This is one of the finest displays of horsemanship that I've ever seen. Before clicking, please be aware this is bullfighting and may not be something you want to watch.
It's nice to see that dressage actually does have practical applications. Seeing this reminds me that dressage originally was military training. That's some absolutely amazing lateral work....
I hadn't said it but was thinking exactly the same. From that video, you can easily trace it to war horses. Dressage has mostly lost that connection. It's hard to picture a dressage horse as a war horse!
Oh, I know.... It's easy to see dressage horses as pampered primadonnas. I can just picture my former horse thinking, "But... but... but... fight in a battle? What if I chip a hoof?"
Anyways, it was good seeing you at NOTOCON! And thanks for the dinner invite! What an incredible month! Take Minerval, arrive at NOTOCON, get free lobster dinner.... I could get used to this! ;-)
Hopefully some time arianadawnhawk and I will be able to pay you a visit. It's been far too long since I've been in the saddle.
Doh! I just realized who you and arianadawnhawk are. I had no clue!
Good to see you here in lj land. I've added you to my horse filter. Do you want to be there? It might not fascinate. Lots of "Zahra looks like she's moving with more rhythm" or "Wow, I trotted really fast and kept my frickin' hands quiet". ;-)
It was nice to meet you. Is that you in your icon?
You and your sweetie are welcome in Vegas anytime. I'd be happy to put you up.
Yes, that was me in the icon with my at-the-time 3 year old gelding, and I think it was taken the first time I rode him at his breeder's farm. Looking at it now, I'm critical about how high his head was; once he started going well, I could get him down and on the bit, and he was a joy to ride, right up until he decided to go batshit insane and try to kill me on a regular basis. My LJ has numerous documented Near Death Experiences. ;-)
I need to post them, but I have some better pictures somewhere from the one and only one show where he was simultaneously relatively sane and uninjured.
Have you ever noticed that once one starts riding dressage, it becomes impossible to watch a movie with horses without critiquing? "That horse is not on the bit!" "That rider's heels are level with his ankles!" Etc. Or cringing at the end of Hidalgo when Viggo sets his horse free, but doesn't pull the horse's shoes first?
What gets really sick is when you start critiquing and tearing apart Grand Prix performances. Sometimes that actually upsets me.
Have you ever seen Blue Hors Matinee and Andreas Helgstrand at World Cup? OMG, it's the most magnificent thing I've ever ever ever seen. And my dressage friends are like, "uh...her tail is swishing."
GAH! It was a happy tail! It was a beautifully relaxed horse.
I haven't watched any horse movies since I got into dressage, but I can already see signs that I'm turning into much of what I hate in other horse people. Picky bitch!
Oh, I totally critique and snark over Grand Prix. That's where the fun is!
I had a chance to go with my ex to the FEI World Cup in 2005 in Las Vegas a while back. Anky won, although I think Edward Gal and Debbie McDonald both had better rides. They were robbed, I say! Watching the same test performed over and over again, and with the scores for each movement updated on the overhead screen shortly after the movement happened, I was able to get a feel for the judging, and got things calibrated to a point that I was almost always in agreement with at least one of the three judges, often with the majority.
I think Debbie McDonald did some serious showmanship with her kur; I seem to recall her doing piaffe and passage down centerline to X, and doing it with only one hand on the reins while waving to the audience! (She already was bucking tradition by using music with words; R-E-S-P-E-C-T, and She's a Brick.... House. Especially fitting, as she was riding a huge mare!)
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It's nice to see that dressage actually does have practical applications. Seeing this reminds me that dressage originally was military training. That's some absolutely amazing lateral work....
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Anyways, it was good seeing you at NOTOCON! And thanks for the dinner invite! What an incredible month! Take Minerval, arrive at NOTOCON, get free lobster dinner.... I could get used to this! ;-)
Hopefully some time arianadawnhawk and I will be able to pay you a visit. It's been far too long since I've been in the saddle.
Reply
Good to see you here in lj land. I've added you to my horse filter. Do you want to be there? It might not fascinate. Lots of "Zahra looks like she's moving with more rhythm" or "Wow, I trotted really fast and kept my frickin' hands quiet". ;-)
It was nice to meet you. Is that you in your icon?
You and your sweetie are welcome in Vegas anytime. I'd be happy to put you up.
Reply
I'm happy to be on your horse filter.
Yes, that was me in the icon with my at-the-time 3 year old gelding, and I think it was taken the first time I rode him at his breeder's farm. Looking at it now, I'm critical about how high his head was; once he started going well, I could get him down and on the bit, and he was a joy to ride, right up until he decided to go batshit insane and try to kill me on a regular basis. My LJ has numerous documented Near Death Experiences. ;-)
I need to post them, but I have some better pictures somewhere from the one and only one show where he was simultaneously relatively sane and uninjured.
Have you ever noticed that once one starts riding dressage, it becomes impossible to watch a movie with horses without critiquing? "That horse is not on the bit!" "That rider's heels are level with his ankles!" Etc. Or cringing at the end of Hidalgo when Viggo sets his horse free, but doesn't pull the horse's shoes first?
Reply
Have you ever seen Blue Hors Matinee and Andreas Helgstrand at World Cup? OMG, it's the most magnificent thing I've ever ever ever seen. And my dressage friends are like, "uh...her tail is swishing."
GAH! It was a happy tail! It was a beautifully relaxed horse.
I haven't watched any horse movies since I got into dressage, but I can already see signs that I'm turning into much of what I hate in other horse people. Picky bitch!
Reply
I had a chance to go with my ex to the FEI World Cup in 2005 in Las Vegas a while back. Anky won, although I think Edward Gal and Debbie McDonald both had better rides. They were robbed, I say! Watching the same test performed over and over again, and with the scores for each movement updated on the overhead screen shortly after the movement happened, I was able to get a feel for the judging, and got things calibrated to a point that I was almost always in agreement with at least one of the three judges, often with the majority.
I think Debbie McDonald did some serious showmanship with her kur; I seem to recall her doing piaffe and passage down centerline to X, and doing it with only one hand on the reins while waving to the audience! (She already was bucking tradition by using music with words; R-E-S-P-E-C-T, and She's a Brick.... House. Especially fitting, as she was riding a huge mare!)
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I LOVED that kur.
I'm not much of an Anky fan as her training methods disturb me.
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I don't know that much about Anky. What does she do?
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I saw McDonald's performance on video. I've never seen much live dressage except one local A rated show.
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http://z111.livejournal.com/2006/06/30/
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