Page 15 | To think that equestrian events are ridiculous

rantymcrantface66 · 03/08/2021 14:56

@MotherofPoodles

The winner of the individual gold medal at the Olympics signals a really positive new direction for dressage. For a long time now dressage has been a bit "sick". It's been taken over by very extreme moving horses that are very difficult to keep sound and ride. Jessica is a breath of fresh air and her training style is such a positive one.

To be fair that's true of all 3 individual medalists this year.

ActonSquirrel · 03/08/2021 15:01

@LobotomisedIceSkatingFan

Well, I'd be tremendously surprised if a horse spontaneously decides to jump over an obstacle. Possibly one that's already been 'taught' (viz, made) to jump.

I don't think any 'sport' which requires a sentient but ultimately non-consenting animal to be pressed into service is at best incredibly self-indulgent, and at worst, barbarous.

You're a vegetarian then?

gwenneh · 03/08/2021 15:14

My absolute favourite to watch is Blue Hors Matine the world dressage games .

But her tail, though! :D

My favourite will always be Edward Gal & Lingh. They had a few iterations of the trance/club music freestyles and they were just incredible. I had the great good fortune to be able to see one in person.

Unfortunately this was right around when Lingh was approved for the studbook and sold out to the US, but then Edward Gal went on to partner with Totilas and that was a world beating pair.

JudgeJ · 03/08/2021 15:15

@BFrazzled

In the Olympics.

Poor horses. This ridiculous dancing in dressage, who the hell thought of that?

There was one winner of the dressage contest who supposedly also won in the nineties. No mention of the horse, guess it was with a different one then

I'd stick to Love Island type of programme, sounds more your type of thing, you clearly have no appreciation of skill!

Bryonyshcmyony · 03/08/2021 15:17

@BFrazzled

In the Olympics.

Poor horses. This ridiculous dancing in dressage, who the hell thought of that?

There was one winner of the dressage contest who supposedly also won in the nineties. No mention of the horse, guess it was with a different one then

The best thing about owning and competing horses is that you are so busy and involved in the horsey scene you never have time to meet people who are this idiotic.

I hope I never meet anyone who thinks this in RL.

LemonFantaGin · 03/08/2021 15:19

Watches an hour of a highly skilled dressage horse probably worth more than you house and declares it ridiculous.

Well I find you ridiculous, you clearly have zero knowledge into the hard work and dedication it takes to get a horse and rider to that level of skill and the rider to build a relationship with the horse to 'dance' to music.

Try to sit back and enjoy the horsemanship and the beautiful are behind it, how the right music is found to match the horses rhythm, grr.

Germolenequeen · 03/08/2021 15:20

So much abuse in dressage please Google Rollkur for further info.

I've ridden horses for 55 years

Pericombobulations · 03/08/2021 15:27

I love watching the equestrian sports at the olympics, its all I do watch! None of the other sports interest me.

I have tried over the years to learn some of the most basic dressage (rein-back & half pass) and have learnt just how many different things to do those simple things the rider has to do. Also learnt very quickly, if the horse isnt willing, they are not going to do it. Its definately a partnership event.

Have to say, I was having a riding lesson this morning at a school who one of the paralympians trains at, who left last week with their horse, and had to take over a ton and a half of extra feed and equipment with them. I suspect the horse is more pampered than the rider.

gwenneh · 03/08/2021 15:31

@Germolenequeen

So much abuse in dressage please Google Rollkur for further info.

I've ridden horses for 55 years

Hyperflexion has been banned for a decade now.

Bryonyshcmyony · 03/08/2021 15:34

@Germolenequeen

So much abuse in dressage please Google Rollkur for further info.

I've ridden horses for 55 years

In the UK? Rolkur has been banned here for years.

CarlottaValdez · 03/08/2021 15:36

Hyperflexion has been banned for a decade now

Surely no need to ban it as you can’t make a horse do anything it doesn’t want to right? I expect they love having their heads twisted until their tongues go blue.

Penistoe · 03/08/2021 15:37

@Carthief all your examples are humans who
Choose to be there.

Horses wouldn’t choose this.

Bryonyshcmyony · 03/08/2021 15:37

@CarlottaValdez

Hyperflexion has been banned for a decade now

Surely no need to ban it as you can’t make a horse do anything it doesn’t want to right? I expect they love having their heads twisted until their tongues go blue.

Well it is banned so...

CaveMum · 03/08/2021 15:40

@VeryLongBeeeep

Lelliebellieboo I once met Cancara at a county show, it was the highlight of my day out!

Me too - Royal Bath & West Show in about 1993 I think! My teenage bedroom was covered in posters of Milton, Cancara, Freddie (the Horse & Pony magazine mascot) and Take That

Xenia · 03/08/2021 15:46

Everyone is entitled to express their views although I am perfectly fine with horse events. My daughters used to do a lot of show jumping. Most riders love and care well for their horses which perhaps is more than can be said for parents (and communist states) who force young children into sports they may not like and are far too strict with them.

rantymcrantface66 · 03/08/2021 16:04

@gwenneh

My absolute favourite to watch is Blue Hors Matine the world dressage games .

