Teddybully
Well-Known Member
Genuinely interested to know what peoples thoughts are.
Having spent a brief time at a top dressage yard on livery (till I could take no more) I really felt a lot of the horses were just plain miserable.
Surely the majority of the moves required are totally unnatural to the horse and so I don't understand what the 'point' is of it all? Is it to show off what humans can make equines do with enough repetitive 'training'.
Most of the horses I saw were daily in draw reins (youngsters of 3 up) being 'made' to perform under pressure.
I'm probably talking the higher levels but while I understand riding in general may be seen as unnatural, if a horse would gallop and jump in the wild he must be happy to do it under saddle maybe a little - but dressage seems to me (not the first to say it) 'circus tricks'.
I'm posting so that my thoughts may be changed as I just can't help but somewhat dislike dressage. I show and do workers but have no issue with it - why is that??
Having spent a brief time at a top dressage yard on livery (till I could take no more) I really felt a lot of the horses were just plain miserable.
Surely the majority of the moves required are totally unnatural to the horse and so I don't understand what the 'point' is of it all? Is it to show off what humans can make equines do with enough repetitive 'training'.
Most of the horses I saw were daily in draw reins (youngsters of 3 up) being 'made' to perform under pressure.
I'm probably talking the higher levels but while I understand riding in general may be seen as unnatural, if a horse would gallop and jump in the wild he must be happy to do it under saddle maybe a little - but dressage seems to me (not the first to say it) 'circus tricks'.
I'm posting so that my thoughts may be changed as I just can't help but somewhat dislike dressage. I show and do workers but have no issue with it - why is that??