tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post4800974486324579902..comments2023-04-15T03:58:45.461-07:00Comments on It's a Really Long Way Down: Click!verylargecolthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18035418539530230889noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-28648125056371407432009-01-13T15:31:00.000-08:002009-01-13T15:31:00.000-08:00I was appalled when I first saw QH western pleasur...I was appalled when I first saw QH western pleasure. I had seen arab WP, but it familiar to me, and less ugly. And when I saw QH hunter under saddle, I had no idea what they were doing! I was like, "Why is this horse's head dragging on the ground?". I thought the point of Hunter under saddle is if there was *hypothetically* a jump, the horse would be ready to go over it. I doubt any horse could go over a jump with their heads that low! Please correct me if I am wrong about the HUS thing.Freedom Flighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00371801405301407645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-11595454966774268172009-01-08T06:46:00.000-08:002009-01-08T06:46:00.000-08:00I saw a small arab show when I was about 15. At t...I saw a small arab show when I was about 15. At that point I had been exposed to english (hunter jumper) and western (real ranch horses no less) so I knew there were different styles/needs for horse, tack, and riding styles out there. That arab show totally blew my mind though. <BR/><BR/>Here was my mental dialogue:<BR/><BR/>Who would want to ride too small bat shit crazy horse like that?<BR/><BR/>Oh, apparently those people. Why don't they train their horses to be more calm? Why are they riding in genie costumes?<BR/><BR/>Why did they shave their horse's face? Why did they put Vaseline on it, too? Why do they make them stand like that with their necks craned like swans—they’re horses? <BR/><BR/>A few years later I helped assist during vet checks as an endurance competition and gained an appreciation for arabs. A few years after that my first horse, by coincidence, ended up being a 'too small bat shit crazy arab' who I loved very much. <BR/><BR/>However, I still don't get the aesthetic of the arab shows with the over-arched necks, vaseline, and costumes. I also don't really see the point of using them for anything other than trail and endurance. I feel like I'm looking at a round peg in a square hole when I see an arab jumping. (BTW, yes, I know some arabs do other things very well but I still think it's silly to cut cattle on a horse designed for anything other than cutting cattle. I'm just a 'right tool for the job' kind of gal.)an American in Copenhagenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02376814061414234426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-66867725770345266162009-01-07T18:31:00.000-08:002009-01-07T18:31:00.000-08:00Drillrider, I agree with you. I remember the AQHA ...Drillrider, I agree with you. I remember the AQHA shows of the early 70s where the horses were "in the bridle." As soon as that four-beat, crippled head down what-passes-for-lope/canter in the pleasure classes took over, I stopped competing. Judges were going for that, and my horse didn't know how to do it. <BR/><BR/>One of the reasons I went into dressage when I got back into horses in the late 90s was that I LIKE horses "in the bridle."TBDancerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03889066602819359591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-29678644316401514432009-01-07T18:25:00.000-08:002009-01-07T18:25:00.000-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.TBDancerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03889066602819359591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-89820765140467771362009-01-06T19:00:00.000-08:002009-01-06T19:00:00.000-08:00I got the biggest shock of my life when I stumbled...I got the biggest shock of my life when I stumbled upon a Hunter Under Saddle class at an open show. I had been riding hunter/jumpers for about 8 years (I was 12 or so) and couldn't understand why western people were riding in english tack.<BR/>Also got another shock that same year when I was asked to show a pony at an open show and rode into the ring to find I was competing against 2 saddle seat riders and several people wearing half chaps and velvet helmet covers. I had only ever been at hunter/jumper show barns and wasn't aware that there were people out there who just rode for fun (although competing as much as possible and riding everything under the sun was MY idea of fun, lol.) I had never seen a Saddlebred before that.... I probably rode around the entire class with my mouth hanging open!OutRiding01https://www.blogger.com/profile/13567635810581059519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-8263273582844772182009-01-06T01:21:00.000-08:002009-01-06T01:21:00.000-08:00>>Ellie, I hear you. The first time I rode a...