I just cant bear to watch this lovely stoic mare trying her hardest to please knowing she has been bullied and tortured into submision every day of her short life. Makes me want to weep. Andreas Helgstrand is a monster.
@@carolcrosby2177 Hi Carol you will have to wait for a rainy day. It's a long story. Safe to say what we thought, well what judges thought was a relaxed supple horse is a very very different to today. Helgstrands history of sanctioned abuse at his training facility has recently caught up with him but his warm ups have always been with us. I suggest meantime you do a bit of research yourself.
Thank you so much for posting this. The version with the commentary is so annoying because the guys fall all over themselves gushing about how great this horse is and then a few minutes later, Anky van Whatever comes out on Salinero and within 10 seconds they have declared her the winner.
Is it absolutely necessary for these animals to be held in so tightly - I’m not a rider but common sense tells me it has to be more difficult for this lovely mare to do this work when her head and neck are flexed in like that. Enlighten me please.
She actually isn’t being held tightly. His reins are gently elastic in connection with her mouth. The arched neck raises the back and allows the haunches to lower so she can perform the elevated and suspended exercises of the piaffe and passage. She is balanced. She is wonderfully muscled in her neck, hindquarters and back. She would not be so light on her feet if her head was outstretched. Think of how balanced and strong a ballet dancer must be to look so elegant. Dressage is the same for the horse. Strong, contained and ready to spring into the air.
This is so ugly. Sad to see and sad that most people will never know that this is bad riding and not a beautiful performance, as one that doesn't know horses would think
One thing I have noticed in all of this mare's performances - there is a lot of tail wringing. Way more tail wringing than I've seen in other dressage horses. This is either a very unhappy horse, a horse in pain, or a horse ridden under such restraint that she ready to explode. If the latter, it may have been the intention of the rider to maintain such a high level or physical and mental tension so as to appear more spectacular. Actually she looks extremely uncomfortable and ready to explode. RIP mare, you deserve your heavenly rest.
I know its been a long time since you wrote your comment, but I'm watching this horse as she does her show. The tail wagging is first sign of the horse being uncomfortable. And secondly, watch her ears. Her ears always straggle to side forward. She's not listening to her rider. I spent many years training horses, in a good way, and my horses always cue back to me and listen to my cues. Given, many cues are physical touches on their bodies, but so many cues are sounds you give the horse. When I wanted a change of lead, I used my legs, of course, but I'd always make a sound at the same time. I could skip my horse across the arena with just sounds. Bareback, no bridle or saddle. But, my horse was always ears back, listening to me. Blue Hors Matinee, beautiful mare, never bends her ears back to her rider. But she also never directs them directly forward. When I work with horses, tails and ears are a very HUGE signal as to what the horse is thinking. or feeling. A horse's body posture is also very important when you have to deal with a very powerful 1000 pound animal. I'm going to quit this blah-blah and go to bed. I would LOVE to have a face to face conversation about horse psychology, but it ain't gonna happen tonight. Bon nuit.
i agree with you 100%, As Jan Toenjes, Editor of St. Georg (German Equestrian Publicatiion) correctly stated, the mare's performances were not technically correct. Everybody was swept up with the circus/theatrics of it all i.e. the atmosphere, music, the grey horse etc. If you analyse the movements properly, i.e. frame by frame - they are barely well performed. The mare's 3 feet on the ground at the same time in Passage, the awful, awful tail swishing - also pay close attention to the near hind leg at the back of the stifle, it is an odd shape. Jan is accurate in that this is not even good circus, where is the relaxation, rhythm and purity of the paces? I have never rated Andreas Helgstrand and even less so after his deplorable treatment of Akeem Foldager. He doesn't really care about dressage and simply treats horses as a vehicle to make money; he has no business around horses.
Why? Because they aren't pinned? I would bet my bottom dollar that if this mare had been trained and ridden correctly her ears would look less active, sort of just flop along for the ride. Yes, the ears are a sign of how the horse feels, but you have to look at the whole picture. There are red flags all over this performance, starting with the nose NEVER being in front of the vertical line, which is where it is supposed to be all of the time. When the horse is ridden from the front instead of from the hind end (the amazing, powerful engine that makes it all happen), they cannot use their hind end to lift the back. If a horse does use it's hind end and lifts (comes through) the back, the nose can only be in front of the vertical line. It's the law of physics! We almost never see horses with their nose in front of the vertical anymore and that truly is a tragedy.
I think it's just because she's concentrating on her work. My mare sometims does the exact same thing when she's concentrating. Some horses just do that.
![Andreas Helgstrand & Don Schufro,Beijing[Hong Kong] Olympics 2008](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QluIX8trxs4/mqdefault.jpg)
I have watched this 100 times and cry every single time. No one has come close since her and Andres
God, I miss this STUNNING MARE!! She's gone far too soon! R.I.P. FABULOUS GIRL!!!
Unmatched mare. Beautiful, talented, dancing angel. Always in our hearts. Thank you for this video.
R. I. P. most beautiful mare. I still come to watch her now and then.
Me too. Still cry every time.
I just cant bear to watch this lovely stoic mare trying her hardest to please knowing she has been bullied and tortured into submision every day of her short life. Makes me want to weep. Andreas Helgstrand is a monster.
