for horse lovers
This is the highest level of dressage known as "freestyle".
Dressage is complicated, all about a horse's back, shoulders, and haunches. Flexibility, strength, and response to commands by the rider you cannot see. Dressage comes from war. The need to command a war horse so oncoming soldiers cannot see which way you will go, or when you make your move to go in a direction. They meant for their war horses to last and last. It is weight on your hips, a squeeze on your reins, a touch of a spur.
My Dad was in the horse cavalry, learned stuff, taught me stuff. My Dad got on my horse, Brown, and asked for his grand kid to be put into his lap. That was my niece. He was 80. My niece was 4. Brown was perfect.
The first video I saw at the venue. The second video I saw on the tubes.
Andalusians do not score well due to arched neck that does not lower, and their front legs reach up from joints, not shoulders opening. They are not normally competitive with European Warmbloods, for who the competitions are judged, not the wars of yore.
Being a breeder of German Warmbloods, and riding Andalusians.
I was a sell them (warmbloods), ride them (Andies) kind of dressage girl. My horses were good enough for Prix St. George competition, but I preferred turning on a boom box, giving them a little work out to the music here at home.
I miss them, I miss riding, I and they danced.
I danced with my guys when nobody was there. I was never lonely. I had partners.
Comments
May you always have dance partners ...
and nevver be lonely. Beautiful presentation. Thank you for that.
[video:https://youtu.be/chvGOJ3Ntj8]
https://www.euronews.com/live
Same to you, mimi.
I had my good times with every horse I ever owned.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Well the first one for whatever reason, moved me to tears.
There was something, je ne sait quoi, that seemed magical about the Spanish team, which were both so handsome.
Maybe you can tell me if there is something I just viscerally pick up on as an untrained person.
I do so wish you could have a horse or horses, but I know they take so much time. As Neil Young said, I want to see you dance again.
[video:https://youtu.be/HDzHhqWZMD0]
Here in France many horses are singles with a Donkey pal. Many, many Donkeys as family pets and many are just plain neglected. There are Donkey rescue groups who take in some pretty sad cases.
If you have the time, I've been writing a Thursday am OT on our experiences trying to make our home in France.
I keep hoping each day that we, the human race - especially Western countries, will get the urge to do good things for the planet and each other. Then I listen to the stream and the birds, hug my doggie and kittehs, sit with my husband in the sun.
A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.
Consider helping by donating using the button in the upper left hand corner. Thank you.
Thanks for that song, which is one of my all-time faves!
The crowd went nuts after the performance. We also broke house rules by cheering before the horse came to a halt.
It was very emotional, and we wanted to give our support. The whole scoring system is designed to reward big warm blood horses.
Let's say, a required extended trot across the diagonal of the arena takes a warm blood 20 steps. The same distance in a shorter, more constrained shouldered horse might take 35 steps.
By the end of a performance, the shorter horse is likely to be tired.
This Andalusian had a lot more stamina and grace than any of us expected. We knew he would not win, but he certainly won our hearts.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I am glad you reminded me
to read your OT. I hope that, at the finish, your home is your dream come true.
I rescued a donkey years ago. He was a piece of work, but he came around, and I was able to find him a great adopting family.
I do not know how people can live with themselves after abusing any animal. Someone dumped a kitten in my front yard 2 days ago. It will be best for all concerned if I never learn who that person was.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Thanks so much for your responses.
I have some more questions:
How old is a horse when they are first able to really compete at a high level? How many years are they trained before competition?
Are the horses happy doing the various movements, e.g. trotting in place?
The white/silver horse is a warmblood? I do not know what the heck that means.
Only if you have time. Hoping you and your husband are doing well and that the Texans in your area wooly though they may be, they are not wild.
A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.
Consider helping by donating using the button in the upper left hand corner. Thank you.
I am always happy to talk horsey stuff!
Let's say you start with a horse that is "broke to ride". If the horse is healthy, has no riding issues, such as liking to buck, of getting hysterical and shying at any and everything, they can get to gp level in 5 years. How happy a horse is depends a lot on the rider having a "feel" for the horses' mouth and back. If the horse lays his ears back, he is unhappy. That is the most pronounced "tell" that they are about to do something wrong. They are happy and willing to trot in place if the rider knows when to let them relax and rest their haunches.
The white horse is an Andalusian, Europe's oldest pure breed. From that breed sprang the Lipizzaner. Warmbloods come from cold blooded breeds, such as draft horses, mixed with hot blooded horses, such as thoroughbreds and Arabians. They are routinely called "dumb bloods". They rarely get very creative in their resistance to training.
All equestrian sports can become cruel. More often than not, it is by some rider who hasn't been properly trained and coached.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I am largely ignorant about the fine points of Dressage
but have ridden often enough to appreciate the individuality of both horses and riders. What seems self evident from these videos is the extraordinary relationship between horse and rider. The intensity of attention of both, working together, is palpable.
In addition to the emotional response I felt, these demonstrations make clear that there is a lot more going on in the inner life of a horse than most people would think. They have personalities, feelings and an intelligence of their own. They are not “stupid” at all.
“ …and when we destroy nature, we diminish our capacity to sense the divine,and understand who God is, and what our own potential is and duties are as human beings.- RFK jr. 8/26/2024
It is a difficult sport.
The goal is for horse and rider to be a single unit. It is really an art to achieve that.
These horses have complete trust in their riders, and they try for their riders. They are intelligent critters.
We in the crowd knew the mighty Tortillas would take the gold. We are not very moved by his free style dance.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981