Leah, Fancyfree, Jen, email me your mailing address so I can send you your BTB bumper sticker! Email to behindthebit@gmail.com.
My first thought was that the rider is doing an amazing job. My second thought was, WAY TOO MUCH HAIR on that horse! Sorry, I'd have my pull-comb out if I got within 20 yards of that forelock. I honestly don't think he can see.
Fun to watch, huh?
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Is she using her whip for the lateral aids on the off side?? Amazing!
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to try riding sidesaddle, just to know what it's like. This is inspiring!
ReplyDeleteI think my cob might be part Friesian. But we do NOT look anything like that side saddle .
ReplyDeleteGirls got skills but, well, I guess if Cousin It were a horse that is what he'd look like. Could someone please pass the clippers?
ReplyDeleteAHahhahahaha, I have the same thought about hairy horses -- they can't be comfortable with all the crap all over them, I will rescue them with my clippers!
ReplyDeleteTotally awesome! Hard to find good sidesaddle movements these days. I do agree that forelock needs a trim, in some of the side shots, it looks like he's got a goatee.
ReplyDeleteI agree about the hair. Some people find it beautiful. I find it untidy and...you're right...can the horse see?
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly, if your horse is well trained, riding sidesaddle is not as challenging as it looks. But the horse has to be well trained to the aids so he/she will respond to shifts of weight and a light cue. My first horse would take either canter lead in the sidesaddle with no supporting whip at all, and he would do lateral work as well, although had I shown him dressage that way, I would have wanted a "leg/whip" on the offside.
My only negative of this rider is that she would look even more elegant if her back were straighter. But I have a feeling that absorbing the spring of her horse's gait is making her work a bit too much at it.
Please note, I was never "Great" at riding sidesaddle, but I did compete and win a few ribbons under saddle. I never could master the jumping, though--I was showing hunters at the time. It is fun to ride that way, and once you figure out how to center yourself correctly on the horse, is surprisingly secure.
She is indeed doing fabulous job but my-oh-my that is WAAAAAAY too much hair ;)
ReplyDeleteThere's an Australian TV science show that claimed that when we ride out horses with their faces on the vertical, that the horse cannot see at all. If you believe that, then that Friesen would be blind with or without that massive forelock. Here's the link to the article.
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/3absaw4
I'm thinking Snuffleupagus? But a breathtaking performance. Such a "Goth" over the top look with the 5-foot forelock, but it does impress. That rider is amazing! Wow. Gotta watch that again!
ReplyDeleteI suspect the rider is a little hunched to absorb the suspension in his gaits. Look at the air time she has! I once took my aging mother to a dressage show, and we went over to look at a lady standing w/ her Andalusian, who had a long forelock. My mother proceeded to take the forelock and push it over to the side saying the poor thing couldn't see. I had to escort my mother away from the horse. But I agree about too much hair. Probably not many men have the My Little Pony fantasies about their horses; but great riding.
ReplyDeleteI agree the forelock could be a tiny bit shorter.. but Friesians are really known for their amazing manes and tails just as much as their beautiful heads and feathering. So really, if this were my horse, I wouldn't get near him with the pull comb or clippers. If my Thoroughbred had a mane like that, yes, I would. But my Friesian's forelock goes all the way to the end of his nose while his mane goes to his knees.. No one has ever seemed to have a problem with it and neither has he
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