I just love the freedom of movement in this QH -- it looks like someone in his pedigree jumped the fence and hooked up with an Arabian, but lets take the author at their word: Quarter horse, about 19 years old. What impresses me most is that the young rider does not look super-experienced. I'd actually like to see him go in a plain snaffle...
Although this is a very different horse and rider, I really like the "flow" in this video. And you don't need to tell me twice that THIS is a Quarter Horse!
And some more cuties...
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The gray one looks like my registered QH mare, who had a beautiful elevated trot. Very smooth & elegant. She could turn on a dime and was extremely nimble. She was a trained cutting horse, but apparently did not enjoy the work. (That could be due to the training and not the work itself, who knows, I don't ride western.)She switched to jumping and really liked it. A lovely versatile horse. A rider could learn a lot with her.
ReplyDeleteThe horse that we're part-leasing for Eleanor is a Quarter Horse and very very Thoroughbred-ish in conformation (not colouring -- he's a buckskin!) although he does a lovely western-style jog when he's just goofing off that suggests his breed papers are pretty much dab on.
ReplyDeleteMy best friend events her 13 year old Quarter Horse mare...she's a nice mover and a lovely jumper! Also, one of our horses at my college is a paint (colored Quarter Horse) and came from a barrel racing barn. She used to "turn 'em and burn 'em" herself until she decided that she didn't want to do it anymore, so her owners donated her to our school. She loves to jump and was 7th in our Prix de Villes High Performance Hunter Derby out of 30 of the areas best A-circuit hunters!
ReplyDeleteWell, I like the gray, but the others... so much head and tail tossing, so many grumpy faces, and a couple of times I get the feeling if the rider dropped the reins the horse would fall on his nose! Why do so many QHs look so PO'd all the time?
ReplyDeleteI have a QH gelding that I event with. He has jumped 4' and his record dressage score is a 27 (73%)... and he is cattle-bred.
ReplyDeleteI love Quarter Horses, and would love to see more of them in dressage and eventing.
Here's another great QH dressage video (of me and my horse).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEXQNf80w0Q
I knew the gray mare, Annie! She used to board at the same barn in Dallas that I did. She is a sweetheart and super talented!
ReplyDeletePure QH (no TB except Three Bars) flagging his tail just like the one in the first video. Catch ride in a jumping clinic for a pro eventer. video
ReplyDeleteShowing Western and Hunters in the same day: video
Taking a Grand Prix showjumper (the rider) for a spin in Team Penning (the second half of the video is some schooling over jumps):
video
His younger half-sister (reg. Paint) in a mid-winter dressage schooling show, leaving the arena:
video -- piloting error, very inexperienced rider!
Can I add my quarter horse doing dressage??? Only Intro tests... but she's very green, and we did fabulous for our first dressage show! She's totally changed my mind on what quarter horses can do. The judge told me she thought the little mare has a lot of potential!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcMaF7mWcAE
http://mytrainingproject.blogspot.com/
I moved from the North (Hunter/Jumper territory) to the South (Quarter/Walking Horse territory), which was quite a culture shock *grin*. On a side note: I have to say that I am proud to see there are some QH's left in the country that are still allowed to have a normal head set.
ReplyDeleteI "drew" a greenbroke QH in college for a dressage test waaay back when. I was just sure I'd fail it, but the little guy totally surprised me. As a breed, I have to admit they're pretty darn versatile :o)
Hi Allie,
ReplyDeleteIn fairness to the QH breed, there are a lot of them who are not PO'd all the time. And, in fairness to the riders, I don't know their current skill level, but this is what I saw:
In video #1, the horse was almost continuously being bumped by the spurs, hence the laid back ears and swishing tail.
Most notably, in the very short video of horse #4, the horse was valiantly trying to come through from behind, but the rider never once yielded the reins to allow the forward momentum to come through. Had she yielded, the horse would have been quite capable of bringing his back up and elevating his front end. IMO, a classic example of riding a horse front to back.
Horse #4 also would have had a happier face had the rider yielded and allowed the momentum to flow through. Anyway, just my humble opinion.
Stacey,
ReplyDeleteYours is one of my favorite blogs and now you've put it over the top! I just love this post topic (not that I am biased or anything). I am also impressed that you are at a clinic and still posted new material. Wow!
My dressage QH was bred to barrel race, but spent most of his time out to pasture before we found each other. Everything he knows, he learned with me, but this doesn't stop him from having a "schoolmaster" attitude. "Mom, your leg is not supposed to be that far back! Honestly, how DO you expect me to work like this!" But when I get it right, he is there for me with icing on top, like the first time he offered halfpass on what seemed like a whim (and now listens for it all the time!). I just cannot get enough of my lovely QH!
QH horse mare, classically trained
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L2JJqAd9Xo
The trainers other breed of choice is a Lipizzan. :)
Spot on Equitouch! That's pretty much exactly what I was seeing, and you're right to place the fault on the riders, rather than the horses. Shoot, I'd be grumpy too. The only thing I was thinking that you didn't mention is horse #2 is never allowed to keep his head carriage in the same place for two strides consecutively. She's just constantly fussing with his head set until I want to shout, "LEAVE HIM ALONE!"
ReplyDelete