So helpful! I'm a beginner and this was perfect! I noticed my mistake I was doing. I leaned to far in to make me have to rely on the horses neck. Thx! =D
Thank you! I just started and I'm only 2 lessons in to horse riding lessons and struggling with this, but I am looking forward to practicing more. This really helps! 😊
ah, thank you for clarifying!! Much appreciated. I've never done Equitation classes, and the term "half-seat" is basically a never-used word in dressage ;p In jumping, we use it just to refer to 3-point informally. Thanks again for the information! -Ali
Thank you soo much for this video! I quit riding a couple years ago and am getting back into just riding for fun with friends. I don't have my own horse. I can't afford one. But my aunt's friend has a racehorse/lesson/breeding farm and said that he would let me exorcise the horses. And teach me to jump :D
omg thank u so much. i watched this vid the night before my carter test and it REALLY helped me balance..A LOT!!!! now i can canter and i’m really happy and grateful for ur help!!
I love your videos because you explain the common problems that the beginners usually face when they perform the movements in a wrong way. Now, I know why I am not balanced in my two point position because I tend to drop my shoulders down like 1:57. So, whenever I do my two point, my horse stops suddenly or trots slower. Thanks for your great video
Thank you for the fantastic tutorial. My 11 year old daughter is getting close to jumping. This really helped her get a better understanding of the importance of balancing her weight. 😀
Thank you so much! I've got some footage of my old barn, where I was for 9 years! I'll see if I can put that together into a video ;D As for tips for videos, my advice is to have fun! Do what comes naturally, or what you would have liked to have explained to you. Good luck! -Ali
Sorry if this sounds rude, I'm not trying to make it sound like it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was ALWAYS taught that a 2-point is your position OVER a fence and that a half seat is what you were demonstrating.
thank you actually yesterday was excited for me because my coach let me do two point but i wasn't as good as i thought thank you so much this helped a lot :-)
May I ask what you did to work on flattening the lower back? Hollowing my back is my biggest issue right now, it is throwing my seat off, I have started some yoga, but I will take any tips I can find! I can only ride once a week, so I try to do as much out of the saddle as I can... This was very helpful, my issue is definitely hollowing my back!
I imagine there are lots of variations in terminology across the disciplines! But what you do over a jump (whatever it's called) can be done on the ground, too. Maybe you are thinking about what I learned as "three-point", which is a light seat (not fully in the saddle, but not 100% out like two-point) for things like hand-galloping or balancing your horse before a fence? -Ali
Its hard to explain, lol. I know a two point can be used on the flats but isn't it the same as your position over a fence? And a half seat the thing Ali was demonstrating?
Ali, im a begginer and was just wondering if it was ok that your rear end lightly kind of touches the saddle when doing a two-point trot? Also is there a certain age people should not start horseback riding because i just started and im 14 and i really want to show and jump ive only been going since october but all of my freinds have been doing it since they were ten so is my dream tofar fetched, thanks
Well, I don't know where you live, so I can't compare climates :) But yes, I filmed most of my footage at once, and have been working my way through editing them and posting them. I had to do this because I'm in England working on my PhD, while Noah's at home in Colorado. -Ali
If she's tripping a lot, you should have her hooves checked to make sure they are properly trimmed/shod. Also, make sure that you aren't leaning too far forward, which could also throw her off balance. If she's taking off when you come out of the saddle, you need to train her that's not what that movement means. Immediately circle her in a small circle and half halt until she comes back to you. Repeat as needed ;) -Ali
There is no age limit to start horse back riding, You could start at any age ever. You could reach your dream if you work for it, at my horse riding school this Lady just started and shes realllyy goood! Just try your best :)
hi ali :) i've noticed that in a lot of your videos outside, it's snowy and muddy. Which got me thinking, how can it be snowing in the middle of the hottest july we've had in a long time? So do you live in a really cold climate? Or do you film all of your videos at once and then post them at different times? Thanks :)
Haha i think we've officially established that certain terms are either a bit misused or a bit interchangeable! There are clearly "phases" of seats, coming farther and farther out of the saddle. I've never used the term half-seat in my riding, so I was guessing there. For me, there's a deep seat, a three-point seat, and a two point seat. I think as long as you understand the different levels, it doesn't matter what they're called ;) (Or I'm hoping that, 'cause I'll always get it wrong!) -Ali
Hey Ali, I love your videos! I was wondering if you had any tips on how to get my horse to me more "forward"? I love to jump with him but he is super lazy and will often break to a trot before the jump and I find myself constantly asking for a canter and for him to step up. I have to ride with a crop and/or spurs. He knows all the cues and moves good off of leg pressure but when you ask him to trot or canter he is just lazy and I have to ride with spurs to get him to go anywhere. Please help.
Hey Lauren! I'm not Ali, lol, but when I'm riding with my instructor, she tells me to keep the horse going you should kiss and squeeze as you are coming up to the jump to encourage him to keep going! I do this with a semi-lazy horse I ride. When I'm lining up my jump, I will encourage him before two-pointing so it keeps him going over the jump! Hope that helps!😊
I think that's just a matter of training and muscle strength. If you can't hold the position, likely you just need to spend more time doing it ;) My trainer used to make me do laps of the arena in two-point, and canter sets out on the trail in two-point to train for cross country ;p
Audrey Jason I was always taught to rise high in my rising trot and I was always taught to be high out of the saddle for my two-point. It wasn’t until I had my first lesson with my showjumping coach when she told me that you don’t have to be massively out of the saddle when you rise and do your two-point position. If you’re closer to the saddle, your centre of gravity is better. I have stopped rising high and I’m not completely out of the saddle when I’m doing my two-point position and rising trot. I would say that you only need to be out of the saddle a little bit. I hope this helped!
Hey, i have started jumping for the first time with my part loan horse (my profile picture) and i am quite gifted but i can never do the two point position correctly or land the jump, any tips?
I just can’t do it at all!! My legs are quite weak because of a leg problem I have so when I do it I just have to squeeze with my knees and keep my balance that way. I cant shorten my styrups because I get ankle trouble then! I have plantarphasitis or something like that and it tightens my hamstrings
Ali thank you so much for all your videos, they are so so sooo helpful this one was great because i hope to jump in a few weeks so this has really helped i also love your horse noah he is so well behaved and cute what breed is he? again thanks so much for your videos please keep them coming thanks -bb
Are you saying that when you DON'T do two-point over a jump, she doesn't refuse? I would guess you are still getting too far forward--that's when horses have to refuse because you're putting too much weight on their shoulders, or they just know they can duck out. If she's knocking jumps over, that's another issue--she might have pain somewhere, or just really not like jumping. -Ali
So I've got a few up already, and several blogs on my website--if you haven't been to the "buy a horse" section of the site, it might help you ;) I'm building this section out as it's very popular! -Ali
Hey, can you do a video for beginners. Like maybe some tips and how to's for beginners. That would really help thanks! I love your videos please make more they help me so much:) thank you
If your horses head is low you have to pull it up. Letting your horse have his head down would cause bad habits for you and your horse. When I started I had the same problem. Just pull your reins a bit and keep your horses head up :)
As long as you aren't straining or tensing anywhere to achieve it, I don't think you can have a heel that is TOO deep, haha, flexible ankles are a very good thing!
