[ynl063w]

Plus it cross cantered a couple of times. Clearly an awful animal.

Please - let's not give the person in question any more ideas for things to complain about here!

I'm confused about why someone who has such a lack of respect and knowledge for a specific discipline would spend so much time being completely condescending and obtuse on a forum dedicated to that discipline.

I'm curious - do any hunter/jumper riders who post here go over to the eventing and dressage forums with such an unpleasant tone and expect them to explain themselves? I don't even read those forums, let alone post there, because I'm just not interested.

[vineyridge]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbX16...eature=related

Very different from today. We'll see in thirty years if today's crop of riders has the International longevity of former Maclay winners from the old style equitation classes.
http://www.medalmaclay.com/eqresults/36.html

BTW, I love jumpers and foxhunters and eventers.

[supershorty628]

I think we're seeing it now... Reed Kessler, anyone?

I agree with Trixie. So sick of people turning threads into bemoaning how everyone today is so bad and everyone from 30 years ago who always posted the trot with no stirrups in the snow uphill both ways was so much better.

[wanderlust]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbX16...eature=related

Very different from today. We'll see in thirty years if today's crop of riders has the International longevity of former Maclay winners from the old style equitation classes.
http://www.medalmaclay.com/eqresults/36.html

What is your point? That video shows a rider pulling on the horse's mouth the whole way around, inability to go in a straight line between fences, and not anywhere near the tact and technicality that today's riders ride with. Tact and technicality that is required for today's big international jumper courses, btw.

I also didn't notice that horse moving it's head or neck over the fence... more horse abuse?

Just because it happened 30 years ago doesn't mean it's better.

Reed Kessler, Jessica Springsteen, Brianne Goutal, Charlie Jayne have represented the US internationally in the past few years, including Olympics, Pan Ams, and Nations Cup. Many others from the past 5-10 years are riding at the top nationally in jumpers (Lucy Davis) or are top hunter pros (Nick Haness, Katie Taylor, etc).

[S1969]

I also didn't notice that horse moving it's head or neck over the fence....

I thought that was the point of the link and have to admit I didn't see anything either.

[Trixie]

I didn't see the horse in the video moving it's head or neck either. I know that viney was asked to post a video of a horse moving his head and neck naturally and I'm afraid that in this video, I'm simply not seeing it. The only difference is that the horse is less framed up.

BTW, I love jumpers and foxhunters and eventers.

So? And therefore you come on here to slam equitation riders but refuse to take a lesson with someone who specializes in that division? Or even to go and watch them teach?

And I definitely don't understand how you seem to have somehow forgotten that most of these kids compete actively in the jumpers.

I'm confused about why someone who has such a lack of respect and knowledge for a specific discipline would spend so much time being completely condescending and obtuse on a forum dedicated to that discipline.

This exactly.

A number of our recent equitation riders have gone onto tremendous success in other rings. They aren't exactly crashing and burning when the jumps go up.

[MHM]

....everyone from 30 years ago who always posted the trot with no stirrups in the snow uphill both ways was so much better.

And cleaned their own tack every day with a toothbrush.

[MHM]

Many others from the past 5-10 years are riding at the top nationally in jumpers (Lucy Davis) or are top hunter pros (Nick Haness, Katie Taylor, etc).

Some of the "kids today" are already competitive in the big classes with the pros. Olympic trials, derby finals, etc.

[dags]

the unnatural head positions of the horses in the photos and the non-moving heads of the horses in the videos that I watched . The children ride the horses that someone else has trained to jump with non-moving heads.

Viney, I am here with sunday coffee, way out of the loop of whatever hostility is going on but I just gotta say, this is one of the funniest things I've ever read.

Some horses really do go like that. Those horses go to the Eq ring. It's really very simple.

I have a phenomenal jumping potential GP horse on the site. I freaking love the horse because it's jump is so spectacular and my true love has always been the hunters. Showed it to one of GP clients and she just looked at me, laughed, and asked how the heck she was supposed to stay on that horse over a 1.50m fence.

When a horse is trained through the back and jumping off it's hocks the front end's only job is to stay out of the way. The jump is powered 100% off the hind end. As many will argue, hunters aren't really trained to go like that. When you let the front end carry as much weight as most hunters do they have to use every inch of their body to get over a good sized fence.

I have no doubt seen some stifling releases in the equitation, and that should be penalized, but no one is training a horse to jump with an un-moving head. They are selecting those predisposed to that jump and training it with common balance and equitation exercises that further reward and encourage that particular jumping style.

[dags]

I've seen some of this horse's very first jumping efforts. He has never offered to drop his head before a fence, this is his natural jump. Trust me, with his flash and movement I don't think that's what the breeder/owner was hoping to see. But that's what he's got and so he's been doing more dressage/jumpers/equitation training. I think he's coming along quite nicely for the job.
http://youtu.be/xaVL9NykYmc

[supershorty628]

And cleaned their own tack every day with a toothbrush.

Right, and none of those fancy battery-powered spin brushes!

[Guin]

I don't think I've ever started a train wreck before. I guess there's a first time for everything!

Thank you to the folks who, way way back there, actually answered my question about what the no-stirrups "Test" was.