The best of the London 2012 Olympics: Carl Hester dressage

The best of the London 2012 Olympics: Carl Hester dressage
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Dressage rider Carl Hester describes the equestrian sport as 'gymnastics for horses' and explains why he thinks Britain look promising for 2012
• Team 2012, presented by Visa, is supporting 1,200 GB athletes ahead of London 2012

[@vrccb]

Wonderful work ethic, lovely light riding. Man and horse in harmony. How well you deserve your Gold Carl.

[@KateRobinson1961]

simple rule of thumb,a wet mouth is a soft mouth,a dry mouth is a hard mouth. a horse with a soft mouth is more responsive to the reins, a hard mouthed horse is one who's mouth is calloused & will be less responsive/harder to control. a good trainer will always try to avoid making mouth hard,& will actively encourage horse to gently 'mouth' at the bit to encourage it to salivate,using movement of the bit,& special alloys of metals for mouthpeice of bit,amongst other methods.

[@ykwhitehead]

Wonderful interview...very much enjoyed it!

[@ThoroughbredPeep]

Actually, it dates back from when the cavalries existed. It allowed the cavalries test their horses to do movements off of the battlefield to see if they can respond such commands. Majority of the movements are natural while some are trained. When you go into jumping, these commands are vital like the extended canter, the collected canter and the flying change. "Dressage" is the fancy French word for training and it's been around for centuries.

[@soupdragon151]

Two gold medals at the Olympics for the team and for Charlotte, awesome mate!

[@lifesgreat9951]

Carl is spectacular at his job. Brilliant.

[@Nr1Sgt]

it looks so easy! he is a amazing rider and i wish him the best of luck in the future.

[@Yellowthrone]

Just soo perfect, I miss this sport soo much!

[@RS20O0]

Congratulations to you and your team on your 2012 Olympic Gold Medal!

[@audejhdfqskndq4643]

Best Video... Thanks !

[@jasminestewart155]

did you see that sidepass at the end??? That was awesome!!! it looked so effortless and beautiful

[@ArizonaAirspace]

Excellent horsemanship. I agree wholeheartedly that getting a young horse and training him to the level he is capable of is the ultimate. You bond with your horse in a way that is not possible otherwise.

[@loredanacampo966]

I go every Saturday and I LOVE IT!

[@soph10xxloveshorses]

That was a great video and you have a stunning horse

[@lydiah3453]

I love this man✌🐎👌👌

[@agoodeinvestment]

dressage is good for horses. it actually extends their lives. So many people think that dressage is just another discipline like jumping or barrel racing but really it is just a matter of teaching your horse to move correctly and not hurt himself

[@tehbunnei]

Thank you; you have lovely horses.

[@redbluealida]

amazing!!!!!!

[@Marixxen2]

I completely agree that dressage is gymnastics for the horse and that C. Hester is certainly one of the better in the dressage competition, but the most important thing in "gymnastics" is relaxation throughout the body, and i think this shows horses too short in the front and that it creates tension in the overline and the horses lose the "true" schwung in the back...

[@horseit100]

Well, if you can't then don't bother watching, leave it for someone who appreciates it to and actually knows the hard work that goes into the horse and the rider before reaching that level. Btw, dressage is the first stage of Eventing: Dressage, cross-country and show jumping.

[@deahunt]

dude, Xenophon the Greek wrote about training horses for what we now call dressage. this is one of the original greek activities. if you want to complain about which sports are part of the olympics, pick on water polo or something.

[@SteTheMan]

It was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen in my life I literally jumped out of my seat screaming so loud in excitement that I woke my neighbours neighbours. All my neighbours knocked at my house to complain about the noise I was making and I said to them ''guys I'm sorry but I just seen a horse do a sidepass'' and they said ''yeah right bullshit'' I said no seriously come in and look. They came in and I showed them the sidepass and we all got so excited we woke up the entire block.

[@cranberrijuicc]

That horse looked like it was floating 😦

[@miyahiggins7025]

beautiful my horse can do a lot but were working on the trot in poace

[@lorenaxhuti7116]

Such an amazing horse!

[@SoloEquine]

The master!

[@PaulaEdwina]

I love Carl and have been following him for about a year now. I meditate on his rides and I swear if he had a vacation package to his yard where you could shovel crap for 2 weeks as his working student I would be ON that!

[@stevehart3303]

I love Carl.

[@sadieparker826]

thanks this is so helpful i'v been try to do it 10 years and i'm 30

[@lilicuri]

I like the way he strikes the horse after he's done a good job :)

[@aliarauf7763]

god what a beautiful well trained horse, so beautiful to watch

[@MelonxApple]

Horse riding is about the bond between horse and rider and therefore it's a beautiful sport which cannot fail at the Olympics. It's a shame wrestling got dropped because it's an original olympic sport from the times of ancient Greece, but there's nothing we can do about it. The horse moves great and it seems to be enjoying the exercises. People don't know what there talking about when they say this is horse about. The rider is really gentle with the horse.

