Okay, so I'm watching these magnificent animals do their jumps and noticed they have HATS on! If that isn't the most adorable thing. Now, is this just fashion for the sport or is there some reason they wear these caps?
Some of them have fringe and I would think could spook the horse if it flaps in the right way.
Also, when the horse misses with the hind and bangs his/her hoof on the thing, is that painful? Some horses have shin guards, some don't. I see no reason for jumping horses as they could get hurt very easily. I do love the Dressage. Trish ruined me for life! I'm going to see if we have a local stable training the animals.
LOL! They're not just for 'pretty'! They're earmuffs. They help deaden the sound in the arena and also from the jets overhead. I noticed quite a bit of aircraft activity during the dressage and remember thinking the Oz horses would probably have found that most confronting, since few of ours live on flight paths. I think the earmuffs are pretty gormless-looking meself, but if it adds to the comfort of the horse, then it has to be good.
The fringe is a fly veil and helps keep flies from alighting around the horse's eyes. Now that you mention it, you'd think horses would recoil in horror if you put something like that on it, but they don't. At least, I've never known one to be upset by it.
Sometimes it hurts, sometimes not. I guess it just depends on how the rap happens and where it connects. The 'shin guards' (jumping boots) aren't entirely for protection: they also support the muscles, pretty much in the same way a wrist guard supports a tennis player's wrist.
Jumping comes naturally to horses and the ones in showjumping are indeed trained to jump higher than they would for sport in the paddock. Still, a horse mucking around in its paddock can still hurt itself. We had a colt, once, who pinched his sciatic nerve while 'boxing' with his friend. It took ages to heal, but did in the end. The reasons horses rap their hindlegs in competition are many. It could be because the rider set up the jump wrongly (ie didn't impel the horse forward enough or impelled too much) or it could be because the horse misjudged the number of strides needed between obstacles. Often, it's because the horse was a bit careless or lazy: only the rider knows in that event. Either way, it certainly doesn't happen on purpose!
There are some unscrupulous people who train horses to jump higher by having someone lift the bars and rap their hindlegs on purpose in order to force them to lift themselves ever higher. On the whole, this practice can't work for long because a frightened horse hasn't got the split-second judgement required to win in competition. I don't mind showjumping one bit, as the elements of the jumps are light and designed to fall easily. They don't really hurt much.
In cross-country courses, the jumps are fixed and don't tumble at the slightest knock. They *hurt* when you hit them! (NB. It's usually the rider who does that, although horses can take some spectacular tumbles as well). Oddly, among horses that jump, it's the eventers who really seem to relish a cross-country course. Just watch some of them at the start: they hop about and prance and can't wait to get off and jumping.
I've never been keen on eventing (never had the guts, to be honest), but my younger DNiece did and she was PB good at it too. She had no fear and neither did her big horse, Thommo.
About horses getting hurt very easily: believe it or not, horses get far worse injuries just hangin' round their paddocks than they do in performance competitions. The whole point of training the horse is just like training an athlete. If he's fit and well, then his body is in prime condition to do what you ask of him. If not, then he may pull a muscle or damage a tendon or worse. The bottom line is that no rider who loves his horse (and most of us do!) would put him in jeopardy for anything!
Racing, of course, is quite different. Add the almighty dollar into the equation and who cares what happens to horses so long as they keep winning? You should learn to ride, Victoria. It's the *best* thing for your health! ;->
Joan, after I cleared by eyes of streaming tears, I am convinced that my attachment with horses is very deep and I thank you for posting the instruction.
I am going to call around. Is it possible to start working to learn to be a trainer at 52? That horse had nothing more than a string on his head and he was more than willing to perform. Amazing.
Lots of people start taking riding lessons as adults. Takes a lot of patience and time and IMHO, studying in the field and books, to become a "trainer" . Mostly, lots of field time. But, you're in Texas, check out some local stables and see what you can arrange - even observing.
Thing is, horses need some patience and consistency from their handlers - at least good handlers. So, us humans have to be the calm ones even in tough and surprising circumstances.
Nice hits! The barn I hung at during the early teen years (maybe 12-14?) was primarily an Arabian show barn. However, there was an Andalusian standing at stud there. My first "up close" breeding experience - getting to "help" when a mare was brought in for servicing. Lovely stud, easier temperament than a couple of the other studs in the barn, but this poor guy was suffering from some kind of arthritic inflammation in the front legs. Needless to say - the breeding mounting was difficult - hence the stable owner, myself and another barn rat - in assistance mode. I don't think DM was thrilled when I started describing this at dinner that night (I was just barely 12).
