quote:

Originally posted by StereoPrincess it's almost as if you are saying that the jockey doesn't do anything. which is absolutely not true.

I am not saying the jockey doesn't do anything. He is an excellent whipping and steering machine. However, I do feel like the horses do the majority of the work, and should be represented more. I would like to see the horses receive the medals also, as well as have the horse's name displayed next to the jockey's, maybe even in front of it. You know, anything to humiliate the jockeys even more than their stature alone does.

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Originally posted by MKpacha Realistically, placed in a show ring with 9-20 jumps in a sequenced course, no, the horse would not go around, at all. It would walk back to the gate, and look out at the crowd around it, freak out and run around, eat some plants used in the jump set up (or grass if it's a grass ring), whinny, or stand there with a blank look on its face.

hah so true.

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Originally posted by Cosmic Fur I am not saying the jockey doesn't do anything. He is an excellent whipping and steering machine. However, I do feel like the horses do the majority of the work, and should be represented more. I would like to see the horses receive the medals also, as well as have the horse's name displayed next to the jockey's, maybe even in front of it. You know, anything to humiliate the jockeys even more than their stature alone does.

Horse and rider names are always listed together.... in standings and on television.

When the horse wins, it receives a wreath/ ribbon which is also placed around its neck. Give it a medal and it would probably kick you.

Maybe I should watch an equestrian event then.

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Originally posted by Cosmic Fur Maybe I should watch an equestrian event then.

I like the way you think!

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Originally posted by Cosmic Fur I am not saying the jockey doesn't do anything. He is an excellent whipping and steering machine. However, I do feel like the horses do the majority of the work, and should be represented more. I would like to see the horses receive the medals also, as well as have the horse's name displayed next to the jockey's, maybe even in front of it. You know, anything to humiliate the jockeys even more than their stature alone does.

rider rider! not jockey! we learned that today too.

she also said that the rider and horse have to do thousands of jumps together to build up the horse to be able to do the work. so the rider does the conditioning too. without the rider you wouldn't see a horse in the gym doing leg presses.

and not to worry, the horses are treated like gold.

proud for mother Russia

Nice six pack!!!

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Originally posted by PressPLay Nice six pack!!!

Elena Isinbaeva

edit: hefty edit right there :P

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Originally posted by FunkyCrew Elena Isinbaeva edit: hefty edit right there :P

Haha, I noticed her name was actually in the middle line in the photo, hence why I edited. You replied too quickly!

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Originally posted by barbina They arent jockeys. They are riders. Jockeys are for horse racing. And as a person who did Dressage/Show Jumping for almost 10 years its fucking hard.Its one of the hardest sports Ive ever taken part in. Its all about control. Its seriously underestimated.. and usually by people who have never tried it.

I second this one....I did Dressage for 8 years and it's extremely difficult. Not only does it work a lot of muscles but it takes a lot of mental effort as well as you are controlling such a huge animal to do some tricky stuff

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Originally posted by Adamo

LOLOLOLOL I just fell out of my chair in tears from that!

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Originally posted by MKpacha Theoretically, you have no clue where you are coming from. Have you ever competed in show jumping? Have you ever even stood beside a jump of 6 feet+? Do you think a horse just naturally goes around a course every day for fun? You need the horse to jump, obviously. However, the horse itself would not be able to jump any of these jumps at the height they stand without the physical training from the rider. Most horses are unable to jump anything over 4 feet without the physical support of enough muscle in their hind end. This is developed through endless hours of endurance training (with a rider on top of the horse... a horse running around in a feild would not allow them to know how to balance or support themselves for muscle training). Like cardio, for a human. You could not run a marathon with ease, without many months of training how to breath properly and how to hold your body, how to push when you need to, and relax certain areas in your body, you most likely would injure yourself or have great strain in your legs. You would not have the muscle ability or the knowledge to do so. Riders attend the gym constantly working on their upper and lower bodies. Palates is very popular as it centers ones body and helps to create balance. When I used to ride, I could easily push double to triple my body weight in my legs. (YOU TRY HOLDING A 2000 LBS ANIMAL BETWEEN YOUR LEGS). The horse is guided through a steady body, soft hands and solid support from the riders legs. You turn your head, the horse will feel it. You have to go pee, the horse will feel it. I will place you on an olympic trained horse and put you in a ring with jumps set at 1 foot (which is small enough for them to step over) gaurenteed you would be thrown from the horse in the first 10 seconds. In tennis, the ball is hit over the net through the guidance of the players swing, through a raquette which they hold. The ball would have never made it to the other side with out that players guidance. Just the same, the horse would never make it over the jump without the guidance of the rider. They work as a team. A biker would never win the race without its bike, just the same, a horse would not go around a course without its rider. We are not talking about greyhound racing here. there is nothing to lour the horse to go as fast as it can around a jump with grace, skill, and stability. That comes from the rider. I really wish not to argue about this, as I could go on for days, and it is almost pointless as there is no one else that shows at a compettive enough level as I once have to understand where I am coming from. Horse jumping is 2 parts. The horse and the rider, together, they create a well oiled machine. They win the medal together... You are naieve to think that riding is not a sport. You try it, at that level, and get back to me. thanks.

Thank you. Holy fuck, I can't believe people are that blind to what it takes to show jump. It's not just sitting on the horse's back and letting it do the work!

I would love to see you trying to put a horse through its paces in a show ring, Orko. Then maybe you could come back and say showjumping is like driving a car lol Ignorance at its best.

Extasie: It's not that the horse wouldn't complete the course as well without a rider on its back, it's that the horse would not complete the course full stop. Horses don't jump for the hell of it! The majority of the jumps set up in show jumping rings are scary to them, with weird colors and shapes. I think I have only once in my many years of competing and owning horses seen a horse jump on its own and it was in a paddock where the horse got spooked by a snake on the ground and jumped over the feed barrel out of fear.

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Originally posted by Cosmic Fur Maybe I should watch an equestrian event then.

Nah ive watched, its kinda boring. Good on the riders but imo its a bit of a snoozefest. Now if I was doing it would be dififferent

Riding horses > watching people ride em'

Again this is my opinion.

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Originally posted by Adamo

Thats effin great!

Woot...

Simon Whitfield pulled through and got us another Silver in the Men's Triathlon!

Good job! Up to 10 medals now!


Also, Alexander Despatie came in second in the 3m Semifinals! Finals are on in a few hours and is looking good for another medal!