[Trumplican]

The picture of her is terrible. Can she yank on that horses mouth any more?

[Mr Rogers]

"Can she yank on that horses mouth any more?"

It is part of why I cannot stand to watch English riding. I assume the horses get used to it, but I've ridden my own horses for years without ever making them look like that! And in this case, she is obviously balancing using the reins to support her.

If you are in balance WITH your horse, you don't need the reins for support. And yes, you can stand in the stirrups and canter around BALANCED without using the reins to help you. If you can't, you shouldn't be in the Olympics!

[larrytown]

The picture of her is terrible. Can she yank on that horses mouth any more?

Still photos are deceiving - also consider that most people don't understand there are TWO competitors out there, and the 1100+ pound one can be quite a headstrong force. High-level sport horses aren't 'made', they're found and polished.

With that full cheek snaffle, the rider isn't harming the horse, mostly trying to keep the horse's attention on the correct track to the next jump. As far as the rider's position, common show-jumping form, to keep from retarding the motion of the animal in a tight turn.