"Reach for her ears!"
When I first started learning how to jump, this was my trainer's (at that time) favorite phrase to yell at me as I was going over the jump. I remember being told to "stick your butt out, shoulders up, bend at the hip, and reach for the ears." In the beginning, I was told to use the horse's neck for support (i.e. put weight on your hands on the horse's neck). This is called a crest release.
George Morris is credited with coining the term "crest release," but there is no definite proof that he invented the actual "skill." For beginners going over small fences or poles, the crest release can be used to help the rider gain confidence, get a feel for the horse's jump, and focus on other areas of the position such as heels or shoulders. Unfortunately, a lot of riders never grow out of this phase. This means unbalanced riders who lack the core to stay off the neck are able to compete in higher jumping classes. But think about it: how can you expect your horse to have good jumping form when you are weighing down the front end? Because of the insecurity of the rider's seat, the crest release also often allows the rider to pinch with the knee instead of pushing weight down into the heel; weakening the rider's stability and ability to get back with the horse's motion after landing...plus you now have your reins to collect back up! After practicing this release for so long, I knew it would be a hard habit to beak.
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The dreaded crest release. My hands are on her neck, not following her mouth. Although my leg is decent, I am still probably not balanced, which is why Ruby made no effort to jump this for me. Typical Hunter "riding position": butt out, hands below the chin, weight in the hands.
Practicing the automatic on Jimmy: when I first started, I grabbed mane with the outside hand and pulled my inside hand out. This was to get used to the feeling of not having my hands on the neck. At first, practice keeping your hands slightly below the crest. As you get more comfortable, start sliding your hands down to move with the horse's head (try not to use 'puppy paws hands' as I did here- thumbs on top!).
Awkward angle (and a short spot!), but you can see that my hands are not resting on his neck, but sliding down his shoulder and following the bit. Had I used the crest release, I would have caught him in the mouth with this spot, and had a very unhappy horse!
In order to get off your horse, get out of his way, and give him the room he needs to stretch out over the jump while still maintaining contact (for control), riders should be using the "automatic release" or "following release." If you are not balanced enough to follow with both hands, try practicing at first as I did by grabbing mane with the outside hand and following with the inside hand. At first this was pretty confusing, and Connie had me actually stick my inside hand out to make sure I really got it off the horse's neck. As you get a feel for how your hands and elbows should be following the horse's mouth, start doing this with both hands. It helped me to think "follow the shoulder"- you want to have a straight line from the horse's mouth to your elbow. I noticed this right off the bat, but the automatic release gave my horse a more round jump, and added a solid foot to what we had been doing before!
In a sport where "looks matter," it is a bit disturbing that some H/J judges actually prefer to see the crest release. In any case, a rider should always do what is best for the horse, despite the show fad. If your ribbons are more important than making your horse happy and comfortable...well, let's just say I feel really bad for your horse!
If you would like to see some really nice automatic releases, google Bill Steinkraus.
Horse riding position then:
Horse Riding Position now:
Seriously, what happened? Open up a horse magazine now and I guarantee, 90% of the riders will look like Richard Spooner. The biggest excuse I hear is "but the rider is balanced"...yes, on the horses neck. No wonder these horses now have to be hundreds of thousands of dollars- not many horses would take that crap! Want to try it on Ruby? I promise you will be dumped.