[@anitaturner9204]

Beautiful

[@proud2bpagan]

I want to do this eventually!

[@gallen7717]

When a horse foams at the mouth it means they are relaxed and breathing properly, it's a good sign.

[@horsieb154]

I feel like he would make a fantastic teacher.

[@SteTheMan]

The best dressage can get is a horse jogging in perfect circles, s shapes and jogging on the spot perfectly am I right? There's nothing more to it. Horse jogging around on sand. Brilliant. Have fun watching that same thing over and over.

[@LoesChoices]

The horse is a muscled tanker, just lovely to see.

[@FreeJumper15]

Just want to say to anyone watching, thinking 'Dressage isn't a sport', that it actually is. You don't even know how much effort is put into it. Pick on something in the Olympics like Water Polo, instead of Dressage. It's not all about horses 'prancing around while the riders sit there'. It's about the concentration and determination that is put into everything. It takes hours and hours of pure effort to get a horse which is literally unpredictable unless trained to do certain moves. So stop wa

[@myhorse3]

Love Dressage...

[@eesss1]

wow, beautiful horse c: Can i use these riding clips on my video with full credit of course (----: ?

[@jasonfennell7713]

Dressage is badass

[@vousette]

i find it hard to believe that you claim you're open-minded, while throwing insults..if you were less rude and more humble you'd realize that there are good reasons why this SPORT has millions of admirers, even if you can't wrap your head around it

[@jefferyschirm4103]

Are they allowed to show with leg wraps to the knees , or do they come off to show ? I had Perchron stud I rode , I would practice slowing down his canter , when he hit the trot I bump he back. He would slow canter , smooth as silk , like floating on air.

[@CherrysHeart61]

There was an eventer, Caroline Powell's "Lenamore", who is 19.

[@CatKR8]

please get your facts straight before making ridiculous and outrageous comments such as yours. Dressage is a discipline that was born in the heart of history and perfected through hundreds of years. The most respected sport estabishment in the entire world is the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, which holds the true classical dressage with some of the best dressage horses ever known. They would never be allowed to exist if the discipline they were practicing was harming the animals.

[@Horselover5269]

Such a cute horse

[@sethbbullock1]

What is the name of the song in the background?

[@junesiu]

love the accent =P

[@ParisChanteJones]

Carl Hester is a family friend and I've met him numerous times along with his horses Uthopia and valentine! He treats his horses with nothing but love and I've even seen him have a go at the horse therapist because she was doing something the horse didn't like.....So basically don't judge because dressage is not horse abuse.

[@loredanacampo966]

Is it hard because I LOVE THEM!

[@5AS5BS]

Amazing how horses can do this.

[@stacybrooker3934]

Which riding club is this in?

[@xoSiNgInGiNtHeRaInox]

why was the horse swishing it's tail so much.. was it annoyed or were there flies do you think?

[@loredanacampo966]

Your right does it hurt them

[@FreeJumper15]

So stop wasting your time commenting on a video you have absolutely NO idea on, and just continue with your life instead of insulting loads of people and also the riders that actually have to work to get horses to do this.

[@saidama1]

glad to see he doesn't have a tight flashband cutting off the horses air and keeping his mouth shut, when did that become so common in dressage, in the good old classical days most people didn't use them.

[@FrenzyGG]

do you only do it in dressage?

[@taylormccoy606]

Many horses will foam when working. Some bits even have copper overlay to encourage salivation.

[@avruby995]

Is barrel racing a discipline? A lot of horses love to barrel race.

[@agoodeinvestment]

yes barrel racing is a discipline along with western pleasure and cross country.

[@bulletproofdinosaurs]

how do they teach this to horses?

[@MsLily12345678910]

It is some times but not really. U have your own opinion

[@TropicalPlatypus826]

3:00 the dog jumps out of the way

[@deahunt]

my horses come when i call them and the one who knows he will be ridden walks up to me from his pasture. they all follow me around. it depends on how you approach riding. make it fun, make the horse feel good, and he will view it as the best part of his day. horses are very playful and enjoy the thinking and interaction, just like dogs. there are bad horse trainers just as there are bad dog trainers.

[@indigocollins]

dressage is fine providing the rider doesn't use rollkur

[@taylormccoy606]

Would you mind explaining your reasoning?

[@fancigal]

oh yes! did you see how old some of the horses are in the olympics?? From 11-17! And they are still not done!

[@salomebl5581]

that isnt old. my horse is thirty four years old and is still healthy, fit and ridden in gallopp too

[@iuliabereknyeri]

What's the name of the figure he did at the end of the video ?

[@daisybutler704]

JuliaB half pass

[@SteTheMan]

In soccer you win, lose or draw but there are millions of different ways and I mean millions of ways to geet to any of them conclusions. Every football game and every football season is completely different and has its own story. Dressage is a person on a horse making the horse jog around sand in straight line, s shapes and jogs on the spot. Am I wrong because nobody has told me otherwise. (continued in next comment)

[@DarkLucyna]

Name one.

