I can’t make out the clip on the gray horse. Does anyone know what it is?
I love Jim 
he does finally know my name, mostly, but for the longest time he called me by my horse’s name (she’s awesome so I was 100% fine with that!)
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It’s JRR Tolkien’s monogram… a bit hard to see at that angle on a gray… But fitting as his barn name is Smaug
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Thanks 
I can barely draw a smiley face on paper, so the artistic ability with these clip jobs is just astounding to me.
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Are these clip jobs all done free hand or is a template used?
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I’ve seen articles discussing Fie doing her checkers freehand. I personally have done a design on the hindquarters (badly) with a stencil.
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Not clip jobs, but I’ve seen some people do some extraordinary quarter marks on horses over the years. Really intricate designs, flowers, flags, all sorts of things.
I am in the camp that can barely draw a straight line on a piece of paper, so I’m always impressed by that much artistic talent.
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Good for Fie. I love how much care and commitment she took towards preparing her horse.
If we aren’t having fun in this sport, then WHY are we doing it?
Reminds me of when everyone lost their minds over Danielle Goldstein having feathers in her hair. It harmed NO ONE. Her choice, her prerogative.
I also find it borderline tacky to critique someone’s personal style such as boot choice or helmet. It’s their personal style, has nothing to do with you (or me). Those choices probably make that person happy and that isn’t for me to critique or take away. We should support one another on this pursuit. Horses and dressage are hard enough.
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I strongly agree.
I always side eye when someone says something to the effect of “I hate it but glad they love it!” To me it really falls into the category of be kind or say nothing at all. Sure, it’s framed as just having an opinion but really it’s a way to make a disparaging comment and hide behind an opinion.
I’ve been thinking about this thread and how I’d love to do a pseudo low trace clip that was an artistic/elegant way of avoiding the girth line and points of the shoulder. I’m sure it could be beautifully executed but I know it would look like a kids scissor and paper art project gone horribly awry if I attempted.
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If you have a black bay (not a true black) you’re in luck. You can do a really poor job feathering the edges of large areas you don’t want to clip and in a couple of weeks you’ll be the only one who remembers you did it.
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The squares, and my 3 boys were all done freehand!
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Then don’t ever look at vaquero show gear
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I comfort myself with the thought that no one can see both sides of my horse at the same time. That’s what I tell myself, anyway, and in a week or two it doesn’t make much difference.
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That’s impressive!
Lol, I don’t (nor western pleasure) but isn’t vaquero style some what based on traditional attIre?
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I wonder if, should it become a “thing,” how will it affect riders like those here who have said they have no talent for this sort of art? Whether or not the decoration affects the score, how will it affect the non-artists’ sense of being one of the in-crowd, one of the cool kids?
I think it’s not only possible, but also best, to have fun* in showing while keeping within the practices of the tradition. It’s like the Matchy Matchy thread. Just, why?
Yes, I’m a dressage purist. I don’t approve of huge thigh blocks and flash straps. Those are not part of true dressage, which word after all translates as “training,” pure and simple.If the rider can’t do it properly without being held in place by their own tack, or their horse’s mouth held shut by a leather strap, then they should work on schooling and not on clip-art.
*You can love a thing, and enjoy it tremendously, without making it “fun” in the sense of child’s play.
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Where do you stand on dropped nosebands? They’re pretty traditional.
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I expect the same way it affects people who can’t afford to have custom boots. Or custom saddles. Or custom jackets. Or 50k horses. The same way it affects people who lack good feel. The same way it affects people who are bad at memorizing tests. The same way…… We’re gonna need a lot more soap boxes, folks.
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