You guys know what I’m talking about?
In show pictures, the convention in Arabian World is to capture the moment when the person is standing in the stirrups. IM(USEF hunter), that looks bad.
Does this come from Saddlebred World? Why do they do it there?
Thanks for the clue. I clearly don’t have one in this case.
Just guessing but we hunters like to emphasize the slow sweepy trot because that’s what’s rewarded in our ring. The downbeat of the post captures the sweepy reaching moment. I am guessing saddlebred people prefer to emphasize up upbeat of the post because that’s the knee hock/action moment and that’s what’s rewarded in their classes?! You will see dressage photos that capture that moment too.
[QUOTE=mvp;8153131]
You guys know what I’m talking about?
In show pictures, the convention in Arabian World is to capture the moment when the person is standing in the stirrups. IM(USEF hunter), that looks bad.
Does this come from Saddlebred World? Why do they do it there?
Thanks for the clue. I clearly don’t have one in this case.[/QUOTE]
During a victory pass I will sit the wrong diagonal if necessary so I am not standing during my win shot. My sister does this as well. Just a little FWI
Well, you’re not supposed to be standing in the stirrups as you post but it happens sometimes. I tend to get a little exuberant with my posting sometimes too. It probably does have something to do with the trot looking better in that type of shot
Ummm, google “world champion saddle seat equitation” and look at the pictures. The vast majority are taken while the rider is sitting. So don’t think you can pin this on the saddlebred world. However, they appear to be posting on the inside diagonal to accomplish this so this must be one of those tricks you learn when you’re world champion caliber!
My horse photographing husband says you are trying to get the pic at the peak of the outside leg stride and he doesn’t really care what the rider is doing. So there’s that…
ETA: a google of “champion arabian english pleasure” also shows a mixture of rising and sitting so some must think about what pic looks like and some not.
ETA 2: I just googled “champion hunter on the flat” and a lot of the pictures that are of non-Arab/QH hunters are taken with the INSIDE leg at the peak of the stride. This would account for the difference in rising and sitting as well. Different photographic conventions apparently. (My DH learned all his horse photographing from a well known Arab photographer, so that would explain why he shoots based on the outside leg.)
The photographer wants to capture the outside leg (the from leg next to the rail) in its highest phase to better show off the horses action or stride length. When doing a victory pass you post on the incorrect diagonal so that the picture is most pleasing for both the rider and the horse.
In advertisements photos are often chose from the class with showing off the horse in mind, so they will choose the ones with the up leg on the wall. Since these photos are taken during a class the rider is rising.
Capturing the moment when the horse is looking like the Ideal Mover for the breed/discipline makes sense to me, regardless of what the rider is doing.
Come to think if it, I do see pictures of the elegant, Big Eq Princesses of Saddlebred world sitting at that moment (and they must be on the opposite diagonal).
But I also see large men on small horses sitting way back in the middle of an Arabian’s back standing up. And the same for horses in Hunter tack. Those always shock this Hunter Princess a bit.
I do appreciate knowing the reason for doing things differently. I was sure those pros had one, I just didn’t know what it was.
Also, you professional Arab photographers: Is there an “official angle” to which you tilt your camera so as to get those “uphill” pictures? Or do you just do it by feel and practice?
Y’all know what I mean, right? I’m thinking of the headshot of the dish-faced Arabian that makes it look as if his neck is quite vertical, his shoulders lower as our species is built. Or the high-kneed horse under saddle or in harness who looks like he’s trotting up hill……along the longs side of an indoor competition arena.
When they take pictures of saddlebreds, the photographer gets QUITE LOW, squatting down and shooting UP at the horse. For hunters the photographer stands normally and shoots across rather than up. That might be part of it.
A lot of professional saddle seat riders do not really post either. They do this bouncity bouncity sort of sitting trot - so that may be why their position in the saddle looks bizarre in some pix. I can’t say that I understand why they ride that way, but it’s been that way since I was a young 'un in the saddle seat ring myself. Will have to ask the trainer where I board.
I will look through my photos and see if I have any showing the photographers positioning.
