# Hi from Spain



## milady133 (Jun 7, 2021)

I've been lurking here for sometime, and finally today I registered to the forum. Not many Europeans, and I haven't seen anybody from Spain, but anyway, I was looking for a forum to read about horses, and the only one I found in Spanish hasn't much activity (there aren't many techy people between horse people I suppose )

I'm a long time rider (almost 30 years) but I haven't had a horse until this year, Covid-19 was the final excuse to buy one, with all the lockdowns I needed a justification to be able to go out and stay outside, until now I was happy riding different horses and learning from them, but I've increased A LOT my time with horses so leasing one of the horses used for lessons to go out on trails all the morning was not practical, so now I'm learning to own a horse.
I like going out on trails and practicing dressage for control. I've practice some very basic jumping (70-80 cm max) although not on this horse (he is 5yo and I'm not confident enough to teach him). In my boarding school they practice horseball, and I enjoy seeing them training, but apart from a few basic lessons I'm not crazy or fit enough to do it myself .
A picture of my horse, Clin, to end my presentation:


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Welcome! I know we used to have someone else in Spain, but I haven't heard from her in a while.

Great pictures!

What's horse ball?


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## milady133 (Jun 7, 2021)

Horseball is a mix between basketball and football on horse: 



It's really fun to watch, but the rules are complicated to get without someone explaining to ensure its safe to play for horses and riders


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Wow, that's crazy! What do they do if the ball falls down?


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## charrorider (Sep 23, 2012)

Bienvenida. Wow! Horseball is impresive. Is Clin and Andalusian (horse, not person)?


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

That is like the coolest thing from every single equestrian sport, all wrapped into one.


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## milady133 (Jun 7, 2021)

ACinATX said:


> Wow, that's crazy! What do they do if the ball falls down?


They pick it up from the ground 
https://www.hipicagreenbay.es/images/horseball/horseball_gallery-4.jpgIt makes the match more interesting when playing outdoors and it has rained.
They have a strap between the stirrups to make it easier going down (and then up, the difficult part) to pick up the ball, the stirrups are connected with this strap, so even if your opposite foot is over the saddle because you are down in one side, you have the stirrup in the foot and have a minimal leverage to get back up. Not that I have the abs to do it myself , when I have tried in the initiation class the teacher or a younger a fitter person passed the ball to me.
In fact they begin with something called "ramassage" where the ball is picked up from the ground while the horse is cantering, this part doesn't involve the players off the other team. Afterwards, during the play, there are rules to pick up the ball when it falls, so it's secure for the player to do it.


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## milady133 (Jun 7, 2021)

charrorider said:


> Bienvenida. Wow! Horseball is impresive. Is Clin and Andalusian (horse, not person)?


Thanks. No, it probably has a lot of Andalusian, I think here in Spain Andalusian it's what we call PRE, Pura Raza Española (Spanish Pure Breed), but he's not a pure breed.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

I found a place online that sells horseball stuff, and I'd really like to order a ball now. My daughter and I think it sounds like fun, although it would just be the two of us, for now at least. Maybe we'd just trot around passing the ball back and forth.

I saw the straps for sale on the same site, but I couldn't figure out how it worked. Is there one strap that connects the two stirrups, kind of like a girth? But how would that you attached to the horse when you're leaning over? Or do they attach to your boots, but that doesn't seem safe.

I've really been thinking about that a lot since you posted your video. I'm sort of wondering how the leaning down thing would work with my Pony. On the plus side, he's a pony, so there isn't so much space between me and the ground, but on the negative side he has no withers and I wonder if the saddle would slide to the side along with me.

I showed the video to my husband, who isn't into horses at all, and he said "That's the coolest horse activity I have ever seen."


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## milady133 (Jun 7, 2021)

The strap is attached to the stirrups, I think you'll see it better in this picture: https://www.ociocaballo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/horseball_catalan_018.jpg
There's a technique to getting down and then up, probably you'll be able to find some videos if you look for horseball or "pato" in Argentina.
Passing the ball would be easier practice than picking up (also, the horse has to learn that the ball is not going to attack )

I can completely understand your husband, I'm not a sports person, but even not practicing horseball, I spend a lot of time seeing them training. And even in normal classes, as the horses are used to the ball, sometimes they use some classes passing the ball at a walk or trot, so beginning or intermediate riders unwound and forget the fear of losing the bridle and they aren't so rigid on the horse. Sometimes when you are learning you have to spend sometime forgetting to be "perfect" and just be "effective" solving a problem on the horse.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Ah, yes, it makes sense with that picture. I see why you'd need abs of steel. I could probably get down into that position, but I'm not sure how I'd get back up. We were thinking about making something, maybe out of a wire coat hanger, with a hook on the end, so we could just pick it up that way.


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## triana (May 21, 2021)

Hola.


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## milady133 (Jun 7, 2021)

Hola @triana , I see you are from Canary Islands in your profile, it's a bit appart from me, I'm in Madrid. When I went to La Palma on holidays there where some riding schools in the inner part of the island, but I couldn't stop and watch at the time.


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## triana (May 21, 2021)

milady133 said:


> Hola @triana , I see you are from Canary Islands in your profile, it's a bit appart from me, I'm in Madrid. When I went to La Palma on holidays there where some riding schools in the inner part of the island, but I couldn't stop and watch at the time.


Hello, it's possible. I don't know La Palma.


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

Welcome!


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