Whoa!!! Nice horsey!! ~ The Equestrian Thread

[danceronice]

The "injury" to the Canadian horse was equated to the equivalent of a paper cut. Really think those who made this call went a bit overboard.

They DQ'd Hickstead and Sapphire for...dubious reasons in the past (in Sapphire's case I suspect it was really for 'being too good while ridden by an American.' Too bad she's retired, the US team would have looked a bit different with McLain on HER...) Frankly I'm surprised Beezie didn't get a reprimand for excessive use of the whip for whacking Via Volo a good one (not that the mare didn't deserve it.) There is definitely some sort of FEI 'issue' with policing North American riders.

Heh, RK...I'm no fan of Anky OR Rollkur, and I do think the Germans and Dutch take the 'bending' way too far in some cases, but OH MY GOD...the horses aren't being beaten bloody and setting aside the alleged 'blue tongue' incident they don't seem to be experiencing any lasting harm.

[millyskate]

It certainly seems bizarre that the appeal wasn't to be considered until the event was over. Not sure how that worked! I feel sorry for the Canadian team since they clearly weren't out to break the rules here.

[AxelAnnie]

Show jumping on SportsNet this morning. Nice to see it there as I don't get OLN.

Deb - they said the horse was hypersensitized.

Wow! That is a pretty serious accusation. Who is "they".

Horses are funny beings. I have seen horses with the tiniest little boo-boo.....and they are three-legged lame. They just need a swooning couch.
Other horses, horrid arthritic changes, or cuts, or whatever....and doesn't bother them at all.

At that level or riding.....and at the OLYS, hypersensitizing is pretty dumb.

[AxelAnnie]

Just spoke with my trainer. She said there are 9-11 veterinarians on the ground for the OLY Horses. They do all kinds of random testing......urine, (horse and rider) blood, and heat in the legs. If the measurement in the leg is above a certain number.............they declare hypersensitivity.......and that is it. No appeal, no trotting to see if the horse is sound. Nada. Your horse is out. I had no idea.

There are a gazillion reasons why there could be heat in the leg......none of them good.

Who knows what happened to the horse. And the vets are from all countries. (Our vet has been to many OLYS......which is pretty cool).

So, there you go.

[danceronice]

There are a gazillion reasons why there could be heat in the leg......none of them good.

Who knows what happened to the horse. And the vets are from all countries. (Our vet has been to many OLYS......which is pretty cool).

So, there you go.

He had a small cut, word is. Minor infections cause inflammation but there's no reason not to jump on it. And the vets all had to be approved by the FEI, so their making a call doesn't mean it's a good one or free of outside influence. (People would be a lot less cynical if they were more consistent at applying their rules.) Heck, the vet could have just flexed the horse hard enough he'd jog lame no matter what (why I place no value on flexion as a PPE, either.)

Now watch, the show jumpers will start padding their horses in bubble wrap like the dressage riders. God forbid you turn them out and they get dinged up a bit.

[Dragonlady]

He had a small cut, word is. Minor infections cause inflammation but there's no reason not to jump on it.

Really? Whose word is it exactly? How do you KNOW that the horse could have jumped?

I've seen people go into the show ring riding horses with bowed tendons because they've waited months for this show. The horse can't speak for himself and say yes it hurts. I also find it difficult to believe that there was some sort of conspiracy to hobble the Canadian team in this event.

Foster and her horse had 8 faults on that bird course on Saturday which more than half the field jumped clean or with a single time fault. Maybe there was something wrong with the horse. My point is that those of us who didn't examine the horse, have no way of knowing and to sit at home and say the horse shouldn't have been disqualified or that there was some conspiracy involved, is just paranoid, IMO.

[Alixana]

The rule is there to protect the horse from unscrupulous owners/trainers/riders who will jump the horse no matter what. I don't include Tiffany Foster in that category and hope they do well in their next competition.

[Sofia Alexandra]

Gorgeous horse: Gonçalo Carvalho's Rubi. A Lusitano stallion - look at that neck!

[Lorac]

Here go the British in the dressage team final!!

[skatefan]

I love the hopping/skipping (I'm sure it has an official name)

Gorgeous


ETA single time and double time changes

[Lorac]

Love the BBC commentator on the dressage - 'well done, well done' , 'steady' - it's as if she is riding the horse herself

[Theatregirl1122]

Eek. Wtf smart phone, how did I end up in this thread?

[mazzy]

St. Georg are shitting bricks over British scores. Too bad, Germany will get the silver and get away with lame excuses. They messed up their dressage programme royally over the last years and heads should roll.

[Lorac]

I have no idea of any of the moves in dressage - but way to go Team GB

[SHARPIE]

Wheee! Dressage Gold

[skatefan]

Such dainty beasts Love watching dressage

[misskarne]

Is it true one of the German horses was called "Damon Hill"?!?!?!?!

[Dragonlady]

ETA single time and double time changes

Single and double time flying lead changes. The commentator may have shortened the name but that's what they are. When you're riding them, it does feel like skipping.

[maatTheViking]

so excited for GB!
Would have been very, very interesting if Rath and Totilas had been there - The British team did so well, I don't know if it would have mattered.

Gutted that the Danish team couldn't take bronze - next time!

Looking forward to the freestyle.

[mazzy]

so excited for GB!
Would have been very, very interesting if Rath and Totilas had been there - The British team did so well, I don't know if it would have mattered.

I know I'm probably here, but I just believe he bailed out because he knew he had no chance. Poor guy got his stepmom to buy him half a horse and was basically doomed from the start.