Just stopped watching Martin Clunes prog

This programme was not about what we in england think about the other countries, it was about how different cultures used horses.

Martin was a guest and did his best to ride like them.
I'm sure if we had a foreigner come to this country looking at how we ride horses, im sure we would expect them to ride like us.
So if they expect that from us, we can not fault them.
 
sussexbythesea said:
I thought it was good but wish it maybe had one more programme about the everyday rider to show that it's not some old cultural thing or a modern day elitist sport but how those of us who work our butts off and go without everything else to indulge our love of horses.
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Totally agree.

Also I think we are so used to seeing horses overweight and pampered here, that any which are used to living off the plains "naturally" are going to look skinny to us, as others said, as a guest he would be in a difficult position to not ride one of their animals, anyway it's not as if he did an 18 mile Endurance ride on it, I think he presented the proggrame really well, and wasn't afraid to show his feelings, which I thought was commendable, rather than all testosterony b*ll*ky blokey attitude, really nice at the end where he said that the foal was now part of the Clunes family, lovely, hope he does a follow up.
 
I loved it when Martin said " Ah, look at his little face" when watching his horse race. He obviously loves horses and may not be the greatest rider (as I'm not) but his enthusiasm is infectious.

Jane
 
some of the comments here make me cross. it was a well made programme on different cultures across the world- totally discounting our views(thank god) Martin did a wonderful job of partaking in the different ways of life, especially in what i assume was Mongolia/Siberian plains. who are we to criticise thes people? we are, lets face it, a nanny state, too pc, too health and safety mad and hence very blinkered in ways of the world. an excellent programme all round and i loved the end with his new foal!!
 
FFS - Horsey people whinge about horses not being on TV, and when they are, they whinge about them being 'not very nice' and not conforming to their view of the world.

Nothing wrong with any of the content or the horses in the programme, I really enjoyed it for what it was - an exploration into the use (historical and modern!) of horses in all cultures.

Or would you have rather been watching eastenders? :-p
 
OK folks, my post was my personal opinion, which I think I am entitled to ! As are you all.
All Im saying is that squeezing a horses penis in a strap for a sport is not something that I would do once let alone only "9 or 10 times a year" and Im sure that gelding owners on the forum wouldnt do it either !
 
alma said:
OK folks, my post was my personal opinion, which I think I am entitled to ! As are you all.
All Im saying is that squeezing a horses penis in a strap for a sport is not something that I would do once let alone only "9 or 10 times a year" and Im sure that gelding owners on the forum wouldnt do it either !
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Good Heavens, why ever do they do that? Where?

Frustratingly I can't see the programme so really can't comment on much, I wish I could, sweeping condemnation of rodeo makes me see red though, so I am scuttling out of here. (Thoroughly enjoyed the one I went to this weekend btw)

Ravenwood, yes, I think it would have been good to include hunting, it is traditional AND legal so why not?
 
to be fair Martin Clunes didn't say the ponies looked in great condition compared to the rest of the world (kazakstan), he said they were in great condition considering what they live on and the limited amount of grass they get.

he tried to pull some grass out of the ground from between the pebbles and barely got a pinch of grass so he was shocked that the ponies were doing so well CONSIDERING.
 
Loved the first one, missed the second one so am going to watch it online. I think peole are way to quick to jump to conclusions about other cultures use of horses, Mongolian horses are tough as nails.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed both programmes. The Mongolian horses have been bred for centuries to carry men long distances and live on very little. The next time there is a debate on how much a horse should carry Magic the war horse was carrying over 26st!
 
I Loved the programme and the insight it gave, some would argue that in europe we are cruel compared to the Rodeo in some places the horses do dressage everyday and are never allowed turnout or to be a horse!! Its all perception! Its really interesting to see how the horse had influenced different cultures.

That mirror journalist talks ****!!!
 
alma said:
OK folks, my post was my personal opinion, which I think I am entitled to ! As are you all.
All Im saying is that squeezing a horses penis in a strap for a sport is not something that I would do once let alone only "9 or 10 times a year" and Im sure that gelding owners on the forum wouldnt do it either !
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Ok from what I understand a flank strap isn't put around there penis :confused: so not quite sure how you have come to this conclusion :confused:
 
I'm glad it was shown actually, as I had always thought they were wild horses dragged off the plains, or something :o Now I know that they are 'professional' rodeo horses who are looked after in between shows and go there knowing what to do and what to expect, it makes me understand the whole thing a lot better :)
 
Golf Girl - I agree. Hunting has been around for centuries and is a well respected tradition. It deserves just as much recognition as the traditions in other countries.
 
ldlp111 said:
Ok from what I understand a flank strap isn't put around there penis :confused: so not quite sure how you have come to this conclusion :confused:
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I'm with you on this one ldlp. Unless, of course, one believes all the PETA/SHARK mumbo jumbo. If they had their way they'd stop riding altogether.

Alma, some of the BEST bucking horses are MARES, really, the tying the penis thing is total fiction, codswallop, clap trap, doesn't happen. Take it from me, I've been there, looked very carefully, seen it (or not) with my own eyes, not happening at a single rodeo I have ever been to, and I go to a lot.
 
JDChaser said:
I'm glad it was shown actually, as I had always thought they were wild horses dragged off the plains, or something :o Now I know that they are 'professional' rodeo horses who are looked after in between shows and go there knowing what to do and what to expect, it makes me understand the whole thing a lot better :)
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:) Good to hear that. These are professional, trained horses (rider gets on, horse bucks rider off, horse gets reward and goes back to the paddock) Quite tame, usually bred for the job, and good ones are worth a heap of money, so yes, as they say, they are looked after, hay/water/shelter in the pens. You wouldn't know that these were broncs just looking at them would you?
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Can't actually tell from the picture below whether it is a he or a she, but I can't see anything strapped up underneath. In my opinion, strapping a dressage horse's mouth tight shut (for way longer than a couple of minutes) is far more constrictive and distressing for a horse than a flank strap, and what's with their swishy tails all the time too?

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Selkie said:
Magic the war horse was carrying over 26st!
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and didnt flinch at all :D he was gorgeous..i'd have him in a heartbeat :) so pleased they talked about how much he could carry, i am sick of people saying you cant ride unless your a size zero weighing around 6 stone :(

absolutely loved both programmes, especially the end of last nights with the foal, how cute! :D

xxx
 
mrdarcy said:
You must have been watching a different show. Those Kazak ponies looked in ideal condition - much better than most of the horses in the Uk that are grossly over weight! I know which set of equines will be healthier and it isn't the ones you see in the UK show rings every week!
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hey, i'm not condoning the fat things you get in showing by any means, but the hip bones were jutting out of the one he was riding!!! there's no way that's 'healthy'!! underneath the fluff was pretty much just skeleton, and that's not healthy. some of them looked ok, but that one certainly did not!
 
rosiefronfelen said:
try telling that to the mongolians- we do not have any business to criticise other cultures and countries.
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if you had read my previous post, i was not criticising the kazaks in the lightest- merely the fact that Martin thought the horses looked really well.

as it happens, i have the greatest of respect for the kazaks, same as i do for every culture where survival is so difficult
 
I just wish they could have make this a 10 programme series so more time could be taken to explore the "issues". But unfortunately horses don't warrant that kind of time on the box, unfortunately.

I thought that Martin was very sweet and clearly loves horses, but think it would have been better to have someone more experienced who could at least question some of the practices. I don't like rodeo, I do understand that it's a way of life and that they value their horses in a different way, but I hate to see animals in distress like that.
 
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