Dressage For Jumping DVD > Reviews > Partnership of olympians

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Liked it
How does it compare to similar films?	Good

Advantages:	Really helpful, entertaining
Disadvantages:	Would have liked to see more equine models

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

This is a really useful DVD that would be helpful for anyone interested in show jumping, cross country or any other equestian activity.

To perform any equestrian activity well, your horse or pony needs to be balanced, supple, attentive to the aids and obedient. Dressage comes from French term "to train" and that is what we all have to do in partnership with our mounts, if we wish to perform well.

Dressage trains the horse to go in the correct manner and perform what is asked of it obediently. Who would want to jump a horse that did not move properly or do what theyI asked it?

This 85 minute DVD takes Olympic and long-term GB dressage team member Richard Davison and pairs him up with two of the greatest show jumpers on the circuit today, John Whitaker and his son Robert.

John is known for his intuitive feel for a horse and is great to see someone so expert, still so open to ideas.

Richard Davison instructs the Whitakers through basic (and not so basic!) flatwork, enhancing the suppleness of their horses and helping them to enage (move from behind like a rear wheel drive car), so that they can power into and over a jump whilst remaining balanced and under control.

They also pop over poles and larger fences so that the viewer can see the progression that they make.

All three have a great sense of humour and it is an enjoyable DVD to watch.

On the continent and I think in the US, show jumpers are trained in dressage as well as over jumps. The German equine system means that to be licensed to compete at affiliated level, riders must be at approx medium level dressage. Looking at their results, it is clear that the process works.

For us lesser mortals, dressage or schooling will be of assistance to.