Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Carolyne said:

> This guy is a polo player and I guess this was the sale
> ?video showing that anyone could ride this horse.? He
> ?actually is a good riders, but a crappy jumper.?
I am disinclined to believe that the explanation for this is that the rider in 
the video was a polo player, not a show jumper.? As it is quite clear from 
watching the video that the rider is very knowlegeable about the rules for show 
jumping (just watch what happens when the horse takes down the rail and the 
jump has to be reset).? This rider has also brought plenty of horses to plenty 
of fences, knows the rhythm and striding of riding a course of jumps, and (if 
you watch the rider go over the fence that we don't see and don't see a replay 
of because it is behind the flag) you can see that he DOES know how to stay on 
a horse's back and keep his leg (instead of letting himself get thrown out of 
the saddle) over a fence.? In fact, you have to TRY to get thrown out of the 
saddle this way if it is gonna happen on every fence. Which I believe that this 
rider is doing (he might even be pushing off with his hands).? Especially 
since, if you look at the
combination, he doesn't get "thrown out of the saddle" nearly so far on the 
first element (probably because he knows he won't have as much time to recover).

Personally, I think the whole thing was done as a set up--including the rather 
expertly shot video (notice that we don't ever see the videographer's feet and 
it is almost all in focus). The whole thing was done expertly from horse to 
rider to videographer, to post processing of the video--including the 
disclaimer at the end of, in essence, "no animals were injured in the making of 
this film."? I would be very surprised if this horse and rider had not 
PRACTICED this before hand.? The horse is totally unphased by the rider's 
actions.

I am willing to believe that the rider is a stunt rider, but I would be very 
surprised to learn that he isn't a stunt rider that is not extremely familiar 
with jumping horses over fences and on courses.? He rides the horse between the 
fences, to the fences, and away from the fences (despite the fact that coming 
away from the fences he is often not even in the saddle)?absolutely 
impeccably.? And anybody who rides jumpers knows that what it takes to be a 
good jumper rider is to ride the horse between the fences, to the fences, and 
away from the fences--over the fences is where you stop riding the horse and 
just let the horse jump and stay out of its way.

So no, I don't think that this is some inexpert polo player accidentally 
getting thrown out of the saddle over every fence while riding a great and 
tolerant jumping horse.? I think this horse and rider have done this many times 
before, that the rider is totally comfortable riding horses (not just this 
horse) over fences, and has probably ridden more jumper courses than all of us 
put together.? And he does it so expertly that most people watching it think 
that the guy's riding is bad and inexpert.

I make no comment as to whether I think it moral or ethical to have asked the 
horse to do this, but I can say that it was one of the most incredibly skillful 
pieces of riding that I think I have EVER seen.

I wish _I_ could ride so well.

kat
Orange County, Calif.
:)

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