teapot
Well-Known Member
Event timetable says xc starts at 11.30 but not sure how accurate that is?
Badminton XC coverage is not live via the BBC red button this year
- Thread starter Tiddlypom
- Start date
Event timetable says xc starts at 11.30 but not sure how accurate that is?
TGM
Well-Known Member
Whilst I'm not exactly Oli's greatest fan, I think it unlikely that Ballaghmor Class is looking lean because Oli has failed to give him enough feed! If a horse is not a naturally big eater, then as the workload gets greater some horses struggle to eat enough calories to keep them looking 'rounded', despite the best of care. Plus some horses are naturally more angular in their conformation. At the end of the day the horse is an athlete and you don't see people complaining that the likes of Mo Farah are too skinny!
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
Oh what a shame! That’s sounds fun!
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
I may just have to go back tomorrow.
I could do the deck chair and blanket thing infront of the screen for the day ?
I could do the deck chair and blanket thing infront of the screen for the day ?
teapot
Well-Known Member
asmp
Well-Known Member
I thought Alfies Clover looked worse. His hindquarters were quite angular on top.
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
Alfie’s clover was one I saw. I have to say it didn’t jump out at me. I work with racehorses though so maybe am more used to very fit, I don’t mean that in a bad way. Just my view ?
TGM
Well-Known Member
And this is why we have an equine obesity crisis in the UK, because a lot of people don't recognise a really fit horse when they see one. Hence a lot of owners opt to keep their horses on the slightly chubby side to avoid their horses being negatively commented on.
Ample Prosecco
Still wittering on
I was clear that I wasn’t criticising. I was wondering how people know how lean or otherwise their horse should be. I felt Lottie was too lean once I could see hips, and increased her feed. But performance wise she felt fab. So maybe I was wrong? I am curious about how people decide/know
Michen
Well-Known Member
I have a very fit leisure horse, there’s not a scrap of extra weight on him here really, and I've been told he could do with some more weight- I completely disagree!. And certainly the leanest horse on my yard so I am definitely not an advocate for obese horses! I was just agreeing that he looked sort of bony compared to some of the other horses, clearly his shape, wasn’t a criticism.
MuddyMonster
Well-Known Member
Kylie is my new one I'd like to do well - I'd never heard of her before today! I honestly loved her commentary as I learnt a lot, she seemed really genuinely 'for' the horses, had a kind word for everyone it seemed and I loved seeing her big smile in the test and emotion afterwards.
I'll be cheering her on tomorrow for sure
The Xmas Furry
🦄 🦄
eggs
Well-Known Member
I’ve known Kylie from before her young rider days. She really is as nice as she seems and is a great trainer
Michen
Well-Known Member
Me too but I seem to accept it on myself just not my horse
I think what I love is how great they feel when they are slim and fit like that. Bear is joining Bog up the gallops, we do 3 canter sets and originally was out of steam after 1 (so had to wait whilst Bog went again). Now he's still pulling at the bit after 3 and everything is easier for him because he's not carrying any extra and he's feeling well.
There's nothing better IMO than being on a horse, even a leisure horse like ours, with an engine and stamina.
Anyway slightly off topic! Off to watch Kylie's test as I missed the last few.
MuddyMonster
Well-Known Member
He looks great & you're obviously doing a great job ?
Mine's not hugely overweight but is not as streamlined as he was over winter & is carrying a bit more than I'd like - but everyone keeps telling me he looks fine and 'they see much worse'. That doesn't make mine the ideal weight though?! ?
Jeni the dragon
Well-Known Member
I think BC does look quite angular, still a huge fan though thought his test wasn't one of his best!
Bob is a nightmare feeding wise! He just never seems that interested in food, even at home, and is worse at events! Which is the complete opposite of his owner!?
Bob is a nightmare feeding wise! He just never seems that interested in food, even at home, and is worse at events! Which is the complete opposite of his owner!?
Michen
Well-Known Member
So is Boggle it’s a real pain. I am a big fan of feeding straights but have to accept he isn’t and I just couldn’t get enough food into him that way. Equerry conditioning mash is the only thing he consistently eats all winter. And Saracen releve cubes and recovery mash are going down a treat this spring.
