Just Reflecting...

I've been watching other riders in our club ride lately, and it just makes me reflect...so I feel like journaling about it.
These days, when I watch the other kids ride, I critique them in my mind...what they could be doing better on the flat, what can be improved jumping. It's making me realize, though, how far I've come, even in the past year. I will not claim to be the best rider...I'm most definitely still learning and improving.
I find it interesting, watching riders who are just starting to jump, to see them fold over small jumps, even ground poles. Just in the last couple weeks have I came to the point where I don't force myself to fold. I go over small stuff, but I stay basically upright; I know there's no need; it just throws the horse off balance when it's small anyway. I know in the past I was just like the other kids, folding over dinky stuff.
This was me at my first real cross country schooling last year (which was super fun):

I've critiqued my jump pics and videos a ton, practically over-analyzing. (Especially this video). In the picture above, I feel like I'm probably putting too much weight on Daisy's neck. My fold isn't very good...I'm sitting up too much but I'm completely forward out of the saddle (I know I used to be way worse but I can't find any pictures...)
Fast forward to this picture from July at county fair on Bubba.
When I jumped him there, I didn't try to fold, like I used to when I started out. I let his body push me into a fold, but not an extreme one.
Looking back on this photo, I think I definitely should have released more over the jump (although this is the second half of it...I may have released and moved my hands back, but that's still not right). I do like that my legs are really far back...I see that mistake a lot, but somehow I don't think I ever had a big problem with that.
And, as usual, I could definitely do to roll my shoulders back more :P

Anyway, I think about this all because I'm reminding myself not to be hard on the other kids (not that I say anything anyway... :P) . I was there once. They'll learn. We all learn, slowly.
I definitely think though that watching videos and looking at pictures helps-a lot.

On the Daisy-front, I took her riding on the neighbor's trails today, just walking because I bet the swimming made her sore. It was very relaxing :)

What do you see that I could be improving? Enlighten me :) I can always use it.