>>> i think it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for a gaited horse >>> to gait with someone up there flouncing like that. Janice-
I think you missed the point of when and why they do that. If you are talking about the exaggerated head-nod or belly-dancer movements some dressage riders do, they do it with the INTENT of sitting to the trot. Therefore, it's sort of mutually exclusive to gaiting. They don't do it at the walk nor do they do it at the canter, and there'd be no reason to do it at gait. On the other hand, Linda Parelli talks about the extreme motion in her Fluidity video, saying that when they have to do that to sit the trot, that means that they are stiff in some other parts of their body - her point being there are better ways to sit the trot. When I rode trotting horses regularly, I mostly posted to the trot, but I finally did learn to sit the trot pretty effectively, without "belly dancing." HOWEVER...I never did learn to sit our Arab's trot - he's got a BIG one. So, with that in mind, no way am I going to cast stones at some of those riders who ride horses whose trots I KNOW I couldn't sit! Personally, I'd rather see a rider doing the "belly-dance-trot" as opposed to the "pogo-stick-trot" that is so common with Icelandic show riders, if the "belly-dancer" is keeping their seat quiet in the saddle, and is going with the motion of the horse, not slapping down on his back with every stride. Better than either though, would be a rider who can ride "fluidly" without ANY exaggeration. If, Janice, you happen to be talking about that woman we both saw at the clinic, just ignore her. She was just a bad rider, period, no matter whose riding style she THOUGHT she was embodying! :) Karen Karen Thomas Wingate, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.17.9/1197 - Release Date: 12/25/2007 8:04 PM
