Equestrian sports at bejing - discuss...

SpottedCat

SpottedCat

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Just reading the BBC Sport website and came across this statement:

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The precision required in dressage and the finely-tuned temperament of horses in the event make it more influenced by conditions than the showjumping and cross-country events.

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Now is this really true? Is a 4* eventer any less or more tempermental than a top dressage or SJ horse? Is dressage more influenced by conditions than say XC where the horses are travelling at pace?

Full article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/equestrian/7180854.stm
 
I can see what they are trying to say - that with dressage the individual movements require exact precision. But then surely its the same xcountry/SJ - that everything needs to be exact to meet the fence correctly (ie angle/stride) etc?
 
I got the impression that they were saying dressage horses are more highly strung and so won't cope as well, though I may be reading it wrong. I just thought it was a totally bizarre thing to say TBH as it seems to have no reasoning behind it. It's just not logical to say all dressage horses will cope worse than all other horses, or that they are more highly strung etc is it?
 
i would say prob yes, as if you have bold horse for jumping that's sj and xc sorted as they get into the guovre, and they are not going to be as spooky............, but then to control all the energy in a calm dressage phase ......... as in dressage if you feel they going to explode you got nothing to to work with apart from white board and then that can tip them over edge!!!!!
 
But that does not explain in any way how the conditions in Bejing will affect dressage horses more than any other kind of horse...why will dressage horses a)be more temperamental than any other kind of horse and b)be more affected by heat and humidity than any other kind of horse?
 
I see what you mean, but then aren't dressage horses meant to be highly strung, whereas eventers are meant to be chilled out
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Not sure eventers would all agree with that...
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I just am at a bit of a loss to understand why a horse doing dressage would be more affected by conditions, apparently due to its temperament, than a horse doing dressage, then XC then SJ...

All horses might suffer similarly out there as they are all trained to the top of their game, but will a SJer really be less affected than a dressage horse? And will the eventers therefore be most affected by the dressage phase? Seems quite odd to me, so I'd love to hear a logical explanation for why the BBC might think this!
 
Am agreeing with last two posters, an eventer has to be sooo fit, it must be quite an art to coax a relaxed settled test out of the beast.

Not meaning to be derogatory about dressage horses though. I know they will have to be fit esp for the weather cond in Bejing, but not a run for your life for ten min type fit.

Fiona
 
Could it have something to do with the amount of time you need to warm up the Dressage horse compared to SJ/Eventers????????


As for me i need at least 40 min good warm with mine to function at dressage were as when jumping a good relaxed warm up (walking around lorry park) then about 2 second jumping, as mine has an addversion to jumping in warm up areas - his one brain cell can't cope
 
It could be build - the dressage horses being bigger and built like brick bomb shelters could be more affected but I still think its a load of tripe.
 
Which of the three disciplines can no longer cope with mounted prize givings as their horses are so unruly?

I think the heavier build will have an affect.

And they aren't even in Bejing
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