Top Riders Petition for Right to Wear Top Hats in Competition

[YankeeDuchess]

@poltroon

One of the Olympic trials events held in California many years back didn’t put spectators in the two front rows and strongly cautioned the crowd against making any noise, so as not to scare the horses. I was thinking, where the heck do you think we are proposing to send these horses, the library?

Perhaps the reason that they did not want people making noise that might scare the horses was that it would be unfair to the competitor if noise from the peanut gallery caused the horse to spook or become tense. It is not necessarily because they thought the rider would be unable to handle a spook.

I’ve been in competition when the wind made a cloth on the judge’s table billow and flap, spooking my horse. I handled the spook with no trouble, and it did not indicate bad training of the horse. I still lost 2 points for being off course. Show organizers can’t control natural phenomenon like the wind, but they should control extraneous noise from spectators.

I read somewhere that the reason calvary units had buglers was that by instinct horses did not naturally want to charge forward into gunfire or even another herd of horses charging at them, so they put the buglers behind the first ranks of calvary and made a lot of noise to scare them forward. I have no idea whether that is true if not.

[pluvinel]

My comments in blue below…

@YankeeDuchess

Perhaps the reason that they did not want people making noise that might scare the horses was that it would be unfair to the competitor if noise from the peanut gallery caused the horse to spook or become tense. It is not necessarily because they thought the rider would be unable to handle a spook.

Perhaps you should read Alois Podhajski’s description of how he was doing an exhibition and someone landed a helicopter in the dressage arena. The point is that dressage is about “training.” So one would think that FEI-Level dressage horses would be able to deal with whatever comes their way…not.

I’ve been in competition when the wind made a cloth on the judge’s table billow and flap, spooking my horse. I handled the spook with no trouble, and it did not indicate bad training of the horse. I still lost 2 points for being off course. Show organizers can’t control natural phenomenon like the wind, but they should control extraneous noise from spectators.

Talk to the jockeys breaking a wound up TB from the starting box when the bell rings…or the reiners…or a team roping team…they put dressage horses to shame.

I read somewhere that the reason calvary units had buglers was that by instinct horses did not naturally want to charge forward into gunfire or even another herd of horses charging at them, so they put the buglers behind the first ranks of calvary and made a lot of noise to scare them forward. I have no idea whether that is true if not.

Buglers have nothing to do with horses. Before electronic communications, buglers were used to communicate commands to the troops…and they were also used in ships. Bugles are loud and can pierce the sound of the battlefield. There are distinct “melodies” that comprise a “bugle call” that are intended to communicate what the soldiers were supposed to do…think revellie, taps, mess call…etc. Now the bugle is mainly ceremonial, but is still in use.

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/m/manual-buglers-usnavy.html

[YankeeDuchess]

@pluvinel

My comments in blue below…

Buglers have nothing to do with horses. Before electronic communications, buglers were used to communicate commands to the troops…and they were also used in ships. Bugles are loud and can pierce the sound of the battlefield. There are distinct “melodies” that comprise a “bugle call” that are intended to communicate what the soldiers were supposed to do…think revellie, taps, mess call…etc. Now the bugle is mainly ceremonial, but is still in use.

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/m/manual-buglers-usnavy.html

Perhaps you should petition the FEI to add to the Grand Prix a feature in which a helicopter lands at D while the horse is at a halt at C, just to test how well trained the horse is.

[ladyj79]

Man where’s that video of the dressage test with the motorcycle, fire. Giant tarp, etc!?!

[pluvinel]

@YankeeDuchess

Perhaps you should petition the FEI to add to the Grand Prix a feature in which a helicopter lands at D while the horse is at a halt at C, just to test how well trained the horse is.

The helicopter is a little advanced. We can start with smaller steps.

A good start would be to allow the audience to talk above a whisper…to use umbrellas… to move around the stands…and to require that the horse actually execute a halt as defined by the test in order to get above a “0” (Not executed)

[SillyHorse]

@ladyj79

Man where’s that video of the dressage test with the motorcycle, fire. Giant tarp, etc!?!

You do understand that it was not the first time the horse saw those things, right?

[YankeeDuchess]

@pluvinel

The helicopter is a little advanced. We can start with smaller steps.

A good start would be to allow the audience to talk above a whisper…to use umbrellas… to move around the stands…and to require that the horse actually execute a halt as defined by the test in order to get above a “0” (Not executed)

My point was that since it’s a competition, any flapping tarps, helicopters, or whoops from the crowd should be challenges that all competitors face, or don’t face.

In my very mild example, a flapping red tablecloth on the judge’s table spooked my horse, I circled around and continued, and got a 2 point deduction for being off course. The other competitors did not get the tablecloth flap.

I’m not complaining of whining. Stuff happens and that’s part of the sport.

