Now that I'm riding at a different barn after riding with them for five years, I realize how much of a difference there is between mine and theirs. We still ride with flags, but we also use two hands. Westernaires doesn't often have shape or bend with their horses, whereas mine does. We focus on how the horse is moving, and not speed.
Yeah... I always choke a bit when announcers talk about how "well" these kids ride, tbh. Face-yanking, bad body positioning, or both horse and rider, and really unbalanced seats are not what I call skill. It is part of the reason you see so many of their string getting injured.
Now that I'm riding at a different barn after riding with them for five years, I realize how much of a difference there is between mine and theirs. We still ride with flags, but we also use two hands. Westernaires doesn't often have shape or bend with their horses, whereas mine does. We focus on how the horse is moving, and not speed.
Yeah... I always choke a bit when announcers talk about how "well" these kids ride, tbh. Face-yanking, bad body positioning, or both horse and rider, and really unbalanced seats are not what I call skill. It is part of the reason you see so many of their string getting injured.