Some pros develop back and hip issues from the physical brutality of the sport, which will change your position for sure!
I never considered that, @kirbydog. When I left riding and turned to figure skating with a coach to stay in shape, I learned that torque during serious jumps can destroy hips. For those at the top of the sport it’s a trade for all those triples and quads: Done successfully they can make champions, potentially with great cost in the future. (One thing that I learned from skating is how to fall. Hoping it will come in handy now that I’ve returned to horses. I never got the hang of it when I was riding earlier. It was a lot of, “Oh, God, don’t let a hoof hit me.”)
I watched a Georgina video the other day and she pointed out all her many injuries. Some bones she’s broken multiple times. Not speaking about George in particular, but now I understand why a pro’s form would change in later years to accommodate various boo-boo body parts. Thanks for the insight.
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LOL, there’s a reason old horse people walk the way we do!
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A lot of our top riders frequently use the crest release well…see example below.
I used to have a much nicer one, especially when wanting a long release, than I do now that my back and neck have gotten extra creaky. But there’s a lot of really poor execution and poor teaching of the release out there these days for sure.
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NSP, I was not being critical but supporting your choice showing a proper crest release executed by a legendary show jumping master. Text makes conversation difficult…and the following remarks are not aimed at you, just in general.
Releases are not really taught like diagonals, leads or direct/indirect rein. They are not a black and white choice made well in advance of a “perfect” spot but a reaction to what the horse is doing and where it is as it launches. Rider needs to know all of them very well and let the size and shape of the horses jump determine how they react position wise…sort of relax into it instead of micro manage.
Great riders always seem to get perfect spots but the truth is great riders make any spot look like it is the perfect spot planned in advance by adapting to what spot they have. Years of saddle time to make it look so easy.
Realizing the name may be held in disgust for an abundance distasteful reasons, GMs book on Hunter Seat Equitation with AM as demo rider is still viewed as a valuable resource in understanding the fundamentals and why they work to produce effective riding. Including releases.
No, not much of a fan of his but did watch him teach and he worked with several of my teachers at various points in their careers to guide them in becoming thoughtful, effective goal oriented teachers. He communicated the practical application of theory better then anybody. Don’t need to support him to cherry pick his system, which is still used by successful trainers at all levels. More of these JAWs out there need to do some homework like this instead of pass along their ignorance creating unsafe weak, ineffective riders that need to stay low and slow so they don’t get killed.
Off soap box.
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Yes, this is not always the best medium for clear communication. We have a lot of “no, that’s not what I meant” posts.
Cotton Mesh coolers ! I still have my Saratogas and use them in hot humid weather as a fly sheet. The horses are more comfortable in them than the plastic/nylon fly sheets.
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Oof, my cotton mesh coolers all have been eaten by mice over the years! My 20+ year old wool dress sheets still look great, but the cotton did not hold up well.
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Oh, man. What a great topic. I got back into horses recently after a decade away. So much has changed. Some of this is probably specific to my hyperlocal bubble in the Midwest, but some of it is due to technological advances, information technology, and progressive refinement of ideas and techniques. Pretty amazing to see.
Saddle fitters are now plentiful and accessible in my area.
Trailers are feature rich, with so much more variety and choice. Especially living quarters trailers.
Nice horses are so much easier to find and evaluate now (for regular folks who aren’t super connected and/or live in flyover country). Everyone has a smartphone that can take photos and videos. When I bought my last horse 20ish years ago, I used internet ads, but it was a gamble to drive 6 hours based on a couple of paragraphs of text and (maybe) a blurry photo. These days everyone has or can get video, and it’s amazing. Less time wasted and less pressure due to the sunk costs of driving around to see unsuitable horses.
Biomechanics for both horses and riders. This field has become considerably more accessible in the last decade, which I believe is at least partially due to the proliferation of (non-horsey) personal trainers. I was 40 years old when I discovered that the reason I rounded my back was because I had insufficient neural connections to my lats. Years of instructors hollering couldn’t fix it, but two months with a personal trainer and I can now activate them at will. It’s suddenly incredibly easy to sit up straight (when I remember). This kind of training is not new, but now it’s totally normal even for unserious riders, and there’s a personal trainer on every street corner.
