Hi! So I was recently thinking about things, and this questions arose: Why do so few junior riders show only in jumpers and not equitation? Why is it so rare to find kids that have never shown in the equitation at all these days? I know it mays seem like a stupid question, since equitation is seen to be the basis for good riding. However, in Europe and other parts of the world, kids generally early on go right to jumpers. What do you guys think about this?
Actually, a lot of the big eq riders show in the junior jumpers, and the eq…
Where I am from, eq is not incredibly popular… it’s kind of an add on of the hunter division… I didn’t want to do hunters, I wanted to do jumpers… so I bought a jumper.
Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but there are no competitive equitation and hunter divisions in Europe.
From my experience, equitation is not as big in other parts of the world as it is in America. I’m from Canada and out of all of the shows I’ve been to, only two of them offer a substantial number of equitation classes. If I was showing at different venues other then those two (which generally ends up being the case) and I wanted to just show in the equitation, I would maybe have the option of 1-3 classes for that week. However, if I ride in the hunters or the jumpers then there are many many more options for me to show in.
Also keep in mind that many of those kids (at least American kids - can’t speak for the European kids) are coming out of barn programs that have a strong basis in Equitation regardless of whether or not the kids are going to compete in the Medal finals at the end of the year. So in a sense they are still getting an equitation foundation, they just may not be showing in the big equitation classes for whatever reason.
The reason behind the eq. is business. It generates a lot of money but no in Europe there is no eq or hunters and most of the European riders Scott Brash, Darragh Kenny, among others are doing very well against the Americans. But the eq. trainers in the US make it a must because parents and juniors get really into it, and spend a lot of money horseshowing in the great USA and buying/leasing unsuccessful jumper horses from Europe that they turn into fabulous eq. horses here.
Equitation as a stepping stone and basis to the upper level jumpers is unique to the American system. It is something most American instructors and trainers take pride in. And with good reason. I think because it is a unique trait to the American style is why it is so engraved into the hunter/jumper culture here. And you can’t really argue with the results. I recall a lot of the top eventers on the American team (ex. Mike Plumb) also began in the equitation.
Yes, other countries very often are more competitive. But I believe that largely has to do with the vast access to sport horse breeding as opposed to solely better riding. Recently you have started to see younger Americans make it to the top and be successful. I think that is directly attributed to our stepping stone training system for the riders. It instills confidence, technique, and precision. I do, however, think the Europeans have the advantage with producing sport horses. Horse flesh and horse training is where we are lacking, not riding ability.
woodhilsmanhattan put it really well. The equitation is a stepping stone to the upper level jumpers - or at least it should be. It gives kids a lot of practice answering the technical questions that will come up in the jumpers while having to think about being smooth and effective.
With that being said, although I’m not a junior and haven’t been for a few years, I never did the equitation and went up through the smaller GPs with some success.
[QUOTE=leyla25;7450249]
The reason behind the eq. is business. It generates a lot of money but no in Europe there is no eq or hunters and most of the European riders Scott Brash, Darragh Kenny, among others are doing very well against the Americans. But the eq. trainers in the US make it a must because parents and juniors get really into it, and spend a lot of money horseshowing in the great USA and buying/leasing unsuccessful jumper horses from Europe that they turn into fabulous eq. horses here.[/QUOTE]
That’s an interesting point. I never saw it that way. I don’t think that was the intention when implementing the equitation as a class, but it certainly does seem like it could be what has distinguished it as an almost separate discipline…
Could also be a conspiracy theory of those darn Europeans to sell us more dumb bloods! Muahahaha! (totally kidding…but really ;))
[QUOTE=leyla25;7450249]
The reason behind the eq. is business. It generates a lot of money but no in Europe there is no eq or hunters and most of the European riders Scott Brash, Darragh Kenny, among others are doing very well against the Americans. But the eq. trainers in the US make it a must because parents and juniors get really into it, and spend a lot of money horseshowing in the great USA and buying/leasing unsuccessful jumper horses from Europe that they turn into fabulous eq. horses here.[/QUOTE]
It’s a great business, but that’s not the reason for these classes. The equitation creates create riders and sets Americans apart from the rest of the world. There’s a definite purpose besides making money.
Also might have a little to do with the equitation being political, offering essentially zero money, and needing a specialized (read: expensive) horse.
Peter Wylde had something interesting to say about American riding a number of years ago. I wish I could recall where I saw the article but it escapes me at the moment. What he said was “I am looking forward to speaking out as I earn my stripes in this industry”. He then went on to say that “the Europeans are better than we are at a very young age even without an equitation division” and that in the US we are “too mired in a see-and-be-seen scene”.
There’s equitation as the foundation of a rider- strong position, stability, balance, safety. Specific skills to create that are taught on all barns ( some better then others). The word equitation means ride a horse.
Then you got EQUITATION- the class. That adds another entry fee to the bill, another 18-20 jumps and a longish flat to the horse’s workload, another hour, day or several days at the show between regular classes and the Eq, maybe different coat/shirt/bridle…and in the case of THE BIG EQ, maybe another horse.
Jumper (and Hunter) riders practice plenty of equitation even if they don’t do THE EQ classes at the show. Especially those who are not 5’8" and rail thin.
