tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571933866625297210.post2536063919213427300..comments2024-03-11T21:51:38.696-04:00Comments on The Dressage Curmudgeon: You say outside.. I say inside... you say canter...I say travers...canter, travers, canter, travers..how bout you get the hell off...Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00862983598055228855noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571933866625297210.post-79803975859694811242012-10-16T18:42:56.195-04:002012-10-16T18:42:56.195-04:00Wonderful post! Poor Mr Motard - one of those mi...Wonderful post! Poor Mr Motard - one of those military saddles for the future???Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571933866625297210.post-88027149381847006952012-10-16T01:12:13.222-04:002012-10-16T01:12:13.222-04:00Your description of Mr. Motard's riding remind...Your description of Mr. Motard's riding reminded me of my son's first lessons as a 16 year old. He was too polite (or embarassed) to say anything to the instructor, but she noticed him having trouble walking after the lesson and switched to her husband's saddle for future lessons.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571933866625297210.post-26137409369760105792012-10-15T18:50:51.516-04:002012-10-15T18:50:51.516-04:00And then there are those of us who bought our hors...And then there are those of us who bought our horses knowing they were douchehorses. :)<br /><br />My horse apparently had strong opinions about the people who tried him out, enough that his owner insisted I couldn't buy him unless I had at least a two week trial first to ensure we got along. For whatever reason he picked me, I was looking for a horse I never planned on re-selling, and he loved my trainer as well. He is at his best behavior with my mom which is why she is no longer allowed to ride him - as he will canter off leg or seat, if she shifts weight because she feels unstead he will likely take off in a canter thinking he's being good, and I'd rather not risk her being taken unawares and hurt. There's only one other person who has ridden him since I bought him with whom he hasn't either flat out taken off, taken off bucking, or just been absurdly nutty.<br /><br />He is a complete douchehorse to most people. But I adore him and he's progressing and improving in his work as if I had a clue and weren't a former hunter rider who has yet to break the bad habits. And he cost me about 1/2 or less what he should have given his level of training and competition record because of the fact he's a douchehorse. The only exception is for people like my mom who are terrified - he's great for scared riders and very, very careful with them.<br /><br />I predict my new youngster will be the opposite - where my gelding is extremely particular the new filly appears to want to do the right thing every time, for everyone. It will be nice to have a horse I can put people on and let them get the idea of what a dressage horse is supposed to be like!Nethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08817230186352688525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571933866625297210.post-37659427533511116422012-10-15T18:37:33.203-04:002012-10-15T18:37:33.203-04:00Time for me to insert a (tiny) brag: I, Hunters-on...Time for me to insert a (tiny) brag: I, Hunters-only-my-whole-life-person, climbed aboard my friend's brand new dressage-trained horse, whom she had not been able to get one step of canter out of (and who she planned to use for a little foxhunting, a little trailriding and not much else). Somehow I managed to push the right buttons and VOILA - a marvelous rocking horse canter. I'd never felt anything like it! I was pretty proud of myself. So I guess her guy was not a total douchehorse. :-) <br /><br />Fast forward eleven years. Fancy dressage-trained beastie is now strictly a trail mount, and responds nicely to pretty much any old half-assed attempt at asking him to canter. He's a good boy. I'm glad somebody back in Germany took the time to train him properly, and I'm glad YOU apparently took the time needed to train Ms. V not to be a right royal PITA!RiderWriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05679157278313699794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571933866625297210.post-62768335422336105212012-10-15T01:13:18.496-04:002012-10-15T01:13:18.496-04:00Wait.. I think I own a "douchehorse"!!! ...Wait.. I think I own a "douchehorse"!!! <br />OMG I had my Motard(ish) husband laughing while reading this to him.<br />My "douchehorse" is a saddlebred cross, I have only had 3 people on her, one of those took a lesson on her.<br />I offered to let a friend ride her, and he said "No WAY! she's psychotic!"<br />I love her though, <br />And this entry ROCKED> I was splitting my sides reading this!Carol in WIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17989689419016701231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571933866625297210.post-27880569693794161162012-10-14T19:25:14.317-04:002012-10-14T19:25:14.317-04:00"surly douchehorse"
Oh, Curmudgeon, y..."surly douchehorse" <br /><br />Oh, Curmudgeon, you are the BEST! <br /><br />Please blog more, there is a long winter to get through.Audreynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571933866625297210.post-43939955990505921932012-10-12T11:31:42.957-04:002012-10-12T11:31:42.957-04:00"Perhaps what you have been doing is not crea..."Perhaps what you have been doing is not creating a finely tuned dressage horse, but instead painstakingly crafting a surly douchehorse that no one enjoys riding but you."<br /><br />You, ma'am, win the internets! :D "Douchehorse" is now firmly etched in my vocabulary.Kelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16825932056960506820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571933866625297210.post-87810434600145725472012-10-11T23:17:53.461-04:002012-10-11T23:17:53.461-04:00I am always worried when i get to know really high...I am always worried when i get to know really high level dressage riders that their horses are just unridable by anyone less capable than them.<br />SO i was nervous to get on my coach's horse.<br /><br />Now I know how horses are supposed to feel when they're relaxed with impulsion and don't need any leg pressure/kicks/clamping to move. A properly trained high level dressage horse, if they have the personality for it, should be able to give pony rides to a kid, i think.<br />Unless the kid's a jerkAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571933866625297210.post-85619662814935759012012-10-11T23:15:05.134-04:002012-10-11T23:15:05.134-04:00Oh. My. God. I am SO happy you said that about sca...Oh. My. God. I am SO happy you said that about scaley butts. I was getting worried it was only me! SOO many of my non horsey girl friends talk about how they love how their butts and boobs are just soooooo smooth and soft.<br /><br />Mine's not. mine's like bumpy. and dry.<br />good advice too, thanks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571933866625297210.post-90014242729582310062012-10-11T21:13:36.107-04:002012-10-11T21:13:36.107-04:00I agree that horses should be trained in a manner ... I agree that horses should be trained in a manner that the great unwashed masses can at least get w/t/c from them and strive to do so. But when a terrified clothespin shows up to try a dressage trained horse, you generally have some terrifying moments when the horse is cantering on a 45 degree angle halfway up the kickboards because they have no idea how to use the outside rein....what the hell do you do then? I refuse ti 'dummy down' my horses so that hunter princesses can ride them, but i'm kind of a bitch that way.Junenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571933866625297210.post-41349104884807127172012-10-11T14:31:09.792-04:002012-10-11T14:31:09.792-04:00You hit this one out of the park! My sides hurt fr...You hit this one out of the park! My sides hurt from laughing so hard. Now I know how to clean my gloves and butt and I've always wondered what guys do with their package when they ride. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571933866625297210.post-82700300392155108002012-10-11T14:10:15.186-04:002012-10-11T14:10:15.186-04:00I should not have read this entry at work. When I ...I should not have read this entry at work. When I am laughing to the point of tears, the boss realizes I am NOT writing a flattering story for the third ceramic tile and STAINMASTER carpet dealer with a page in the upcoming Home Show program.<br /><br />Floors are just not that funny, and floor dealers aren't that amusing, either.<br /><br />Anyway, I agree with you about the endless debate(s) over trivialities. Much more amusing than floor stores ;o)TBDancerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03889066602819359591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4571933866625297210.post-47767772333729660762012-10-11T14:07:58.071-04:002012-10-11T14:07:58.071-04:00Excellent post, as always! Excellent post, as always! trying2eventhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05310184484618526134noreply@blogger.com