There is a really nice stable locally which does Dressage training of horses. With animals I have all the patience in the world. Remember, I have a parrot and they require a lot of patience.
I have a very good rapport with animals and I've learned how to read them. Maybe I always knew how to read them. They think in pictures rather than think in words or terms.
Being able to work with a horse of dressage caliber would be a life dream, I just didn't know what it was called.
The Andalusian, are they Gypsy horses? I continued to watch several other clips on YouTube and there were these horses which had ankles like draft horses, but also very long mane's and tails. They are such beautiful animals.
Hm. After seeing the responses from Ellice & Vic, I see my
*instructions" weren't quite clear enough!
Go back to youtube, type in Andalusian stallion, then scroll down until you see the one labelled "I'm too sexy...". This is the one to watch! :)
Or, far easier, click here:
formatting link
Enjoy! :):):)
Joan
btw, I have a problem with people who don't know the difference between stallion and gelding. That first video of the one from Apassionatta was a gelding.
The Andalusians are an ancient breed. They come from Spain and they've been used for all sorts of diverse purposes for hundreds of years. The stallions are powerfully built and feature the gorgeous flowing hair that makes them look so romantic on film. Famous film Andalusians include the pair who played the unicorns in 'Legend' and the the one who played 'Shadowfax' in LOTR.
They were used to carry knights around in the Middle Ages, but since then they've also been used for working cattle, carrying picadors in the bull-ring, puissance jumping and classical dressage. They're especially good at the difficult high school movements (ie. the ones performed by the Lipizzaners at the Spanish Riding School). There's another breed, the Portuguese Lusitano, which is similarly ancient and the two are not mightily different (well, I can't tell 'em apart, but a Spaniard or Portuguese could...)
Aside from the gorgeous build and hair, the most notable thing about the Andalusians is the high-stepping action they perform with their forelegs. To me, this looks most beautiful, but to some (weirdo) Australian dressage judges, it's 'exaggerated'. Pppbbllfftt! The Andalusian horse has been hangin' around Spain since long before Oz was discovered. I think that gives it a certain amount of street-cred!
That's so cute, "street cred" for horses! I LOVE when they lift their forelegs like that. Then again, you are talking to someone who loves mules! Even the ugliest animal is beautiful to me. Unless you count slugs as animals. Then, no so much!
Those were probably Friesians. Andalusians are historically from Spain - go figure. They are not very large typically. Heavier than Arabians, but sort of similar in size. Friesians are gorgeous, stockier. When I was in Kentucky a few years back I spent a day on my own at the Kentucky Horse Park, and one of the areas is a barn with various breeds that do a demo show of their various special training, etc - it's really for horse people. Anyhow, there was a stunning Friesian there, and the trainer was there as well. We spent some time talking - there's a serious breeder in central FL, ans the horse I saw was getting ready to go back home.
Gypsy horses could be anything the gypsies found - so to speak.
Go Trish! I would absolutely love to do something like that, and if I survive long enough to retire, I think I'll do it. I'd love to look after koalas, and other animals like that, but I also like birds of prey. I'm rather keen on frogmouths, which I know are not owls, but their lifestyle is sort of similar.
Very cute. Many years ago, as part of the camp horses, we'd bought 4 at an auction - I needed some better ones for the kids getting lessons beyond the normal trail riding. Anyhow, 2 quarterhorses - both working animals. One, a lovely almost palomino - who had clearly been gelded late. Poco never quite got that he was missing some equipment, and I was always thrilled when someone put him out in the little paddock with one of the 2 gaited horses - both quite large. So, 15'3 Poco would be mounting 17' "Big Momma" - a large, fiesty chestnut. Some kid would come yelling - all that noise and kicking. The 4th horse, my lovely "Big Red" - great animal. Actually, it was a lucky auction buy, they were all pretty nice. For fun - there was a bay mare named "Spooky Linky" - QH that came with Poco, but she'd also done barrels. Great if you put someone that weighed under about 70#. Anything bigger, and you were in for a "ride" .
What - you noticed that? I was too polite to say - couldn't figure out how to point out the missing "beans" in the set of "frank and beans" (DH's locker room terminology - as our male dog seems to be sure and count to 3 many times a day - checking the frank and beans, beans and frank, .....).
I've not been to the Appasionatta - they had several performances here in DC, but we passed.
Have you seen the commercial where Hank the Draft doesn't make the team to pull the Bud Wagon and his Dalmation dog trains him like in Rocky?
How about the one where the donkey wants to lead the team and he can't, so he puts ankle extensions on his legs and grow his mane,etc! Those commercials are so adorable.
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