[QUOTE=findeight;7450713]
Jumper (and Hunter) riders practice plenty of equitation even if they don’t do THE EQ classes at the show. Especially those who are not 5’8" and rail thin.[/QUOTE]
Your comment reminded me… I was watching the 9 hour coverage of 2013’s Maclay Finals, and this one girl walked in the ring and was quite thin; her body build was a straight line. Now, not that there is anything wrong with that; I’m not into shaming women’s bodies regardless if they are on either side of the spectrum or in between. But, Jimmy Torano was commenting on basically that they make a nice picture, and a characteristic of said nice picture was that she was very thin.
Does this really matter in equitation? If so, that really disturbs me. I am more on the short (hello, 5’3), curvaceous side and I can’t fit both of my hands around the top of my thigh. I am of healthy weight (I have had a personal trainer said I need to gain weight to 129), but I am in no way a rail.
I guess if my fat butt (comparatively) does just as well as a thin woman, it’s starting to seem more and more than thin lady will get a better placing than I, simply because it seems like my fat butt is offensive to the judge or something.
The obsession of some judges with thinness as a requirement for the equitation has caused many physical and mental harm to young girls trying to get extra points in this very competitive and political sport. And many times it comes down(although it shouldn’t be) to the horse and other variables like who is standing at the gate, who sold to who. So at the end, the equitation as proven by the success of European is a waste of time since it is supposed to be a stepping stone to jumpers. But instead you waste a lot of years posing, expending money, and trying to fit a desired body type instead of getting more mileage in the jumpers(specially for those who can’t afford both jumpers and eq. at the same time).
It doesn’t set Americans apart. It is only celebrated in this country. No one cares about the eq. outside the US.
For me it is the horse, my horse is a jumper and would not cross well into the local eq world here.
[QUOTE=leyla25;7450736]
The obsession of some judges with thinness as a requirement for the equitation has caused many physical and mental harm to young girls trying to get extra points in this very competitive and political sport. And many times it comes down(although it shouldn’t be) to the horse and other variables like who is standing at the gate, who sold to who. So at the end, the equitation as proven by the success of European is a waste of time since it is supposed to be a stepping stone to jumpers. But instead you waste a lot of years posing, expending money, and trying to fit a desired body type instead of getting more mileage in the jumpers(specially for those who can’t afford both jumpers and eq. at the same time).
It doesn’t set Americans apart. It is only celebrated in this country. No one cares about the eq. outside the US.[/QUOTE]
+100
I think that was the gist of what Peter Wylde was trying to get across in the article he wrote from years ago. I think the Americans take equitation to an extreme. Yes, good equitation is important. That’s why as an event rider, I decided to work over the winter with someone who is an equitation guru. I need a strong base and position in order to tackle solid fences confidantly and safely.
In the US, all the extra work that goes into the nuances of the Big Eq is time that could be better spent elsewhere for a lot of people. I can name a couple of very successful juniors who don’t show in the BiqEq who are doing well in the jumpers.
Even if I had perfect equitation (which I don’t), my body type isn’t suited to equitation either. I’m built like a cyclist, with muscular legs and even at my ideal weight I’m going to look round. I will never be rail thin even if I had major liposuction. All other things being equal, I don’t think I’d ever create the ideal picture when next to someone who is thin and has the ideal body shape.
[QUOTE=SnicklefritzG;7450650]
Peter Wylde had something interesting to say about American riding a number of years ago. I wish I could recall where I saw the article but it escapes me at the moment. What he said was “I am looking forward to speaking out as I earn my stripes in this industry”. He then went on to say that “the Europeans are better than we are at a very young age even without an equitation division” and that in the US we are “too mired in a see-and-be-seen scene”.[/QUOTE]
Which makes me wonder - is the top level of the “horsey scene” in Europe viewed as it is here -a “playground”, if you will, for the very wealthy highbrow society sorts? Are they as obsessed with attracting big name celebrity-types as sponsors, viewers, and participants?
[QUOTE=supershorty628;7450468]woodhilsmanhattan put it really well. The equitation is a stepping stone to the upper level jumpers - or at least it should be. It gives kids a lot of practice answering the technical questions that will come up in the jumpers while having to think about being smooth and effective.
[/QUOTE]
It’s also important to remember that until fairly recently there were no 3’6 or under jumpers, and so the equitation gave young riders the opportunity to answer technical questions at a lower height and without entering speed into the equation. And certainly our riders who came up through the equitation ranks (McLain, Beezie, Katie Prudent to name a few) are among the best in the world.
As an outside observer, I would say that GB show jumpers were rubbish for absolute years and they never won anything at all. Gone were the glory days of the 1960s and 70s. Competition in Continental Europe demonstrated how just how poor the technique of most UK show jumpers was over a whole generation, and that the ‘gallop and go’ style learned on our brilliant ponies (who can and will jump despite their riders) was not enough over highly technical, big courses with light poles. So end result, our competitive children now learn to ride properly with specialist coaches to teach them to jump successfully. It can been seen in the improved skills of children in competitions across the UK. The final result, two Brits in the top two world rankings for show jumping.
Why the ramble? Because equitation, surely, should be about learning the basics, building the balance, the rhythm, the posture and core strength that is applicable in any discipline. In Europe, yes we do test our eq skill but it is not the be all and end all: most see it simply to be the foundation of good riding.
There are many excellent and stylish USA riders but, it has to said, fewer have international success than in days past. Maybe making ‘equitation’ an end in itself is rather a dead end. Why learn the moves if you don’t then dance?
