# Reiner Klimke's 6year old Grand-daughter riding



## Sara

More than a little jealous, I assure you


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## MIEventer

She has a great seat! Her Grandfather has obviously put allot of work into teaching her balance and her core and center.

Little handsy - but she is 6 and on a big powerful horse. 

Great vid! I wish I had her Grandpa! I'd be in the Olympics by now! HA HA!


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## Kiki

I dont know about you but if I happen to meet that girl there is going to be aunfortunate accident. Sooooo unfair!!!! She's got the signals down so well!!!


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## Ne0n Zero

....so I'm on my computer at school and couldn't really tell cause the video was really choppy but.. did she seriously do a flying lead change.


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## Kiki

yes thats whats annoying me. There should be laws against 6yr olds riding better than most of us put together and bareback no-less


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## NorthernMama

I dunno... I admittedly know next to nothing about technique and dressage, but to me it looks like she is just along for the ride. 

I think it's too much horse for too little child. Like trying to put a 6 year old on an adult's bicycle or in adult's clothing. As in all sports, the equipment used should fit the user. In this case, it just doesn't fit -- physically. I think the little girl would learn much more on a more suitably sized animal.


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## Spastic_Dove

northernmama said:


> I dunno... I admittedly know next to nothing about technique and dressage, but to me it looks like she is just along for the ride.
> 
> I think it's too much horse for too little child. Like trying to put a 6 year old on an adult's bicycle or in adult's clothing. As in all sports, the equipment used should fit the user. In this case, it just doesn't fit -- physically. I think the little girl would learn much more on a more suitably sized animal.


Yay! Someone else saw it. 
I think it was impressive that she was apparently cueing the horse to do those things, but the way she flops about, I wonder if she is actually as talented as that makes her seem.

NOTE: I understand she is a 6 year old and she is going to flop and such, I'd be darn proud if my 6 year old rode like that. I just wasn't blown away.


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## smrobs

She may be far from perfect but still........wow. You can definitely tell that she has spent every waking hour since the day she was born on a horse. The only thing that is bad about that is lots of times, the kid will burn out really fast and not want anything to do with horses when they are older. It is strange though, she looks almost like she is velcro'd to the pad on the horse. IDK.


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## Kianne

I thought she was flopping around a bit too, though I don't know much about dressage either. but its still pretty impressive. im defiantly a little jealous!


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## Miss Katie

I kinda wasnt that impressed either. She is obviously on a push button horse, and whether or not she was cueing the horse is debatable.

Can anyone on here do tempi changes? To me, it looked like her timing was a little off on some of them (during the first time across the diagonal), the horse was changing before she even started to move her leg. In her second pass across the diagonal her leg seemed just be flopping. Is that what is should look like?


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## Spastic_Dove

I was wondering the same thing Miss Katie. I thought he was a push button horse as well. I am not a dressage rider to the point I can do tempi changes, but I have ridden horses that can do them. Looking at it though...I couldn't tell.


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## MIEventer

Sure, it is easy to say "Oh that horse was push button" but I have seen riders older and more advanced have very difficult times riding highly trained dressage mounts. Because their aids are not precise or accurate.

This young girl has very quallified parents, who have learnt through Reiner. 

This girl is talented and you will see her in the Olympic Ring.

I've worked on Tempi changes - and they aren't easy.


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## Spastic_Dove

I just don't see how this girl is advanced no offense to her. I'm just not blown away. Impressed, yes. But I have seen far more stable 6 year olds and that I find more impressive. 
I can see where you are coming from though


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## MIEventer

She isn't "advanced" being her age - but she is educated and has obviously been put in the saddle since she was capeable.

I have been put on a Level 4 Dressage Horse, and I had a hard time doing Tempi Changes.

Doesn't matter - this girl has the means, the fascillity, the parent of Reiner himself, and the capeabillity.

Expect to see her representing her Grandfather in the show ring, and doing well. 

If she is at his point at her age - wait till she is in her teens.


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## Spastic_Dove

When I said advanced, I meant advanced for her age. 
I am not denying that she has very clear potential.


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## Skyhuntress

oh wow, people, she's 6. I think that's fantastic for a 6 year old. most 6 year olds don't even know what a lead change is, let alone how to ask for a series of them!


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## DarkChylde

Remind me not to post any vids of my riding.....

I was very impressed with this little girl. My 7 year old rides very well, but I don't think she could handle tempi changes (neither could my MUCH older hubby, either.) 

I was impressed, tho I DO wonder if a well trained pony wudda been easier for the little thing. I mean, the legs are flappin cuz they ain't long enuff to hang down the horse's side. But it sure ain't lack of talent, balance, or an awesome core at such a young age.


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## Spastic_Dove

Yeah...you pretty much said what I meant in better terms =P


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## Dumas'_Grrrl

My 5 year old still eats boogers. I'm very impressed with this little girl...and secretly jealous...


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## NorthernMama

Well, sorry. I still am not impressed. OK, she's better than many or most 6 year olds, but she's awfully floppy and I don't know why she is staying on that horse. She's certainly not holding on with her legs. For a 6 year old that is being taught by such an acclaimed horseman on such a well-trained horse, I just don't get it. I really honestly think that many of us that have children here could throw our own child on that same horse, 30 minutes of instruction from Herr Klimke and see the same results. Maybe I just don't get it because I'm not that skilled. hmmm...


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## farmpony84

I believe she was actually giving the cues and that is why her leg was going so far back, because when her leg was still, he remained on the same lead, when he was switching leads, her little legs were sliding way back. I think she was telling him to do that. 

