I think it's time to clear the air a little. I hear one common complaint in the horse industry that I think is perfectly ridiculous. It comes up most often when a horse person is exposed to some new piece of technology or equipment. It bugs me every.single.time. Here is is:"But that's not traditional!"
That really grates on me. Constantly. Not only because "we've always done it that way" is a goddamn stupid reason to continue doing something, or even because most of the "tradition" that we espouse is really just new-fangled shit from like the 1950s USA, but because it's an excuse to turn our brains off.
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| stolen from the internet |
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| horsemanship means rearing |
And don't even get me started on those "I do classical dressage" people. DA FUQ CAN YOU READ???? Look back at the old pictures. Look at the literature.
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| it's tradition, yo |
Yeah. Giant bit, nasty ass spurs, mouth gaping open. I'm a little surprised they left the bloody flanks out of the portrait. It's not great training, but HOT DAMN you get false collection in a hurry.
And that's traditional.
And I think all of us can agree that it's wrong.
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| someone get this man a Heisman trophy |
I dunno about you, but I have none of those things. AND YET we just keeping on keeping on with asinine things like white breeches and WOOL (freaking wool. wtf.) coats and acting like that's A OK. I mean, doesn't everyone dress like phantom of the opera to play their sports? I swear the Seahawks... no wait maybe Baseball, nope, definitely European football OH WAIT LOL it's only us idiots on horseback who have a thousand pound animal that lives in dirt who try to prance around in wildly impractical clothing.
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| yeah imma just use this pic everywhere |
Not all traditions are bad. Not all new ideas are fantastic. HOWEVER. When evaluating new ideas, it is imperative to judge them on their own merits instead of hold them up to the questionable light of tradition.
There are plenty of reasons to question new ideas and make sure that they are in the best interests of your particular horse before adopting them, but tradition should really never be one of them.
Ever.
Ooooooooohhhhhkay. I'm going to get on my soapbox here now, and defend those poor defenseless baroque portraits. (It's okay, little portraits, I'm here for you...) Because when you point at them and say "classical riding means rearing" you're really doing a disservice to the history behind the portrait.
ReplyDeleteThe baroque equestrian portrait was speaking to people of a different time. In the 15, 16 and 17th centuries, horsemanship, real and good horsemanship, meant two things: You were rich and powerful, and you had good leadership skills. They showed "good horsemanship" by showing riders doing a levade. True story. Because people at the time fucking knew what a levade was, and how hard it was to train and ride. They knew a guy up there in fancy clothes with a sword doing a levade fucking knew what was up on the battlefield and probably was a good dude to support. It's propaganda, not about training.
Art, kids. Study it.
Anyway. Yeah. Traditions, classical dressage people, all that jazz. The true classical dressage people were actually a lot about forcing the horses in the early years. It wasn't until the end of the 17th century they started to figure out you got better results if you worked with them (check out books on the development of the French School and the intro to Academic Equestrian by General Decarpentry for more on that evolution and the total political and animal advocacy shit that underlies the combination of the French and German schools into the one Olympic system we have now. Total shit show. Did you know you used to be able to perform some movements in Grand Prix dressage in two TOTALLY DIFFERENT ways depending on which school you were a part of? True story.) Today most (not all!) of "classical" trainers are sort of weirdos. They don't actually do a lot of the study into the history, and they sort of just combine natural horsemanship with dressage and get ... uh ... nowhere. That's why you don't see a lot of them out there competing.
Of course, competitive dressage nowadays has it's drawbacks too. But those are the same damn drawbacks we've been dealing with since the beginning. Seriously. Francois Baucher was a huge proponent of Rollkur. He pretty much invented the stuff.
And, because I like citing my sources: "Velázquez, Olivares, and the Baroque Equestrian Portrait" http://www.jstor.org/stable/880474
Delete#artnerdrant
HAHA! I literally had this internal debate "Do people in blog land know enough about art to know I'm fudging the source a little here? I mean, I know those guys are doing a levade. NAH NO ONE IS THAT NERDY".