Horse photographing husband says: As to angle of camera: no standard. You have to work with the horse and background you have in front of you. Also wishes of client - some people like the uphill look, others do not.
Seems to me that it’s a lot like fashion photography - the look is more important than the reality. I am ashamed to admit that way back when, I didn’t even realize that the pix were tilted until my eagle eye photog boyfriend (now DH) pointed it out to me. I just liked the look!
In the saddle seat world, when you take a victory pass, eq rider or not, you ride on the “incorrect” diagonal so as to be sitting in the saddle at the moment of the shot - as the leg that is “up” is the rail side leg (hence opposite diagonal). This is to complete the “picture” of the horse and rider. That said, the only class where it is required that you post the correct diagonal during the class is eq. The others (pleasure, performance, what have you) are about showing the horse off in the best manner. So, you will see posted trots (on both correct and incorrect diagonals) as well as a sitting trot - which is the bouncy thing as most ASBs pretty much will throw you out of the saddle when trotting with some speed.
I grew up showing Morgans. We would switch diagonals for the victory pass so that we’re sitting in the picture. Sometimes people forget, sometimes they just don’t care. I have a few pics where I’m standing.
[QUOTE=oldernewbie;8153502]
A lot of professional saddle seat riders do not really post either. They do this bouncity bouncity sort of sitting trot - so that may be why their position in the saddle looks bizarre in some pix. I can’t say that I understand why they ride that way, but it’s been that way since I was a young 'un in the saddle seat ring myself. Will have to ask the trainer where I board.[/QUOTE]
As someone who has been riding saddle seat for 12 years, I don’t even understand why most trainers don’t post and just lazily bounce in the saddle. It looks terrible, I’m sure it doesn’t feel that great on a horse’s back, and with that probably interferes with the horse’s range of motion.
As a photographer, you want the front leg closest to you to be in the down position in the shot. Which would lead the rider to be in the up posting position if they are on the correct diagonal. If the rail side leg is down, the horses body bulges out toward you (the photographer). This causes a body distortion that is not as desirable for the horse.
If you are riding a victory pass, I would advise riding it on the incorrect diagonal.
[QUOTE=JBD;8153157]
Well, you’re not supposed to be standing in the stirrups as you post but it happens sometimes. I tend to get a little exuberant with my posting sometimes too. It probably does have something to do with the trot looking better in that type of shot[/QUOTE]
I’m not sure “standing” in the stirrups quite describes their position. But other than the Big Eq girls of saddlebred world, it looks a heck of a lot like that to me. After all, these guys a riding well behind the horse’s center of gravity and playing “catch up” with each “up” of the post.
[QUOTE=fivegaited;8157176]
As someone who has been riding saddle seat for 12 years, I don’t even understand why most trainers don’t post and just lazily bounce in the saddle. It looks terrible, I’m sure it doesn’t feel that great on a horse’s back, and with that probably interferes with the horse’s range of motion.[/QUOTE]
Yeah. Bad for man, beast and balls.
Could you guys in saddlebred world ask about this? Posting isn’t just for hunter people. Even cowboys on a long trot do it. Why not the saddlebred world? It seems a self-preserving move.
Some horses just do better when you are more loose on them than posting allows. The sit that you normally see in this instance generally has a little bit of slide in it to absorb the shock of the “sit” or have just a little bit of brace into the stirrups so even though it’s quite loose on the horse’s back, it’s not a painful “flop”. The legs are usually being used to squeeze the horse up to the bridle at the same time. My old gelding hit his best trot doing this though i was never that good at it…
[QUOTE=blairasb;8157559]
Some horses just do better when you are more loose on them than posting allows. The sit that you normally see in this instance generally has a little bit of slide in it to absorb the shock of the “sit” or have just a little bit of brace into the stirrups so even though it’s quite loose on the horse’s back, it’s not a painful “flop”. The legs are usually being used to squeeze the horse up to the bridle at the same time. My old gelding hit his best trot doing this though i was never that good at it…[/QUOTE]
That makes sense. I guess it looks way more uncontrolled and messy than it really is, haha.
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