Americans way of riding

There seem to be some quite decent riders on here: http://www.phelpsmediagroup.com/photogra...amp;toyear=2007 , the vast majority of whom are products of the North American system.

And the women in this story: http://www.professionalsphoto.com/Wellington07/html/Feb18.LChapot.html are all representatives of the system. Laura Chapot is the daughter of Frank Chapot. Erynn (second picture down) is the daughter of well known Canadian professionals and won two of the big equitation finals.

Actually, I would agree that there are more opportunities in the UK (and the rest of Europe) for young people to learn the ins and outs of showjumping and jump decent sized jumps early on. We do not have much in the way of pony jumpers at all and I think that's a real shame. Most kids do get shunted off into the hunters, which, especially if done badly, can have some seriously ruinous effects, even if it's just that they develop bad habits. All that said, though, I think it's a bit harsh to say that everyone here/everyone who shows hunters rides badly.

So far as your daughter is concerned, Tia, I'm sure she would be very competative in the jumpers or eventing, would she not? Arguably more so than her peers. Lots of people here do not go in for the hunters or Equitation (me included).
 
I personally dislike the american 'english' style of riding, but I must say that I'm impressed at how their horses can jump without a contact.

To be honest, quite a few horses don't actually need bits to school in, unless you want the 'on the bit' appearance which looks lovely
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For example, Jayjay is a pushy little bugger, and has a neck like a draft, but he'll jump just fine in a headcollar.
 
Ahh. I've always been a big fan of Frank Chapot
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I have to admit to being rather disappointed when I first came over here and saw the form of the shows - I would be lying if I didn't say this; however once I realised that I wouldn't show here it was no longer a problem to me
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. I don't really care how people ride - each area has it's own version and standards it seems and if it suits the people then that is just tickety-boo with me.

I can't ride like the people I have watched at the shows I've been to, and I have no wish to, so I moved sideways instead LOL!! I ride far more Western now than English and I enjoy it. My daughter on the other hand is very much a confirmed English rider....and she is very typical of decent British "English" riders (LOL!! could become quite confusing to the Brits reading this
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). She is a very "correct" rider and it is very noticable when she enters a competition that she rides VERY differently from her peers. I wonder if she gets marked down for not riding in this bunched up manner? Although it would be interesting to know, I very much doubt her or I lose any sleep over it. She's 10 and I have always shied away from allowing her to compete both here and in the UK, hence she is not fussed whether she shows or not.....but she is also very aware of the difference in styles.

I am not saying that anyone's way is better or worse - I am just commenting that it IS different and sorry but it's not for me. Each to their own and good luck to them, that's what I say
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I watched the program mentioned in the first post. I'm sorry but all i wanted to do was tell them to get the horses back ends under them, sit up and stop launching themselves up the neck of the poor horse. I cant believe that one girl won a major junior championship because she did a canter to walk then walk to canter transition, the canter to walk transition actualy went through trot!! I'm sorry but i learnt walk to canter before i learnt to jump, and for goodness sakes it isnt exactly hard to do.

Equitation classes in the UK are on the flat (no jumps) and is almost like a dressage test. Sitting trot, extended trot, flying changes, no stirrups in walk trot and canter, reversing, and riding other peoples horses ive seen it all at local level and they all had thier horses in a deacent outline. I saw one judge ask the first ridden kids (10 year olds) to do a walk to canter, and they did it!
 
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Equitation classes in the UK are on the flat (no jumps) and is almost like a dressage test. Sitting trot, extended trot, flying changes, no stirrups in walk trot and canter, reversing, and riding other peoples horses ive seen it all at local level and they all had thier horses in a deacent outline. I saw one judge ask the first ridden kids (10 year olds) to do a walk to canter, and they did it!

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Sure, we have all that here. There are Eq's on the flat and over fences and some that have multiple phases.

You all seem to be under the impression we don't have showjumping here. The lowest recognised jumper classes start at 1.10m. What we do not have is an established pony jumper division although it is catching on.

Could someone direct me to some on line video of English jumping classes please. I do understand the differences in style and have seen some quite high end national showjumping, which doesn't look much different from what I see here, but I would be interested in seeing some local stuff.
 
<font color="green">I watched the series on Animal Planet about the Equitation shows, and as far as I could tell what they were doing was more like Working Hunter - ie showing - and not Showjumping. The emphasis was on what the horse &amp; rider looked like, not how high or how well the horse jumped. Did notice a lot of rider's falling off cos they were in front of the horse when it was approaching the jumps</font>
 
It was like workers except for the fact that workers you do have to have the proper impulsion, you do have to work in an outline and you do jump higer then that. I think the horse working hunters course starts at 3ft 6 for the affiliated. And you do have to sit up and ride!

Criuser, our pony jumping is just like the high end stuff youve seen except scaled down for pony sizes.
 
The jumps in the program you saw (presumably one of the American Eq finals) would have been 3'6" and hunter-style, rather than jumper. There are Eq's lower than that but they are only local, and there is a more showjumping oriented one that is 3'9".
 
QR to no-one in particular -

As primarily a western rider these days.....I have to say I love having bookings from Americans as ALL of the American riders I have taken out here have been very good riders even though they have underestimated their skills when they make the bookings. So for me in a western capacity; I would say they are a pleasure to take out.
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