I Never Realised The Olympics Is This Year, Sometime.

We’ve banned dancing bears we should ban dancing horses.

vegansrock

We’ve banned dancing bears we should ban dancing horses.

I'll ask again - would you ban horse riding completely, if that's your opinion?

I’ve never said I would ban horse riding completely, I don’t think training a horse to dance around sideways to the Great Escape music is dignified for the horse or essential for anyone.

vegansrock

I’ve never said I would ban horse riding completely, I don’t think training a horse to dance around sideways to the Great Escape music is dignified for the horse or essential for anyone.

Not all dressage is set to music. There are many amateur riders competing in dressage the length and breadth of the country. I took part in dressage competitions at Pony Club level, as did my daughter and the other children at our stable. I can assure you there was nothing 'undignified' about that - for the horses or riders.

vegansrock

We’ve banned dancing bears we should ban dancing horses.

We don't have "dancing horses". That's a phrase conjured up by the media, most dressage does not involve music and is about training the horse to work correctly whilst carrying a rider. IMO every horse should be capable of riding a medium test, it's basically the equivalent of us doing pilates + doing some aerobic work in the gym. It keeps horses supple, fit and most importantly develops the muscles that enable it to carry a rider effectively. IME most horses enjoy working to music and many riders have it on in the background when they are training.
Riding dressage to music as a competition is really enjoyable, but it's not what most people do. There are set movements for each level but riders can put them in any order and design their own riding plan. I had a plan set to English country music for my last horse and it really suited her, sadly she had a devastating injury in the field from which she never recovered so I never got to use it in a competition. There's so much rubbish talked about dressage, it's basically "training" but it's very structured training designed around the horse rather than the rider, it's just a shame that so few non riders actually understand much about it!

Sorry x posted MissInterpreted

foxie48

Sorry x posted MissInterpreted

No, not at all, you have explained it well. If you've never done dressage, even at the most basic level, it's hard for people to understand the skills which are involved.

Quick pop in, I’ll RTT and come back but quickly - disgusted and saddened by her behaviour, don’t believe it was a one off error of judgement. It was practiced behaviour

I’ve enjoyed watching dressage, such skill, such trust between horse and rider. I used to ride but hacking and small jumps in lessons. Absolutely loved everything about horses. My daughters rode well. I learned on a riding school horse, how to use my legs and bottom to get the horse to yield to the leg -aka dancing sideways, it took real skill on my part. As soon as I got basic good enough, the horse realised what I wanted her to do and off she went. No use of crop by me and no lunge whip in sight

foxie48 and MissInterpreted totally agree.

DD competed, no cruelty, definitely no music.

None of which excuses or explains the cruelty on that video.

MissAdventure

None of which excuses or explains the cruelty on that video.

Yawn yawn...no-one said it did. We were responding to the comment about dressage being 'horses dancing to music', which isn't necessarily the case.

Its not necessarily the case, but sometimes is.

You seem determined to string this out for no apparent reason other than to argue for the sake of it. One poster appeared to think that dressage is simply 'horses dancing to music'., which, if you've only seen it on TV, may appear to be the case. Several of us who have actually taken part in dressage were simply explaining that that is only one form of dressage, and most ordinary riders take part in a much simpler form of the sport.

And of course, you're not stringing it out.

I never said dressage was solely “dancing to music”, but music is involved in some competitions, it’s skilful training, but the horse doesn’t consent to it and has no choice. If it doesn’t make the grade it its prospects aren’t great. The Olympics should be about human physicality, not that of animals.

The Olympics should be about human physicality, not that of animals.

Equestrian sports are a combination of the two. Do you have any idea how fit you have to be to compete at the highest levels?

MaizieD

^The Olympics should be about human physicality, not that of animals.^

Equestrian sports are a combination of the two. Do you have any idea how fit you have to be to compete at the highest levels?

They are also one of the very few fields in which men and women compete on absolutely equal terms.

The casual way she whips the horse tells me that this is her usual regime. You can also hear foul language (I'm not sure if this is her directing it to the horse or someone else) and there is someone laughing whilst watching.

Of course men and women are equal in these competitions since it’s the horse doing half the work, if not three quarters, proving my point that it’s not just about human physicality. Ban the animals and let the athletes show off their fitness in other ways.

I love the Olympic Games and, for me, it has been one of my 'Hope I make it to....' alongside seeing my eldest g.daughter graduate (managed that last weekend), etc. Was not sure if I would still be around to see the 2020 (which became 20210 Games and have closely followed the build up to this one in my favorite sports (Gymnastics and Diving). Have had time=tables for these in my diary for several weeks now.

At the Tokyo games I also became very impressed at the Wall Climbing and looking forward to seeing more of that also.

In 2012, as a specialist Games Maker at the Gymnastics I had some really wonderful times and can so well remember the incredible spirit that was around London during those Games, one of peace, internationalism and hope. Everyone was so happy and pleasant and friendly. Seems almost like a dreamlike quality now.

Do hope for the organisers that everything goes well in Paris, they have spent years in getting ready for these few weeks, hope the weather is kind to them (as it was to us in 2012), and that the 10,500 athletes in all 329 events over 47 sports achieve their personal bests. (not forgetting the thousands of coaches and individual sports officials also participating in this. Good Luck to all.

Me, I will be watching a lot of tv over the next few weeks!!!

I’ve watched some of the video, I stopped because I’d seen enough to feel heartsick to be watching an Olympian subject a horse to cruelty
Lunging whips aren’t supposed to hit the horse. She deliberately struck the horse whose physical reaction confirmed it objected. There is someone laughing in the background.
There is no way this was an ‘error of judgement’ it was deliberate and I find it impossible to believe not a regular part of her training regime
Dreadful. I expect her career is rightly over.

I agree, Iam64. I cannot see her coming back from this. Lunging whips are never supposed to make contact with the horse. I've seen a number of people in the horse world suggesting that this could be the sport's #MeToo moment - and maybe it will. Hopefully people will also look at the use of whips in the racing world, which also needs addressing.

There is no way this was an ‘error of judgement’ it was deliberate and I find it impossible to believe not a regular part of her training regime

Sadly, I agree and I found the laughing particularly sickening.

There is news coming out of Paris that the Australian Cycling Team has had their team bus broken into and equipment stolen.

The Aussie Team has posted a video on X showing the damage and debris, including kit abandoned by the thieves.

Not a great start.

The amount of those high caging barriers around the Olympic Opening Cereomny route in Paris looks rather OTT compared with what we saw in Stratford 2012, but I guess the image of France is at stake here, and security is bring treated very seriously. 🤞