DeleteSo yes. I was artistically lazy and used pictures that don't quite illustrate my point, as you pointed out. That said, I think my point stands--thinking horsemanship has not always been the norm (nor is it today in some circles) and to blindly scream "TRADITION" at me just proves you don't know what you're talking about.
Props to you for being that nerdy, regardless. I respect a nerdy girl.
Point totally stands. Never underestimate the nerd. ;)
DeleteI probably wouldn't have nerded out quite so hard if I wasn't actually writing a paper about the Baroque art influences on the development of dressage. Like. Right now.
DeleteNerds!!! :)
DeleteLOL I love all of this comment thread.
DeleteAusten, we need to talk offline. I have done a shit ton of research and have a shit ton of information you might like. Ping me!
DeleteBest thread ever. I love art.
DeleteI read somewhere a theory that if equestrians dressed in athletic gear, maybe even with sponsor patches and the like, we'd get more support, attention, and money from the Olympics. I think it's awesome that we're in the Olympics and I really don't want equestrian events removed or replaced. (Plus, I think the fact that we're there legitimizes equestrianism as a sport a bit, for people who think the horse does all the work.)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm with you. Are breeches and leather boots necessary? Yes. Are wool coats necessary? No. I actually think show jumpers would look really neat with sponsored technical tops!
YES, which is why I wear technical shirts (not sponsored however, ha) unless I absolutely have to wear a coat, which I haven't done in a long time.
DeleteI'm not into mindless behaviour. That is what I see when people are like "bbbbbut tradition!" Many people have no idea of the tradition or how things came to be. (Obvi Austen does not fall into this category! Or actually many.bloggers I think many of us are the overly educated talk nerdy to me kind)) But people simply take someone else word for it having no idea why we do the things we do. Sometimes change us great and despeartely needed BC tradition does not suit. But sometimes it serves. Purpose and people don't like it BC they don't know meaning or its harder.
ReplyDeleteTl,Dr: I like this post.
i like your points and encourage you to start the revolution lol!!! but i also think they're limited to specific disciplines in both english and western riding - and that there ARE other disciplines that adhere to function over form.
ReplyDeletebut idk if i would be too harsh on the riders - esp in those disciplines where they're judged in part on style. they might disagree with the 'traditional' elements, but if that's how they're gonna win, that's what they're gonna do
Well obviously I'm not saying hunter riders should skip into hot pink spandex and expect to win. My point is that systemic change needs to happen if a sport wants to be taken seriously. Riders can support it in small ways right now, with hi tech tack and clothes. If they start to to demand change, the leadership will have to figure somethings out.
DeleteThe leadership in eventing (I know, sorry) is figuring some things out right now--for instance, they're talking about not making coats mandatory at ANY events, even the AECs, until prelim. Is that ideal? No. You still get the stupid outfits at the upper levels. But it's something. Jumpers pretty much never wear coats unless it's a classic or they had to run jump off a hunter and onto a jumper or the other way around. Some do, of course, but I do not. Because, as my coach says, "It's stupid to put on a suit to do a sport."
DeleteDressage is an easy sport to call out because of the ridiculous clothing- but I wonder how taking your point (especially regarding clothing) would change other disciplines that are more subjective, such as Hunter-Jumpers, Western/English Pleasure and the like, where the presentation of the rider in particular clothes seems to play a role. Also on a tack related note- jumping horses in standing martingales (extremely dangerous IMO) just because it's 'traditional'. Yikes.
ReplyDeleteMy intent was to call out all of them with the least amount of picture stealing possible. I think wearing a hunt coat is the most ridiculous thing OF ALL TIME and all english show disciplines do it. There is nothing athletic or useful or intelligent about a wool coat when it's 100f in the summer. It's all aesthetic and I think the aesthetic is dumb.
Deleteand IMO jumping in a standing martingale isn't particularly dangerous and can be beneficial if you have a horse that needs help learning not to bust your face open at any given time. If adjusted properly, the horse can certainly balance himself without interference.
