# I watched a show :) Lipizzaners and quarters. Some questions too...



## manca (Feb 23, 2011)

There was an open door day in horse center in our town, so I went to watch.
The main events were lipizzaner and quarter horse performance. Although I'm an english girl, (never ridden western, although I want to try) I liked western more. Dressage seemed forced, lipizzaners were opening their mouth all the time and were all foamy around their mouth. Head was way beyond vertical sometimes. And one lip. kicked when he was asked to do some element.
And there, lipizzaners are our national pride... The most known horses in our state.


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## csimkunas6 (Apr 18, 2010)

Great photos!!!


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## manca (Feb 23, 2011)

Thanks  some more coming soon.


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## amymarie57 (Feb 20, 2011)

If I was one of those riders in the background I would be SO NERVOUS to ride in the same ring as them. Oh my goodness they're intimidating


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## manca (Feb 23, 2011)

Haha, yeah the difference between them and dressage riders was very visible  And the dressage riders seemed so cold, high people, very strict. Lol, I guess it really wasn't pleasant for others.


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## manca (Feb 23, 2011)

I don't know much about western, so if there were any mistakes I wouldn't noticed them as much as in english style (and I can't do it fine even there). But that horses didn't seem worked up, nervous, but very calm and ready to work. Riders didn't put much pressure on their mouths and even take the bridles down and ride this way in the end.
I still didn't decide about the owner. He was promoting this breed a little bit too much and that didn't make it appealing to me. I don't know the breed, so I may be wrong. He said they could concentrate much longer as any other breed and that makes them easy learners. I also don't agree with the bit he used, a group of people went to him in the end and asked him a lot of questions, also about bit. He told us that they start a horse with a snaffle and then go on that bit to get the finese. If he can ride without bridle, I don't know why he has to use that kind of bit. But again I don't know much about this...
He also said that quarters are the only breed that is very calm but explosive. That they are the only that can stop from fast gallop so quickly. That's true?


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Was it a curb bit?

Just like a GP dressage rider moves up to a double bridle, a finished western horse will be ridden in a curb. Because they are going off of neck reining rather than direct reining (like an english horse would) the cues are already very subtly. The rider only has to make very small movements with the rein to adjust as needed. Most of the cues will come from the seat and body though. 


Quarter horses are a great breed. They are built to stop and start quickly and are the fastest sprinting horses. I imagine though that something like an Australian Stock Horse would be built to stop and start and use their haunches just like a quarter horse.


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## fuadteagan (Jun 10, 2010)

You are so lucky. We don't have lip. around here. Never ever saw a real one in my life, only pics. They are striking but yes they keep a tight pull on the reins and such.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

He may have been promoting the breed so much simply because there are many people there who don't know much about them.

I love QHs. In general, they are very quick and easy learners and are usually willing to please. One of the things about them that is so prized is their ability to get to full sprinting speed in the length of 3 to 4 strides instead of having to build up to it. Then, after a sprint after a cow, their ability to come right back down to a calm walk on a loose rein is another thing that is so great about them.

The reason why many western riders use curb bits is because we ride with loose reins. The curb bit allows the horse to feel the cues without actually having to put pressure on their mouths like you would with a snaffle. Basically, the curb gets the same results with a much smaller hand movement.

Gorgeous pictures of the Lipizzaners, I got to see them a few years ago when they did a show here in Texas. It was very impressive.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

The riders on the lipizzaners aren't keeping a tight rein on their horses. If you look closely in the photos, the curb rein doesn't even seem to be engaged. The horse is ridden on a direct contact with the poll more elevated than a western horse. That's just a difference in discipline. 

The ideal dressage and the ideal reining horse have similar goals. A lightness of aids with the horse using their body correctly. 
Although the dressage horse is ridden with direct contact with the bit, the communication comes through their other aids like their weight, seat, and legs.


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## IslandWave (Nov 25, 2009)

The Lipizanners are gorgeous! I love the burgandy saddle pads and polos on them.


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## Ladytrails (Jul 28, 2010)

I've seen the lips before in KC, amazing animals. So gorgeous and such beautiful movements. There is one of the high school movements called capriole that is actually a kick - info from wiki pasted here: 
_In the *capriole* (meaning __leap of a goat), the horse jumps from a raised position of the forehand straight up into the air, kicks out with the hind legs, and lands more or less on all four legs at the same time. It requires an enormously powerful horse to perform correctly, and is considered the most difficult of all the airs above the ground. It is first introduced with the *croupade*, in which the horse does not kick out at the height of elevation, but keeps the hind legs tucked tightly under, and remains __parallel to the ground. The horse is then taught the *ballotade*. In this movement, the horse's hind hooves are positioned so one can see its shoes if watching from behind, but the horse is not asked to kick out. When the horse demonstrates proficiency in the ballotade, the capriole is introduced. 
_
So, if it wasn't a plain old obvious cranky kick, it may have been one of these movements that you saw!


