I know everyone laughs at dressage but…

[SW1amp]

The dressage World Cup took place last night and the winners were a woman who is 6 months pregnant, another openly gay woman, and a woman who is in her 50s
They are the best people at this sport in the world

I think that’s pretty cool…

I’m not going to claim it’s the most inclusive sport from a cost perspective, or that it’s something accessible to most, but you wouldn’t see that sort of variety on the winners podium of F1 or any other sport I can think of

Perhaps I shouldn't be on this thread but dancing horses looks silly.

Thank you. Will take a look

@Neverreturntoathread

Horseriding when six months pregnant?! Irresponsible, I don’t see much to applaud there.

What about it is irresponsible..?

@ButtockUp

Perhaps I shouldn't be on this thread but dancing horses looks silly.

I'm sure horses everywhere will be very dismayed that you think they're silly. All movements in dressage are movements horses do naturally and are trained to do them on cue for dressage. My horse used to do an impressive Piaffe behind his field gate if I didn't walk across the field fast enough to fetch him in for his tea, and he can still, despite a leg injury that means he's retired, do a cracking extended trot and pirouette (more commonly known as stop, spook and spin) never made it past novice level dressage so I certainly didn't train him to do those movements..... Nor was I asking him to 🤷🏼‍♀️

I hate it when people refer to dressage as "dancing horses". I think it is a bit of a pity that they put music to it as it is such an amazing skill and I think that downgrades it a bit.

I’ve never come across the notion before that some people might find dressage amusing.

That's great, OP, thanks for posting!
I don't follow dressage, but when I've ever seen it I'm amazed by how the horse does it's complicated routine with the rider apparently not doing much - obviously they must be but so subtly.

I think dressage is amazing. And I’m split re the “music” element - on the one hand it makes them seem like “dancing” horses, but on the other hand it can help appeal to more viewers.

I’m in awe of the control and skill of the rider. SO many people think they just sit there doing nothing as they don’t move - the skill and training to make it look like that is unreal.

I’m not a “horsey” person - last time I rode was over 30 years ago. But I’m assuming that rider/horse combinations mean that there is a lot of trust and a long working relationship between horse/rider.

My cousin does it. I have spent countless hours sitting on fences/in the arena looking at her training.
It blows my mind how hard it is, the hours they put in, the patience require, the kit, the grooming - all of it.
On the back of that I love watching high leval competition because you know the scale of the effort that went in to get them there.
Amazing.

I love dressage and did it when I was younger as worked as a groom for a GB dressage rider. Best job of my life and miss horse riding terribly.

@watcherintherye

I’ve never come across the notion before that some people might find dressage amusing.

You can't have been on MN when the mean threads about his it's not a real sport abound - after every summer Olympics and Paralympics. It's almost a ritual

And, I think completely wrong. I love the skill of dressage.

I don't know anyone who 'laughs at dressage' 🤨; quite frankly, anyone who has even faintest idea what is involved and how difficult it is to master, is in awe of the abilities of both the rider and the horse.
As dear elderly relative used to quip - the ones who matter, know; the ones who don't know, don't matter.
Never said she is a nice octogenarian 🧐

I don't watch it but recognise the skill it takes, including building up the relationship between rider and horse.

Any one who laughs at dressage and says it's the horse doing it by themselves has never sat on a horse.

Lovely to see so many women achieving at such a high level. My personal dressage hero is Charlotte Dujardin. Check out some of her rides on Valegro. She's got piles of olympic and world titles and it's easy to see why - such a kind and gentle rider. Her horses get treated like normal horses too - plenty of turnout and hacking.

We don’t laugh at dressage in this house, it pays the mortgage!