The Anky thread that has nothing to do with anything but has a whole lot to say about alot

[Jen_West]

Oh yes- God forbid a horse pay attention to the rider with distractions in the background.

I’m sorry, I do a great deal of my riding with farm equipment running in THE SAME field. Jump crews would be nothing.
Considering that dressage’s main application was originally for the training of warhorses it’s a sad commentary indeed that the “top” horses cannot work with distractions or that when they do it’s considered worthy of comment.

I do not “ride dressage” so you would never see me at Spruce Meadows even if I were to win a lottery and were able to afford that whole program. What I do do is apply the principles of classical dressage to the training of horses that I buy, reschool, and sell. They are not high dollar horses. Many are wonderful athletes with “issues” and a fair number are just good workable horses.

I didn’t realize there was a minimum income required to post opinions on this board. If there is, please fill me in and I’ll go somewhere a little “poorer.” I also did not realize that winning is everything or the only thing. I am very very very sorry that so many people seem to think that quality and trophies are synonymous, and I am even sorrier that so many are willing to forego the principles on which this sport was developed in order to advance a level and to win.

When everyone is doing it wrong or poorly, the judges are forced to pick the best from that lot. I don’t give a rip what anybody has won. I flat guarantee that the piaffer is NOT supposed to have six beats, and I will reiterate, virtually EVERY World Cup horse I saw on OLN was tapping a hind foot between each step. No, I do not wish I rode that poorly. I would rather walk and trot correctly the rest of my life and never even canter again than to force a horse into a six beated gait. Period. That wouldn’t even fly in a good circus, and THAT is sad.

[system]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jen West:
that “deep” is really just hanging on the reins at the upper levels?

It’s not that he could have just “lowered” his croup more. It’s that he was not engaged, connected, and “through.”

It’s wonderful that she speaks well to the crowd, but so does Monty Roberts and he’s the biggest charleton there is.

I personally consider riding a horse cranked in to be, well, cruel. My impulse when I see people riding the way Ankey does is to go grab the reins and yank them out about a foot. If the horse is that far behind vertical the rider is NOT using her seat or her legs adequately. Can’t be. If she were the horse’s head would be elevated and he’d be stepping forward underneath himself. Short reins and a cranked in head block forward impulse before it is even generated. Period.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
just curious…how many world class dressage events have you aced?

[joliemom]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Podhajsky was famous for his hot, non-fancy mare (whose name escapes me) <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The moment you’ve all been waiting for, joliemom joins in

Podhajsky’s mare was Nora. He also rode the quite fractious Lipp, Maestoso Alea who he believed had severe mental problems.

[system]

but, I’m going to anyway.

A few years ago, when I could get OLN on TV, I’d watch all the GP jumping I could. I noticed many of the riders would enter the arena and canter around waiting for the bell to announce the beginning of their round. During that canter, many of the riders, particularly the Germans, would flex their mount’s heads into that deep frame, first on one side then on the other. I was amazed at how deep those heads would go! I thought this had to be horribly uncomfortable to the horses. The bell would sound and the riders would begin their rounds. Those horses, the ones warmed up “deep,” were much rounder and quieter over fences.

I’ve read the “deep” bashing on these boards for a couple of years now. The hunter/jumper riders seem quite confused about the deep thing, and I might be too. I can say that it’s indeed used in warm-up and that it’s not only used in the dressage arena.

As for the 4th vertebra thing, if a horse isn’t through and connected, regardless of vertebrae, one won’t even get a decent trot/walk transition, let alone a leg yield, half-pass or canter pirouette. I think all of us here can attest to that.

booger proudly representing the wrong side of the tracks

[egontoast]

If that’s your opinion, fine and dandy,but puleese, just because something is done to death on various websites doesn’t make it true…ditto what some clinician says about ANOTHER horse being wide behind. EGAD!

I have seen this photo in his book and I don’t know if there was background or not but I still doubt anyone could (or would even bother to try) to determine how wide apart the hind legs are unless they airbrushed out acouple of haybales he was straddling(perhaps you have access to the original negatives)…but do carry on …or post something that is not in your view so terrible as NUNO for an example.

[Maria]

So sad.

I’ll make an appointment for you next week to have your tri-focals adjusted.

[mbp]

For those interested in Going High we sell the ultra necessary “elevator bit” to suit your needs. It comes complete with Musac versions of John Denver’s Rocky Mt. High, BG’s How Deep is Your Love, and an assortment of ABBA and Barry Manilow tunes. Recommended listening for all old dead guys on high.