But her tail, though! :D

My favourite will always be Edward Gal & Lingh. They had a few iterations of the trance/club music freestyles and they were just incredible. I had the great good fortune to be able to see one in person.

Unfortunately this was right around when Lingh was approved for the studbook and sold out to the US, but then Edward Gal went on to partner with Totilas and that was a world beating pair.

Sadly this isn't a good example. Edward Gal is well known to use rollkur as a training method, one that originated in the Netherlands and is banned here in the UK on welfare grounds. The story of Totillas is dreadfully sad. By the time the horse left him he couldn't perform normally under kinder training methods. He already had the injuries both mental and physical to contend with. It opened the worlds eyes in the end though because for a time the judges lapped up the extravagant and unusual, but technically incorrect, tense and damaging movements the method produced however it's good to see they now know better now, looking at the 3 medalists who couldn't be more different to Gal and the other riders using this.

rantymcrantface66 · 03/08/2021 16:08

Surely no need to ban it as you can’t make a horse do anything it doesn’t want to right? I expect they love having their heads twisted until their tongues go blue.

You can make them do some things. What you can't make them do is relax and enjoy it. Something that was apparent quite early on in Totillas' career (using him as an example as most will have heard of him) . He was always tense, never appeared fully happy and it only got worse. It was scandalous that he was scored so highly at the time. It would t happen now thankfully.

gwenneh · 03/08/2021 16:12

@rantymcrantface66

Surely no need to ban it as you can’t make a horse do anything it doesn’t want to right? I expect they love having their heads twisted until their tongues go blue.

You can make them do some things. What you can't make them do is relax and enjoy it. Something that was apparent quite early on in Totillas' career (using him as an example as most will have heard of him) . He was always tense, never appeared fully happy and it only got worse. It was scandalous that he was scored so highly at the time. It would t happen now thankfully.

This is fair. There's a definitely pre- vs post-rollkur world, and having started my riding solidly when those things were in style at the top it certainly didn't occur to me to question that freestyle. Consider me schooled and you are 100% correct about the comparative harmony.

Still fab music, though.

FanFckingTastic · 03/08/2021 16:18

I won't even call it a sport since the horse does all of the work

I'm presuming that this comment is made in ignorance, and not to be nasty or goady....

If you've ever sat on a horse you will realise that just to stay on board is hard work and requires serious muscle control, flexibility and balance. Dressage may look like the rider is doing nothing, but don't be fooled. Event riding in particular is very high-intensity with riders heart rates up at maximum level (similar to a runners) Riders are effectively holding a squat position for a significant time, whilst travelling at speeds of around 30mph, over very large and often very technical fences.

Nixandwotsit · 03/08/2021 16:56

Surely any horse person taking half an interest knows that, while it might be banned in the UK, it's still used on the continent? And that one of the current Olympic riders has gone on record to say he's fine with it. Edward Gal broke Totillas mentally and physically.

countrygirl99 · 03/08/2021 16:59

Every time I see someone saying the horse does all the work I wish I really was rich. I'd pay for them to have a schooling session and then record the groaning as they tried to move the next day.

Bryonyshcmyony · 03/08/2021 16:59

@Nixandwotsit

Surely any horse person taking half an interest knows that, while it might be banned in the UK, it's still used on the continent? And that one of the current Olympic riders has gone on record to say he's fine with it. Edward Gal broke Totillas mentally and physically.

I only ride, buy and compete in the UK, so although I despise rolkur it doesn't affect me or my horses.

Nixandwotsit · 03/08/2021 17:02

@Nixandwotsit

Surely any horse person taking half an interest knows that, while it might be banned in the UK, it's still used on the continent? And that one of the current Olympic riders has gone on record to say he's fine with it. Edward Gal broke Totillas mentally and physically.

Dammit, I meant to say that Rollkur is still used on the continent, and that some of the current Olympic horses have been trained using that method.

gwenneh · 03/08/2021 17:03

@Nixandwotsit

Surely any horse person taking half an interest knows that, while it might be banned in the UK, it's still used on the continent? And that one of the current Olympic riders has gone on record to say he's fine with it. Edward Gal broke Totillas mentally and physically.

It wasn't just banned in the UK. It was banned, outright, by the FEI in 2010, by clarifying that it fits the definition of "aggression" in the rules: inside.fei.org/media-updates/fei-round-table-conference-resolves-rollkur-controversy

Whether or not LDR is still used, and where that line crosses into rollkur, is still problematic. But as a sport, the FEI has at least addressed the issue in this, and subsequent, iterations of the international rules.

rantymcrantface66 · 03/08/2021 17:05

Dammit, I meant to say that Rollkur is still used on the continent, and that some of the current Olympic horses have been trained using that method.

However they aren't winning medals