>>Ellie, I hear you. The first time I rode a dressage horse after having ridden hunter up to that point, I kept dropping the contact and couldn't get her to canter.<<<BR/><BR/>Many years ago, as a silly teenager, I switched horses with another silly teenager at my barn. I had been riding a polo pony - she had been riding her high level dressage horse.<BR/><BR/>Man, we were BOTH in trouble! I didn't have the contact right so her horse got pissed and started bucking. She VERY nearly wound up flying off at the halt - she was actually in front of the saddle. <BR/><BR/>We switched back :-)fuglyhorseofthedayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14748297520774828265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-18861816212467603362009-01-05T18:58:00.000-08:002009-01-05T18:58:00.000-08:00The gear that western riders wear ... all the brig...The gear that western riders wear ... all the bright colours, the glitter etc etc I think it looks stoopid. Just in my opinion of course. LOLJesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15397930952854951412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-46417092525331735172009-01-05T18:03:00.000-08:002009-01-05T18:03:00.000-08:00I enjoy horse shows but I rarely get to one. I als...I enjoy horse shows but I rarely get to one. I also have a high regard for the level of expertise that can be found there. However I've also been amazed sometimes at the number of competitors who, to all appearances, seem think that the only difference between disciplines is a change of tack and another snappy outfit for the rider.Sagebrusheqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05490175290841527388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-18428592134039102842009-01-05T15:21:00.000-08:002009-01-05T15:21:00.000-08:00I'll never forget the first time I saw a horse jum...I'll never forget the first time I saw a horse jump in person. It was a high-jump contest held late at night after the Morgan, Arab and ASB saddleseat classes had finished. I was right at the rail and about 20 feet from the jump. Just completely awestruck at how a 1000-pound animal could jump that high. Still am.rootytootyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11083746610577175976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-17666283652648319912009-01-05T12:18:00.000-08:002009-01-05T12:18:00.000-08:00Ellie, I hear you. The first time I rode a dressa...Ellie, I hear you. The first time I rode a dressage horse after having ridden hunter up to that point, I kept dropping the contact and couldn't get her to canter. Humiliating for a "know-it-all" teenager =oPdawdlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17957937018260111762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-1243557341735063432009-01-05T10:30:00.000-08:002009-01-05T10:30:00.000-08:00I have to second mugwump here. I had a background ...I have to second mugwump here. I had a background of riding reining horses and went to work for a cutting horse trainer who trained them the old fashioned "Texas" way. He sent me out to gather the cattle on a gelding he said was a gentle older horse. Well, he was gentle enough, but you could hardly turn him around in a twenty acre field. You could not open and close a gate from his back. Compared to the horses I was used to riding, he felt like a stiff ill-broke plug. Give his face? See mugwump's comment. Once the cattle were in the pen the trainer got on him and cut a cow. I couldn't believe it. The horse was amazing (and had won a lot). Years later I saw his name at the top of the open division in California. I learned a lot riding for those cutters, and the lesson in how to leave a horse alone and not constantly dink with him stayed with me. Their horses could lope in any lead, do whatever they pretty much pleased, until they walked into the herd. And then they had to be perfect. One hundred per cent on. My own style became a hybrid between cutter and reiner with a little roper thrown in for good measure (!)Laura Crumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15200878892304748308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-71937367793341948052009-01-05T10:19:00.000-08:002009-01-05T10:19:00.000-08:00The first time I saw the western show lope, I thou...The first time I saw the western show lope, I thought the horses were all lame! I can't stand the low, low, low headset and the canter that is so painfully slow! It looks uncomfortable for the horse and if their expressions are anything to go by, no FUN for them AT ALL! I also HATE the "jerking" on their mouths to get them to do it. I'd like to rip them off their horses, put a bit in the rider's mouth and start jerking on the reins and see how they like it!Drillriderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07237598511944008927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-73366791458766163492009-01-05T02:10:00.000-08:002009-01-05T02:10:00.000-08:00Riding