I am a dressage person and totally agree. I remember vividly the first time I saw video of Totilas. My BO was enthusing about him, but I was not impressed. I still think that he never looked through and over his back. To me, the front end looked more like a “circus trick” - flashy, but not correct.
(Putting on my bullet-proof vest).
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Thank you! That was so interesting to watch those rides back to back to back.
I loved Charlotte’s. Here’s the most non-dressage savvy feedback you’ll ever hear: I was so impressed with how she was able to have her horses movements be exactly on beat with the music so often. I not seen anyone achieve that as well as she did in that video.
And I could see the difference with the third ride. I did not enjoy it as much, with the cranking tail and the behind the bit moments, as I did the first two, but especially Charlotte’s ride.
One thing that really struck me in Klimke’s ride was how he absolutely luxuriated in the halts. His first halt he stops, removes his hat, enjoys some me time, finally salutes, replaces his hat, adjusts his coat, I was waiting for him to prepare a quick cup of tea and check the papers, then he finally moves off. The horse stayed still and relaxed the whole time! Such a contrast to (i) anything I’ve ever achieved, and (ii) the third video. That initial halt seemed very rushed, like squeezing in the salute before the horse was over it and moving off again.
Not that I know which is correct or not, just that the difference was striking to me, a non-dressage person.
Another thing I thought: When people are good - really, demonstrably good - the reaction from most people, including the people here, is appreciation, praise, admiration, not jealousy. I see the same in all disciplines. People gush about Piggy, Beezie, etc. They don’t trash them. NP’s contention that people here and IRL attack him out of jealousy (or, more precisely, their “heads exploding from jealousy” 
) simply isn’t borne out by people’s reactions to legitimately talented and successful riders and trainers. If anything, it can tip over into idolisation or cult of personality - the exact opposite of what NP describes. It just does not ring true and it is quite sad that he uses jealousy as an explanation for himself.
There is pretty obviously jealousy, though, from NP towards other riders. Did you all say he’s been particularly critical of Charlotte? Or was that DH? If so, I think he has been consumed by jealousy of other riders’/trainers’ talent and success and projects that reaction onto people who react to his inflated claims.
PS: those monikers for various farms and horses are laughably bad. Talk about cringe!
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Yes, with a particular focus on her hands. Presumably he feels that his hands-in-crotch technique is the more correct one.
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I thought the same. He looks underdeveloped in the hind end & his hocks look…pointy? That probably makes no sense to anyone not living in my brain but not sure how else to describe it!
Watching that video, the biggest difference I see is that the top horses today possess a certain muscular elasticity. They maintain kinetic equilibrium no matter what the movement. The energy flows in all directions. For example, suppling & bending to the inside to make a circle, their inside side body doesn’t crumple or collapse or even stagnate. Instead, there’s active energetic engagement along the shortened side body as well as the lengthened.
I’m loathe to compare Ahlerich to Totilas or Valegro – different breeds & body types & it’s easy to chalk up any differences to them simply being bigger & stronger. However, there’s an 11yo emerging GP Hanovarian stallion at the barn with a lighter build similar to Ahlerich’s. I caught flashes of his schooling ride last night thru the arena door as we were getting our new guy settled into his digs. For one magical moment I glanced over to see them collect to a piaffe & then lengthen out to a working trot again. [ 
] This stallion has that same kinetic elasticity as the Valegros & Totilas of the world, despite his lighter frame. ( He actually has trouble keeping weight on during the spring. A problem which I would love to have, dammit! 
) And his free walk is this big, rich gait that manages to be relaxed & powerful at the same time. Dare I say, he almost flounces? 
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I agree, happy and correct.
I remember Anky’s horse Bonfire when she was campaigning him. He was a loose and bouncy horse at the time, esp compared to Isabelle Werth’s horses at the time, but he was incorrect in things like his piaffe. He’d swing his hips so the hind feet stepped into the same footprint rather that really sitting down behind. He also had flashy front legs but not much of an overstep in extended trot. He seemed to get more correct at age 15 or so. Don’t get me wrong, he was sound at top GP until 17 or 18, and that really says something about Anky’s riding and management. But he wasn’t really correct earlier in life although he earned high scores.
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This was the response I typed to you in the other thread where you said the same thing.
I don’t think anyone thinks he would be a great instructor of anyone. I just think that is the market he could have made a living in if he wanted to make his living as a riding instructor, which it appears he did. Lots of crappy instructors make a living teaching beginners.
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Check Amazon, there are some really good reviews up now.
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What I was just amused by is how hard it is to make this book show up on a search. Search his name, it does not come up. Search the name of the book with his name, there are about 20 things above the book, before you get to it.
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I just searched, and couldn’t find it at all…can anyone post a link, so that we can support our friend Nick? 
Firsts post of this thread has a link.
Just hit the thread title at the top in the dark green bar, it will take you to the first post.
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I can’t figure out what his most recent video is meant to accomplish; are people supposed to assume that Chevy’s Cup in the background was a big trophy he himself won in order to make it look like he’s accomplished something?
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Well that’s going to save me a lot of time! I did not know that simple life hack😅
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I think that’s exactly what they are supposed to assume about that trophy. You know, the trophy that DAD created to honor Chevy and his airs above the ground? Lol, Nick conveniently leaves out that it’s a paid trophy that he never paid for.
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I do not have the paper copy of the book in front of me anymore, but I believe in his tell all ( ) book, he does pretty much admit that the Chevy Cup is something he came up with (after some imaginary friend told him he should), not that DAD suggested it.
He then tells the tale of Swamp Town getting to DAD and then DAD not cashing any of his checks so they could claim he did not pay for it.
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And that’s not defamation or some other legal term “badmouthing” DAD?
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Was anyone ever awarded the Chevy Cup? Did they accept it?
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I would guess, like all the things that he says in the book that are not true, they are not likely to figure it is worth their time or expense to deal with.
Yes. I would have go searching. In this book he has a very blurry, almost impossible to read, copy of a thank you card some person sent him for the award.
The person winning the award had no idea what the award benefactor was all about.
edit to add:
From his webpage -
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Got it. You think he might have gotten away with it. Whereas he could never get away with his Grand Prix scam for long.
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Yes. I have no doubt he would have, if he stayed in that lane. Look at how many less than ideal trainers out there exist that have gleeful followers that do not realize their trainer is clueless.
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“Less than ideal”. You are so kind. 
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