I would LOVE to have a horse that well behaved... that I could put a six year old on and turn it loose...


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## NorthernMama

I'm going to have to watch it again, but not now... gotta eat first!


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## DarkChylde

My 7 year old rides a horse (not a pony, he is a little over 15 hands) and when she was 5, her legs kinda stuck out to the side on him too, but now she is better suited and can wrap her legs around him better. 

That kid's legs stick out just like mine would if I had attempted to ride a huge horse like this.....




 
Imagine how hard it would be to get your legs around that one? :shock: I gotta admit I was impressed with her, tho I do think she would have done better with a pony so she could get her legs down better. They shudda put her on a real small horse or a pony her size, rather than that big horse. But that wasn't her fault, she stuck in there (literally) like a soll-jah! 

JMHO.


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## smrobs

I know how she feels. When I was 4 I graduated to Dad's old roping horse. He was a buckskin that stood about 16hh and weighed about 1300 lbs. He was built like a tank. I started having flashbacks to that when I started riding my Perch. He makes me feel so tiny and I can't even ride him bareback as well as she did on that horse.


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## Dumas'_Grrrl

You and that big boy are so darned cute together!!!!


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## DarkChylde

Yeah, that is the pic that is beatin everybody on the Draft pic thread....:-x:lol:


I am impressed, Smrobs, I think you set very well on him. I am unfortunately kinda shortlegged, I hafta have a smaller, narrower horse to really be comfortable. I think my mustang baby boy Boo! will wind up just perfect for me. My hubby has his half Perch, but she kinda took a little more after the Thorobred side and is a bit more narrow than Big Boy there. 

You two DO good, tho........


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## smrobs

Thanks, both of you. That was after only his 3rd ride. I get used to riding him with his wide self and huge neck then go back to riding my others and it takes some getting used to. It is like going from sitting on a steam locomotive to sitting on a toothpick. The first time I rode my gray mustang after riding john (and dobe is no small horse) my first thought was "Holy crap, where is my horse. I can't even touch his neck without bending way over!!"

Darkchylde, when I get him a little more broke, I will have to loan him to you. You can set a recliner on his back and just enjoy the ride LOL. He is just toooo wide. (cough....fatass....cough) LOL.


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## DarkChylde

I will take you up on that offer, but I gotta have some kind of device to help me mount! My hubby's mare is like that, a huge couch, but I also know that tryin to field mount her is a completely graceless operation! I am VERY short.


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## veganchick

OMG!!!! SHE IS 6!!!! BETTER than half the people I know! lol


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## Miss Katie

I still dont know. Ive seen some pretty darn good 6 yr olds, who havent been lucky enough to have a top instructor teach them from the start.
IMO, she is flopping like a rag doll. 
Also, the horse is wearing a surcingale to stop her slipping forward. So not what I would call bareback in the traditional sense.


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## Equinspire

Wow, such potential! She does a very good job, and although the horse is clearly a reliable old schoolmaster who's been doing it for years, he doesn't exactly make it easy for her! She does well to keep it together while he tries to lean down and pull her forward! I don't know how many times I've seen kids (and adults!) pulled out of the saddle by much smaller horses and ponies doing the same trick!

I can't believe how harsh some of the comments are... She's not trying to get on the Olympic team!  

To give the people who don't know much about dressage something to compare it to, here's a video of Reiner Klimke performing one tempis in his victory lap after winning the gold medal back in 1984.





Do you think he's "flopping around" as well? I'm wondering if people are maybe used to watching people ride horses that don't have such big movement, so the rider can sit much stiller? Or possibly not used to seeing riders applying the aids for the movement?

I too have seen some really awful riding of one tempis, where the rider seems to signal by leaning waaay forward over the horse's neck and practically sticking a spur in the horse's flank... trust me, this little girl is doing a super job!!

Also, to clarify, she hasn't been instructed by Reiner Klimke, as he very sadly passed away in 1999 before she was born. Wow, I can't believe that was 10 years ago!!


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## Walkamile

Well I'm very impressed! As far as this flopping around (?) keep in mind the power of this horse's movements and the feather weight of this rider. Her butt looked velcroed and I feel she was cueing this horse and doing quite well (better than I could, sadly) at it.

Sadly, being his granddaughter, she will always be highly picked apart and criticized (just too bad it is starting at age 6).

If she doesn't burn out, I fully believe she will be a force to recon with in the future.


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## Jubilee Rose

Wow, that definitely is amazing! And yes, she most definitely did a flying change. I can't believe that was bareback as well... incredible! 

I agree though, she'd be better on a smaller horse, it would help her stop flopping. But honestly... maybe this is where amazing Olympic riders come from ... little 6yr olds learning to ride as soon as they walk ...


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## MLK11

The big thing that impresses me is that at age 6 she knows how to ask for flying changes. Never mind tempi's. Anyone ragging on her for being late on some need to realize how hard asking for those are. Even the most advanced rider will be late sometimes. No one is perfect, not sure why we want this 6 yr/o to be. Most kids her age are still grasping how to identify a correct lead. 

If you have never ridden an upper-level dressage horse then it is hard to understand why she might have been 'flopping' around. You really need a good seat in order to sit on these horses. They have huge powerful movements that require a solid seat. And they are not push button. You need to know the cues and how to ask for them. 

I think she looks great. The horse might be a tad big for her, but she can obviously keep him under control. She's going to be a great rider.


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