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

Did you see the Gadget show (or it may of been the rip off on sky) where they strapped a remote control saddle onto a horse ?

Worked perfectly (for a prototype).

You don't even need a rider on a horse ! ITS NOT A SPORT !

Screen Shot 2012-08-07 at 15.30.32.png
 
Not in my world you don't teabagyokel.

I knew and played with this lady as a child - http://www.showjumpingnostalgia.com/p=1110.

Her family was much the same as mine, hard working, not posh nor monied and dedicated to their kids - so they made sacrifices.

Could any of you actually get a horse to go in the direction you want it to? Let alone ask it to jump fences and participate in dressage, which is why I say it is a partnership, the horse wants to be part of that and the rider respects and understands the horse.
 
I am going to wade in here. Carl Hester is a very well renowned horse man, and known personally to a friend of mine and the wife. He looks after his horses extremely well. The bond between horse and rider is one of trust and respect, I do not understand the comments about RSPCA. It also takes a great deal of effort, time and skill to train the horse to do everything that is required, so effort is required on behalf of the horse and the rider. I am not going to get into the olympic sport thing, as that is subjective, but if these riders were not good custodians of there horses, they would not be as good as they are.

I am not generally a horsey person, but my wife has a horse, and she takes a great deal of care and attention (and my money) looking after it.
 
My in-laws have five yes, five heavy horses (shires and clydes) and they are normal working people not your stereotype rich etonians. They have taken their horses to national competitions in riding, driving and showing among other things and I can asure you the vets rules are as tight as a ducks chuff. If you take the Olympic three day eventing competition as an example, all the horses are subject to a vets inspection on completion of the cross country. Any horse that does not have a low enough heart rate or is deemed unfit to continue is pulled out there and then. Theses horses are really looked after.
 
I don't doubt the horses are well looked after, just as any serious/professional sportsman looks after their equipment.

I'm just personally against animals being used for "sport" and that includes horse racing, show jumping, dressage, or anything else.

Anyway, isn't dressage just Crufts but bigger?

Dressage (/ˈdrɛsɑːʒ/ or /drɨˈsɑːʒ/; a French term, most commonly translated to mean "training") is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training", where "horse and rider are expected to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements"


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dressage
 
Irish wolf hounds can be bigger than small pit ponies, this is true.

Edit: Sorry, I am being facetious.

I just don't see the problem that some have for well cared for and cosseted animals when all around so many are actually being ill-treated and neglected.
 
Well it is true but I don't think it is the norm and should be stamped out whenever it is found, and the culprits banned from the sport.

To be honest Jen I wanted to get the facts on how the horses were trained before I commented on whether or not the sport was cruel, so I just typed in dressage training and that was the first site that came up.
 
It not a sport, its people sitting on well trained pets. 50 year olds sitting on well trained pets come to that.
Whats next dog Frisby?

Animals should not be in the olympics. Its about how good you are not how good your pet is.
 
So we're back to what is or isn't an Olympic sport, it would seem.

Personally, if that is the main criteria, I would ditch volleyball, beach or otherwise, football (male and female), kayaking, canoeing, handball, badminton, etc.

Hell, let's just stick with the ancient Greeks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Olympic_Games.

If you read through this you will notice that chariot racing was quite predominant - I believe chariots are pulled by horses!
 
Back
Top Bottom