Hunters are subjective; jumpers are not. And as I said above, most jumpers don't wear coats unless it's a money class or they had to dash over from the hunter ring.
DeleteThere's nothing wrong with jumping in a standing martingale unless it's too tight. Ask any foxhunter about this--they'll tell you a running is much more dangerous, because it can snag on any number of things and yank the horse in the mouth. The standing is less likely to get snagged AND if it does, it doesn't hit the bit.
I'm not sure where this idea of jumping in a standing being dangerous comes from. Can anyone name an example of a jump that went badly because of a properly-adjusted standing? Anne Kursinski broke her collarbone a couple months ago because her horse got a shoe stuck in his belly pad girth, but I don't hear anyone lambasting those.
Technically, they are disallowed in eventing and show jumping (I think?) because a horse drowned in a water hazard wearing on. Why nobody had a knife is beyond me, but there you go.
DeleteThey're not disallowed in show jumping until a certain money level (I can't remember off the top of my head what it is). But they're used all the time in the non-money classes.
DeleteWell it's lonely in my corner. I like tradition, like braiding. I like hunt coats! I think they help distract less from the rider. That being said, there is no reason we can't improve them....better fit, better fabric etc.
ReplyDeleteI have worked in am office where the number one opposition was "we've always done it that way"...it was beyond frustrating.
T, I'm with you. Even if I whine about the white breeches (because seriously, white), I think I look awesome when I'm all decked out. And I like that tradition. As far as wool coats go, don't knock it till you've tried it. I have a wool coat and a technical coat and the wool coat is FAR cooler and more breathable. Plus, if you happen to live someplace that's generally cooler, like England, then those felted wool coats are frickin' awesome!
DeleteIt's reasonable to challenge the "establishment" and try new things, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Not all traditions are bad, and there's some careful thinking and experimentation and practical use that's gone into a lot of what is now "tradition." I'm not gonna throw out my traditional tall boots - have you SEEN the inside of your legs if you ride without some sort of protection there? EEEK!
I believe in tall boots. Breeches make perfect sense. I think wearing coats is asinine. They maybe great in England, but no one on this thread yet is in England. I mean, parkas TEH SHIZ in Antarctica, but that's also pretty irrelevant as none of us live there either. Also I suspect their show scene is lacking.
DeleteBut as for the "uniformity" provided by coats, well, all other sports also have uniforms that are non-distracting by nature of the fact that all the athletes wear them. None of them, not even golf, includes a coat.
I basically live in Antartica ATM. Lmao.
DeleteI like tradition too. I think you've gone a bit overboard with your parallels here. There is a difference between being traditional and being stubborn/ignorant. You're mostly referencing the latter.
ReplyDeleteIn your drug reference, that is NOT traditional. Dressage was traditionally sourced from the military, who is not going to drug a horse that is about to go into battle! If you drugged an Irish fox hunter, you'd probably die. Drugging horses for sport is a NEW thing brought on by greed and training holes.
You can follow tradition, but also be innovative. I'd like to think I fall in that category.
I tried to write up my own comment but Lauren said it better.
DeleteOkay I have to be honest, I'm with some of the other comments, in that I like traditional stuff. I cringe at all the bling I see in dressage-world, I long for my tan breeches and hunter green (yes, wool) hunt coats and braided nose bands. All that said, Courage looks awesome in his modern-styled tack and it seems to be working for you guys. Also, this post was HILARIOUS and I literally (not a euphemism) spit coffee when I read "someone get this man a Heisman trophy." You can blog about any opinion you want so long as you keep making me laugh like that, girl.
ReplyDeleteI was hoping someone would enjoy that as much as I did. Thanks!
DeleteAMEN SISTER.
ReplyDeleteAs a queer person, I hear the word "traditional" and break out in hives.
Am I still allowed to like rust breeches because I just like them?
I love, love, love this post. It is hilarious and thought-provoking.
