This week's Horse and Hound front cover

[spacefaer]

Does anyone share the same opinion as me about this week's front cover?

I thought H&H were supporting the attempts to improve the image of dressage?

And the straplune "secrets to perfect test ridjng" alongside that photo?

Yet another own goal I fear.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Can’t see much wrong? Curb rein fairly loose, paritido auricularis muscle not bulging, horse mouth closed and soft, not btv to any significant degree, ears in listening mode, tail relaxed. What am I missing? (Genuine question!)

 

[Spotherisk]

This one? This horse always looks so tense and hacked off - I guess the photo is how modern dressage looks, but I don’t like the nose tucked in so much, the Weymouth angle or the riders obvious lifting of the heel. I appreciate that of course it is just a snapshot but at this level I’d like not to see aids.

 

[Patterdale]

The horse is BTV and looks unhappy.
I think we are so used to seeing horses in sport looking tense and miserable (dressage and racing the ones I notice most) that it has become the norm. Which is really sad.

 

[spacefaer]

Can’t see much wrong? Curb rein fairly loose, paritido auricularis muscle not bulging, horse mouth closed and soft, not btv to any significant degree, ears in listening mode, tail relaxed. What am I missing? (Genuine question!)

He looks tense. To.my mind, btv to any degree isn't acceptable, particularly not with such a tight short neck.Yhe spur drawn up into the ribs wouldn't be considered acceptable either . The angle of the Weymouth would imply the contact is not "fairly loose".

 

[DressageCob]

The horse is btv, rider’s hands are turned in and heels are up. I bet there are scores of photos she’d rather use instead of this moment in time.

 

[scats]

Does anyone listen to the H&H podcast? Richard Davison was interviewed and was asked about the recent news around the treatment of animals at the top level.
I felt he skirted around the issue to begin with, and then he mentioned being an ambassador for WHW and seeing neglect and cruelty, but he did eventually answer that he believes the riders in question should be sanctioned.

 

[ycbm]

Can’t see much wrong? Curb rein fairly loose, paritido auricularis muscle not bulging, horse mouth closed and soft, not btv to any significant degree, ears in listening mode, tail relaxed. What am I missing? (Genuine question!)

The contact isn't loose on the Weymouth AE, it's an optical illusion that the rein is looping, it's actually bending around the muscle in the horse's neck. The spur looks dug in, even if it's not.

The picture looks as tense - mentally - to me, (I can't see it with any decent definition), but that amount of mental tension has just become accepted as the norm at GP level.

It may, of course, just be a moment in time but I agree it's a bad picture to have chosen.

At some point in time the whole question of horses going to the Olympics is going to be questioned by the public, and the messages left with the unequinated by seeing pictures like that on the shelves in Tescos is not going to help, ime.
.

 

[vickyb]

The contact isn't loose on the Weymouth AE, it's an optical illusion that the rein is looping, it's actually bending around the muscle in the horse's neck. The spur looks dug in, even if it's not.

The picture looks as tense - mentally - to me, (I can't see it with any decent definition), but that amount of mental tension has just become accepted as the norm at GP level.

It may, of course, just be a moment in time but I agree it's a bad picture to have chosen.

At some point in time the whole question of horses going to the Olympics is going to be questioned by the public, and the messages left with the unequinated by seeing pictures like that on the shelves in Tescos is not going to help, ime.
.

I have thought for many years that horses shouldn't be in the Olympics, and it should be reserved for human efforts alone.

 

[ycbm]

Better definition here. Looks a bit better than the version above. Pretty sure he is overbent if you saw him side on, and the most recent research is that overbent is damaging, so it's time to rule it out in competition except for the briefest moments in time.

 

[ycbm]

I have thought for many years that horses shouldn't be in the Olympics, and it should be reserved for human efforts alone.

I agree, and that that's before you even start with the carbon footprint of them being there.
.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Thanks for feedback - I need to educate my eye! Or maybe in comparison to recent horrors, I’ve become desensitised.

 

[Time for Tea]

I hear what you are all saying. But if you go to see the Spanish Riding School which I have done years ago, are they all relaxed when they are working? Without tension? Don’t you need a certain amount of tension to produce athletic effort such as Grand Prix dressage? Tension in the person as well? If you play a tennis match you have tension in your system which you don’t when knocking up. Do you not think that the state of relaxation and harmony you want to see while the partnership is producing GPD is nigh on impossible?

