Wow! Who knew horses could skip and dance?

[sugarplumkitty]

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One of my horsey friends sent me this in an email. What I know about dressage could fit in a thimble but this was so incredible it brought tears to my eyes.

ANDREAS HELGSTRAND - WEG2006 Freestyle Final

Comments

[aikoheiwa.livejournal.com]

This is the kind of thing I wanted to do when I was younger. We didn't have the money for lessons, much less a horse, though. :-/

[sugarplumkitty.livejournal.com]

I'm so allergic to hay that I break out in a rash and wheeze after just visiting the stables.

Some of us were meant to watch in wonder. :)

[tintedsparkle.livejournal.com]

oooohhhh!!!! I just posted a post on dressage a while ago while I was watching the rolex finals!!! That's true grace and beauty right there - I hope that sometime in my life I can own a horse half as talented as those pro dressage horses. Dressage brings tears and a smile every time I watch it, especially when you get to hear it along with the music and watch how rythmical it all is. I could go on for days, but I'll leave it there. It's pure beauty. Sometime you should also look up freestyle reining on youtube or something, because althought it's not as graceful, it's still relaly fun to watch!

[odindeathcrush.livejournal.com]

well i'm glad your first foray into dressage was from a master like that. what an awesome horse and handler!
that was the best passage i've ever seen and that horse's strength is spellbinding!
i take it also you've never seen some of the lipizzan or andalusian shows...they are amazing...they use lifts and kicks that are sooooo wow!
i highly recommend you take in a show if you get the opportunity. and watch the olympics!!! they will take your breath away!

[sugarplumkitty.livejournal.com]

I've watched my friends compete in dressage but it was nothing like that! I've seen clips of the lipizzan and andalusian shows. They were nothing like this mare and rider.

[tintedsparkle.livejournal.com]

The lipizzan and andalusian shows aren't meant to be like dressage really, but if you could see a whole show you'd be able to see the correlation. Those horse move in ways horses normally don't, and do incredibly athletic stunts and choreographed routines. What this mare is doing is trained, although the athletissim was bred into her. The lipizzans, andalusians and even mechlenbergs have those capabilities bred into them from centuries ago in rome, greece and then into spain and germany. Those horses start lead changing the second they are cantered, and start hopping as soon as they have the strength.

[cult-status.livejournal.com]

Holy crap that was awesome! I've never seen anything like that, so graceful! Don came in while I was watching that before work today and told me those are the kind of horses his mom and step-dad raised in Oregon. Gorgeous!!

[angelsmum.livejournal.com]

Soooo beautiful! I love dressage.