The Power of the Crest Release

1 Overall: This rider has nice angles, but he needs to work on a crest release and a two-point position.

Leg/Hip angle: His toe is turned out a little too far, but the stirrup is well-placed on his foot. He has nice angles in his leg, starting with his ankle and to his knee and all the way to his hip. His hip angle is closed the right amount for this size fence.

He’s demonstrating an almost automatic release, where there is a straight line from the bit to his elbow. But I get the feeling that he’s using the horse’s mouth for balance or that the horse is pulling him forward in the air. For this level rider, I’d like to see him use a crest release. In