These articles were first published in Horse and Rider Magazine and are part of a series in which Mary analyses reader's position and riding style, based on photos sent in by the readers themselves.

This little horse looks like he is having a great time jumping, although I suspect that his rider is less enthusiastic than he is! She has a rather fragile precarious look, and I imagine that she may be one of those riders who has to steel herself to go across country (or perhaps even to jump!). Her whole body is much too far forward, and too far up above the horse - for as he leapt forward and up into the air, so did she.  Continued

Here we have a pretty little Arab, working in quite a collected walk. From the fact that there is someone just barely in the picture, and from his demeanor – including the swish of his tail – I am wondering if his rider is building up to doing a more advanced movement, perhaps a walk pirouette or even a few half steps of piaffe. I can only quess at this however. Continued

I really like this photograph. The horse is a five year old Andalusian cross Arab mare, seen working in trot on the right rein. Whilst there are some aspects of her work that one would like to improve, the overall quality is very nice.

The horse has a very attentive attitude. Notice how her ears are out sideways, implying that she is paying attention internally - to her own body and the rider - and not externally. The horse whose ears are pricked is using its focussed vision to admire the view, and the rider is periferal in its awareness.  Continued

This photograph shows right rein trot, probably on a circle, and the rider is basically doing a good job. Her lovely cob (who looks a picture of health) might not have the quality to win an affiliated competition, but I suspect that she does very well at riding club level.

The changes which would improve this picture are really quite subtle, apart from the fact that the horse is not tracking up, and needs more impulsion. Continued

This photograph has been sent in from America, by a reader who has lived most of her life in Spain. Her horse is a pure bred Spanish Andalusian stallion who is five years old, and he looks to me like a very handsom chap. Whilst I have little experience with Andalusian horses, I have ridden a number of Lusitano (Portuguese) horses both here and in Portugal, and the two breeds are very similar.  Continued

This horse is an eleven year old, 14.1 hand Welsh Cob gelding. His rider has taken him into a lot of unaffiliated shows, and wants to do affiliated competitions. At home she is working him to medium level – he manages most of the lateral movements, and has begun flying changes. According to his rider ‘My horse and I are both fairly untalented but try hard and need all the help we can get!’

Despite her beliefs about their lack of talent, he makes an enviable picture, and looks extremely happy in his work.  Continued

The fella in this picture is riding an eight year old Dutch warmblood/thoroughbred cross, whom he has owned for six years. They do unaffiliated dressage, and a more skilful rider occasionally competes the horse at a higher level.  

The picture provides us with an interesting anatomy lesson. Continued

This young lad is riding an attractive little mare, who is five years old, and who has done well in coloured horse show classes and in novice jumping.

As in the majority of photographs, some things are working well, and others less so. At this phase in the trot stride, it is difficult to assess if the horse is tracking up, so we cannot comment on her activity. The line of her back and neck look good at first glance, but she is not ‘on the bit’ in the way one would like to see. There are two key issues which are limiting her ‘throughness’. Continued

This photograph shows a professional rider and teacher, who has the BHSII qualification, riding her young mare who is only five. It is one of the nicest pictures we have had in the series, and this rider has a lot going for her. Her biomechanics are working so well that she can influence her horse very positively, creating the pleasing picture that we see here. Continued

This photograph shows a very handsome show cob, depicted in the showing ring. I have chosen it because it shows some interesting contrasts to the photograph from last month, and if you can lay your hands on this it would be interesting to compare the two.

We all know that once you are at a competition, things have a habit of going wrong, and I suspect that this horse is rather more onward bound than his rider wants him to be. Her hands are certainly involved in restraining him  Continued

This photograph shows a five and a half year old mare, who is a Dutch Warm Blood X Thoroughbred. She was backed at three, turned away for a year, and started again at four. Her rider states that ‘we have had a few setbacks, with back/muscle problems resulting in some nappyness and a certain amount of ‘bouncing’, but this is hopefully now behind us’. She hopes to compete the mare in unaffiliated dressage and one day events.

It immediately strikes one that the mare is very overbent. Yet the rider looks as if her body is organised well, with a good shoulder/hip/heel vertical line, and a good line to her spine, which is neither hollow nor rounded  continued

Are you looking for ways to improve the bio-mechanics of your riding? Could you use some training which will increase your balance and stability? Would you love to own a horse but cannot afford to? Would you be willing to settle for the next best thing? Or are you temporarily grounded, and wanting some off-horse activity which has the potential to enhance your riding?

The answer to all of the above lies in a physioball. Very cheap to keep, they take no feeding, and no mucking out. They roll you off, but they never buck you off.  Continued