billie hinton’s camera-obscura:
life and lessons on November Hill Farm
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
love this ride: uta graf on damon jerome h
I especially love how she allows him big movement in between the collected work, and that she uses the corners and the circle figures to move into collection.
I don't see any rollkur or intensely flexed head/neck - the work appears to me to be very classically correct. Her hands are enviably still.
My only complaint is that she should be wearing a helmet. But with that shock of hair I might want to show it off too. :)
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12 comments:
Lovely to see - I like how relaxed and focussed at the same time the horse appears to be. Her position is just about ideal and she doesn't get in the way of the horse at all.
I want to ride like her when I grow up...
I agree I want to be able to ride like that someday. I'm thinking she might not be able to get all her hair under a helmet.
Kate, I forgot to mention his ears - I kept watching and they were always so relaxed, but attending to Uta at the same time.
smazourek - me too!
Arlene, it's weird - I am such a pro-helmet person, but her hair is so wonderful I almost like her w/o one.
Oh my, I'm doing my first ever dressage test on Sunday & I just KNOW I can't even begin to emulate this level of riding.
Still, Flynn's ears are equally relaxed, so I must be doing something right!
If Flynn's ears are relaxed, you definitely ARE doing something right!
This is what I do that helps: visualize you and Flynn looking like Uta (or whoever you aspire to ride like, even if it's a diagram in a book). Take the time to really see it in detail before you ride the test. Do the entire test in your head this way - every step. I bet you'll be pleasantly surprised.
It works!
I am so glad you've been posting these links about Uta...I'd never seen her ride before...loved the blog link about her philosophy about horse keeping and I am absolutely inspired by this one of her riding so softly and beautifully.
That is a picture of a happy horse doing what he loves and a rider doing exactly what she loves. That is pure joy.
Jenn, it's been delightful to discover her - I had to share it here.
Billie, thank you for posting that. It is such an inspiring ride, and the article you posted earlier was one of the most encouraging pieces I had read in a long time. To know that there are top riders, competitive dressage riders, who want to keep their horses living as naturally as possible is such a hopeful sign. With all the debate on rollkur, what is often missed is the enslaved life of these top competition horses, confined to a stall for most of their day.
Maire, I was so happy when I saw the first video and then elated with this one - like you I was very ready to find something positive in the world of competition dressage.
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