I’m just saying that to the extent possible all competitors should face the same conditions, so if a helicopter lands 30 feet outside the arena for competitor A, testing the horse’s composure, competitor B should face the same circumstances.

I assumed the “no loud talking” was intended not because horses should not be expected to perform with some degree of noise, but because if you are trying to standardize the noise level out of fairness, standardizing it at approximately zero is the simplest.

[ladyj79]

@SillyHorse

You do understand that it was not the first time the horse saw those things, right?

Of course not. What is your point? Post the video if you can find it.

[skydy]

I can’t imagine that the top hat petition was written because the riders wanted to distinguish themselves from lower level riders.

Dressage is a pretty small world. Everyone interested in it knows who’s who.

When Dressage is on the world stage (Olympics) with maybe a few members of the non-horsey public watching, the riders are by default Olympic Dressage riders so there’s really nothing to prove there.

Surely it must be a tradition thing. Change is difficult.

It’s not surprising that the FEI, for whatever reason, didn’t consider the petition.

[Peggy]

A friend was riding a test at Flintridge, in the upper ring that next to the parking lot at JPL. During her test some sort of person wanted by the police went into the JPL area and was being pursued by police cars and a helicopter. The helicopter landed right next to the ring. When she came out someone commented on her composure and she said, “what helicopter?” That’s focus.

[alicen]

@ladyj79

Man where’s that video of the dressage test with the motorcycle, fire. Giant tarp, etc!?!

Test or advertisement?

[YankeeDuchess]

@ladyj79

Of course not. What is your point? Post the video if you can find it.

I once saw a sales video of a dressage horse performing a test, not in competition, I assume, with a motorcycle and maybe a chainsaw or fire. It was extremely impressive as a sales video, but I really doubt that there was a video of such things happening in an actual competition.

[Equibrit]

@YankeeDuchess

Dressage historically comes from continental Europe more than England. The names of the movements are French. The training terms are German. The top dressage breeds are German and Dutch. Fox hunting is a British tradition and sport.

Not everything in the entire world has originated from English traditions. Are you British,@Equibrit ?

https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/tuxedo-black-tie-guide/black-tie-tuxedo-history/regency-evolution-tailcoat-cravat/

[ladyj79]

@YankeeDuchess

I once saw a sales video of a dressage horse performing a test, not in competition, I assume, with a motorcycle and maybe a chainsaw or fire. It was extremely impressive as a sales video, but I really doubt that there was a video of such things happening in an actual competition.

Yes, that one! Post it if you can find it again. Very entertaining.

[ajfager]

@ladyj79 Was it this one?

https://www.horsejournals.com/video/pumba-actual-bombproof-horse

I remember seeing a lot of videos like this from a sale barn (probably is this same barn). Always gave me a good chuckle to see what kind of shenanigans they came up with to prove how bomb-proof their horses were.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb8ApBqGLBE

This is the same horse lol - not sure I’d ever do this, but that horse is truly unflappable.

[ladyj79]

@ajfager

@ladyj79 Was it this one?

https://www.horsejournals.com/video/pumba-actual-bombproof-horse

I remember seeing a lot of videos like this from a sale barn (probably is this same barn). Always gave me a good chuckle to see what kind of shenanigans they came up with to prove how bomb-proof their horses were.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb8ApBqGLBE

This is the same horse lol - not sure I’d ever do this, but that horse is truly unflappable.

No but I love this horse as well!

The one I’m talking about the horse was in an indoor stadium type setting, in a dressage ring I thing, with a tarp that theoretically covered the entire dressage ring, with a motorcycle, a chainsaw, fire or fire works, etc.

It was definitely not one someone did at home :lol:

[RainWeasley]

@YankeeDuchess

Perhaps you should petition the FEI to add to the Grand Prix a feature in which a helicopter lands at D while the horse is at a halt at C, just to test how well trained the horse is.

You kid but I kinda think that would be awesome 😂

[alicen]

This I will not forget: 4 in-hand during marathon stage. Horses go over arched wooden bridge. As they descend, a grounded hot air balloon is fired up.

[mmeqcenter]

@poltroon

One of the Olympic trials events held in California many years back didn’t put spectators in the two front rows and strongly cautioned the crowd against making any noise, so as not to scare the horses. I was thinking, where the heck do you think we are proposing to send these horses, the library?

What’s funny to me is this is also a thing with golf.
No 1400-lb loony-tunes animals involved.
Just “rational” people.

But they want complete silence while hitting the ball.
I’ve always felt it’s more of an “elitist” thing with these country-club sports that are still widely viewed as pretty snobby by the general public, not really something that has anything significant to do with the horses.

[Jealoushe]

@alicen

But clearly it means much to other world class riders; hence the petition.

Should have to be considered classy to be called world class