Which pro riders have the best seat/position?
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I remember this, she rather like a young, enthusiastic stallion if I remember rightly.
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Lévrier;13719538 said:
and of course Vittoria Panizzon 
Yes , thinking about it,she does ride more of a steeplechase length xc .but she does also have a very distinctive position , slightly behind the action and able to brace against any unforeseen eventuality. In my opinion this is backed up with extreme fitness and agility . She is awesome .
Interesting that someone said Mark Todd, the first thought that popped into my head when I saw this thread was "definitely NOT Mark Todd". Don't get me wrong I could not ride the horses he does as well as he does but he's a very physical rider and he always looks slightly hunched over and manic- very flappy elbows The riders that stand out for style for me, Laura Renwick and Ben Meyer in SJ, Mary King and Lucinda Green both very stylish in eventing and Charlotte Dujardin is a beautiful rider.
A good counter thread would be "Who is the least stylish rider but gets the job done just as well?"
I remember being told by a PC instructor that Will Funnell "rides like a farmer but his horses seem to like it"
The riders that stand out for style for me, Laura Renwick and Ben Meyer in SJ, Mary King and Lucinda Green both very stylish in eventing and Charlotte Dujardin is a beautiful rider. A good counter thread would be "Who is the least stylish rider but gets the job done just as well?"
I remember being told by a PC instructor that Will Funnell "rides like a farmer but his horses seem to like it"
I know what you mean about the slightly flappy elbows and Mark Todd, but to me he always looks so light on the horses back and unrestricting, hence horses all go so very well for him.
Is it possible to sit so still on a big moving horse and be tense?
Edward Gal rides some exceptionally hot horses. It's on record that he had to be begged to take on Totilas, and turned him down the first time.
To appear to be motionless on a big moving horse, you actually have to be moving a lot, but in total synchrony with the horse. I would kill to be able to sit and absorb the movement as skillfully as he does.
Edward Gal rides some exceptionally hot horses. It's on record that he had to be begged to take on Totilas, and turned him down the first time.
To appear to be motionless on a big moving horse, you actually have to be moving a lot, but in total synchrony with the horse. I would kill to be able to sit and absorb the movement as skillfully as he does.
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Mark Todd is another who always looks good. And Tina Cook and Zara Tindall always look perfect SJ.
I don't rate any of the Whitakers in terms of style - they all have chair seats!
I don't rate any of the Whitakers in terms of style - they all have chair seats!
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yep agree here. I would love to be able to sit as well as he does on a horse, it looks effortless but anyone who has tried to ride well will know it's anything but I agree with the poster who said it is therefore hard to comprehend the other aspects of his riding/training... Just imagine what he could produce without the RK etc.
I agree with the poster who said it is therefore hard to comprehend the other aspects of his riding/training... Just imagine what he could produce without the RK etc.
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Charlotte has done the test ride in Flyinge for the last couple of years. She gets on horse after horse to assess them - all big, young, powerful dressage horses. She must have nerves of steel!! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bGTCU0Nepm8
"yep agree here. I would love to be able to sit as well as he does on a horse, it looks effortless but anyone who has tried to ride well will know it's anything but I agree with the poster who said it is therefore hard to comprehend the other aspects of his riding/training... Just imagine what he could produce without the RK etc." Using quote marks as my phone won't quote as normal...
This was my point really. I would love to see this super talented rider ride softer. I am comparing him with other pro riders, not me... I wouldn't set foot near any of his (or most other pro riders') horses. I am nowhere near good enough and I'm pretty sure they would kill me 😂. But yes he has such talent and skill, just imagine if he also rode with softness.
This was my point really. I would love to see this super talented rider ride softer. I am comparing him with other pro riders, not me... I wouldn't set foot near any of his (or most other pro riders') horses. I am nowhere near good enough and I'm pretty sure they would kill me 😂. But yes he has such talent and skill, just imagine if he also rode with softness.
Id go for Tina Cook too. She's such a quiet rider, looks just as calm and collected on her novice horses as she does on her most experienced. Everything looks planned.
Well I don't think he rides softly. He has a super seat and yes rides some super hot horses, but he's not the only one. I do greatly admire his seat but just wish he were softer. Tension means different things to different people I suppose, but my understanding (as a physiotherapist) is that you cannot be completely relaxed and absorb and in fact create the movement that one with a great seat does. You have to be using a lot of muscles in complete balance and synchrony and I believe that this can be done with more or less tension. I think he is missing the forwards thinking hands bit a little though!!!!!
