XC - tired horses

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Elf On A Shelf

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I've just watched half an hour or so of the Olympic XC and so far about half of the horses I have watched have finished quite tired. It looks a tough endurance filled course with all of those hills and the likes. Whilst the fences don't look that big height wise they do look substantial enough.

Why does no one ever pull up their tired horses? I know it's the Olympics and the pressure is on so but surely the horses come first.

Also they all seem to be getting quite a jolt when they jump into the water. I wouldn't be overly surprised if there were a few jarred up horses i the morning.
 
M_G said:
No s**t sherlock, it's an Olympic event and as such is supposed to test horse and rider to the limits!!!
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There's a difference between testing a horse and rider to it's limits and riders not knowing when to stop their horses because they are clearly knackered. That's what I'm on about. The course is doing it's job, sorting the wheat from the chaff but surely these riders would give half a thought to their horses underneath them.
 
They are the best riders in the world I would think they know much better than you or I as to how far to push their own horses bearing in mind the tricky phase is tomorrow
 
They are the BEST of what the country can offer.
The course is designed to test both horse and rider, so yes.....I should imagine they are a little tired.
But then if they are not fit to compete the next phase the vet will surely say so!
And as for "knackered", you and I must have been watching different events. I saw tired horses, but for the most, many came in barely having broken a sweat. These horses are extremely fit....and it shows!
 
I've not seen the whole event, as I am supposed to be working, so keep popping out to do emails, but from what I've seen none of the horses appear to be finishing in a condition that would concern me having just run this course. Have there been many errors through tiredness? I've not seen any.

(still not sure what the delay was for though)

It looks like a technically tricky course in places, but the weather and the ground conditions are perfect today for the horses. Wish I was there.
 
Don't pretend to have much knowledge but I actually thought the majority were finishing looking pretty good, as Joeanne says hardly sweating. I have seen horses looking far more knackered after fun rides round here.
 
All the ones I've seen have looked good on finishing. Like they have worked hard yes, but certainly not worryingly tired out. (And I am a right fluffy sod too lol!). It is a stamina test of course, but these are super fit horses and riders who appear to have been well prepared for the test the course is giving. Not one horse has finished giving me cause for concern. You'll see alot worse at the lower levels of eventing tbh with unprepared horses and riders.
 
It's exactly the complaint a lot of people make about racing and its often pointed out that they don't say the same about eventing. Fair dos - although I've watched it all and horses look ok to me.
 
M_G, I think maybe you should do a little research into who EKW is ;)


perhaps it's the steep hills at the end of the course, although agree with others who have said that not that many of the horses are tired, let alone knackered.
 
The last German horse that went - started like a bullet out of a gun but to me looked to really struggle over the last couple of fences. Most look ok but some do look quite tired to me.
 
M_G said:
Broke but happy should I know who EKW is then?
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I generally get very anoyed when people say ban racing due to deaths and peoples attitudes towards racing compared to other equestrian sports.

BUT

That has nothing to do with the Olympic eventing. I am genuinely curios as to why no one pulls up horses on the xc course when they are tired and insist on completing the course regardless.

Also - whats at the bottom of the water? As in - what surface lies underneath? Mud? Stones? Concrete? Something that doesn't look to have much give in it by the looks of it.
 
One of the skills of cross country riding is in being able to ride a tired horse home sympathetically. Just demonstrated by both William and Toddy. They are younger horses and probably a bit overawed by the presence of so many cheering people. I am sure they will be fresh in the morning. Thought all the horses finished very well given the terrain.
 
Horses always land very flat footed in water, because the water stops their forward momentum.

Tody's horse seemed to have finished the most tired. But apart from that most finished well. However, I would expect every horse to finish tired.
 
The horses are going to be tired when they finish, the course is designed that way.
None of them look knackered and like they couldnt possibly carry on and all look happy at the finish! Its been a great day of competition
 
OH (not very horsey) just watched it and said "why is it so difficult to get a horse fit enough or a 10 minute competition when they would go hunting ALL day?" - I just think they maybe weren't expecting/didn't train for such undulating terrain and tbh where could you?
 
The surface under the water will more than likely be sand or some other such horse friendly surface... Do you really think multi million pound horses ridden by extremely experienced professionals would be jumped on to concrete or rocks?
 
Of course they would have trained the horses for such steep and undulating terrain :rolleyes:

The world has known the venue is Greenwich for a long time and they (the competitors and their teams) would have studied the topography of the terrain and prepared fully for it. Sorry but when an athlete finishes the 10,000 or 5,000 meter races - do they look tired? Of course they do - they usually flake out over the finish line after a race on the flat with no jumping.

If a horse did this, the world would be up in arms, therefore I'd say the event horses are by far the fittest athletes in the whole of the Olympics!
 
4x4, you can't compare a days hunting (where a horse isn't galloping all day) with 10 mins of high and sustained exertion.

And Beans, what a very juvenile and inaccurate comment.
 
EKW said:
Most look ok but some do look quite tired to me.
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Are you serious that they should pull up horses in an olympic event because they look a bit tired?? They all looked to be coping pretty well to me,not exactly dropping like flies at the finish were they!!

Perhaps in the showjumping we should only have small jumps and stick to trot,just in case they get a bit fatigued with all that cantering and leaping about:rolleyes:

Sorry for the sarcasm,but quite frankly this thread was more than worthy of it;)

I've been watching it all day,and loved every minute.Thought all the GB riders did great,and didn't see a single rider out of all the competitors that I would have considered unkind or doing wrong by their horse.Fantastic day of eventing,wish I could have been there:D
 
Well, it all depends how they ride them!

That was evident in the very first 2 riders to go, first one went bullet out of gun speed round that course, and got tired, and came him with time penalties.

Second one started out much slower but knocked it up several gears on the way round and finished in the time!

Do they look tired? Course they do! But they also look elated and bloody pleased with themselves!
 
I echo Devonlass - a very civilised xcountry day - watched it all . Never saw a horse in distress, or poor riding. I thought either they are brilliant , or fences easier than Badminton - and I came down on side of the former - just good riding!
Horses were tired but but not remotely'blown', and would be suprised if many fail trot up tomorrow. So much easier these days without steeplechase and roads and tracks.
I d say well done everone.
 
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