Re: What do you think about horse riding and racing?
Originally Posted by
Julie1962
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It looks so forced the animals don't naturally move like that. I can't see them being happy doing it and I believe they use leads and lead like shackles (probably have a proper technical name) to achieve some poses.
Dressage is supposed to only allow movements that are performed by a horse in its natural state .
All these fancy movements can be seen by young foals playing together in fields .
BUT
Put a weight on a horses back and everything changes .
It has to learn to carry this weight and in order to do those things it once did with gay abandon it has to bring it weight back off the front legs .
This is not natural to the horse but is more natural in some breeds .
Breeds that find this easy are the pure bred Spanish Welsh cobs and ponies ( believe it or not ) and at times the Arab horse .
BUT
These breeds are rarely used in competitive dressage .
Because welsh cobs and ponies are two small and hot .
Arabs although taller are still too small and hot .
And the Spanish horse which by far the most suitable also loses out in competitive dressage .
WHY?
Because all these breeds have a natural showy high knee action and presence which is all well and good .
BUT
British dressage is ruled by judges who favour the large German and eurpeoan warm bloods which are huge and impressive .
Formally these were carriage horses and have a huge stride and extended trot for pulling aristocratic carriages .
Judges love these .
BUT
These big horses find it more difficult to get the weight back on to their hind legs and perform small movements .They are also very powerful and heavier in the front so have to be controlled by more force .
Not all carry themselves with the natural ease of the Arab or Spanish horse ( incidentally both the Welsh cob and Spanish horse have a lot of Arab blood in them)
So dressage is dominated by he sort of horse that finds it's more difficult to do just because the judges favour the more Prussian style .
Although this is changing it's not changing enough .
Their are cruelties in dressage .
They never wear shackles ( trotting horses do )
But they are sometimes subject to Rollkur ( hypertension ) a system of training that over arches their neck causing great pain and distress in breathing to such an extent that their tongues turn blue .
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hM4fKJ9VtfU
unfortunately this is still practised by many successful riders .
Although it is supposedly illegal .
However as things go dressage horses are usually well looked after they have to look good and are not beaten .
You cannot have a dressage horse that is afraid of a whip as it is used as a training aid for signals not punishment .( see Spanish clip below )
There are many other sports with horses that are less than kind but I have bored you all quite enough for one session .
Here is a beautiful Spanish horse doing dressage without any restraints at all ( these include high school movements not asked for in competitive dressage . He seems to be enjoying it even the duck won't leave !
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7Igu_9NBc2g