Looks like this event is underway. I just noticed that Pics Of You has posted the pictures from the FEI veterinary inspection yesterday to view online for those of us that aren’t there. Photos are available at: http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/thumbpage.aspx?e=4602237
I’m going to catch the action on Saturday and Sunday.
Very Cool: thank you
This was a great link.
I am volunteering for Sunday.
A friend of mine is having a tail gate party at a hazard, and was already fussing with preparations yesterday( I sent my regrets). Although I want to see the hazards, it is also the only time I can get with my trainer–the ever difficult question: work your own horse or watch th Big Dogs work theirs. I figure that, although I doubt I will ever be able to be good enough for this event, that sacrificing a work with my trainer is a guarantee then. Still, the pictures were exciting. Thanks.
See you at cones.
Aaron’s down there helping a friend. Lucky duck! 
Looking forward to keeping up online as best I can.
I loved those photos. The pics of Chester Weber with his horses are fab. What gorgeous animals.
What fun to be able to see everyone. My only question is why are all of Chester’s horses browbands so big? Actually, I think one looked like it fit. I looked at some of the others to see if it was a trend, but didn’t see others that looked so big and floppy.
Great photos. I will be partof the water hazard team. Second time in 3 years. It is a hard hazard to judge with it being so spread out and with the spectators wandering back and forth across the bridge. But always good for a thrill.
Will try to share what we see from our perspective on Saturday.
[QUOTE=pricestory;3960514]
My only question is why are all of Chester’s horses browbands so big? [/QUOTE]
After years of having a hard time finding browbands big enough to properly fit our warmbloods for ridden dressage, the trend now seems to be towards much larger ones. Margret Gafford was ahead of the pack when she brought some looser ones with bling on them from Germany about 7 years ago 
Maybe he needed the Oversize bridles to fit heads, but browband section was too big. His stable has a lot of horses, so maybe the bridles need to fit everyone. Maybe they buy in quantity, one size, to always have things on hand. I am pretty sure they buy horses to fit size specifications when matching the Team. Helps them in stride, harness fit, vehicle fit. They don’t measure each head and bit, but go in a general sizing match. Maybe those horses have touchy ears, don’t tolerate pinching? Maybe it is the new European LOOK, ahead of us in style setting. Who knows? Riding bridle is just for jog-out, on a short time, no presentation scores given.
Our large horses go the other way, like Ashemont’s horses. Take the large bridle, but need oversized browbands. We ended up buying longer browbands, special made, for the jog-out bridles to fit at all. Driving bridles already are sized to fit with measurements given at ordering time.
Chester’s driving bridles fit well, snug not tight or loose, browbands too.
Kind of funny how a horse will “look normal” until you get personally involved with fitting his tack. All the individual variables that are just a BIT too big or small for that store equipment. Would be so nice to be able to order custom tack for each one.
I am not sure who decides what averages the “model” horse sizing is based on. I see so many animals fitted in the last hole, large or tight, with their tack. Very seldom anything in that perfect center hole fit.
I would REALLY like to see the original horse in person, who the Indian boxed harness was sized on and fitted for! I think that would be a truly amazing animal in conformation!!
I have a question in regard to the dressage pics…
It struck me that the carriage put to Leslie Berndl’s pony seems to overwhelm the pony a bit. Is that the correct fit, and my eye is just off? Certainly didn’t affect the pony’s dressage–they were 3rd after Suzy and Phyllis Grupe.
What do you all think about the trend of using 4-wheel carriages for dressage for singles? Seems like 2-wheel carriages are out of fashion. Purely a style preference, or do people find that 4-wheels are better? I remember Robin Groves making a comment that at Worlds she was one of the very few people using a 2-wheel carriage.
I think some of the BIG look is lines. From behind the dashboard, all the lines are swept back and upward. Front wheel to fenders, rising angle. Laprobe and driver, front line is angled to seatback, rising, light against dark paint. Groom white knees against the rising fender end, groom slightly angled back, just makes it all look tall.
Wedge seat of driver, GOOD posture, make driver and groom appear quite tall.
Physically, the pony in slower work, especially from the front, going into the one-handed circle, is within the parameters of good fit. His rump is about even with top of dash, almost covers it, in that front-on photo.
Vehicle appears light and airy, not imposing with the delicate look of refined animal.
Extended gait photos, the pony drops his back level a LOT. He does look too small in those shots, because his rump and back are so far below the dash height. Great extensions! But any animal that drops so far below dashboard when extended, may look too small for their vehicle, in those short periods of time.
Again, I think the visuals of turnout lines, may enhance the larger look to carriage and passengers. Contrast of pony, clothing of driver, dark vehicle, may make the lines sharper in color changes to add to the visuals. I don’t see anything actually wrong in sizing. Very hard to fit smaller animals, driver with height or long legs. You do want driver legs more straight, not bent knees like chair sitting.
