[Mike Matson]

Sit back and feel the goosebumps. Don't miss the slow motion coverage at the end - FANTASTIC!

http://www.topdressage.tv/phpBB3/vie...p?f=190&t=5018

Just in case the above link "disappears", here is a YouTube link.

http://youtu.be/hHtULaEcNng

[Melissa.Hare.Jones]

Lovely!

[luv2ride113]

What an awesome combination!

[Piaffe11]

Beautiful! Thanks for posting

[pluvinel]

No one concerned about the heaviness in the hands?

[BaroquePony]

Well, it is the first ride I have seen where there is actually an extension of the frame of the horse during an *extension* since the Dutch have taken over the World.

Nice ride, very harmonious.

[Donella]

No one concerned about the heaviness in the hands?

What the F! is wrong with some of you?

[skydy]

IMHO , A lovely test. Some absolutely stunning, seamless, transitions.
Well done Charlotte and Velegro! (and to you as well Carl!).

[dudleyc]

No one concerned about the heaviness in the hands?

What the F! is wrong with some of you?

Well said Donella

[2tempe]

Lovely consistent test. They just seemed to flow around the ring as if nothing at all was a big deal, all easy - Wow. The extensions were beautiful, as BP said earler, and I loved how clearly this horse sits.

I wonder how cool it feels to ride a full canter pirouette to a bunch of 1-tempes to another canter pirouette, all w/in the space of less than 60 meters............

[Aven]

I have to say I haven't seen such a relaxed test of that calibre that I can remember. Seems a bit strong in the contact.. but seems through and I wouldn't say exactly heavy.

[solara]

Beautiful . . . just beautiful. What I really love, though, is that she's wearing a helmet, and that it clearly doesn't detract from their amazing test.

[Perfect Pony]

No one concerned about the heaviness in the hands?

What the F! is wrong with some of you?

Donella, I think this is an important point to talk about. IMO people have gotten so used to seeing horses that are in a false frame and so tense over their toplines that they see a horse truly through and on the bit as "heavy in the hands".

Personally I think it's the biggest problem in dressage right now. So I for one am glad someone came on here and said it, I think it's worth discussing.

[Perfect Pony]

Beautiful . . . just beautiful. What I really love, though, is that she's wearing a helmet, and that it clearly doesn't detract from their amazing test.

I think that is great also. She actually looks fantastic to me. So graceful yet sporty and cute! Love, love, love it!

[dressagetraks]

Wonderful!

I remember one tale from Podhajsky's My Horses, My Teachers. A judge came up to him after a class and asked to ride his mare. He hesitated but agreed, and the judge took her for a spin. Afterward, the judge apologized to him. That judge had marked them down some in the class for "heaviness in the hand," but he said that now that he had ridden the mare himself, he realized that while her contact was so steady that it might appear to be heavy, she was actually ideally light in hand.

[NOMIOMI1]

Of course its incredible

Here we see some of the new long arm riding tHats set some of the old schoolers on their heads lol but now that the results are in people will begin to realize the modern way is actually the most sympathetic. And that Anky and the likes have not been considered "modern" in europe for a long while.

These same people claim Totilas is ridden softer now but the pictures of warmup on dutch photography show he is very much head to chest... So thats light eh?

Valegro goes more to the hand because it is a friendly hand and methinks the arguers argue for its own sake and do not have the eye to be able to see the difference in their own sock drawer.

This style for all of the horses run towards hotness should especially be emulated because it invites so much over the back from lower to upper and that horse would stretch at any moment.

Lovely!

[hyacinth]

Seems to me like a terrific video in which to watch a rider effectively use her seat, and ride her horse up to and through the bridle.

[dwblover]

There is NOTHING wrong with a horse going boldy into the contact because of his total trust in his rider's beautiful hands. He does not look heavy to me at all, simply through to the contact as he should be. It's dressage, we DO actually want contact that is initiated by the horse. I hate how rollkur has made some people believe that a horse should be hollow and never touch the bit. That is not "lightness", it's avoidance!

[alicen]

Here we see some of the new long arm riding tHats set some of the old schoolers on their heads lol but now that the results are in people will begin to realize the modern way is actually the most sympathetic. Lovely!

So who is in the long (straight?) arm school? I just assumed it was Dujardin's idiosyncratic style.

[esdressage]

So who is in the long (straight?) arm school? I just assumed it was Dujardin's idiosyncratic style.

It's interesting. I was specifically watching for her contact since people had already commented on it, and immediately noticed that her arms are rather straight, instead of having that "L" to them which I personally have to think very much about maintaining and do so in order to have a more elastic connection. It's interesting that Dujardin doesn't have that so much, but what a lovely, lovely rider she is, and what a pleasure that video is to watch.

Edited to add: I have heard the "short reins, long arms" mantra, but I guess I never thought of it as short reins, straight(er) arms???