To think horses do not belong in the Olympics

[StunningCunt]

They've got this horse prancing sideways with a toff in a top hat on the top, and they are devoting hours of TV coverage because we might get a gold medal in this nonsense?

Why don't they just have a dog show there and be done with it?

Competitive sheep herding?

Motor racing?

In fact, could the defenders of equestrian events name me another Olympic event where the outcome is so independent of the participants skill or ability?

Oh Beanie you make me chuckle

BeanieStats - "Thankfully given the dire state of equestrian teams this year equestrian events will probably be binned by the time of the 2020 Olympics"

On that statement, I think you'll find diving will go first, I mean that was a guaranteed medal wasn't it?

At the showjumping world championships, the top four riders all ride a round on each others horses. Then they decide the winner. So the riders have to get a very top level performance out of a horse they've never sat on before.

I think we should all just be celebrating another gold for Team GB, the first ever for dressage, whatever your views may be as to whether the event deserves inclusion in the Olympics.

Obviously thank you
41 countries entering all equestrian events but only 11 countries have a proper dressage team.

Beanie

"The simple fact is that the performance of any rider is entirely down to the performance of his animal."

The simple fact is the statement is wrong, put me on one of the horses and then see.

Dire state of the equestrian teams? What?

Agree all gold medals should be celebrated and reflect great achievement.
Stinky more diving on Friday from Daley.

Don't watch it if you don't like it?

Ah thanks for that Donki. I know someone who works on one of the Schockemohle stallion yards and the emails from her, even well into this year, hinted at concern at the levels of resistance he continued to offer Rath (tongue out, tail grinding and/or tail swishing - the latter apparently quite evident even in the CDI Hagen). Apparently a lot of dressage experts including many on the PS yard thought all the Hagen Kur scores were inflated, and certainly comparing Totilas's 88% Kur with Valegro's 88% GP Special at the same event, there are grounds for understanding that train of thought.

Maybe we could get rid of football, Olympic sport? Seeing how true Olympians behave shows us just what football and football players are.

I'd just like to get rid of the mens but that might not be too easy to do.

I don't care about the original question. But I do think the horses in the paralympics should also be disabled. I mean, who wouldn't be impressed by a three-legged horse jumping a fence?

it is very skilled and some horses just love to put on a show, some horses love to race and some love to jump

you can not train a horse to this high standard if it was something the horse was not happy doing

"He was lovely though. My second go (years later) was on a psychopathic appaloosa stallion (with a great big willy, god that was a shock) who ran down the hill with me on it."

No one else think this could have been better phrased....? fits in quite well with the Olympic whores mind you.

Zukie and Sal - remember Stroller?

Soupy - well now you've highlighted it, yes definitely it could have been better phrased!

I don't feel comfortable watching dressage. I saw it on telly, and had to switch it off. It just doesn't seem like natural behaviour for the horse.

On the other hand, I got really into the showjumping yesterday afternoon. I was gripped.

I sit on the fence with horses, I don't like the cruelty involved in racing, especially National, and some of the those fences with the show jumping are so high. However, part of me thinks these top horses are very well looked after, and they are so beautiful. Showjumping is my favourtite to watch. Never got into horseracing.

I've never had horses, far too poor. Some of my friends have horses and they're not toffs, saying that they don't compete with their horses, as its too expensive.

In fact, could the defenders of equestrian events name me another Olympic event where the outcome is so independent of the participants skill or ability?

Why don't you book yourself a lesson on your nearest dressage trainer's Grand Prix schoolmaster, have a go at today's Grand Prix Special test - ask if he/she can get some Listed judges to score you, for an accurate comparison - and then come back and tell us your mark. Then we can compare that to the marks scored by today's riders and we'd have some quantitive evidence of how much skill is involved on the part of the rider and how much is 'just sitting there'.

And Penwood Forge Mill.

OP - YABVU

"Why don't you book yourself a lesson on your nearest dressage trainer's Grand Prix schoolmaster, have a go at today's Grand Prix Special test - ask if he/she can get some Listed judges to score you, for an accurate comparison - and then come back and tell us your mark. Then we can compare that to the marks scored by today's riders and we'd have some quantitive evidence of how much skill is involved on the part of the rider and how much is 'just sitting there'."

If I were to ride the same horse and it were to perform in exactly the same way then you may have a point.

To be clear - I am in no doubt that equestrian events require a great deal of skill and years of experience - however in much the same way that Lewis Hamilton is a highly skilled individual his performance is a direct result of the engineers behind him in exactly the same way that the performance of Carl Hester is directly dependent on the the trainers and breeding programme behind him.

If Dressage is an Olympic event then there is no reason why Formula can not be.

Snorts at fire and ashes - couldn't agree more. I was once lucky enough to sit on a GP schoolmaster in my youth. He was very kind and obliging with me and let me try out flying changes (only one at a time) and passage... but I couldn't get anything more than medium trot until the owner took a hand from the ground - and I had to grab the saddle to avoid pinging off the horse's back as I couldn't sit with the movement....

And Carl Hester trains his own horses... or aren't coaches allowed in other sports?

Anyone who says there is no skill in what the eqestrian teams do - I challenge you to sit on one of those horses, walk around the ring - you'll be in the floor in seconds I've ridden all my life, not to any level, just hobby riding, i ride trusty old cobs taht look after their riders - i would be on the floor in seconds if i even got ON horses of the calibre that we have seen over this competition. they are highly strung and highly sensitive, they don't give a shit if they are in the olympics, if the riders make the slightest mistake it will be unforgiven. I am in AWE of anyone who competes at that level. It is a bit like saying there is no skill in motor racing - what? do you think the cars drive themselves?

What a load of tosh