"Road to the Maclay" TV series?

Yep, used to watch it on Animal Planet.
Main thing that sticks in my head about america & horses..... they like their horses with long, low head carriages don't they! :p Even their equitation horses seen as here usually seem to almost look like the average western ridden horse.... :o
And I have nothing against america, or the way they ride, just found it different :D
 
I used to love watching this! It was weird with the massive conflict between the west coast and east coast riders. It all looks rather pricy though if you ask me!
 
Sol said:
Yep, used to watch it on Animal Planet.
Main thing that sticks in my head about america & horses..... they like their horses with long, low head carriages don't they! :p Even their equitation horses seen as here usually seem to almost look like the average western ridden horse.... :o
And I have nothing against america, or the way they ride, just found it different :D
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Yes, that's true. I finally rode a horse last week that is a Morgan ex-eventer. Maybe it's the Morgan way of going, but the horse tucks himself in and actually uses his hind end, whereas I feel like I have to desperately hold together every single horse that has been used in a hunter ring. My jumping lessons at American hunter barns have been an education, too. So, so different.
 
Prose, UK v North American 'English' a whole different kettle of fish isn't it?

My daughter has ridden since she was big enough to sit on a saddle, did all the PC stuff, jumped, represented her PC in dressage, had lessons with good instructors and now has had to start all over again to learn to ride for shows over here. Contact is looser, head carriage is lower, one doesn't sit to the canter but three points, everything is different, even the terminology. It is often quite funny, lessons are full of "Whaaaaaaaaat?" and "Oh, you mean ........."

...and the tack and turnout at shows, oh well, don't start me on that! Fluffy saddlepads, wool in braids, dozens of them (I am good at plaiting, dire at braiding still! More practice required) tail plaits, what's with the bobble? (Love to go into a British ring with the tail braided like that and see the reaction!) then there is the clothing...paddock boots and suede chaps for one! That one hurt. No stocks or ties. Classes, confusing to say the least, warm up over the jumping course!!!!!!!!!!!

My showing friends all say that British riders look staid and stuffy, and, compared to show turnout here they honestly do (still smarter though I think) and they howl at me wiping stirrup irons and the bottoms of E's boots out of habit, "Why?" they say. Still "when in Rome" and all that, I love this "Rome", I have no intention of ever leaving so I am slowly, but surely, turning into a "Roman" but it is a steep learning curve.

I still can't quite get over my Britishness though, and the very few times I have ridden 'English' horses here it feels so odd, as you say, as if they need holding together, they look as if they are leaving the arena at A on a long rein all the time to me.

I have given up riding English altogether, it confuses my Western trained horses, so I had lessons and learned their language, and I love it. Simplicity itself, I love that I can simply shift my weight a fraction for speed or direction, click for jog, kiss for a lope, or say "Ho!" and I've gone from a lope to a halt, my horses don't pull or rush and they are so damn polite without losing character. It takes a lot of training but it is incredibly satisfying to see a polite, respectful, obedient horse and think "I had a hand in that"

The programme is still shown here too.
 
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It all -looks- bizarre enough, can't imagine riding a horse trained that way! As you said, I think my natural instinct would be to try and collect the horse up.... which I can't imagine would go well!? It also amazes me how the horses go around 3'+ courses on 'washing line' (albeit not slack washing lines xD) reins as my instructor would put it :p

I think I'll stick to 'my' way :D However, western riding still sounds fun! :p
 
Sol said:
It all -looks- bizarre enough, can't imagine riding a horse trained that way! As you said, I think my natural instinct would be to try and collect the horse up.... which I can't imagine would go well!? It also amazes me how the horses go around 3'+ courses on 'washing line' (albeit not slack washing lines xD) reins as my instructor would put it :p

I think I'll stick to 'my' way :D However, western riding still sounds fun! :p
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My childhood instructor used to go ape over washing line reins! In the hunter ring they are favoured, so as to exhibit the horse's placid nature and ability to do a lovely bascule. It looks wrong to me. Same with the rider's exaggerated position over small-ish jumps.

http://media.photobucket.com/image/hunter jumping position/jmmcnally/Animals/AboutKelly_Blondie.jpg

When I try to collect, it depends on the horse. If they've been used for hunter and jumper classes, there's no communication breakdown, but a horse used solely for the hunters tends to just slow down. They are used to practically zero contact.


I am currently riding at a barn that used to be owned by an Englishwoman. As a result, many of the instructors have been taught the BHS way, and I got the shock of my life when someone told me to shorten my reins the other day. (No orders to "stick my butt way out" over a jump, either.)
 
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