ReplyDeleteThere is a commercial for golf clubs that pokes fun at tradition vs. innovation. It would have been perfect for this post! I tried to find it, but the internet failed me.
It is interesting that society in general has relaxed its standards towards dress in so many areas - attending church, flying on airplanes, attending ballet/opera/theater. But the equestrian world has not followed suit.
I dont know if I liked the posts more than the comments lol it was fun reading it all. I like bringing up "controversial" topics. Wool coats are stupid. Buuut I totes used to have a sleeveless show shirt in middle school and was like "nah not shaving armpits for horseshow" amd well..I never took my coat off and I hated life lol
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Generally its important to see how/why traditions were started to see if they're relevant today for your horse. Horse shoes are a great example. I've met horse people who didn't even know rubber, flexible plastic, and other alternatives to metal shoes were available. They just always had been using metal shoes because, basically "tradition," rather than doing the research to identify which type of shoe (or not) is best for their animal.
ReplyDeleteI get your point, and I'm the first to wear tech gym shirts to ride in. But maybe since I came from endurance/ trail land, I really have grown to like the Hunter look. So yea, we needs to incorporate more tech fabrics and less wool, but to me it's like chefs being judged on presentation of the food. Does it alter the taste? No. But it certainly effects the way we view the food.
ReplyDeleteAs for training, hey baseball still wears nearly their original uniforms and just got the ability to use reviews of plays after like a hundred years, not all sports change that fast.
Most of the hunt coats I see now are not wool, but some kind of moisture wicking technical fabric. Of course if it's cold, I'll take the wool. And traditions are made to be broken. Women ride astride now, yay! And also at the Olympic level, unlike every other thing in the Olympics, men and women compete against each other in the equestrian events, which maybe also breaks with tradition? If a tradition is a hindrance, it won't last, not with the majority of riders.
ReplyDeleteI agree that advancements have been made in coat technology, BUT WHY ARE WE WEARING COATS?
DeleteIt boggles the mind.
Why coats are still the uniform, I don't know. But I have an inexplicable affinity toward the Victorian era, so I am pretty happy about getting to play dress up and show my pony. I also think nice, somewhat formal turnout shows respect for the horse, the judge, the other competitors, and the sport. It's like when Lady Mary chopped off her hair, yet was still determined to ride a point-to-point side-saddle because her grandmother was in attendance. So ..... yeah, my whole argument is basically "because Downton Abbey."
DeleteKaren wins the internet. Best argument ever!
Delete...And I'm with her on this one. Love traditional dressage turnout because of all the fancy. It makes me feel like I'm a part of something bigger - a part of history if you will.
New turnout just doesn't appeal to me for those personal reasons, though I totally respect the "think about WHY you are doing it" approach, rather than the mindless "but it's tradition" attitude that tends to be lacking in a deeper understanding of horsemanship and why things work the way they do, and *why* that matters...
bonita of A Riding Habit
I'm kind of on both sides here. One thing I love about riding is the tradition. I love the "pageantry" if you will, of horse shows. Obviously, there is no need for braids in the jumpers, but I LOVE the look and think turning your horse out to the nines shows respect for the sport (yes, I'm one of those people). However, I think we can embrace both tradition and technology by using newer technical fabrics ( I love my soft shell coats and tech show shirts). I don't want to get rid of coats all together though. There is something about on coat and white pants on classic day that I find so appealing. I think dressing for the occasion makes the class more special. Here at WEF, the judges are big on formal attire rules. I saw a girl excused from a class because her collar was unbuttoned!
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
DeleteDitto for me!
DeleteThis just reminded me of something I had totally forgotten about: in my high school English class the teacher made us each dress up like a character from Great Expectations once we were finished reading it (don't ask me why...this was senior year high school and was the dumbest thing ever. I think she just wanted to humiliate us.) I had to dress up as a guy character. I wore my hunt coat.
