BBC2 now - showjumping

[LuckyRed]

BBC2 is showing show jumping until 5 pm

[janej55uk]

Thank you we enjoyed that.

[gordo]

So lovely that Micheal won and the emotion was very plain to see!

[Kitty McSpeilberg McGormley]

did u c the class yesterday, when some portuguese woman had her horse in just a snaffle bit AND no bridle?? It was amazing and she went clear too, and the horse didn't swish its tail or buck once, like the others seem to do at every turn

[lavenderlanebabies]

HI all

I was about to post something on the lines of tack/bits used and the amount of bucking and messing about the Whittakers horses seem to do. I know many years ago we were all endeared to Ryans Son who did the little buck of excitment when he had finished or inbetween, then Milton and now almost every horse they ride does the same. Is it the way they ride or something else?

It annoys me as it shows young riders that this is the norm and seen as fun, I dont find it fun now riding a bronking horse.

Sorry for being a grumpy old lady!

Cx

[Kelly Marks]

I was interested in the bucking of all the Whittaker horses - I can't believe they'd use any of the old fashioned methods though as those methods just wrecked so many horses - also it would be mega risky re. getting caught I would have thought.
Perhaps they're just breeding horses that get very annoyed at the thought of touching a back pole?!

[Kelly Marks]

In Iceland they ride in just bits. It's attached by just the chin.

[dptc]

Funny my friend and I were talking about how many of the Whittakers horses buck whilst it was on!

Was amazing to see one of them so emotional bless him normally they are so calm and matter of fact and you could see he was trying to hold it together even after all his years it still gets him, am pleased he won!

[Kayti]

it wasnt just the Whittaker horses bucking and showing "temperament", the chestnut Hus(?) was certainly showing his feelings! lovely balance from his rider!

I guess for me I remind myself that "achievers" in the human world often have quirks, odd habits, are temperamental and all sorts of other strong words. Atheletes have drive and obsession to achieve. It doesn't make them horrible people that can't be loved, often quite the opposite, it just means that they are special individuals. It is often this passion for life that causes them to want to achieve.

Why would this be different with animal achievers? whether a race horse, an endurance horse, an obedience collie or agility dog or a pony club games pony? force and bad training can only get them so far. Good training should get them further but the thing that gets them really to the top is "heart" - a will to win and sometimes they need to express themselves in so many other ways to get there.

Perhaps we are wrong as humans to put them under this stress but watching the horses fighting to get to the big wall in the puissance I have to wonder, those were horses that wanted to get over that wall - bravery and drive and a will to do the job. I dont care how much force you put a horse under there is no way they would repeateldy go down to that wall, show after show, if there wasnt some will to do so.

They could not jump consistency over big tracks if they were not cared for, sound in limb and back. Doping tests are too regular now for them "all" to be drugged to perform. Ryan's Son and his bucking, he rarely wore a "strong bridle" - snaffles mainly back then

I just think it is great that these horse "can" express themselves, that they feel confident enough in their world to know that they can. A horse that is constantly told off will eventually shut down and be too scared to step out of line.

Perhaps I am wrong, but I see horses that are expressing themselves much as we do when we get it wrong at a fence or misjudge anything in life!

And I thought it was great that Micheal got upset, no matter how famous they are, not every one gets jaded - it is all about hard work and effort! Well done, a great class!

[dptc]

There was another horse who bucked and was known for it today, can't remember who it was but I felt it was out of being unable to contain himself lol! It was like he had to hold it all together for the jump and then needed let go!

Have you seen Ellen on Ladine going for the puissance jump? How she manages that horse is amazing, it didn't do it quite so much Friday but other times it's just incredible how it skips and bucks around yet Ellen can still ride it to jump the puissance wall!

[barbararob]

I may get pelted with snow balls for this, but what I saw the horses doing was just what they would do out in the field when feeling well, maybe most riders feel out of control with that going on underneath them so see it as bad behaviour, maybe the more seasoned riders know how to sit it and have such confidence from doing what they are doing, that they don't even react to it. I didn't see any 'oy stop it' moments.
I did (being a barefoot fanatic) love the idea of the horse trying to kick his shoes off. It just shows how sensitive they are in that the horse knew that shoe wasn't right, lose or whatever it was.

[Deleted]

The thing that struck me was the poor horse who really slipped in the tight turn but he still tried to clear the fence for his rider - what a big hearted horse that was, I don't think anyone could have blamed him for stopping after that.

[spring]

I do wonder if the bucking is down to tight backs, but I guess they'd be having their horses well looked after on that front. It didn't look like a buck for joy IMO. I still really enjoyed the SJ yesterday and it was nice to see a British win. it's back on the red button at 6.45.

[holi]

I do think that really good horses do have some quirks. Perhaps their horses buck around a bit as they don't tie them down, ride agressively (like Robert Smith - ugh!) or pull them about I go to IH instructor and I know he admires John and I can remember seeing him ride Welham - cavasson and snaffle and he had several children sitting on him minutes before he came in at Hickstead and won the big class!