Dressage What does a £1.5million dressage 4 year old look like? This!

ester said:
Yet the SRS article shared last weekend (?) mentioned doing movements like passage with them while they are young I think?
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Did he say passage? I thought he said piaffe?

Anyway - beautiful horse but already being ridden overflexed which is a bit of a shame. Although I couldnt ride one side of it so I will leave my critique at that :D
 
The one thing that struck me throughout was the tail carraige. He didn't carry it. It was raised a little but then flopped, almost as though the dock was broken. It had no lift or carraige to it. It doesn't look very well set either.
 
Wheels said:
Did he say passage? I thought he said piaffe?

Anyway - beautiful horse but already being ridden overflexed which is a bit of a shame. Although I couldnt ride one side of it so I will leave my critique at that :D
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yup OP corrected me as she remembered it better :)
 
Ok he’s a stallion so presumably assuming he goes all the way to the top, or even nearly with luck he’ll be earning his keep via his offspring.
 
i liked the look of him at first, he is a handsome chap, still prefer the way valegro moves, less extravagant but correct. he has a huge walk, maybe too huge and therefore his hinds are not lifting equally. seems a shame to do passage on a 4 year old, it is such a strenuous movement. its such a lot of money that someone will want to push him quite quickly and he may go the way of totilas, although he is much better in his movement...if he breaks they will get their money from standing him at stud...
 
Just a thought! Which horse is more of risk of injury/wear and tear? One that has the natural ability and conformation to perform the advanced movements or one that has to be trained carefully to achieve them? I bet this stallion was x rayed and examined to within an inch of his life before they handed the dosh over, I wonder how many horses would get a completely clean bill of health subjected to that much scrutiny?
 
He looks very rideable and very trainable.

His paces are so huge, he's much more in balance when he is being helped by his rider than when he's on a free rein.

The adjustments within the paces are effortless for him - the rider is merely containing and allowing his very natural power.

I love how she pats him after he's responded to every question she asks.

He looks to have been beautifully produced to date and I bet you'll find he isn't ridden for very long each time. Far better than the endless ploughing in circles most amateur dressage horses are subjected to at all ages.
 
oldie48 said:
Just a thought! Which horse is more of risk of injury/wear and tear? One that has the natural ability and conformation to perform the advanced movements or one that has to be trained carefully to achieve them? I bet this stallion was x rayed and examined to within an inch of his life before they handed the dosh over, I wonder how many horses would get a completely clean bill of health subjected to that much scrutiny?
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That depends, a horse that doesn't have as much natural ability, but is therefore trained over a longer period of time will have built up so much more muscle and strength (which helps longevity). A horse with natural ability might not be trained as long and have less of a muscle build up and be relying on natural ability alone which could lead to a break down. We also have to consider where the natural ability comes from, is it over exaggerated? Is it from hypermobility? Can the horses body sustain the physicality of these paces? There is a reason why human gymnasts don't have a long career...
Who knows really but I look forward to seeing!
 
Isn't there some studies that show a link between the exaggerated paces, hypermobility and injury? I'm sure I read something. But could have been an article pontificating on a link.
 
Buster2020 said:
The very advanced work for a 4 year old horse to do. He must have been broken at 2 year old .
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I doubt it, I think it's how he moves. FWIW this is a three minute video showing him off rather than an example of how he is ridden on a daily basis. He looks as if he loves his work as well as being very talented.
 
Buster2020 said:
The very advanced work for a 4 year old horse to do. He must have been broken at 2 year old .
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What? I don't get all this "very advanced" stuff - he's doing three basic paces and a couple of very baby half-steps of elevated trot. He's a superbly conformed, well-muscled, 4-rising-5 year old ridden very, very well by a sympathetic pro. Most korung stallions are generally broken at three off; he's had more than enough time to learn to do what he's doing, added to which he is supremely gifted. I would posit that the vast majority of riders on here wouldn't be able to produce a horse doing that no matter when they were broken in. This is not your average leisure horse.
 
my friend who looks after our rescue horse, has just said the horse in the video lowers his arse is too low when he walks, and that is a virgin eye
 
tristar said:
my friend who looks after our rescue horse, has just said the horse in the video lowers his arse is too low when he walks, and that is a virgin eye
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Ha ha! The lowering of the hindquarters is the Holy Grail of dressage/all riding....and your virgin friend is correct, he does naturally what we all (should) struggle to achieve.
 
Cortez said:
Oooh! Better not buy him then.
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i have no ego where horses are concerned, and to be honest last night i thought i would not swap our rescue for the horse in the video, and i am really not just saying that.

the horse looks too short in the neck, slightly over bent, and i utterly hate the way that riders body goes behind the verticle in canter, also the excessive use of the spur in canter.

as for buying him, why would i when i breed my own horses?

i was`nt going to say all that but you need to know there are people in the world who do not fall at the feet of dressage fashion, and who are not intimidated by your comment
 
I wouldn't take him as a gift, and I don't know why you think I would attempt to intimidate anybody.

Look, these horses are not the same as your average horse, and looking at them with "average" eyes is not really very useful or insightful. None of us need or want a horse like this, so offering up our considered opinions on his training schedule/conformation/way of going/potential soundness/etc. is a bit futile, although I do find it amusing how many amateur judges/vets/horse psychologists there are.

I have no desire to ever again ride horses like this: far, far too much work, sweat, responsibility, ambition and tears involved.
 
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tristar said:
my friend who looks after our rescue horse, has just said the horse in the video lowers his arse is too low when he walks, and that is a virgin eye
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he also said i don`t think its good, he might end up suffering in his joints when he is older, i am amazed at the insight of people with the virgin eye

i hope does well and comes through though, i don`t wish anything bad on him
 
Cortez said:
Ha ha! The lowering of the hindquarters is the Holy Grail of dressage/all riding....and your virgin friend is correct, he does naturally what we all (should) struggle to achieve.
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i would say using the quarters and lowering in proportion to the degree of schooling is the most desirable way of progress, not sure if its the holy grail of 4 yr olds




yes if i was ever to buy it would be with the input of my horsey virgin friend
 
Cortez said:
What? I don't get all this "very advanced" stuff - he's doing three basic paces and a couple of very baby half-steps of elevated trot. He's a superbly conformed, well-muscled, 4-rising-5 year old ridden very, very well by a sympathetic pro. Most korung stallions are generally broken at three off; he's had more than enough time to learn to do what he's doing, added to which he is supremely gifted. I would posit that the vast majority of riders on here wouldn't be able to produce a horse doing that no matter when they were broken in. This is not your average leisure horse.
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there could be great riders on here, i am sure there are
 
tristar said:
i would say using the quarters and lowering in proportion to the degree of schooling is the most desirable way of progress, not sure if its the holy grail of 4 yr olds




yes if i was ever to buy it would be with the input of my horsey virgin friend
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Many/most Spanish horses lower their hindquarters naturally, it's the first thing I look for when viewing. What's there naturally doesn't have to be worked for so hard. Virgins are always welcome of course, but experience would be more useful I would say.
 
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