Teaching has evolved. More and more trainers study the science of adult learning and incorporate it into their programs. IMO this has a bigger effect than any single technique advancement.
The downside to the information boom is that it can be hard to identify legitimate information and legitimate expertise. Which leads to a lot of woo and personality cults. Even though information is more plentiful, it’s also easier to get stuck in a echo chamber of self-confirming bias. Discernment is a critical skill, but it’s one we have to put work into learning, maintaining, and modeling for the next generation.
Another downside: I really miss plaid breeches (and I don’t mean those garish red ones). Does anyone make these anymore? I saved my old favorite pair of gray/blue plaid, but my fat middle aged ass no longer fits in them.
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She shut down the entire sport horse forum for a while, lol. Lots of aefvue posters at the time. I was very new, to COTH and forums in general, Definitely eye opening.
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A kindly person pointed out to me that when making a comment, press @ and a list of the participants in the thread appears. It is then possible to pick out the name of the specific person you agree or disagree with. I think it helps to stop an entire thread whirling off into “he said” “she said” arguments that distract from the topic being discussed.
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OMG! I came back to the forums after abut 7-8 years off, and I was sad that “Merry” seemed to be gone! I’m so glad to see that you’re still here.
Even though I wasn’t one of the “big posters” you guys were a HUGE part of my “just out of college” horse life, and I still use old COTH-isms (That… nobody else gets) fairly often.
Merry/Paint_Party I swear to god… every time I see big ol’ chestnut mare with lots of white I still call them “Barbie Cows” in my head.
(was she chestnut with bling, or is that something I just made up 20 years ago and my imagination ran with it?)
To add to the original thread…
1.No Crosby anything (Whaaaaa?)
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Monoflaps (Who came up with these? Seriously… who??)
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Single padded ergonomic crown pieces. I love these SO MUCH.
and as someone with big calves… the personal game changer…
- BOOTS WITH ELASTIC AND ZIPPERS! HALLELUJAH!
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@propspony, ditto on 1, 2 and 4. I haven’t run into 3 yet.
Here’s another one: When I left 20-plus years ago, a Butet or Pessoa were tops. Sure, more expensive saddles were here or there, but those two were the most coveted. As the juniors in my barn acquired them one by one, it was a well-earned big deal. NOW THESE BRANDS ARE THE GOOD-VALUE-FOR-THE-MONEY SADDLES! Maybe they’re made elsewhere now, and that explains the price difference, but man. Saddle design and price are on a whole other level now, with the top tier rivaling what my parents paid for a new four-door VW Rabbit in 1979.
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And you need a different one for every horse you get on, too!
A brand new Butet is $5-7000, so not a bargain brand by any means! Also, the one that I had was a '94 model. It is still in use, as I sold it to the boy that rides with me, but is now showing in WEF. Great saddle!
The Pessoas quality really slipped, imo. I believe they started making the trees in S. America, instead of France, and the leather is not super nice either
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Between the saddles that are much lower quality than they used to be, and the expensive saddles with the fragile soft leather that doesn’t hold up to much wear, the current saddle market is beyond vexing.
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That’s why I buy British! I have an Exselle, a County, and a Black Country. Sturdy leather, all wool flocked, well made and beautifully balanced saddles. 
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Nothing lasts like it used to (not just riding stuff)
-Boots with zippers last five years at best (because of the zippers)
-Breeches rip in the crotch after five years (but at least there are no more side-zip breeches)
I guess the good thing, though, is that old ideas don’t last as long if they are questionable. I do think that having online forums like this one helped me question when I saw something at a barn that I thought was bonkers, even though I wasn’t a pro.
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Ah yes, Barbie Cow. She was actually a chocolatey dark bay with lots of white and a silvery tail. But a gorgeous mover. Won more hunter under saddle and eq. classes than I probably deserved. Yet a cow, indeed. Not just in her markings, but in her less than agreeable nature.
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I liked the side zips!
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