Power - Watching horses jump

Angular momentum
As well as looking for a nice bascule or arch over the jump, and checking the symmetry of the horses tuck up front and back it is worth also thinking about angular momentum. This is how the horse rotates itself in the air so that its hindlegs come up compared to its shoulders. This is what gives the clean jumper the ability to snap up in front and kick away behind and is often called "operating". This is an easy thing to watch for once you have had some practice and can be a good indicator of raw jumping ability as well as training. Of course ability can be masked by bad riding - a nice long stretching neck can help angular rotation as can a correctly balanced take off.