His seat is, I agree, fabulous.
His seat is, I agree, fabulous.
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Charlotte or Carl for dressage, I don't think you can separate seat and hands, they have to work together.
Scott Brash SJ for me, a lot of them move too much,
WFP, Tina Cook, Micheal Jung possibly, again a lot of them are effective and don't interfere but don't necessarily have a great seat/sit still/quiet.
Scott Brash SJ for me, a lot of them move too much,
WFP, Tina Cook, Micheal Jung possibly, again a lot of them are effective and don't interfere but don't necessarily have a great seat/sit still/quiet.
I love Marcus Ehning's style jumping, always looks effortless and seems to just sit so quietly and gives the horse freedom to jump underneath him. And Rodrigo Pessoa.
William Fox Pitt for eventing, he's just so balanced.
Charlotte Du Jardin and Carl Hester dressage but then I dont really follow dressage so they're the obvious ones
William Fox Pitt for eventing, he's just so balanced.
Charlotte Du Jardin and Carl Hester dressage but then I dont really follow dressage so they're the obvious ones
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Apparently Gal didn't always ride in Rollkur but he was 'converted'
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Lévrier;13720486 said:
SERIOUSLY???!!! john Whitaker is THE best horseman I have EVER seen - would love to compare his seat to mine to see if he has a "chair seat"
This is always what I picture when I think of JW:
I not sure if you've read about his background? The horse was so feisty no-one wanted to ride him. Gal turned him down for that reason. Later on the owner persuaded him to take the horse on, and history is history.
I suspect rollkür was first adopted as the only way to get these ultra hot horses under control, and then of course they won, and the rest of that is history too.
And while I dislike seeing rollkür and would never use it, the oldest horse I've seen sound and competing was Parzival, who was extensively trained and warmed up using it, so surely the jury must still be out on what actual damage it causes?
I suspect rollkür was first adopted as the only way to get these ultra hot horses under control, and then of course they won, and the rest of that is history too.
And while I dislike seeing rollkür and would never use it, the oldest horse I've seen sound and competing was Parzival, who was extensively trained and warmed up using it, so surely the jury must still be out on what actual damage it causes?
I've also heard that's how rollkur started. I actually read an old article with Gal back when the Dutch first started using Rollkur. He talked about it openly back then. He said he doesn't always use it. According to him it depends on the horse. I got the impression it is the ultra hot, forward types that he was referring to.
Give me a sensible horse anyday. I like my hacking aswell as my dressage. I wouldn't fancy passing tractors/ trailers etc, on these fire breathing dragons!
Give me a sensible horse anyday. I like my hacking aswell as my dressage. I wouldn't fancy passing tractors/ trailers etc, on these fire breathing dragons!
Rollkur is actually a sort of modern take on Francois Baucher's "premier maniére", so not new. FWIW I think Edward Gal has an exemplary seat (being 9' tall with mile-long legs certainly helps), it's the rest of him that causes me some unease.
I doubt that many GP dressage horses are required to pass tractors.
I doubt that many GP dressage horses are required to pass tractors.
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but that`s the whole point!
horses like that are the bravest of all! i bet toto would have passed anything.
ah come on, some of those people never ride out, i`d like to see them riding out a newly broken horse on its to prove it reliable.
as for too hot, well i suppose if all you ever do is ride in school, a `hot` horse must be pretty scary.
toto was not `too hot`he was what he was, horses like that are full of life and courage, just as they should be, and deserve the riders to match.
horses like that are the bravest of all! i bet toto would have passed anything.
ah come on, some of those people never ride out, i`d like to see them riding out a newly broken horse on its to prove it reliable.
as for too hot, well i suppose if all you ever do is ride in school, a `hot` horse must be pretty scary.
toto was not `too hot`he was what he was, horses like that are full of life and courage, just as they should be, and deserve the riders to match.
Had a read up on Baucher. Very controversial in his day. For all the antipathy towards Sjef Jannsen he's nowhere as extreme.
Mind you I agree with the 'hand without leg' and 'leg without hand'. It's what I've been taught. I didn't know it wasnt the norm.
Mind you I agree with the 'hand without leg' and 'leg without hand'. It's what I've been taught. I didn't know it wasnt the norm.