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peaches
15 Jun 2010 14:14
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I am posting this thread in response to a message I received this morning from a friend in the UK. I asked her if she was going to take part in any dressage competitions with her 14.3 Connemara.. her reply was 'don't see the point - unless you have a giant of a warmblood you don't stand a chance'. I thought that was so sad. She said "why pay all that money to be told what you already know".
Something that has really struck a cord with me, is since returning to the UK to watch my friend compete on a more regular basis, I was really shocked at the amount of small women riding these warmblood horse mountains. Some were really struggling to get them together and off thier shoulders - in fact they looked rather daft on them; But I suppose they want to be like everyone else and sit on something impressive, but they are only impressive if you can ride them!
I don't want this to sound like I'm getting on my soapbox, but when is Britain going to 'wake up' like the Kennel Club did.
We have some super native breeds in GB, they are loved all over the world.
This is for the people that aren't aware... in the agility classes they have a section called ABC - anything but collie. This only came about because, yes you guessed it, collies were taking the honours everytime, and people were getting fed up with it. Why can't BD have a class called ABW..anything but warmblood. I feel that this would then cater for everyone, not just the people who buy these warmblood horses just to win, and have the money to do so. It would cater for thoses who love thier native breeds but would also like to get out there and show what they can do without feeling intimidated.
It would be a great showcase for these horses, and I'm sure the classes would be a success.
Wouldn't it be lovely to see Native Classes at the National Dressage Championships! Maybe the competition should be re-named The National 'warmblood' Dressage Championships?!
I have been out of the country for a few years now, so if there is a class like this now, then apologies.
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peaches
15 Jun 2010 14:24
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I forgot... for the record I have had four warmbloods myself, and was definitely overhorsed one of them. When I decided enough was enough and went for horses much smaller in stature, dressage and life seemed much less of an 'up-hill stuggle' and dressage honours much easier to come by. No more back ache, muscle aches and my dressage sheets weren't peppered with comments like 'on the forehand' lacking engagement and losing balance, etc., etc., etc.
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Alibear
28 Jun 2010 21:58
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I am Irish, and a member of Dressage Ireland, and at our National Championships there is an award for the best Connemara Pony, and also the best Irish Draught.
I know some Connemaras competing successfully at elementary level over here, and even cob doings quite well both regionally and nationally at that level too.
I have a Danish Warmblood who can be quite excitable at times, and I do find the trainability of cobs and Connemaras very well suited to dressage.
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DressageSpain
30 Jun 2010 15:38
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Hi Peaches,
I completely agree with you. The attitude of some judges (not all) is something they should be ashamed of.
I had a New Forest pony when I was back in the UK and he did phenominally well, being Champion ridden at Bath & West, and was never out of the 1st 3 in all categories of riding (except driving). We even won the Performance Pony of the Year.
In my dressage riding, we were quite often very disappointed to see that if there was more than one judge, that one woman in particular, would give me very low points and the others very high. We ended up going to great lengths to avoid this woman to gain the points we deserved. At my final competition with this wonderpony, at Wellington Premier League, I got 84% and a perfect 10 in my class, which ended up the highest score of the day, beating all warmbloods. This particular woman was there judging a different class, and I really thought to myself, WELL WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT?
The laugh of it was, that when I got my warmblood as sadly I outgrew the little NF, under this woman, I got very high marks.
How sad that the judges seem to have forgotten that dressage is not a sport of warmbloods alone careering around with legs all over, it is the fundamental basis of all riding - ANYONE can do it. Granted, not many will get to GP, but why shouldn't they be judged equally when they are a lower level. There is a scale of marks, so use them fairly on each horse/pony.
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peaches
04 Jul 2010 10:33
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Hello,
Would love to have seen your New Forest Pony, sound a fantastic little horse.
I see in the Rules of Spanish Dressage that horses have to be 149cm to compete in Grand Prix... what's the reason for this? is this not discrimination?
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DressageSpain
05 Jul 2010 13:01
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No idea, I have never seen that rule before. But yes i guess in a way, its discrimination but in another, I think there is something in the breed that says it must be above a certain size.
I do have to say, some of these Spanish Riders look a bit daft on the horses, with their legs below the belly.
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bocelli
30 Aug 2010 14:10
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I live in Spain, and I've heard quite often lately (from teachers and trainers), that this or that horse is "not good for dressage" because they are not the flashy kind of leg movers we normally see in FEI level. The most sad thing is this is being said to children who want to start doing dressage and could do very well with a mid sized well behaved horse!!
Certainly it seems lately that dressage is about spending an awful lot of money on a flashy horse rather that being about teaching horse and rider the way to becoming one.
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DressageSpain
30 Aug 2010 17:29
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Bocelli,
Where abouts in Spain do you live?
Its such a shame that children are not being encouraged to give it a go out here. One friends child I remember spent at least one season alone in her class, which must have been really disheartening for her. They seem to have made dressage into an elitist sport, with new riders wanting to start to compete having to take the galope exams to get permission to compete.
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bocelli
30 Aug 2010 19:04
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I live in Castellon, North of Valencia.
I had my try at dressage some five years ago, most of the time I was alone in dressage classes because most people wished to do show jumping (yes they are children as you may guess). But it is only recently that I have noticed people being discouraged because of their horses. A real shame.
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peaches
31 Aug 2010 11:56
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Hi Bocelli,
Very sad to read your posts, I agree with you and DressgeinSpain entirely - children should be bought an able pony, with 3 correct paces and shown how to improve the paces, watch thier ponies turn into something special. It is so rewarding to take an ordinary horse or pony and watch them turn into little stars. It's so rewarding. I've had horses that have had trots like a sewing machines and awful flat canters and enjoyed learning to enhance thier paces and enjoyed seeing them go from something ordinary that wouldn't turn a head into winning dressage horses. I never had the money for anything special. Don't get me wrong, I like warmbloods and have had my fair share of them, but have enjoyed my 'ordinary' horses more.
I actually get sick of the warmblood era we seem to be in, I'm still hoping one day they will have classes or shows just for horses that are NOT warmbloods. I think it would be a real eye opener to see Natives, arabs, spanish, etc competing against each other without a warmblood in sight!
I have a pupil that has qualified for the Spanish Championships in Castellon in Sept with her 4 yr old, I will be their helping her to work in, as you live there why don't you pop along and we could have a chat and a coffee?
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bocelli
31 Aug 2010 13:08
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I'll be there, you can count on that!!! You cannot miss me, I'm the owner of the giant horse!
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