ll identify you!