# Who is your equestrian idol?



## GodGirl11 (Jan 10, 2013)

Who is that one rider that you look up to and want to be like and why? It could be George Morris or your mom, I thought this would be a cool thread 

Mine is definitely Allison Springer! She's a great rider, has an awesome relationship with her horses, and is one of the few riders interested in bettering the equestrian community!


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## Corazon Lock (Dec 26, 2011)

George Morris is one of mine. I hang onto every word he writes in equestrian magazines. I also enjoy Mary King, Lainey Ashker, Andrew Nicholson, and of course the people of Evention TV, Dom and Jimmy.  Oh, and I highly respect Jim Wofford.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Altalefty (Apr 14, 2014)

There are a number of amazing horse folks out there. A couple that have I have seen and impressed me lately are Curt and Tammy Pate.


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## Mochachino (Aug 14, 2012)

Stacey Westfall.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Queen Elizabeth, still rides, and still does her official "New Year's Day" ride every year, no matter what the weather. She rocks!


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## Live2Ride15 (Feb 22, 2012)

Mclain Ward and Dom and Jimmie from eventiontv!! Oh and I like Boyd Martin
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## danny67 (Nov 27, 2012)

That westfall gal. hubba hubba!


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

These guys. http://americanart.si.edu/images/1985/1985.66.487_1b.jpg


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

waresbear--What an awesome idol, and photo! <3 Love it.

Ken Hart.


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## MyQHBooger428 (Jan 14, 2012)

Hmmm....Never thought about this before.....I absolutely love Buck Brannaman.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Hunterjumper834 (Jul 1, 2014)

George Morris, reed Kessler and Gina miles, reed Kessler mostly because she is so young and I wish I would be able to be in the Olympics when I'm only 18!


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## frlsgirl (Aug 6, 2013)

Dr. Reiner Klimke, Ingrid Klimke, Steffen Peters and my former RI. She's 64 and still competes at GP level. When she rides, it's art in motion; simply beautiful.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

George Morris is always a good one xD


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

There are many that I admire for what they have achieved, for the help they have given in teaching/clinics, however, the ones I admire the most are those that have overcome adversity/disability to become competent if non competing riders. 

A friend of mine had a cob that, to say the least was not the nicest of horses. Had she been able to load him he would have been shot and hung on a hook! She had to make the most of a bad lot. She would often be sick before riding with nerves. I was often called in to ride the horse and being an intelligent and artful devil, he rarely misbehaved with me. 
She overcame it all, fox hunted him hard riding him to and from every meet because he wouldn't load. 

I admire her greatly for persisting and winning.


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## Cant Biya Love (Feb 15, 2013)

Clinton Anderson


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## GodGirl11 (Jan 10, 2013)

Forgot about Jimmy and Dom Schramm!! They're hilarious and also really helpful


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Jesus, for riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. :lol: I mean, how cool is that? 

For anyone who doesn't know just how adorable donkeys are:










I'm not entirely certain Jesus would have ridden Mary Lou. She looks a bit like a Yak crossed with the Easter bunny! :rofl: Maybe Don Quixote would have been more his thing. ;-)


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## Jumping4Joy (Jan 29, 2014)

Paige Johnson is really awesome
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Chasin Ponies (Dec 25, 2013)

Definitely Guy McLean! He does things with horses that I've never considered possible!


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

xD Sue, that's silly. I'd ride everywhere on a donkey, if it were allowed~


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## Emma2003 (Jan 9, 2014)

My BO and instructor. After a less than stellar introduction to riding at another stable, I decided to give this place a try. She works hard to convey how horses think and how it affects their behaviour. She is tough but fair, and focuses on the safety of the rider and the horse. She manages to do this while making it fun and a place you want to return to. I have since bought my own horse that I board at this stable and am having the time of my life. If not for this lady, I likely would not have persued riding and would have missed out on a whole lot.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Zexious said:


> xD Sue, that's silly. I'd ride everywhere on a donkey, if it were allowed~


You live somewhere this is not allowed? :shock:

I know it was a bit tongue-in-cheek, but I was also honestly answering the original question, _Who is that one rider that you look up to and want to be like and why?_ I just didn't go into the serious reasons why. How about it's an understatement to say I admire the philosophy, ethics, and life lived of this particular donkey rider. I think it's in a completely different league than the mere technical ability to teach and ride flawless flying changes, piaffes and all that spectacular stuff, and jump enormous obstacles, and perform circus tricks, much as I also admire that kind of thing.

Also on a side note, one kind of reaches the age and place in life where one would not trade places with anyone else. Each person's life is a gift. I am happy unwrapping my own without wanting to swap boxes with anyone else. And as far as horses goes, I'm doing what I want, and when we finish building this enormous craft project of our house, I'll have the time and energy to do more of it. I think authenticity is more important than perfection. 