I made the mash too sloppy at his last event and as I was sat down enjoying my can of pimms in between phases he literally picked the feed bucket up with his teeth and lobbed it at my head in annoyance that it was “inedible”.
I just wish I was more like him with the fussiness ?
daffy44
Well-Known Member
Michen, to my eye your horse looks absolutely spot on, gorgeous in his coat too, just lovely.
Ample Prosecco
Still wittering on
Olli’s comments on how BC’s dressage test was scored:
“Tomorrow is another day, thank God, and tomorrow isn’t based on the opinions of three people sat in garden sheds.”
Not sure that was as diplomatic as it could have been but I did think they were harsh. Halts were getting 10s and his halt looked great but got average marks.
“Tomorrow is another day, thank God, and tomorrow isn’t based on the opinions of three people sat in garden sheds.”
Not sure that was as diplomatic as it could have been but I did think they were harsh. Halts were getting 10s and his halt looked great but got average marks.
Jeni the dragon
Well-Known Member
It's a nightmare @Michen Glad I don't have to deal with it everyday! He literally sticks his nose in the bucket, goes "Nah no thanks" and walks off!
Often has three different buckets of things and will just pick at it. Which is hard when he's advanced fit!
Often has three different buckets of things and will just pick at it. Which is hard when he's advanced fit!
fetlock
Well-Known Member
Oh dear. And he's been doing so well PR skills wise since #whipgate. An amusing comment from him though.
shortstuff99
Well-Known Member
I took that as a joke, not sure he was being properly serious ?.
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
Not sure that the dressage judges will be laughing along with him...
A quip that would have been best kept private. The test did seem to be harshly marked, though.
A quip that would have been best kept private. The test did seem to be harshly marked, though.
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
I thought several were harshly marked and I was quite surprised at scores when I’d thought them better, however I know nothing really about dressage and was merely comparing one to the other.
TGM
Well-Known Member
I think at that top level, how lean the horse ends up will depend on the individual horse - it's conformation, it's breeding, it's appetite, how much fitness is required, and it's innate character. The riders won't be thinking 'hmm ... I'd like that horse to show three ribs'. They will create a fitness plan and monitor how the horse responds to that and adapt the amount of work according. Some horses naturally need more fittening work than others, which obviously uses up more calories. Also, whilst all the horses at Badminton will be very fit, it stands to reason that experienced, highly ambitious competitors like Oli will striving for ultimate fitness to enable them to get inside the time, unlike some who may take it slightly easier on the cross country course. With a demanding fitness schedule it can be difficult to get enough calories into the horse to make it look rounded, plus the competitor may know from experience the horse performs better without any excess fat. I remember when my husband was running marathons, he found it hard to eat enough to keep his weight up doing his training whilst also having a physically demanding job. This was despite having a very hearty appetite. You also have to take into account the effect staying away at events has on some horses. Some are very chilled but others can be very distracted by all that is going on, meaning they don't actually eat a lot, resulted in rather tucked up appearance which enhances the lean appearance. Additionally, some horses will have conformation features that enhance the angular look, high withers, naturally prominent bones in the hindquarters etc. You also have to bear in mind that the top competitors like Oli are on the World Class programme and therefore have access to the top equine sport science and medicine practitioners to enable to fine tune the horses' work and feeding schedules.
This is all very different from the life of the average grassroots horse who doesn't need ultra high levels of fitness. It is much easier to adapt the feeding regime to keep pace with work and easier to have the horse at the top of the ideal healthy weight spectrum.
humblepie
Well-Known Member
I worked for an Olympic event rider one summer and first time I’d seen properly fit horses close up. Agree the conformation can really affect how they look as TGM says. Haven’t seen the horses being discussed so just a general comment.
splashgirl45
Lurcher lover
i agree with him, im not a fan but i thought the marks were too low. the judges were marking lower IMO for the last section in comparison with the first, i wouldnt have put ollie above laura or tom but i think 3rd would have been right. there has always been a joke about the scores being higher on friday afternoon so perhaps the judges went too far the other way...
PipsqueakXy22
Well-Known Member
Does anyone know where I can find times for xc? I can’t see it on the website it only shows their dressage scores under XC start list
clairebearnz
Well-Known Member
https://www.badminton-horse.co.uk/cross-country-start-list-2022/
The times are on the far right which I can't view on mobile properly but they're there