Mystical Spanish Horses

To anybody who hasn't seen the Spanish Riding School I highly recommend going to watch it because it is amazing its one of those things that you'd want to see once in your life. I could probably watch it a second time (if i had my canon camera so that i could take pictures with it but no such look this time, instead i got pictures on my blackberry so I'll tell you now they're not the best quality). They were truly magnificent it was almost magical being able to watch them. The partnership between horse and rider was magnificent, after spending four to six years as an Eleve (also known as a cadet) they then move on to being assistant rider, and get there own horse once they have their horse it stays with them til they or the horse dies, so the bond is something that could never be replaced. As an Eleve they spend at least a year riding on a lunge line with NO stirrups and NO reins, my mum made me laugh and said I wouldn't be good at that I'd spend more time on the floor than anywhere else! 

To start with we got to see Carl Hester, Charlotte Dujardin and Lee Pearson (for those of you who don't know he is a paralympic Rider, who when he was born didn't have muscles but instead he had scar tissue, so his muscles are set in to place and don't ever move). Lee Pearson talked about his disability and about how as he kid he couldn't ride a bike so instead rode a donkey and those first few years he spent more time on the ground than anywhere else. Carl Hester then talked through a masterclass while Charlotte Dujardin rode pirouettes (there should be between 6 and 8 steps, me and Gatsby will need to work on this) and some other movements. The Highlight of this section for me was watching Carl Hester do a dressage test to Music on Uthopia (his olympic horse), the two of them were amazing and it is something that I plan to remember for the rest of my life! 

Then came the Spanish Riding School, all the things they did they rode to Classical music because they only want to ride to the best composers that around, and each time they entered the ring they took there hats off as if showing respect for everyone in the crowd it was something that was truly magnificent to see! The first thing that they did was introduce us to the riders there were 8 riders and only one of the riders was female, and she also happened to be one of the youngest riders there at only 25.  Then they moved on to having four riders in the school, including the first chief rider who rode a magnificent bay Lipizzaner (which is considered lucky to the riding School) this included riding pirouettes, leg-yielding, shoulder in and a number of more complicated movements. Part three was the work in hand and this is something that was truly amazing the work in hand is when no one rides the horse they walk next to the horse and hold it in hand, they then make the horse do a number of jump sequence the first is the courbette - the horse raises himself and shifts his whole weight to his hind quarters without touching the ground with his forelegs he thing jump a few steps. The Caproile - totally collected and practilly from a standstill. the horse jumps with all four legs simultaneously and kicks out his hindlegs. The levade - full weight of the horse is on his hind quarters. he stand like  a statue. 

Parts four to eight will be in my next post until then a girl with a dream

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