Royal Ascot police horse

Burnerbee

Burnerbee

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I’m not a fan of racing or indeed royals especially, but I am a sucker for the carriages arriving at Royal Ascot each day…. Except for the unedifying spectacle of watching a police officer, riding beside the carriages, booting her ID (looked like from a distance) in the ribs every single stride of trot…. Poor thing must have been knackered in this heat (they’ve travelled a fair distance before they get to the course) and evidently not fit enough / the right horse for that job.

Hopefully it won’t have to do it for the rest of the week.
 
Burnerbee said:
I’m not a fan of racing or indeed royals especially, but I am a sucker for the carriages arriving at Royal Ascot each day…. Except for the unedifying spectacle of watching a police officer, riding beside the carriages, booting her ID (looked like from a distance) in the ribs every single stride of trot…. Poor thing must have been knackered in this heat (they’ve travelled a fair distance before they get to the course) and evidently not fit enough / the right horse for that job.

Hopefully it won’t have to do it for the rest of the week.
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I said that to OH! The carriage horses are bred for that super ground covering pace. The police horse wouldn’t have done the distance they had, though, the people only get in not far from the course.
 
www.horseandhound.co.uk

Police horse wows Royal Ascot in designer sunglasses: ‘People seem to love them!’

Anyone who’s been to Royal Ascot on a hot day like this week will know how tricky it is to get one’s look just right. Among those who have managed it with aplomb this year is Luna, who’s there every day, accessorising her mainly leather-based style with the perfect pair of sunglasses. Luna is a …
www.horseandhound.co.uk www.horseandhound.co.uk

'Sunglasses' on one of the Police horses. The article lists the breeds of a couple including the one with uveitis glasses, but not all of the Police horses.
 
Oh dear, just seen on YouTube - exact same thing happened today (or at least it was a very similar grey ID slogging along). Poor bugger.
 
There are four each day - two each side…. The grey was heading directly for the camera so you could really see the constant kicking - the others seemed to be having less trouble.
 
Maybe the rider just needs a lesson in keeping the lower leg still?

Also, some people still think it's 'showy' to keep moving their legs as they rise in rising trot. Although you'd think with so many good riders in the parade someone might have noticed and had a quiet word...
 
I have posted this before.
I learned to ride when I was over 60 and on safe RS horses. As a safety measure, many RS ponies are trained to stop trot (or stop canter) unless a touch of leg is applied every stride.
My current share, a beginners hack, is the same. I have taught her to trot on without leg when I am riding her, but when cantering out in the wilds on my own, often in winter with no other human being in sight, I find it qute reassuring that she will drop out of canter unless I am asking her to go on every stride.
 
Wow that's a different approach! I've always been taught apply the aids and then keep the lower leg still, otherwise the horse learns to ignore constant 'nagging' and over time becomes 'dead to the leg' and that's why a lot of RS horses need a good kick to get them going.

Btw, I'm not criticising how you do things, just saying it's different to how I've been taught.
 
My old local college taught that in the 2000s, I know because I watched a Mary wanless clinic there and they had students riding and she said who told you to do that 😅 which was awkward …
 
Thames Valley police do all their training pre ridden exams at Wellington (plus any of their own horse stuff). Unless Welly’s coaching has gone down the pan which I doubt, I’d be highly surprised that’s a specifically taught thing, and more likely a horse/schooling/fitness/speed/weather combo.

Those carriage horses can move at quite a speed compared to your average police hoss too.
 
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As the owner of a horse bred to drive though never actually driven) I can honestly say the ground cover is something else, even when he looks like he's being a bit idle the reality isoften very different. It took a fair bit of work to get him to slow down for company and also to trot at a pace not likely to shake his joints apart! Even now if he's given the choice he'll usually bowl on, and interestingly comes back less sweaty if he's allowed to.

I'm quite surprised at the police allowing that sort of riding, and not at all impressed. If the horse truly can't keep the pace without needing such forceful (and often counterproductive since it's unbalancing) riding then it shouldn't be on that duty.
 
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