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## manca (Feb 23, 2011)

> Was it a curb bit?
> 
> Just like a GP dressage rider moves up to a double bridle, a finished western horse will be ridden in a curb. Because they are going off of neck reining rather than direct reining (like an english horse would) the cues are already very subtly. The rider only has to make very small movements with the rein to adjust as needed. Most of the cues will come from the seat and body though.
> 
> ...


He did tell truth then  I really liked quarters.



> You are so lucky. We don't have lip. around here. Never ever saw a real one in my life, only pics.


And here if you ask a child has no idea about horses, he will tell you that he knows a lipizzaner. There are A LOT here.



> One of the things about them that is so prized is their ability to get to full sprinting speed in the length of 3 to 4 strides instead of having to build up to it. Then, after a sprint after a cow, their ability to come right back down to a calm walk on a loose rein is another thing that is so great about them.


Yeah, that man showed us that and it seemed unbelieaveable... 



> The reason why many western riders use curb bits is because we ride with loose reins.


Make sense, he did it like that. I like it so much better, that english style 



> The riders on the lipizzaners aren't keeping a tight rein on their horses. If you look closely in the photos, the curb rein doesn't even seem to be engaged.


I see, in some photos the curb rein is actually a bit loose, but in some like here:


>


the rein is quite tight and head behind vertical. This moments weren't rare. That's why I liked western riders more 

Ladytrails, I'm quite sure it wasn't a capriole, it was a cranky kick, rider even hit him with a whip (not hard) and the horse seemed to be in bad mood. 

They were stallions and mares rode around them, so this also could be hard for them


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## fuadteagan (Jun 10, 2010)

manca said:


> And here if you ask a child has no idea about horses, he will tell you that he knows a lipizzaner. There are A LOT here


Yeah I live in PA, USA... so no lipizzaners around her. We have a boat-load of paints and QHs here!!!!!!!! We also have appys. Saddlbreds are too rare either. We have some hanos. Actually, alot of show ponies too. Kinda a mix. The breeds we don't have r specific horses that are in most places. So like Tennessee Walking Horses, Missouri Fox Trotters, Lippies , umm fjords, and I have never seen any of these except Missouri Fox Trotters and fjords. That was when I went to the harrisburg horse show and they had breed demonstrations. Wish they had lippies but they are quite rare here. Love 'em, though!


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## manca (Feb 23, 2011)

There are quarters here, but not as much as I would like to see. They are pretty new here. Tennessee Walking Horses, Missouri Fox, Fjords, Saddlebreds never seen here. We have a lot of german breeds, TBs, arabians...


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

manca said:


> There are quarters here, but not as much as I would like to see...


Manca, I will wrap one up in a box with a pretty bow & overnight it


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## Marlea Warlea (Apr 27, 2010)

lippies are SOOOOO beautiful 

when i was younger i used to think that they were like12hh (lol) i think it's becasue they are so stocky


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## manca (Feb 23, 2011)

> Manca, I will wrap one up in a box with a pretty bow & overnight it :grin:


Yes please  I'm just worried about how long will he travel... He would probably have jet lag 



> when I was younger I used to think that they were like12hh (lol) I think it's becasue they are so stocky


Yup, they don't seem so big, but I think think they are about 15hands, some of them even more than 16.


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## gigem88 (May 10, 2011)

Great photos!


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Foaming is considered a good thing - it can show that a horse's jaw is relaxed - though some horses will spew foam no matter what if they are carrying a bit.) Anyways, it is a good thing. 
Lippizaners are trained in Haute Ecole (can't get an accent on my phone) where some elements - airs above ground - require the horse to rear or kick out on command. Are you sure they weren't demonstrating the Capriole or some other movement that requires a kick?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Marlea Warlea (Apr 27, 2010)

YAY i saw some in real life last night! I went to see 'the horseman from snowy river' 

IT WAS AWESOME!


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## fuadteagan (Jun 10, 2010)

The most common breeds in my barn are TBs, QHs, Saddlebreds, and appy. We have 6 saddlebreds . Then we have like 3 or 4 QHs, wonderful horses. Then like 4 appies. Then alot of TBs . Then ya know your occasional mini horse and morgan x. Ya know . ahh...And our little unbroke pinto pony!


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## manca (Feb 23, 2011)

> Foaming is considered a good thing - it can show that a horse's jaw is relaxed - though some horses will spew foam no matter what if they are carrying a bit.) Anyways, it is a good thing.
> Lippizaners are trained in Haute Ecole (can't get an accent on my phone) where some elements - airs above ground - require the horse to rear or kick out on command. Are you sure they weren't demonstrating the Capriole or some other movement that requires a kick?



I didn't know about foaming... I thought that's because they aren't pleased with the bit. Lol... Sometimes I really make a big mess 

About kick: I'm pretty sure it wasn't capriole or anything. Rider stopped the horse from trot and wanted to do something (don't know what), but horse put his ears back and kicked with one leg back. Rider hit him lightly on the bum with whip and after that they walked backwards. That was happening in the warming up place. And in the show they didn't do it, so I'm sure it wasn't the element/exercise. They were both stallions too, and mares were being ridden around them, but it didn't seem they were causing any problems.


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