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.

[@RS20O0]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@soupdragon151]

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

[@Nr1Sgt]

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

[@lifesgreat9951]

Carl is spectacular at his job. Brilliant.

[@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.

[@jasminestewart155]

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

[@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

[@ykwhitehead]

Wonderful interview...very much enjoyed it!

[@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!

[@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.

[@lilicuri]

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

[@Yellowthrone]

Just soo perfect, I miss this sport soo much!

[@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.

[@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...

[@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.

[@loredanacampo966]

I go every Saturday and I LOVE IT!

[@soph10xxloveshorses]

That was a great video and you have a stunning horse

[@tehbunnei]

Thank you; you have lovely horses.

[@aliarauf7763]

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

[@lydiah3453]

I love this man✌🐎👌👌

[@LoesChoices]

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

[@audejhdfqskndq4643]

Best Video... Thanks !

[@sadieparker826]

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

[@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

[@horsieb154]

I feel like he would make a fantastic teacher.

[@miyahiggins7025]

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

[@eesss1]

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

[@stevehart3303]

I love Carl.

[@gallen7717]

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

[@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

[@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.

[@lorenaxhuti7116]

Such an amazing horse!

[@cranberrijuicc]

That horse looked like it was floating 😦

[@jasonfennell7713]

Dressage is badass

[@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.

[@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.

[@CherrysHeart61]

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

[@proud2bpagan]

I want to do this eventually!

[@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.

[@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.

[@redbluealida]

amazing!!!!!!

[@5AS5BS]

Amazing how horses can do this.

[@taylormccoy606]

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

[@SoloEquine]

The master!

[@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.

[@avruby995]

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

[@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

[@myhorse3]

Love Dressage...

[@junesiu]

love the accent =P

[@anitaturner9204]

Beautiful

[@sethbbullock1]

What is the name of the song in the background?

[@Horselover5269]

Such a cute horse

[@agoodeinvestment]

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

[@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.

[@xoSiNgInGiNtHeRaInox]

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

[@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. :)

[@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.

[@FrenzyGG]

do you only do it in dressage?

[@stacybrooker3934]

Which riding club is this in?

[@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.

[@loredanacampo966]

Is it hard because I LOVE THEM!

[@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)

[@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.

[@indigocollins]

dressage is fine providing the rider doesn't use rollkur

[@iuliabereknyeri]

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

[@daisybutler704]

JuliaB half pass

[@peytontheperson691]

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

[@TropicalPlatypus826]

3:00 the dog jumps out of the way

[@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.

[@taylormccoy606]

Would you mind explaining your reasoning?

[@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.

[@NunoMigueI]

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

[@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.

[@bulletproofdinosaurs]

how do they teach this to horses?

[@Hbrwn25]

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

[@Musia627]

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

[@horseshavetakenovermylife1636]

What??????

[@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.

[@MsLily12345678910]

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

[@Bunnileila]

hey an amazon rider!

[@larainelacy264]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@KsEdave09]

Sarah Brightman Fleurs Du Mal "Gothica Intro"

[@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.

[@agoodeinvestment]

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

[@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.

[@DarkLucyna]

Name one.

[@SteTheMan]

Yeah OK. Its a horse walking around in circles, squares and s shapes. Give it a rest. You honestly watch this and consider yourself a sports fan? ''you watch sports? - oh yeah I love sports - what sports do you like? - dressage - wut?'' The only thing that separates them is something like a horse walking in a crooked line. And the best it can get is a horse walking in perfect circles over and over again thats literally as good as it gets. Am I wrong?

[@MrMintyk]

Means they're working well

[@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.

[@musicmaaadfan]

00:14 like a boss :D

[@FrenzyGG]

2:47 is that trotting?

[@loredanacampo966]

Your right does it hurt them

[@stuartgibson5502]

Does it not hurt them to have their heads at such a strange angle?

[@jesszerkel1904]

***** obviously, you do not know anything about dressage

[@jesszerkel1904]

I could say then with the curb bits you guys use and the forced four beat lope that the horse feels pain as well. However, since I have done a little bit of it all with different horses and seen what some trainers do to force their horses to go the way they want, I try not to generalize with statements like that. Every trainer is different, but most realize that when you force a position on a horse, it will work for awhile but not for long, as the horse will feel increasing amounts of pain in that position. By the way, western pleasure benefits from dressage principles, it creates more suppleness in your transitions if you want to look into it! :)

[@jesszerkel1904]

Note I said I could say that statement as a reality but in the sentence directly after it I said I could generalize your chosen specialization bit that I try not to because as you say I don't know how your horse is going and I don't know how you train. In the video above, if you watch the rider he goes with the motion of the horses head not against it meaning this may be where the horse carries himself naturally. I'm not trying to piss you off, just trying to point out that some trainers force their horses to be where they want them and some trainers allow the horse to come into their own movement naturally

[@kittylover6226]

I think its rollkur... horrible stuff.. :(

[@jesszerkel1904]

***** Yes, I'm aware. I had stated that I could say that all western horses are trained to do a 4 beat canter, but that I do try to refrain from generalizing like that since some houses do it naturally

[@LOL12HORSELOVER12LOL]

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

[@ronsofff]

Lol "hester" means "horses" on norwegian

[@JustElly]

I love how all people think they know it all don't you? lets leave the troll who think letting animals surve a perpose is abuse be... it will die down if we stop reacting to them. ^^ hopefully.