a high-goal polo mare (retired, but only be...Riding a high-goal polo mare (retired, but only been off the pitch for 6 weeks!) - learnt very painfully and quickly how to stop without using reins :)<BR/><BR/>And whenI was a passenger on a cutting horse - spent the whole time with my eyes closed and trying to not hinder the horse. Beats any roller-coaster ride I've ben on :)Ellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01292837110530569087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-3685111378801737322009-01-04T18:52:00.000-08:002009-01-04T18:52:00.000-08:00The first time I rode a finished cutter trained by...The first time I rode a finished cutter trained by an old-timey trainer. The thing didn't back, barely turned and seemed stiff as a board. Give his face? HA!<BR/>Then I rode him in the herd. We sorted our cow I put my hand down and you could almost feel him say, "Ah, she's finally out of my way." It was a beautiful ride. I learned we can never think we know what's right for every horse, just the one we're on today.mugwumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00319060800328355056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-4457944007557288942009-01-04T12:11:00.000-08:002009-01-04T12:11:00.000-08:00Every time I see GP level dressage horses looking ...Every time I see GP level dressage horses looking terrified, being strangled by their riders and spooking at the smallest sound/sight, it makes me wonder, 'THIS is the highest form of training??'<BR/><BR/>The reality is, I can understand and actually appreciate all forms of riding, and know there's bad examples of ALL of it, EVERYWHERE. Therefore, I hope people like Deer Run will someday learn this, and realize they're throwing stones from a glass house.Brenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07130782517191887495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-14200265155790460142009-01-04T02:14:00.000-08:002009-01-04T02:14:00.000-08:00@Leah fry- lol the first time I ever went riding I...@Leah fry- lol the first time I ever went riding I was 13 and it was a trail ride (didn't have any prior instruction). My horse kept trotting to catch up, and by the end of the ride I had figured out how to post. I was pretty sure at the time I was a genius and had invented it haha.brat_and_a_halfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04263069274808003021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-67198367482375989732009-01-04T02:10:00.000-08:002009-01-04T02:10:00.000-08:00I once put a friend of mine (dutch, and was a dres...I once put a friend of mine (dutch, and was a dressage princess) on an appaloosa i rode last year that had a killer, 'ho' stop. She had never ridden western and was giggling about the fact that he was jogging and just doing it. So as she jogged by, I said 'ho' and he stopped and she almost landed on his neck, hehee. He was pretty good with that, awsome horse to take in horsemanship; all else failed, we usually had the best halt in the class lol.brat_and_a_halfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04263069274808003021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-89066525140458997702009-01-03T22:04:00.000-08:002009-01-03T22:04:00.000-08:00I've been lucky and have been exposed to and gotte...I've been lucky and have been exposed to and gotten to ride loads of different diciplines. But the one thing I was really never exposed to was polo. We had the Kansas City polo team come in and give a demo one night of our big local youth show, and then they let us get on their horses and ride around and try to actually hit the ball. I remember scoffing in the stands at several of the riders because of their position, but once I got on some of those horses, I was just ridiculously impressed that that could not only ride them with one hand, but at the same time wack a ball down to the other end!Stelladorohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08208275944944079021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-4517511528994825062009-01-03T17:12:00.000-08:002009-01-03T17:12:00.000-08:00Oh, *wry* that would be the first time I sat on a ...Oh, *wry* that would be the first time I sat on a proper dressage horse.<BR/><BR/>I was oh, 14, and had been getting paid to ride horrible pos ponies & occasional horses for a while. As such, while I could sit most anything, my mad riding skillz, they lacked a little, um finesse, shall we say?<BR/><BR/>A friend of a friend asked me if I'd like to try riding her horse, who was as she knew fairly tolerant. (She wasn't trying to get me killed or anything!)<BR/><BR/>So, I got up on the 16.3 DutchWB, PSG dressage horse, and we were off. Walk was ok. We moved into trot, and that was it.<BR/>I could neither sit nor rise properly to it, and the gears, they were not where I thought they were. We just powered around that arena in extended trot with bits of passage thrown in and occasional bouncing bits of canter and me flailing like an idiot.