Horsing Around

[cabinetman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKQgTiqhPbw

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[chopnhack]

Pretty amazing! I didn't know horses could skip or stutter step in a dancing manner, very interesting.

[Sweet Willy]

I watch dressage anytime I see it's on. That is one amazing horse/rider combination. I've really like the freestyle stuff but this is far and away the best performance I've ever seen. The horse is so intense and focused and moves with such grace that you hardly notice the rider. He is just as smooth and focused as the horse and the horse is "merely" resonding to what the rider is telling her through the reins and his legs and his feet. awesum!!! Thanks for posting this Cabinetman.

[gsmittle]

Pretty amazing! I didn't know horses could skip or stutter step in a dancing manner, very interesting.

That's a flying lead change on every stride. I forget what the step where the horse doesn't move forward is called. I used to do a little light dressage riding back in the day, on hunter-jumpers. Dressage made them much more responsive to the rider.

Those two are quite remarkable. That is one very solid horse.

g.

[chopnhack]

That's a flying lead change on every stride. I forget what the step where the horse doesn't move forward is called. I used to do a little light dressage riding back in the day, on hunter-jumpers. Dressage made them much more responsive to the rider.

Those two are quite remarkable. That is one very solid horse.

g.

Thanks G, I googled it and though its more common than I knew, it still doesn't take anything away from the above performance! Amazing that you can train a horse to walk or run in such an unnatural fashion.

[gsmittle]

Thanks G, I googled it and though its more common than I knew, it still doesn't take anything away from the above performance! Amazing that you can train a horse to walk or run in such an unnatural fashion.

When a horse canters (lope for you Western riders) one foreleg naturally reaches farther than the other, typically on the inside of the turn. (e.g. right lead for a right turn) This balances the horse through the turn. They'll normally change lead when you cue for a turn in the other direction

Changing on every stride in a straight line is quite difficult and pretty strenuous for the horse. Part of the beauty of dressage is the rider giving no clue how hard the two of them are working. Usually the cues are nearly invisible.

Quite a long post. Sorry.

I LOVED riding, especially jumping, and I miss it quite a bit.

g.