ReplyDelete*Quietly puts away recently purchased super dorky super traditional ladies driving outfit that may or may not be worn in the 115 degrees this summer... full blazer, hat, silk scarf, wool apron and all*
ReplyDeleteSeriously. I am totally on board with
ReplyDeleteclassical dressage if it allows me to ride my horse for decades.
DeleteYour rant was pretty hilarious.
I love everything about this - says the tarp throwing rope wiggler... It's funny that the people I've dealt with about what I do not being "traditional" are the ones that have to ACE their ponies for trail rides and Brantley and I be all like, "B*tch please, we're bombing through the power lines."
ReplyDeleteIt's a hard line to walk. The Quarter Horse world has literally RUN from tradition and I'm not so sure I love where it's gone either. Want to be competitive in the horsemanship? You better have on an eight pound jacket, dripping in crystals, that ran you between $4-8k. (Seriously... https://www.facebook.com/LindseyJamesShowClothing/photos_stream?ref=page_internal)
ReplyDeleteCertainly not traditional (imagine roping in one of those), but do we really think it's an improvement over tradition?
But seriously, no more wool coats. Soft shells, all day.
Similarly, it drives me nuts when don't like something so it instantly makes it the wrong thing to do.
ReplyDeleteMmmm..... I'm on the fence here. *cue stream of consciousness.
ReplyDeleteMy equestrian side clings to tradition (let say hunt coats for example) because of a childhood fantasy to look like the riders I watched as a kid. The riders looked so classy and "hunt-seat."
On the flip side, I run and my running side is all about wearing that which makes me comfortable and keeps me healthy. I'm all about the performance fabric, the compression socks, and the neutral shoes.
So when I bought my first hunt coat a couple years ago, I thought I might get the best of both worlds - form AND function. I got so frustrated that I couldn't find a technical riding jacket. Now they seem to be more common place but it made no sense to me that a vented, dry-fit, breathable, dirt-resistant yet classic looking hunt coat was unavailable (at my price point).
The birth of the basics of tradition are just spots on the continuum line of evolving - we just happen to keep up the tradition of... tradition simply because it was there when say riding habits were practical! (I hope that made sense, getting it out of my brain was exhausting.)
Just as traditional riding habits were practical in the whenever period, we should be adjusting to what is practical now. I think it would be just fine to have classes based on the traditional aspects of hunt-seat but we really should focus on what works best for the modern rider. Eventing is going there, jumpers are going there, why doesn't everyone?
Also, when jackets are waived, I fling my off with glee. I don't get riders who say they wear them regardless because it makes them look serious and committed. Showing forces me to wear the requisite attire and the only way I can protest and show solidarity with modern riding attire is to eschew the blasted coat whenever possible. Riders wearing them anyway just defeat forward progress.
Also throat-latches. Why?
Hilarious and point well made but as a history nerd I kind of like looking like I belong In an episode off downton abbey. (Although jow the hell they galloped and jumped those fences fox hunting side saddle I have no idea.)
ReplyDeleteHmmmmmmmm....... I'm torn. Not about your point of just doing something only because "it's tradition" totally agree, but more about the traditional dress for hunters/dressage/eventing etc. On the one hand there is just something impressive about a well turned out horse and rider in traditional dress on the other hand I am much more comfortable in a technical shirt and breeches without a coat. But, I can see from an outsiders point of view the traditional dress probably does make equestrians look less like athletes. And I do think new things are seeping into the disciplines slowly but at the rate we're going it might take another hundred years to really see the big picture change.
ReplyDeletePer my trainer, the only good thing about a coat is it hides a multitude of rider position flaws (hunters). However, since I showed for 2yrs sans coat, I had to eliminate all those ugly no-nos and now wearing a coat - to have a more appropriate picture (bleh) - I don't even need it for the flaw purpose. I do wear a technical fabric traditional looking coat. Otherwise I would DIE of heatstroke as I ride hot. Yes, I think all the disciplines should be sport apparel. Coats are pointless. The End.
ReplyDelete