Well, I was acting very.... female doggish this morning while riding. Heat and frustration was getting to me and I definitely had to get off before I completely blew up :(
Sorry, Greta.
So until some good footage comes of Greta under new saddle, enjoy this beautiful boy! Is name is Orpheo, or "Merlin" and he is a Spanish Lusitano. I love the Baroque breeds! Absolutely amazing footwork. I'm not a fan at all of bull-fighting, but this is still impressive. This is what I was talking about a few posts ago (the one entitled "Flashes and Figure 8s") about how the Spanish "cowboys" (or bullboys... or whatever they're called.... not the matadors, they just fight the bull!) incorporate dressage into their work. Now it's just mostly for show, but it's still friggin' cool to watch! I wish I could find one of them using the "long stick" that is used to herd the bulls. That is some other really cool stuff to watch!
From 3:09 on they actually show the horse in several bull fighting rounds. I know it bothers me, so I would just stop watching there :(
Glad the saddle's working out. You know, you and Greta would probably have a great time at a low-pressure dressage schooling show! It's great experience without having to worry so much about the score. If you get out together a couple times this year, it make take some of the pressure off next year when you're going out with the expectation of being competitive :) You could even do the intro tests, which are all walk-trot. If there was an opportunity to get to one, I'd take her! The comments you get on dressage tests can really be enlightening, and show you what you need to work on from a judge's perspective. (I apologize if I'm bombarding you with things you already know!)
ReplyDeleteThat horse is amazing. And that's one way to get a... prompt leg yield! It's almost like spooking on command. Those riders must have amazing seats and balance.
Yeah, there is actually a lot of schooling shows literally just down the road from us, just a maybe five-minute trailer ride. I was considering doing their last two shows (the final one is a formal one recognized by USDF) and I do agree, that would be great "intro" for Greta so we can do some showing next year. We'll see how things are coming along by September!
ReplyDeleteYeah, that horse was like a really good cow-cutting horse, except instead of going for the bull, he was evading it but still getting as close as possible. Totally insane. Those riders have got to have a good seat and lots of guts.... and a touch of insanity!