My favourite horse person is the late Tom Roberts, who was (and is) the biggest influence and help I had training horses, through four marvellous books he took the time to write when old age meant he could no longer stand in the field and instruct. Like Waresbear I also think the Queen rocks, and any older people who still ride and care for horses. My dad is 75 and the oldest person in the state, and possibly in Australia, still training and driving his own harness racing horses, and I admire that, much as I fear for his bones should he have an accident. We have several people in the 40+ group here who are taking up riding again after decades of life away from horses. My hat is very much off to them for that.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Foxhunter said:


> ...A friend of mine had a cob that, to say the least was not the nicest of horses. Had she been able to load him he would have been shot and hung on a hook! She had to make the most of a bad lot. She would often be sick before riding with nerves. I was often called in to ride the horse and being an intelligent and artful devil, he rarely misbehaved with me.
> She overcame it all, fox hunted him hard riding him to and from every meet because he wouldn't load.
> 
> I admire her greatly for persisting and winning.


Great post, FH!  Could you just clear up one thing for me: Who is the intelligent and artful devil - the cob or you? Ah, the ambiguities of language... :lol:


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## Ride4Christ (Aug 14, 2013)

Guy Mclean and Clinton Anderson


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## horseTraining (Jun 22, 2014)

Zexious said:


> George Morris is always a good one xD


GM... I have rode in clinics with him before. Definitely not who he really appears to be!


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## Hailey1203 (Dec 12, 2010)

Not gonna lie, I find George Morris unnecessarily rude!


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

danny67 said:


> That westfall gal. hubba hubba!


And so? You don't think Queen E is hot? :evil: That young chickie ain't got nuttin" on Liz I tell ya.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

And I have to add.....She Rules!!!:rofl:


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## its lbs not miles (Sep 1, 2011)

It's a close call between Temujin of the Borijin and the Greek, Xenophon. I have to give the edge to Temujin for the mounted aspect and Xenophon the edge for knowledge and understand of the equine (pity Europe just ignored his so much of his knowledge 1,000 years later...and horses have been suffering because of it ever since). Not the Temujin didn't have the knowledge and understanding, but he never had any of it written down (probably just second nature to them) so we just don't know. We know that many of their practices show a clear understanding about some things and they likely knew as much (maybe more) as Xenophon. But Xenophon did document it which makes puts him the running for me.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Waresbear, you dag! :rofl: (I will explain the Australianism if I have to!)


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## Reiter33 (Jul 23, 2014)

Uta Gräf, Ingrid Klimke and always Dr. Reiner Klimke.


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## Strawberry4Me (Sep 13, 2012)

frlsgirl said:


> Dr. Reiner Klimke, Ingrid Klimke, Steffen Peters and my former RI. She's 64 and still competes at GP level. When she rides, it's art in motion; simply beautiful.


 Steffen Peters, all the way!


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Mary Walker.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## DreaMy (Jul 1, 2014)

of all the "big box" trainers Warwick Schiller and Guy McLean

...also my BO/BM/trainer/coach -- yes they're all one person, I've only been riding with her for 1 year but she has taught me so much riding, horsemanship and otherwise

I should add that every time I see Dr. Reiner Klimke's name it makes me so sad that she rides dressage and not reiners


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

This girl from NZ is causing quite a stir:






I've watched a few clips of her riding and talking and I really like her attitude with horses, and I think she's a super, extraordinarily well-balanced rider. I still enjoy bareback riding and if you like to do that too, check out some of her clips. There's a lot to be said for frequent bareback riding starting in childhood, the benefits stay with you all your riding life and you'll communicate so much better with your horse, and ride with a truly independent seat and minimal visible aids.


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## DreaMy (Jul 1, 2014)

SueC -- The barn that I started riding at (and rode at for quite sometime) started ALL its students bareback w/t/c. I can't say I really liked the "advanced" part of their program, but it was definitely the best way to start someone -- to this day I am just about as comfortable without a saddle or stirrups as I am without them


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## Roanwatch (Apr 1, 2014)

Chasin Ponies said:


> Definitely Guy McLean! He does things with horses that I've never considered possible!


Definitely Guy McLean!


