To think that equestrian events are ridiculous

[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

@ChiefClerkDrumknott

All the time, yes. To move away from oncoming rain, to step aside from something they don't want to stand on, when they are excited, when they see a flower they've seen a thousand times but are in a silly mood so decide to react to it. It's generally just a way of being a bit exuberant. But yes they choose to walk sideways a lot

I identify with this comment 🤣🤣

Me too. The "Finding Nemo Crabs" springs to mind. Said flower is a threat and they will not turn their backs so walk out wide, to the side and give it the full "Hey.. hey... hey... watching you sunshine don't think I'm not wise"

Yes, ghastly - and horse racing too.

There was a time when it was thought acceptable to have elephants, bears and tigers performing all sorts of ridiculous tricks to entertain people. Now it is generally felt that it is wrong to exploit and degrade them in this way. Why is it OK to do the same to horses?

@ellyeth

There was a time when it was thought acceptable to have elephants, bears and tigers performing all sorts of ridiculous tricks to entertain people. Now it is generally felt that it is wrong to exploit and degrade them in this way. Why is it OK to do the same to horses?

If I were to hazard a guess it is probably down to the fact that the former are undomesticated, endangered animals that in some cases have been hunted nearly to extinction, and the latter are domestic, purpose bred livestock who have been raised and bred to the job for literal millennia.

@lboogy

Who knew there were so many horse enthusiasts on MN.

I personally have no interest in elitist sports like equestrian events. Same with sailing. Bunch of rich people doing rich people stuff

Clearly the riding school I learnt to ride at in Bradford only attracted the local elites. The local reservoir was full of the elites too. I love the area but it is not known for having many rich locals.

The local kids got their lessons in return for mucking out etc, the conditions at the school would probably make BHS terrified but those horses and ponies were loved and well cared for.

And still people post who don’t appear to know one end of a horse from the other.

To be honest, I used to ride motorbikes as well as riding horses and the same principles apply. You look round the corners and the subtle movement of leaning and pushing the handlebar slightly takes you round. You don't yank the handlebars round. It's about balance and subtlety.

Anyone want to laugh hysterically at that?

@DroopyClematis

Isn't the Olympics about a human's prowess, not a horse's? Not a fan of using any animal for sport as it involves coercion. Just wrong.

Dressage horses are not coerced. They are trained, gently, in baby steps. Until you have seen a dressage horse "performing" in its pasture for fun, don't make judgements.

Am I to assume that you are also against having dogs on leashes? That would just as easily be called "coercion."

@Mamanyt Oh God don't mention dogs as well you'll start an all out war!😂

[quote PinniGig]@Mamanyt Oh God don't mention dogs as well you'll start an all out war!😂[/quote]
OOPS! My bad! LOL, I have a cat. An indoor cat, and have been roundly castigated in some quarters for not allowing her out. However, the world is so large, and she is so small, and that VERY busing road is SO near!

@Mamanyt I don't blame you one bit. Last month we found a dead cat by the side of the road I couldn't leave for the poor owners to find. Bagged him up, put him on the back seat and took him to the vets for scanning and then contacting the owners to let him know without them having to stumble across the poor sod and be left with that trauma :(

Often wonder how people cope when their cats are out roaming all night - not that I'm either way in opinion some cats are happier outside and others seem more content to kick back and enjoy being a fat loaf of bread indoor cat but I'd never sleep.

But yeah the horse community and the dog community - never has their been two groups so at odds with each other about EVERYTHING.

Sure it's the same with cat owners too but we'll lay low and hope not to throw that into the mix and go nuclear 😂😂

OH , God, how horrid for, and kind of you! Back when I was able to drive, I carried gloves and plastic bags in the car for just such occasions. I just could not leave them there, like refuse.

@Mamanyt

OH , God, how horrid for, and kind of you! Back when I was able to drive, I carried gloves and plastic bags in the car for just such occasions. I just could not leave them there, like refuse.

@PinniGig. LOL, braindead!

How on earth does someone raise children on £9k p/a in the UK? Our housing costs alone are more than double that! As for horse riding lessons, at £30 an hour I can’t afford it even though I’d love DD to be able to try it 😞

@msgreen

The whole thing is madness ,if all the money and effort was put into fixing worldwide food production Imagine the difference that could be made, all those motivated people coming together to make something that really matters happen. WE SHOULD be fostering cooperation between nations not competition

Instead of paying your WiFi bill, why don't you put that money into world hunger?

Just a question to equestrian people: do riders use spurs in dressage?

@Thatsjustwhatithink

Just a question to equestrian people: do riders use spurs in dressage?

Spurs can be used. But spurs aren't the horrible pointed things of old. They are more like rounded nubs that mean that the rider can reach to squeeze the horse in the right spot on it's side to ask for the movement clearly without shifting their whole seat. You are held quite securely in place in a dressage saddle and at Olympic level, the horses are so sensitive that shifting your weight is an aid for a movement. To avoid confusion, spurs give your ankles a bit more 'length' and clarity for the horse in terms of what you are asking.

In that respect, some horses are like toddlers. They can be so eager to please that when they don't understand and are confused they have a meltdown.

I'm always astounded when people who don't know anything about a topic read the OP and then comment without reading the thread and seeing if their questions have already been answered or if their assumptions have any basis in fact.

@Shurl

I don't think I buy that spurs give your ankles length. The reality is that you are kicking a horse in a sensitive area with a point to ensure they do what you want. That's the bit I'm uncomfortable with. I'm also uncomfortable with bits (the part that goes in the horses mouth) as again you are putting pressure on a sensitive part of the horses body for control.

I don't see anyone putting a bit in their toddlers or dogs month and pulling it against the soft cartilage for control. Nor do I see anyone one 'extending the length of their ankle' by wearing spurs so they dig them in to a toddler or dog.

I don't think I buy that spurs give your ankles length

Why don't you? You clearly don't know much about horses and you've had an intelligent and correct reply. Do you mean that it doesn't confirm your bias?

Some people are misunderstanding. Nobody is saying there isn’t human skill involved in equestrian sports. This is not the point at all.

The point is - is it actually necessary to fly horses around the world to basically “dance” so that humans can congratulate themselves on their own skill?

Don’t even get me started on horse racing.

Obviously, the horse would rather have a life without all this “faff,” not to mention the endless training it has to endure. This is the point. It’s not about you (the human).

[quote Thatsjustwhatithink]@Shurl

I don't think I buy that spurs give your ankles length. The reality is that you are kicking a horse in a sensitive area with a point to ensure they do what you want. That's the bit I'm uncomfortable with. I'm also uncomfortable with bits (the part that goes in the horses mouth) as again you are putting pressure on a sensitive part of the horses body for control.

I don't see anyone putting a bit in their toddlers or dogs month and pulling it against the soft cartilage for control. Nor do I see anyone one 'extending the length of their ankle' by wearing spurs so they dig them in to a toddler or dog.[/quote]
If you kicked any of those Olympic horses (or indeed many horses full stop), you'd end up on the floor so fast you wouldn't have time to blink!

@Bryonyshcmyony

Would you use spurs on a child or dog?

Oh hold on, you are a bit hater!

God, horses bring out the worst in people as well as the best.

[quote Thatsjustwhatithink]@Bryonyshcmyony

Would you use spurs on a child or dog?[/quote]
I don't ride children or dogs, so I'm saying no.