<BR/>I was utterly out of control and I just remember feeling SO humiliated, "OMG, I actually can't RIDE at all." <BR/>Owner meanwhile, was killing herself laughing.FDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01485030894416936129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-21859015692491748572009-01-03T15:26:00.000-08:002009-01-03T15:26:00.000-08:00The first time I saw a saddle seat rider was a cou...The first time I saw a saddle seat rider was a couple years ago in an English class at an open show. I'm from a h/j background, and it looked like she was sitting way too far back on only a flat strip of leather, posting way too high and fast for an equitation class, and her horse was barreling around the ring with his legs going in all directions. I just stood and gaped for a couple minutes until I realized it was a different discipline instead of an ungainly rider on an epileptic horse.Serendipityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03519191449930495704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-87934605533550202032009-01-03T10:44:00.000-08:002009-01-03T10:44:00.000-08:00Ha Ha Ha...I managed a race/breeding/training faci...Ha Ha Ha...I managed a race/breeding/training facility outside of Tulsa Okla.One of the owners was an avid polo player.I am very hunter/flatwork/dressage oriented.Polo owner guy watches me working my own horses and jumping over an outside course.He asks me if I can teach him how to jump.In return he began to teach me polo basics (stick and ball skills).The first time I got on one of his ponies she damn near blew my doors off!!I had never ridden a horse so full tilt fast and agile and she was to polo like my bombproof fox hunters were for new hunt riders.I was merely a passenger and she knew how to do her job and just put up with me!!<BR/><BR/>I also got very skilled at ponying 5-6 at a time where at the track the most I ever did was 2.I learned alot at that farm.LuvMyTBshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02535739190335276089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-23630342705673518642009-01-03T09:43:00.000-08:002009-01-03T09:43:00.000-08:00Sly sounds like a fun little horse! Re: working al...Sly sounds like a fun little horse! Re: working alone vs with other horses, I think you're exactly right-- there will come a time when being with you, the rider, will be as good as being with another horse, but it's harder to get to that point when all of her time with you is spent in a state of panic or upset because of the lack of horse-buddies.<BR/><BR/>As far as riding styles that look weird, every time I see a class of AQHA/APHA style western pleasure horses plodding around on their forehands with blank, introverted eyes, it makes me want to vomit.Deer Run Stableshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10973264014681572641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-41411854531118910782009-01-03T03:50:00.000-08:002009-01-03T03:50:00.000-08:00The first show I ever attended was an all-round sh...The first show I ever attended was an all-round show with both English and Western classes. I was very young and I thought posting was the weirdest thing I'd ever seen.Leah Fryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18158981037468411293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-21104718016151074822009-01-02T22:42:00.000-08:002009-01-02T22:42:00.000-08:00i came from a "rescue" aka guy would take old brok...i came from a "rescue" aka guy would take old broken down horses that needed to be retired and made them into lesson horses until they died. he believed bits were evil so we rode in hackamores with insane horses that were green broke (and he would put five year olds on these horses) and we didn't ride with sturrips. so when i finally left and went to a real barn it was really wierd to see people ride with sturrips and bits. oh and at the "rescue" place we would take turns cantering and stuff so horse traffic in the arena was very hard to get used to lol. you need to do a post on this place the horses never get vet care and the guy who owns it is insane. he works his horses until they can't work anymore and thirteen year olds were the trainers and instructorsclarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14922429119777710197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8476030038561997950.post-48315704394753984602009-01-02T19:23:00.000-08:002009-01-02T19:23:00.000-08:00He is a really smart horse. The people we got him ...He is a really smart horse. The people we got him from over showed him point chasing in the medal classes and he was a little ring sour, so I took him out on a lot of trail rides this summer. He's gotten over that and it is really nice to see him so excited about going to work.Elliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056502913404304546noreply@blogger.com