We prefer 4-wheels to drive with. We learned the 2-wheel lesson when we changed to the bigger horses. You CANNOT turn as short with large horse in 2-wheelers, as you can with 4-wheels. Lucky she was tall, or we could not have eased the shafts ABOVE the fence that did not permit her to fit in the hazard. She sort of half-passed, sliding shafts past and along fence top to make the turn. Measuring later, she PHYSICALLY should NOT have been able to get thru there. Cart alone, was too big to fit.
We walked the hazards, using almost max time to ease thru. Some of the folks came later to exclaim over how we got thru. I told them we used Vasaline! Long time ago, with not all standardized hazards sized to fit everyone. She was the biggest horse around, tall and long, though not a Draft. We blessed her kindly nature, (first of many times!) as we meandered thru the hazards on her first CDE. Did cause the Organizers to rethink, rebuild, for later competitions. Taught us all a different way to see things.
Four wheels are easier on horse back, no weight. Might be more drag with more wheels on the ground. They are able to turn very short, to allow shorter turns within the hazard. Give a better ride. Can be a narrow track width, without losing stability. We have some carts still, used very seldom because we prefer the better ride.
2-wheelers have advantages. Light weight, easy for one person to manage. Usually less expensive. Often easier to haul in your truck. Can be light on the horse for just road driving. Usually are wider, for better stability. No folding, like a 4-wheel will when backing up. Horse can jack-knife it FAST if they don’t listen to direction. 2-wheels are best for beginning driving horses, light to move, no jack-knifing possible, follow the horse easily.
It all depends on what you want to do with driving. Both styles are good ones, hundreds of years in proving that! But what you can afford, want to manage in your activity can be the deciding factor. I know that when Randy McFarland went to Europe he HAD TO drive a 4-wheeler, it was in the CDE rules. Lots of discussion about it, ended up borrowing one for him over there. He LOVED his 2-wheeler, certainly did a lovely, speedy job with it in hazards. Had a good sized horse too. But even back then, he was among the VERY few in his Advanced level, still doing 2-wheels with a single.
For Pleasure Driving certainly 2-wheels are fine. CDE is an evolving game, constant changes happening. 4-wheels seem to be best suited for the sport at the higher levels, with the hazards, rules as they are now.
Thanks goodhors.
In regard to 2-wheelers, I was talking about using them for dressage and cones. I think most of us will agree that for hazards, 4-wheels are almost a given (except at lower levels to start).
Robin Groves’ comment was about how there were very few 2-wheel carriages used in the dressage phase. My understanding and experience is that a well-balanced 2-wheeler should put very little weight on the horse’s back, and I find that since they are typically lighter, horses are able to use themselves better for dressage (easier to extend/collect with less weight to pull). That is my personal experience though. I’m sure cones also is a factor; I think a lot of people feel that 4-wheels are more stable when making fast turns, and the carriage doesn’t “slide” as much.
You must use the same vehicle for dressage and cones. So while it makes little difference for dressage, most choose the 4-wheel/tight turn advantage of a carriage in cones (the same reason they want one for hazards). If they use it for cones, then they must use it for dressage.
Yup, knew that. Aaron’s had great success with a 2-wheel gig in cones at the Intermediate level. I guess for us, we’d chose the vehicle that the pony went better in for dressage.
Would be curious to hear from other competitors their thought process on choosing a vehicle for dressage/cones. Or am I just derailing this topic?
[QUOTE=KellyS;3962896]
Yup, knew that.
Would be curious to hear from other competitors their thought process on choosing a vehicle for dressage/cones. Or am I just derailing this topic? :)[/QUOTE]
Go ahead and start a new topic question. This information is not visible under the CAI Photo title. You might want to transfer what we already said, to give it a good start.
Kelly,
Let’s not forget that a 2 wheeler, when trotting or cantering “rocks” and whacks the driver in the back. If a driver has a back with an injury, or an old injury that would be irritated with constent “rocking” then the 4 wheeler would be a better choice since it just glides and has springs.
I think that when people, on a budget, and shopping for a cart/carriage for dressage/cones, the pros and cons are; how will I get this to the show? (easier to travel with a 2 and a 4 wheeler and animal than 2, 4 wheelers. easier to store in the barn as well.
What is more comfortable for the driver would be number one on the list, since most people only buy a few carriages in their life, it has to be comfortable in your 30’s 40’s and 50’s and so on.
a 4 wheeler is easier to convert to a pair carriage.
and the list goes on and on.
You make some very valid points and I agree with you. But you also need to look at it from the drivers point of view.
I will be cheering on Aaron and crew tomorrow. great dressage score !
Considering both Aaron and I drive (he’s just the one who does it at shows), I do look at it from a driver’s point of view. I’m not saying one or the other is better; just curious what thought process goes into the decision. It’s going to be a different set of factors for each individual.
However, I’ve also heard the “well, if you are going Advanced you have to have a 4-wheel carriage for dressage/cones.” It’s more of a “style” issue than a function issue.
For comfort, I love driving a 2-wheeler, especially the gig. The ride is much smoother than a 4-wheeler, which I find has a more jarring ride, especially out in a field.
Yup, good hors I need to start another thread.
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