Andy wrote:

> Who knows better? The rider or the horse?!?

If the horses knew more than the riders their roles would be
reversed. Some horses are natural jumpers and don't need
that much direction. Others need a little more instruction
from the ride about how fast to come into the jump and how
to set their stride so jump at the right spot. Otherwise
the critter may take a big spot and take off before the
rider expects it, or they may try to get in an extra step
and then have to leap up at a higher angle, which can be a
rude surprise. Sometimes the horse stops dead and a poorly
seated rider flies over the jump solo, which is how I broke
my collar bone a few years ago.

Riding tends to look easier than it is because when you
watch a good rider the cues they are giving the horse are
subtle enough that you don't see them. That is especially
true in Dressage, where you shouldn't really see the rider
giving the cues and it looks like the horse is doing it all
on its own.