Hello!
I have been reading all sorts of articles and watching videos on the automatic release, though none of them really give the steps that one should follow in order to to develop a correct automatic release. I seem to be having some problems with doing so, so I was wondering what you all have to say.
Thank you for the help 
Anne Kursinski has a great exercise where you flip your hands over and hold the reins backwards, like this http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/automatic_release_turned_hands_300.jpg
When you’re holding your reins like that, your arms naturally do what they’re supposed to do, both on the flat and over fences with an auto release. After riding in her clinic and flipping my reins over, I wanted to ride like that all the time :lol: It completely unlocked my elbows and gave me the feel for an auto.
Driving reins, like pictured, is a good exercise. My horse prefers more of an auto (or short crest release), and I find it very helpful to think “down” rather than “forward” with my hands. I also find putting something like a breastplate on is helpful, because I can think of wanting to put my hands next to the buckle on there, much like putting in a “lucky braid” where a kid should put their crest release 
[QUOTE=OnDeck;7710903]
Anne Kursinski has a great exercise where you flip your hands over and hold the reins backwards, like this http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/automatic_release_turned_hands_300.jpg
When you’re holding your reins like that, your arms naturally do what they’re supposed to do, both on the flat and over fences with an auto release. After riding in her clinic and flipping my reins over, I wanted to ride like that all the time :lol: It completely unlocked my elbows and gave me the feel for an auto.[/QUOTE]
There is a clip online where she likens it to pushing a wheelbarrow.
Here’s how Gordon Wright taught me to do it years ago:
First he had me jump a small fence (about 2’6") with him standing at the end of the line, with my eyes focused on his upraised hand. I was to ride to the fence on contact with my hands off the neck, with a straight line from elbow to bit, and execute a short crest release, but NOT until GW dropped his hand. We did this several times, always waiting until he dropped his hand (NOBODY disobeyed Gordon Wright!) Finally I rode to the fence and he never dropped his hand–since I never got the signal to do the short release, the horse simply drew my hands & arms forward in a straight line on light contact. The release was truly “automatic” --the horse takes your hand forward, you don’t try to guess when or how far forward his head will go and push your hands forward.
I’ve used Gordon Wright’s method successfully with many students since then.
Make certain that you have your own balance sorted out, that the horse can jump any which way and you can stay in balance with them. That might mean work without stirrups, dropping reins over grids etc. Then the automatic release is just that: your hand moves with the horse. Like all riding, it comes from the seat and legs.
I think, as well, that having the horse truly forward into your hand one the pace rather than the too often ridden backward to the pace is important.
the truly forward horse takes your arms and hands where they need to follow
If your base is strong enough and your hands independent, it happens by itself. Nobody taught me yet when I worked gymnastics and Eq course type exercises, Id look down and there it was. Some of my show pics too.
Most failed attempts are simply because the base is not there and hip angle overdone either too open or too closed. That’s all rider strength but the horse suffers the lack and why many trainers prefer the CORRECT crest release until the rider is strong enough and jumping high enough to need it.
Cant help OP much unless we can see where she is and what she can do.
'Way back when, we would practice by reaching down toward the point of the horse’s shoulder, bringing our butts back. Practice Anne K’s exercise as well…that is really enlightening (no pun intended!)
I have my students work in two point on flat, carrying their hands to the side of the neck while maintaining a straight line to pony’s mouth. This strengthens rider’s core and allows dropping into the feet.
It also has a tendency to prevent hovering…
You need the strength and balance to have a completely independent seat before you can do an automatic release. Willesdon is correct. Lots of work at all gaits without stirrups, work on the lunge on the flat and jumping without reins, and when your balance is secure THEN and only then will the auto release come.
First, I make sure the student has a SOLID lower leg that can stay at the girth and not fly back over the jump. Then, I know that they will be able to counterbalance the weight of their upper body and won’t need to prop themself up on a crest release. Then, I have them start taking their hands off of the top of the crest, where most riders insist on putting them. I have them lower the hands to the sides of the crest about 1-2 inches down from the crest. When they can jump with the hands there, successfully balancing without the crest release, I have them move their hands down by slow increments.
[QUOTE=vineyridge;7714807]
You need the strength and balance to have a completely independent seat before you can do an automatic release. Willesdon is correct. Lots of work at all gaits without stirrups, work on the lunge on the flat and jumping without reins, and when your balance is secure THEN and only then will the auto release come.[/QUOTE]
Without stirrups is not nearly as effective as without hands. Without stirrup work can encourage people to grip too much with their knees. That breaks the lower leg away from the sides of the horse and makes it more likely that the lower leg will pivot back over the jump.
I have the student do work without their hands on the neck. When they can keep their lower leg in position, I know they are not overly tight with their knees. Then, they will do two point at all gaits with their hands out like an airplane. They have to have their lower legs in a solid position to keep the upper body from toppling forward needing a crest release as a prop. When they can maintain their position at two point without hands, I have them go in a jump grid the same way. It makes the lower leg MUCH more solid than no stirrup work ever will, IMO.
I did hours, and hours and hours, and then more hours of no stirrup work. I used to be able to post without stirrups, I can’t anymore, as I was young then, but I still have my seat. My trainer was evil and made me jump without stirrups a lot, I hated him for it at the time, but love his memory now.
When I used to teach (just newbies, nothing advanced), I’d use the spray purple wound kote, and spray the area of the mane that they should grab mane at first, and then as they progressed, they would release hands to that same area.
I am a visual learner, so I also needed someone in the tack room pretending to be the horses mouth, and what my hands did in relation to the contact, to see the difference. For me, once I got it, I understood.
I did hours, and hours and hours, and then more hours of no stirrup work. I used to be able to post without stirrups, I can’t anymore, as I was young then, but I still have my seat. My trainer was evil and made me jump without stirrups a lot, I hated him for it at the time, but love his memory now.
When I used to teach (just newbies, nothing advanced), I’d use the spray purple wound kote, and spray the area of the mane that they should grab mane at first, and then as they progressed, they would release hands to that same area.
I am a visual learner, so I also needed someone in the tack room pretending to be the horses mouth, and what my hands did in relation to the contact, to see the difference. For me, once I got it, I understood.
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