To think that equestrian events are ridiculous

Do all those people who claim the skill is all the riders believe that any horse could be good at dressage or are some better than others? If the latter, then the horse should get the medal as well shouldn’t they? Comparing a live animal to a boat or pair of shoes is just wrong.
I’m sure it’s skilful, but animals shouldn’t be in human sports even if it has a long history. Plus what happens to the horses that don’t make the grade or get old?

Why don't you all stop keeping dogs and cats ffs. Oh no that's a domestication that's acceptable to you?

..... and along come someone to demonstrate my point.

some of the sneering on here does little to challenge the idea that horsey people are rich & entitled.

Very few people in the UK are in the fortunate position to afford a horse and have any experience of dressage, it is presented by the media (and the sport itself in some cases) as dancing horses, so it's hardly surprising that many will see it as such.

Most of us will have ridden a bike, swum, run, jumped etc. so have some idea of how difficult these would be at an Olympian level; horse riding , and probably sailing, are not something that the majority will have experienced.

Animals don't belong in human sports.

Valegro was valued at £6 million. Somehow I doubt he (or any other Olympic level horses) would be “left behind”.

My sister worked in an office next to a farm where the horses did dressage. She said the horses used to spend a lot of time doing the moves when they were in the field by themselves, Hugh trotting up and down, going sideways etc. It was the favourite thing to show to guests to the office.
The horses obviously enjoyed it.

You're entitled to watch what you want OP but you're clearly.ignorant of the skills that.go into the equestrian disciplines of which dressage.is only one.

And it's not just about the rider. Charlotte Dujardin would not be winning on any horse and neither would I win sat on her horse - this is a pairing of horse and rider.

I love the horse events. 🐎

I think what's often missed about the dressage is that it's not teaching tricks like at the circus. The engagement needed from the horse to perform various exercises correctly takes years of training not in terms of cues though obviously there's that too, but to build the athleticism, strength and conceptual understanding to achieve them. They are as others have said actions performed naturally by horses but to do so consistently as in the dressage arena takes at least six years for a horse, starting from the beginning

The reasons riders get medals is that it's extremely difficult to do this and much more technical than it looks.

As for the eventing - I'd have thought anyone watching the competitors go through dressage, cross country and show jumping can see the skill

Of course the horse plays a huge part but riding is also a huge skill to be accomplished at and worthy of a medal like anything else

So, OP, did you think Carl Hester just hopped off Georgioni after they’d competed at the Barcelona Olympics and just left him there or something? Were you going to go on Twitter and tell him a horse is for life, not just Christmas/the Olympics?

You want ridiculous? What about the beach volleyball girls in their compulsory skimpy bikini bottoms? Those revealing "panties" have nothing to do with playing in heat and humidity. The Norwegian girls were absolutely right about the sexualising of sport.

You can’t get a horse to do much unless they enjoy it, they are powerful animals. The relationship between a horse and a rider is on the whole a loving one you really don’t need to worry.
Regarding the other horse, it was retired.

In terms of utter shite sports, I'd say BMX biking and skateboarding. Who the hell put those in the Olympic games.

Why would they mention the horse? The skill is all the riders. What was it another poster said here on another thread: do you think any horse would just get up and prance around if you put on a mix tape?! 😁

They don't mention the horse as the skill is all the riders.

My issue with dressage (which I love and dabbled in as a young rider) is how inaccessible it is to people without a LOT of money. There's no crowdfunding yourself into the Olympics in dressage - you'd need millions of investment over decades.

But I do love how fit riding can keep you well into your latter years. Whenever people comment disparagingly on the Queen 'sitting on' a horse I want to shake them and ask how many 90-odd year olds they know who could get in to a saddle, let alone safely stay there.

The problem is that so many don't, cant' and won't ever experience or understand horses and riding as they become less and less a part of everyday life - which has obvious everyday implications on the roads, etc.

It's not my cup of tea but my SIL and my two nieces are obsessed with it.

I'd say horse events might be some of the trickiest Olympic sports because you have to control another entity as well as yourself - and a bloody big entity at that. People can be a bit sniffy about equestrian sports but horse riding is a dangerous sport.

I'm not keen on the wrestling or boxing either, so I don't watch them OP.

I love it. It’s hilarious. If it’s not dancing horses it really does look like dancing horses.

Of course it different horses to previous Olympics. It's also different bikes for the cuclists, different shoes for the runners etc.

Why are knocking a sport because its participants can have long careers and enjoy partaking at a high level into their 60s?? How is that not a positive thing?

Wait, they fly the horses to Japan? Don't they have horses over there? I just assumed the olympics provided the horses.