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I don't exactly do the 'Idol' thing but Lucinda Green & Ginny Leng were real inspirations as an Eventing riders
Carl Hester has brought dressage in the UK to a whole new level - and made it something anyone could get involved with.
A lot of people laughed when Bob Ellis announced that he was going to be a showjumping course builder but he proved he could do it even at Olympic level
Two elderly ladies I had the privilege of learning from at different times in my life - they were still such strong, capable riders despite their age & one having cancer and they were very tough but 'sympathetic' horsewomen who weren't ashamed to give their horses a cuddle!!
I like those EventionTV people - love how they can explain things so simply and funny at the same time - a breath of fresh air
Isabell Werth for showing that even top dressage riders can have fun and ride bareback and in halter and still look amazing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMo-w69I0WA
Harvey Smith - showjumper - As a character he was a bit of a rogue to put it mildly and probably a less than shining example but he was an terrific rider
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOWlytvcS5M
And so was Eddie Macken - so many of todays top riders just don't have that style over a fence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ7waHDweB4


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## danny67 (Nov 27, 2012)

I'm not sure what George would say of that NZ girl's posture. It's not classical.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Speaking as someone who took up riding at 50...I'm not sure learning bareback first is the best way to start for for EVERYONE! I've had one real fall since riding, in Jan 2009, and my back still hurts & my riding time is still limited by my back.

And the ex-military safety officer in me feels compelled to point out that if you go too far to find out how far you can go, you may only learn that lesson during the final milliseconds of your life...

I don't have any idols in riding in part because, to paraphrase Treebeard, no one else shares my goals in riding. Or perhaps more precisely, while many might share my goals, there are no awards handed out for 'backyard rider farting around on his horse'. You can't buy a book on how to do it. You can't make money selling fancied up equipment, and there are no TV shows about it.

OTOH, it allows one to try lots of things from lots of riders who are vastly better than you, to see how it fits your needs and goals.

I guess if I had anyone I would think of as a role model, it might be the woman who trained Trooper to trust people and worked with Mia. She did a local 'trainer challenge' type thing, then swore she would never do it again. Why? Because she said the way to win it was to take shortcuts, and that wasn't fair to the horse or to anyone who would ride the horse...so she kept her 'challenge horse' for an extra couple of months at her own expense so she could get him to where he needed to be. That showed integrity and a genuine concern for the horse (and his future riders) that seems too rare.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

No, if you're going to do bareback it's probably best to start when you are really young, unless you are a very well-balanced athletic person for other reasons, or already have confidence riding with a saddle. I once started an adult bareback who was also a gymnast, so no issues there, and she had a natural flair for it. She really "got" the "relax and sit deep so you don't bounce" thing at the trot, and didn't fall at all during her lessons. The rider can't hold on to anything except the mane in emergencies, and pretty quickly catches on to the need to balance and adapt to the movements of the horse. Children also usually take well to it, and you can stick them on ponies if you don't have a parachute. ;-)

Personally I was started in a saddle, but without stirrups; the riding school I went to as a child said, "Suffer now, reap the rewards later" and I'm glad they did. The riding bareback thing came as a natural result of being a child growing up on a farm with horses, and in part because it's a nice option in a searing hot summer, especially if you're riding in water. When you're a child you just do that sort of thing, and because as a midlife adult I'm less immortal and more fragile I have to make sure I keep bareback in my routine so I don't lose my nerve for it. My horse tends to move exceptionally well whenever ridden bareback - engages, gets a really elastic back at the trot, comes right up to the bit - and I think it's in part because there is less to impede the communication between the horse and me, and in part because riding bareback forces me to focus focus focus and be really in tune with him (so I don't fall off :rofl. I can't idly think about other stuff when there isn't the security of a saddle, especially when there might be kangaroos jumping out of bushes...

Danny, who's George, pardon my ignorance?  Re Ms Burton's posture, I find that the legs naturally come a little forward bareback when you are riding a horse that's huge across the shoulders, whereas in a saddle, even without stirrups, my heels hang right in line with my back. I do think that NZ lass does a lovely job being elastic on a horse, and I wish her well for her official go at the bareback high jump record (if that hasn't happened already, not always up to date!).

And here's something else I've admired recently, and it's a blog from an HF member working with a mustang. Her horse is progressing really fast, and I love her warmth and clarity towards the horse when training.

Augustus the Mustang | Adventures of Augustus the Mustang


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## Nikkibella (Mar 10, 2012)

My trainer. Beezie Madden. McLain Ward.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## DreaMy (Jul 1, 2014)

BSMS as I have said before on this forum: I don't bounce either, the only difference is I am less than half your age. I actually have only fallen off only once bareback _but_ the thing is that it was easier for me to do an emergency dismount. In (or should I say "from") a saddle... well that's a different story because among other things I had back problems too :lol: and I was ten. 
I get what you're saying about limits in fact I have found *I have many* :lol:... but that's why I appreciate the steady eddy horses more than others my age who will get on anything with a pulse :wink:


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Jaydee, I really enjoyed those clips!  Isabell Werth doing bareback dressage reminds me of this joker, who I think also deserves to be highlighted on this thread, for bringing so much laughter to horse people:

CHIO Aachen 2010 Funny Dressage Demo - YouTube

You can also see with Isabell Werth the thing I mentioned in my last post about legs coming a little forward riding bareback on broad-shouldered horses.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

FWIW, I saw a documentary on the British Cavalry in World War One. Many of the recruits were city boys who hadn't been on a horse. Their training started bareback. If you fell off, you were "disobeying orders" and had some form of punishment. Then get back on. They had to ride W/T/C bareback before being allowed saddles. However, I doubt their training ground was as hard or had as many rocks as mine does, and they weren't in their 50s!

