OK, just tripped over from the Eventing forum, and someone asked about the letters in a dressage ring, they said the way to remember was something about a Fat Cat, but I always thought it was, “All King Edwards Horses CAnter Many Big Fences”.
So what is the proper little ditty to help people remember (other that just remembering the letters)?
There are tons of little ditties.
We learned it: All King Edwards Horses Can Make Big Fences.
There was another one for the big arena, but I cannot think of it right now.
It doesn’t matter what you use, so long as it works for you to remember it.
OK, so it’s not carved in stone then. I always thought it was handed down from the King of England himself!
All King Edward’s Horses Canter Merrily Between Fences
All Kind Velvet Elephants Should Have Cuddly Mothers Rather Bumpy Purple Fathers. (From Margaret Hoey, Sally Cousins mother).
I learned my letters with the other acronym, which goes around the ring the other direction, “A Fat Bay Mare Can Hardly Ever Kick”.
[QUOTE=not again;3413752]
All Kind Velvet Elephants Should Have Cuddly Mothers Rather Bumpy Purple Fathers. (From Margaret Hoey, Sally Cousins mother).;)[/QUOTE]
I am SO memorizing this to remember the big arena letter!
I’m just learning dressage and the way they taught it to me is:
All Knapstrup Eventers Hunt Cats Magically By Fun.:lol:
raises eyebrows they teach the children All King Edwards Horses Can Make Big Farts and the kids laugh
All King Edward’s Horses Carry Mighty Brave Fellows. From C: Resting Pulses, Very Slow.
A Fine Bay Mare Came Home Eating Kale
This is a classic explanation of how the letters came to be. It’s been floating 'round the 'Net for years and years. 
#10: The letters commemorate the sites of legendary falls by 18th-century dressage masters: Karl somebody-or-other’s stallion launched him into orbit from the end of one of the long sides, Conrad bought it in the middle of the far end, Xavier’s horse got the urge to lie down and roll right in the center of the arena, etcetera.
#9: The letters are consecutive and in alphabetical order, in a now-extinct language spoken only by early-18th-century Hanoverian carriage horses.
#8: Hey, after riding five hundred 20m circles in rapid succession, who can remember the alphabet?
#7:The very first dressage ring was designed by the lowest-bid contractor.
#6:The letters were originally laid out by beleaguered riding pupils to facilitate pranks on their instructors, in which the pupils would pretend to be schooling various movements and figures while actually spelling out slanderous curses, in German, against their cruel and heartless instructors, their diabolical horses, and whatever silly bastard invented this dressage thing in the first place.
#5: The letters are actually advertising billboards paid for by Sesame Street (“This piaffe-passage transition was brought to you by the letter G!”).
#4: What, you mean they’re NOT in alphabetical order? Hey, that would explain why nobody else seems to understand how I’ve organized the office files…
#3: The other letters in the alphabet are there, all right, they’re just invisible - what do you think your horse has been spooking at all these years?
#2 Well, the letters are supposed to be in alphabetical order, but somebody’s Trakehner keeps getting out at night and rearranging them.
And now…(drum roll please)… the #1 Reason Why Dressage Arenas Are Marked That Way …
#1: So they can double as landing strips for the invasion force from Planet Lippinzinger. (The Lipp spaceship is round and white, and can go from Speed of Light to full halt in just 120 meters. Though sometimes it finishes with its haunches a little out to the left).
I always heard “All King Edward’s Horses Carry Many Bloody Fools!”
[QUOTE=Renae;3413796]
I learned my letters with the other acronym, which goes around the ring the other direction, “A Fat Bay Mare Can Hardly Ever Kick”.[/QUOTE]
I learned that one first. Then the kids all changed it to “A farting bay mare can hardly ever kick.” Doesn’t make sense since I’ve seen many farting bay mares kick! But I guess farting is funny when you’re a kid.
As a young pony clubber in the 70’s I learned it as
All King Edward’s Horses Call Me Blessed Fool
WOW
I am SO glad that I started this thread!! I think I am going to put all of these together and post them in the barn. HOW FUN!!!
JeanM - that was awesome! :lol:
All King Edward’s Horses Carry Many Beautiful Foals
Big arena you just add RSVP in a counter-clockwise manner, starting between C and M.
These are fun! The one I learned was: King Edward’s Horses Canter Many Big Fences.
Anti clockwise, starting from A (obviously!),
A Fat Black Mother Cat Had Eight Kittens.
Then, above B, also anti clockwise, RSVP for the “odd” quarter markers.
I’ve been riding at the higher levels for a while now and still have no real idea where the markers are whilst riding as I learn by patterns, not letters.
[QUOTE=Renae;3413796]
I learned my letters with the other acronym, which goes around the ring the other direction, “A Fat Bay Mare Can Hardly Ever Kick”.[/QUOTE]
I too learned by this and also “All King Edward’s Horses Can Manage Big Fences”.
[QUOTE=Eventer13;3414779]
All King Edward’s Horses Carry Many Beautiful Foals
QUOTE]
I hope he only had mares if ALL his horses carried foals :lol:
