HI all,
did anyone see Life of Grime BBC1 last night? described in my paper as a programme 'offering a new slant on the British as a nation of pet lovers'. It gave the anti-dog brigade plenty of ammunition. It covered the dangers of dog poo graphically - showing an eye with a toxacara laval growth on it - isn't this a very rare condition? and don't foxes also shed the toxacara eggs? But WHY can't more dog owners clear up after their dogs and stop giving society a stick to beat us with????

The most shocking part of the programme for me was a set of photo's illustrating a dog wardens tale. 98 dogs (mainly toy breeds) in a breeders home in a series of tiny hutches that lined the walls of her rooms. They were confiscated.

Gloomy watching.

I did see a bit of it and did think that it was a bit anti-dog. But then I switched back to the programme about a podium dancer they turned into a showjumper! Sorry!

I watched that too 9th, what do ya reckon, did she look a pro or what ;-)

I thought she wasn't bad considering but I cringed when I heard her say Foxhunters Final :rolleyes: Bless her, she might have just pulled it off too!

Bugger i missed it!!!!

Lindsay

I didnt see it all but I was stunned to see that wild big cats are released into fields in this country and then PAYING customers shoot them! Now I know why there are sightings of ABC's (Alien Big Cats) they are clearly the lucky ones that got away.

My thoughts too when I saw this bit of the prog. Bec - makes all those Beast of Bodmin sightings totally possible.

How can anyone want to kill such beautiful creatures for sport? (they were lynxes)

Why do people seem to think that because they "saw it on telly" it must be fact????????
Don't believe all you hear.

For the same reason they seem to believe everything they read in Newspapers ;-)

aha,
that explains it then!!!!!!!

Bugger too Lindsay - I missed it too! did she manage to fake it?

Great program and she rode well at the end. However, she didn't manage to get past two out of the three judges -- primarily because she used the term 'Foxhunters' instead of 'Foxhunter' in the oral exam and then had too 'perfect' a rhythm because her horse was too well schooled. Overall though, it was extremely interesting to watch.

Sierra, would you mind editing your last sentence to read 'overall it was a load of rubbish and not in the least bit interesting' as I'm feeling more and more peeved at not having watched it! ;)

Me too! me too! It looked fascinating and I'm really grumpy I missed it :(

I have it on video if you'd like to see it.

what a lovely offer, how kind, but I am sure it will be repeated at some stage and will give me something to look forward to rather than so much rubbish that seems to be "on the box" these days....

Lindsay :)

I thought she was very good. Good balance, incredible natural seat. But, to indulge my natural jealousy - it was a VERY good horse and her horse control wasn't fantastic. But Tim Stockdale's team did set her up very well for the job in hand. Being a dressage type person, my husband got fed up with my comments about showjumping methods and their lack of flatwork ability. But then, I can't jump 6' fences!

LOL... made Jon cringe when I asked how much he thought it would cost to go live with Tim Stockdale for a month and learn to jump!!! But then I've been looking without any success for someone to teach sidesaddle too. It was extremely interesting to see how frightened the girl was of horses to begin with, afraid to even touch them if they moved and then within a short time was kissing their noses.

You're right, the horse did a whole lot of the work. It was also interesting to see exactly how they walk the course and pace off the jumps. Just as with dogs and jumps, I would imagine that the take-off points vary from horse to horse also.

I was very glad to see that Mr. Stockdale also taught her that there were more to horses than crawling on and jumping over fences, though the care of tack and horses may have been for the judges' oral interviews too.

Ah ha. I can help you with your sidesaddle problem. Have you considered joining the side saddle association? I am a member and can ride and jump sidesaddle, I can fall off that way too.

If you give me a general idea where you live, I can let you have the name and telephone number of an instructor near you. Then you can join us . . .

The SSA's website is somewhere strange I can't remember, but the handbook lists all instructors by area.

Wooooo hoooooo!!! I live in Wokingham. I've always ridden western and haven't ever been on an English saddle. I'd like to learn to ride and jump sidesaddle and would love to join you once I've become competent enough.

Sierra

You don't have to join the SSA to ride sidesaddle and I'm sure there are hundreds of people out there who do just that. SSA membership means you can sit grade tests and compete for cups etc. In my area we also organise seminars, competitions and do displays etc. You can also do all the other stuff (dressage comps, SJ, Hunter Trials and Le Trec sideways) and it's always a traffic stopper if you ride out sideways.

I'll have a look in the handbook and try and find you a couple of names of people you can approach, who are registered SSA instructors. They are thicker on the ground down south, so I can't foresee a problem.

Let you know by e-mail tonight.

Kate & Loki
(That's how I got my nickname by the way. Trying to teach someone to ride sidesaddle for a three musketeers themed wedding!)

p.s. A sidesaddle instructor will start you off on one of their horses, as your own horse would need to learn too and you can't do it both at once. Most horses take to it pretty well, but some will refuse to carry a sidesaddle at all. I have "broken" horses to the side saddle and they do learn easily.

Within the first lesson you should be able to walk, trot and have a short canter, even if it's only on the "easy" rein. It's really fun, I was jumping by lesson two and falling off with elegance and grace by lesson three. :D:

Hi Sierra , POO I missed it too. Horses are my second love and I would have loved to watch it! I used to teach riding and at most of the yards I worked at ( BHS grade4) one of the dressage or better schooled horses would carry a side saddle and be used to teach side saddle to learners. I agree fully, you should learn it on an exp. horse. If you ring round the better riding schools n your area, I am sure you would find one with a side saddle horse. Good luck. It will feel very strange for you to begin with, especially as you have only done western riding. Its such fun to dress up in the hat and veil etc and look elegant - eventually!!! :-) Good luck

I've called every riding school listed in the phone books here and they all thought I was strange to want to ride sidesaddle. None even knew where I should go for sidesaddle lessons. Seemed strange to me since I'm in Wokingham, Berkshire. My heartsister is having a 19th century riding outfit made for me.... just have to find a proper lady's hat (covering a protective cap) now!

Ooops, sorry, its a while since I was "in" horses, must be a bit out of date!! I suppose the only port of call now is the side saddle association. Now you are getting the gear you'll HAVE to find somewhere!!

Sierra

I e-mailed you last night. Lost my handbook, but:

http://www.equiworld.com/ssa/

And go to list of instructors for Areas 4 and 5. You will find someone there, but you will have to travel.

Plus. None of us wear habits unless competing. They can be REALLY dangerous!!! :D: Hacking out in your jods and boots isn't elegant, but it's safe. You need to wear riding trousers and jod boots or long boots, no chaps, otherwise your right leg will be bruised yellow!

Hope this helps.

Please let us know how you get on.

9th

Thanks, got the email and have been having a good look. Riding trousers are going to be a problem since I'm a dress kinda person. *catching you all before you gasp* I don't even own a pair of trousers or jeans. Guess I'll need to email you for a good natter.

No trousers? If it wasn't for work, I don't think I would even own a skirt!

You don't have to wear jods, just something comfy that hasn't got an inside seam that will rub or anything that will ride up. You can get a pair of jods really cheaply, or ask the instructor if she has some you can borrow for the lesson - there's no point in forking out until you know you like it.

Feel free to e-mail or phone. Good luck.

Kate & The Towel Hound

Bugger work 9th I even refuse to wear a skirt to work and always wear trousers ;-)

Sierra didn't you wear jods when horse riding in the US ? I can't imagine wearing a skirt when out riding, jealous of you riding in a western saddle though, I've done it once and loved it :-)

Claire.
x

I dont own a skirt either!
Bec

Before I came over here, I was working 80+ hours a week -- hard to find time for a life at that rate. I'm not sure how it is over here, but in the States, female attorneys still are looked down upon as wanting to be men so most of us wouldn't be caught dead in the courtroom in a trouser suit. My free time, such as it were, was spent at dog shows -- again, I was mentored in an era where women wore dresses and skirt suits to show in, very posh and proper -- so no trousers, though I did wear jeans for tear-downs and setting up for our grooming and crating area at the shows. Jon prefers that I not wear slacks and it's fine with me; I'm very comfortable in skirts and dresses. Heck, I even garden in skirts and take the dogs on hikes through the woods in skirts with long woolen socks and my boots.

I love Western saddle; it seems so much more casual and laid-back than english saddles.

Heck, I'll be the only person in a divided skirt for riding lessons, I'll bet!

Just make sure there's not too much material in it!! We wouldn't want you getting caught in the heads (the bit you wrap your leg around - not the toilet! :):) when you really ought to be on the ground dusting yourself off!! :D

LOL.... I wouldn't want to get caught up in either head!!!