The heel-hip-shoulder in a line thing isn't exactly classical riding either. It is a more recent idea. This is a Greek vase from 500 BC...looks to me like the forward seat was being used 2500 years before Caprilli:










From around 900 AD - notice no stirrups:










From Dupaty de Clam in the 1700s - notice where the stirrups were hung:










The problems with this position, based on my trying it, is that A) if you brace in this position, it hurts your balance and flow with the horse (altho bracing almost always does that!), and B) it is tough to give light cues with heel and calf in this position. When you use a saddle with this position, it puts your calf and heel almost on top of the girth, which hurts communication. Like many things in riding, there are trade-offs that have to be considered.

I did do a couple of lessons on a lunge bareback, and that leg position seems pretty natural when there is no saddle - your legs go around the horse at its smallest diameter, which is why the girth tends to be there. And while I don't jump, IIRC the Italian school of jumping in the 1920s emphasized gripping with the knee. Littauer wrote years later that it worked well in some situations and was ideal for a fee-moving, willing horse who enjoyed jumping. It wasn't so good if the horse was rebellious and it made it tougher to communicate with the legs, he said. He didn't teach it because it wasn't a good match for an inexperienced rider and some of the riding situations one encountered apart from jumping.

In the video, the girl seems to be gripping tight with her knees in the jump, then relaxing between. Her position in many ways was closer to the forward seat taught in the 20s and 30s than what I see in modern videos of jumping. At least she wasn't draped on her horse's neck.

A characteristic I admire in riders is being willing to try different things to see what works for a given situation. Many of the 'rules' or riding are meant for a specific goal, and don't have universal application. One of the reasons Littauer is my favorite riding author is that he gave explanations, explained trade-offs, and even admitted that things he didn't teach could still work very well for some riders and horses.

In fact, I guess if I had to name my 'idol' for riding, it might be Littauer.  He was very open to new ideas, and also concerned about the horse's well-being and happiness when ridden. He wanted to see the evidence supporting each assertion about riding, and also wanted to know how riding like XYZ would affect the horse's well-being. Like many others through history, he was preaching gentleness and 'oneness' with the horse before Parelli was born. :wink:


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## DreaMy (Jul 1, 2014)

BSMS as a fellow Arizonan that d̶i̶r̶t̶ cement is punishment enough (have you even hit the ground in the Superstitions??:rofl 
also I feel like I learn so much whenever you bring out your magical pictures/diagrams/books I guess I will definitely have to find some Littauer books in the near future! 
I have to admit that this thread has brought about many names that I didn't recognize -- I love learning about new trainers/philosophies


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## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

Stacy Westfall went to my college and she was in my major. She comes back a lot to give us seminars. She is really nice.

I really admire Clark Bradley and Art O'Brian. Clark is in the AQHA fall of fame and Art is just an amazing instructor.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Bob, the key to staying on at speed and over jumps bareback and during "there's a monster in the bush" moments, for me anyway, is firstly balance and anticipation of movement, and secondly being really adhesive with the whole leg, as opposed to bracing with any particular part. You kind of wrap around the horse but without much force. You know the physics of static versus sliding friction, it's that I think. It's very subtle but makes a big difference. The texture of your pants also comes into it, I wouldn't use anything slippery obviously! ;-)


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## Kolobok (Jul 26, 2014)

I don't really do the idol thing but there are definitely riders that I admire. I like many Dutch and German show jumpers for their position in the saddle. Growing up, though it was much before my time, I admired Sergei Filatov for his individual Olympic gold in dressage Rome '60. I had to have every book or picture or mention of him and his mount Absent!


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## ChevysMyBoy (Jan 2, 2013)

I would really have to say Karen O'Connor because I have met her on several occasions and she was always one to ask how I was, ask about my horse, and on time I showed her an EQ video and she actually gave me a bit of advice I have always used since then!!


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## bkylem (Sep 21, 2013)

I'm progressly pretty well, so I'd have to say my instructor.

She's great.


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## Rachael1986 (Jul 27, 2014)

The list could go on forever but I would say Waldemar Seunig, Xenophon, Dr. Reiner Klimpke and Rudolf Zilinger just to name a few. Oh and cant forget Clinton Anderson


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