[Jen_West]

a “dressager” I’ll throw this into the mix- it’s from this week’s Chron — "Much of what I have learned has come from books and old photos, "—

If it’s good enough for George Morris, well, enough said. When I see a CURRENT GP star doing advanced moves on a floating rein or better yet one-handed on a floating rein, I will put the same credence into their philosophies as I do in the ODGs.

[suzy]

Show me a horse without a spook, and I’ll show you a horse without a pulse.

[neighsayer]

Good luck! I am more than willing to puchase a back-up frying pan in case you need someone to help!

http://communities.msn.ca/KristinSaunders/PhotoAlbums

[suzy]

Just get your box of popcorn, pull a chair up next to me, and we can watch one of these videos. The leading man in all of them is that infamous ODG KBG. So, which one are we going to watch?

Night of the living DQ
The Booger Body-Snatchers
Village of the Damned DQs

I thought so.

suzyinsertingtapeinmachine

[Louise]

that just looking at the thing makes me want to get sick in sympathy.

[Liz_Steacie]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>so all you geniuses, how many tracks with haunches in. don’t say 3.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

TWO

YMMV
L

Liz Steacie
Porcupine Hill Dressage
Maitland, Ontario

http://www.porcupinehill.com

[Velvet]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> It comes complete with Musac versions of… <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I believe that’s “Muzak,” mbp.

It’s all about ME, ME, ME!!! (The only signature worthy of a real DQ.)

[This message was edited by Velvet on Mar. 22, 2002 at 05:24 PM.]

[KellyS]

From the October 2001 Practical Horseman:

“USDF Needs to Grow Up” article by Janine Malone, Regional Director for USDF. This is an excerpt from the article describing some of the problems with USDF and the horse community on a whole.

"Lose the “sour grapes” attitude!"
Let’s acknowledge expertise and be willing to learn from it. Too often, there’s a culture of criticism among lower-level riders and trainers toward top riders in our sport - “S/he’s no that great; my ideas are better” - instead of “I can learn from this. Nobody’s perfect.”

I thought this rather aptly applied to this thread!

[Velvet]

Then you just stand out in the middle of the courtyard and dare people to “fire” at you.

[suzy]

Stupid + inflammatory = funny.

Don’t chase away the troll!!!

[suzy]

I’ll just wade on in and comment on the CONNECTING as opposed to COLLECTING half halts. Then, everyone can have at it. Okay, the collecting half halt is the brief call to attention in which we ask the horse to articulate his joints better so that we can prepare him for a movement, a transition, or a higher degree of self-carriage. It can be a split second or slightly longer. It involves a brief stilling of the seat, closing of the legs, lengthening of the rider’s body, and closing the outside fist. Then the all important release so that the horse can step under and carry himself better.

The connecting half halt can last for a number of strides. It is the placing of both hands on either side of the withers and asking the horse to come evenly into both reins using the same aids as above but for longer. The hands must be still until the moment that the horse goes into the contact and offers to yield - then the rider gives both hands forward evenly. At this point, the horse will offer to lift his back and reach further down if the connecting half halt was correctly executed. The horse is now connected back to front and straight.

Then there is the modified connecting half halt (Yea, yea, so I made this term up. Sue me. No, wait, you’ll have to get in line). Anyway, the modified connecting half halt is more of what I see Jane describing in her videotapes. It is the half halt that brings the horse together into a “unit” and is safer to use for less experienced riders than the connecting half halt I described above. The above half halt involves a lot more rider skill because there’s a chance that the rider will meet with resistance and has to have good enough timing to circumvent that resistance before it turns into something undesirable such as the horse standing up.

Jane’s connecting half halt is good for teaching riders how to get the horse on the aids. Once the horse is reliably on the aids, the rider works on the collecting half halts. Trainers use the longer connecting half halts.

[canyonoak]

From what I hear from a friend who actually did go study with The Master, he was quite the pig to be around.

On the other hand…there is so much COOL stuff in the photo of the trot…to bitch about the hind legs…hmm.

Young horses, horses that are not sufficiently strong, will spraddle when asked for more engagement–yes, they will go wide.

I for one suspect that is why The Big O is asking for more of a medium here.Not to mention riding completely off the snaffle. Yup==that pony aint strong enough. Yet.

But the horse looks happy and energized and balanced.

ANd I do not think anyone can complain about That Seat. And back.And stomach. And legs.

Any takers?

And–although my head reels from even trying to follow this thread–where is the photo of Dr Klimke that is being referred to above??

cheers,

[Gucci_Cowgirl]

Maybe it was just a crowd-pleaser

“It is amazing that horses, or any animal for that matter, choose to love us, for we will never deserve it”