Please. Where is your prof of this
@@carolcrosby2177 Hi Carol you will have to wait for a rainy day. It's a long story. Safe to say what we thought, well what judges thought was a relaxed supple horse is a very very different to today. Helgstrands history of sanctioned abuse at his training facility has recently caught up with him but his warm ups have always been with us. I suggest meantime you do a bit of research yourself.
His first victim. Poor horse. Bad judges to reward his way of riding👎👎👎👎👎
You weren't there to see this. Shut up.
Thank you so much for posting this. The version with the commentary is so annoying because the guys fall all over themselves gushing about how great this horse is and then a few minutes later, Anky van Whatever comes out on Salinero and within 10 seconds they have declared her the winner.
I love the commentary, The mare is literally dancing, makes me smile. epona get over your self.
God rest you beautiful girl you were the best dancing horse
Stunning
I have fallen in love with Andreas ! ❤
His sponsors quit the contract with him due to cruel riding
@@larissaa3465 oh hell , i had a feeling . i just didnt want to believe what my gut was telling me . good riddance to him then .
Is it absolutely necessary for these animals to be held in so tightly - I’m not a rider but common sense tells me it has to be more difficult for this lovely mare to do this work when her head and neck are flexed in like that. Enlighten me please.
She actually isn’t being held tightly. His reins are gently elastic in connection with her mouth. The arched neck raises the back and allows the haunches to lower so she can perform the elevated and suspended exercises of the piaffe and passage. She is balanced. She is wonderfully muscled in her neck, hindquarters and back. She would not be so light on her feet if her head was outstretched. Think of how balanced and strong a ballet dancer must be to look so elegant. Dressage is the same for the horse. Strong, contained and ready to spring into the air.
This is so ugly. Sad to see and sad that most people will never know that this is bad riding and not a beautiful performance, as one that doesn't know horses would think
Most talented horse and rider team ever!!!
Wow now that's a good horse
She was indeed :)
Ahmad Alhuqayl she’s dead now
Dude, you say that about every horse - do you even understand the basic fundamentals of dressage?
This mare, Blue Hors Matine. died in 2010 after breaking a leg in the paddock.
One thing I have noticed in all of this mare's performances - there is a lot of tail wringing. Way more tail wringing than I've seen in other dressage horses. This is either a very unhappy horse, a horse in pain, or a horse ridden under such restraint that she ready to explode. If the latter, it may have been the intention of the rider to maintain such a high level or physical and mental tension so as to appear more spectacular. Actually she looks extremely uncomfortable and ready to explode. RIP mare, you deserve your heavenly rest.
I know its been a long time since you wrote your comment, but I'm watching this horse as she does her show. The tail wagging is first sign of the horse being uncomfortable. And secondly, watch her ears. Her ears always straggle to side forward. She's not listening to her rider. I spent many years training horses, in a good way, and my horses always cue back to me and listen to my cues. Given, many cues are physical touches on their bodies, but so many cues are sounds you give the horse. When I wanted a change of lead, I used my legs, of course, but I'd always make a sound at the same time. I could skip my horse across the arena with just sounds. Bareback, no bridle or saddle. But, my horse was always ears back, listening to me. Blue Hors Matinee, beautiful mare, never bends her ears back to her rider. But she also never directs them directly forward. When I work with horses, tails and ears are a very HUGE signal as to what the horse is thinking. or feeling. A horse's body posture is also very important when you have to deal with a very powerful 1000 pound animal. I'm going to quit this blah-blah and go to bed. I would LOVE to have a face to face conversation about horse psychology, but it ain't gonna happen tonight. Bon nuit.
i agree with you 100%, As Jan Toenjes, Editor of St. Georg (German Equestrian Publicatiion) correctly stated, the mare's performances were not technically correct. Everybody was swept up with the circus/theatrics of it all i.e. the atmosphere, music, the grey horse etc. If you analyse the movements properly, i.e. frame by frame - they are barely well performed. The mare's 3 feet on the ground at the same time in Passage, the awful, awful tail swishing - also pay close attention to the near hind leg at the back of the stifle, it is an odd shape. Jan is accurate in that this is not even good circus, where is the relaxation, rhythm and purity of the paces? I have never rated Andreas Helgstrand and even less so after his deplorable treatment of Akeem Foldager. He doesn't really care about dressage and simply treats horses as a vehicle to make money; he has no business around horses.
Her ears tell a different story.
Why? Because they aren't pinned? I would bet my bottom dollar that if this mare had been trained and ridden correctly her ears would look less active, sort of just flop along for the ride.
Yes, the ears are a sign of how the horse feels, but you have to look at the whole picture. There are red flags all over this performance, starting with the nose NEVER being in front of the vertical line, which is where it is supposed to be all of the time. When the horse is ridden from the front instead of from the hind end (the amazing, powerful engine that makes it all happen), they cannot use their hind end to lift the back. If a horse does use it's hind end and lifts (comes through) the back, the nose can only be in front of the vertical line. It's the law of physics!
We almost never see horses with their nose in front of the vertical anymore and that truly is a tragedy.
I think it's just because she's concentrating on her work. My mare sometims does the exact same thing when she's concentrating. Some horses just do that.
So sad this young mare died in a paddock accident
Was this horse kicked? 🤔 how does it just "break" a leg. Poor thing. Probably never got to be a horse . All about money and winning 🙄