[@Hbrwn25]

I HAVE HIS AUTOGRAPH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@FrenzyGG]

2:47 is that trotting?

[@horseit100]

I find that offensive, if you actually understand the sport and love horses you would find it an incredible form of teamwork that takes great skill and perserverance to prevail at. By all means give an opinion if you must but please don't in that way.

[@Musia627]

Did i c a rider usong a rolket at 1:46!?

[@horseshavetakenovermylife1636]

What??????

[@umgerben]

It stucks !

[@musicmaaadfan]

00:14 like a boss :D

[@CatKR8]

I am not justifying them, but stastically and historically, dressage has close to zero death rates a year (deaths caused by the sport not illnesses or chronic lameness) show jumping is a bit higer, western comes after with sulky races and thoroughbred racing is on top. It is very well known. It is not to say there are not throroughbred trainers out there that have a head on their shoulders but they are rare.

[@Bunnileila]

hey an amazon rider!

[@peytontheperson691]

SteTheMan - question: have you ever actually ridden a horse? Have you actually ever done dressage? M

[@MrMintyk]

Means they're working well

[@ZapsDrater]

I don't know, hey? Probably the same reason that we didn't fight our wars on deers, plough our fields with deers, pull our carriages with deers, build our houses with deers pulling stones and gravel? Horses are possibly the most vital animal to human development. Horse power? You would be walking to work if there were no horses to pull the carriages that inspired automobiles.

[@ThinkFox]

3:54 tiny dog!

[@pathwise55]

I love how this guy says " buy a young horse and then train it through grand prix.. then you'll know your horse better than just buying a made horse." Gahhhh Why don't more people think like this. That goes for anyone and any discipline really, if you want to move up to the higher levels, get a young horse and train it yourself. Don't go spending thousands of dollars to get a made horse, just when your going to get someone elses problem. :)

[@KsEdave09]

Sarah Brightman Fleurs Du Mal "Gothica Intro"

[@SteTheMan]

No I am not you say I'm wrong prove me wrong show me a video where dressage is more than what I say it is. Show me a dressage video that will change my mind. Show me a video where a horse is doing something exciting. No it doesn't exist. Stop bothering me with pointless arguments that are going nowhere. ''you're really wrong'' Wow yes. You changed my mind with that little diamond.

[@larainelacy264]

Dressage is a difficult discipline. An excellent rider will produce an excellent performance. However, watch is tail....at tmes shows lots of tension.

[@NunoMigueI]

The best point in favour of communism I've ever seen

[@amberslagle4622]

He really needed someone to help hold his horse so he could get on???

[@juanhendrawan127]

Amber :P It's because he doesn't want to hurt his horse's back. :) When you climbed from the ground, it's not very good for the horse's back. That's why he climbed from a chair and the other person hold the saddle so it doesn't move.

[@tehbunnei]

And to anyone who thinks dressage is abuse of a horse ... grab a brain cell. You can't make over a thousand pounds of horseflesh dance if it doesn't want to.

[@agoodeinvestment]

yes becuase dressage is good for horses. i used to know a 30 yr old horse doing minor dressage.

[@SteTheMan]

No I'm just not going to cuss out a girl who I'm guessing is about 15 on the internet coz I'm not a scumbag.

[@peytontheperson691]

No? Then try it before you knock it. It's really difficult. See how he's not moving? See how his legs aren't moving? It's not as easy as it looks.

[@CatKR8]

Look at documentaries about the frailty of the modern thoroughbred and the amount of deaths in the business every year. And no, not all of dressage is kind, there are many riders that use rollkur as training methods and many more unhealthy cheats used to force their horses to have higher elevation.

[@SteTheMan]

You can make all these accusations like I'm 300 pounds and homeless or whatever it doesn't bother me because its not true. I was gonna go on a rant but just discovered you're a young girl who just loves horses there's nothing wrong there so I'll save it.

[@SteTheMan]

Dog's want to be walked they love it. They go crazy the second they see a leash. Horse's however try and buck you off them at first. Don't compare the 2 that's stupid.

[@CatKR8]

LOL I've been riding 15years and show national dressage, I have 4 horses of my own that i train myself and that I have brought to shows all over Canada and Florida. Horses do like running full speed, I am not denying that, but horses were never made to run at that speed, for that long, that was selective breeding through humans, not natural selection which is what happens in naure when a certain specie evolves.

[@LOL12HORSELOVER12LOL]

oh you can find ENOUGH people riding high level dressage bit less so yeah :)

[@vousette]

and yes, you're really wrong.

[@ZephyrBluePaddy]

You seriously think Horses run only from fear? I don't think you've spent much time around horses. Thoroughbreds (from knowing non-racers) adore running at full speed and will do it off their own back. I'm not saying that all the racing trainers are kind to their horses, a lot of them do employ dodgy tactics, but smearing all the racing stables as cruel is like saying all of dressage is kind. It just isn't true.