 

[ycbm]

I hear what you are all saying. But if you go to see the Spanish Riding School which I have done years ago, are they all relaxed when they are working? Without tension? Don’t you need a certain amount of tension to produce athletic effort such as Grand Prix dressage? Tension in the person as well? If you play a tennis match you have tension in your system which you don’t when knocking up. Do you not think that the state of relaxation and harmony you want to see while the partnership is producing GPD is nigh on impossible?

I hated what I saw of the Spanish Riding School when they were at Manchester Arena in the 90's. Horrible tension and stilted paced little horses.

I also don't accept comparing anything a human athlete chooses to put themselves through with creating anything similar in a horse.

And no, I don't think harmony and relaxation is impossible because we have seen it in the past and still occasionally see it. The problem is that it doesn't win, not that it can't be done.
.

 

[JBM]

That horses face looks painful and sad to me

 

[equinerebel]

It’s getting harder to justify seeing horses like this. It’s an ugly image and sad that it’s not as bad as others.

“It’s a moment in time” only goes so far when everyone at that level seems to have these “moments in time”.

 

[Goldie's mum]

Yet another own goal I fear.

Surely they're not so unaware that they didn't realise this was a contentious picture to use. Got us all talking after all didn't it!

 

[spacefaer]

Surely they're not so unaware that they didn't realise this was a contentious picture to use. Got us all talking after all didn't it!

I think they are THAT unaware.

And wouldn't it be nice if they'd published a photo of a horse and rider combination that we didn't feel the need to be horrified by?

 

[Goldie's mum]

I think they are THAT unaware.

And wouldn't it be nice if they'd published a photo of a horse and rider combination that we didn't feel the need to be horrified by?

Nice? - yes absolutely but maybe not as good for circulation?

 

[spacefaer]

Not sure that it would be a reason to buy the mag for those concerned about the "abuse" in horse sport.
Can't see that it's a reason to purchase it either.

 

[tristars]

the riders right foot is higher than the left, the horse is travelling to the right so the right foot should be lower or equal to the left

the riders mid body posture is not good, the hoss looks peed off

tension is a funny word, i prefer motivated, animated, working and submissive, submission being the moment the horse gives itself up and performs without tension or in opposition to the rider, who needs to use strong aids, this can be dynamic, really we want to see beauty and equestrian art

we want to see happy face, horses enjoying the performance, yes it is about them and how they feel too!!!!!!!!!!!

although i often think about rein tension and not sure if that would be the right word to use there

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

They could have used an image like this, same angle, same level, same movement but much more pleasing to look at I think:

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

I have thought for many years that horses shouldn't be in the Olympics, and it should be reserved for human efforts alone.

I agree

 

[Cloball]

I think they are THAT unaware.

And wouldn't it be nice if they'd published a photo of a horse and rider combination that we didn't feel the need to be horrified by?

I disagree I think there is an awareness but given the title of 'what it takes to be a judge', I think it's the privileged attitude of the 'club'... 'We know better than you fluffy bunny amateurs' etc. but I'm a cynic.

 

[Rowreach]

I've noticed (over many many years) that H&H mag frequently "back" controversial riders and practices by sticking cover photos or articles of the people or activity on or in the magazine. We've seen it with showing, racing, dressage, eventing, show jumping, and probably any other discipline you can think of.

As to whether horses can perform at high levels without showing tension, well I doubt it to be honest, but there are degrees of acceptability, and having watched a certain "liberty" specialist working behind the scenes and in a big ring at a major show, I don't think it matters if they have a rider on board and quantities of tack on their bodies, or not. I found the liberty demonstration as depressing and upsetting as I do the majority of HP dressage.

 

[ponynutz]

I agree with almost everything on here. That second image (without being overly knowledgable about the specifics of why a picture looks uncomfortable) paints such a lovely picture and horse looks much happier.

I do think horses should be in the Olympics though. It’s still a sport and the human riders and the horses are athletes. I think a lot of people don’t realise it’s a sport and it’s good to see it represented at the Olympics. I appreciate it’s more complex than just that though!

 

[equinerebel]

Well, an adult human can consent to becoming a professional athlete. Children and animals can’t.

(Don’t get me started on the minimum age at the Olympics …..)

 

[LadyGascoyne]

I thought this was interesting to watch.

 

[stormox]

It's a lovely picture and I really admire the dedication and expertise it takes to get to the top.

 

[Rowreach]

That's a really interesting video. The horses seem much more relaxed, but then so do the riders, which makes it even more obvious that we have a modern day problem. Yes, some of the riding looks distinctly amateurish compared with what we're used to seeing today, but the overall picture is far more pleasant to watch.