Dressage - is it a sport and should it be in the Olympics?

[Brogan]

For all you dressage fans, the dressage to music event starts now...

Yes, I kid you not, horses dancing to disco music in the Olympics.

 

[Jos the Boss]

Can we just say no? Training horses to walk in a pettern is like me hopping or skipping, and that isn't an event, however, training a human to run fast is, so who knows!

 

[Greenlantern101]

 

[gethinceri]

The musically accompanied dressage is brilliant, I'm torn between it and the gymnastics with a ball or tape on a stick.
Marvellously inclusive, just as the Olympic games should be.

 

[Brogan]

Now there's a horse dancing to the theme from The Great Escape, this is hilarious, they should put a handbag down and play Wham as well

https://twitter.com/CroftyF1/status/233576919193513985

 

[Jen]

Oddly, I believe we got a gold and bronze for the disco horses.

Sadly, I couldn't watch it, so will catch on i-player or some such.

 

[Brogan]

Here you go Jen http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/2012/live-video/p00w32gx

 

[Jen]

That's very kind Brogan, but I'm sure I would have managed in my usual inadequate, luddite and backward way.

 

[Porceliamone]

Nay.

 

[ramilas1]

Thanks, Greenlantern101, for putting up this topic for debate.

I had an idea to do so myself the other evening after watching a bit of it, and getting uncomfortable with the whole spectacle.

My main concern is that, many years ago, we could have all gone to the circus and been treated to dancing bears, performing seals, lion taming, performing elephants and ...... yes, performing horses (with or without rider).

Today, in more enlightened times, most of us would shun away from paying to watch any of these - but Dressage is still a "sport".

An animal being trained (with even minimal force) to do something that it would not do naturally in the wild is just plain WRONG.

Horses run and they jump, fine ! - they don't canter along at a 45 degree angle or trot on the spot !

 

[Jen]

For any who believe a horse is not capable of saying "**** off" should watch the men's/women's pentathlon.

 

[ramilas1]

Jen, big difference with the modern pentathlon is that the rider is drawn at random to ride a horse that they have never seen before.

Much easier to say '**** off' to a complete stranger than somebody who has been 'training' you to behave and follow orders for years.