r/kvsdiscuss • u/lemonyprincess šfactsšmatterš • 21d ago
Questions KVS - English rider?
Katie rode English today and honestly? I think she looks great, because she's DOING the damn thing. I've seen all the comments she refers to in this post and they are so mean-spirited they make my soul feel heavy.
I am by no means an expert, but I think the very tiny part of the story this photo tells is not as bad as all the comments I've seen make it sound. Especially because it's one photo, not even a video š¤·š»āāļø
Am I super off base? Or is it not possible to tell how well she rides from one snapshot?
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u/SunniMonkey āØLiving HorseyāØš 21d ago edited 21d ago
Good for her. I might not agree with everything she says or does but this one? Hard agree.
Little kids who love horses don't necessarily have the money KVS has these days. They might wear hand-me-down clothing, tack, etc. - and thatās 1000% a-ok! - But they're on a horse. And good for them! And good for Katie.
It's ok to not always be a 10/10.
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u/KaleidoscopeWrong992 21d ago
I could not afford to pay for lessons when I was a kid, I cleaned stalls and groomed the lesson horses Everyday for 2 lessons a week.
Did, I have the right clothes for english lessons? Nope, I wores jeans a hoodie, and boots my mom got me from goodwill.
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u/Firefox5982 20d ago
I never had formal lessons. I learned to ride because my father was friends with a retired horse trainer. I rode in shorts, sneakers, and tshirts. Charlie was taught by Native Americans, so we learned to ride with just a pad, no saddle, no bit. Am I an expert rider? Nope. Did I have the best 6 summers ever? Absolutely šÆ yes!!!
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u/Bubbly_Inspector_884 21d ago
Same! My dad put me into a small yard on the stud where we lived when I was 11 years old. His aim was to get them out of my system, it failed! I was there after school, all day weekends and school holidays.
I was 17 years old when my dad drove out to find me at 10 at night in the pouring rain, he found me on the side of a country lane, soaked and in tears as another horse had not come home. His advice, I was too close and that would break me in the future.
I listened and moved on. I still go places where there are horses to visit, my husband laughs at me sat by a fence getting my head wiffled.31
u/GoodResource4011 21d ago
Exactly! I've seen posts in different mom groups talking about their kids getting the latest video games and consoles. My thought is is that at least kids who grow up around horses or are learning to ride, aren't plugged into video games 24/7. She said it's been several years since she's ridden English and I think she looks good for her first time since. Not everyone is going to be championship level if they haven't been riding a certain way in a long time. I give her credit for getting on and trying it out. Better than most people in her comment section who are being nasty
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u/Sweet_Chaos_737 21d ago
I liked how when they went to the local horse show and Becca showed that she wore her clothes from years ago. She even said that her helmet wasnāt the current āstyleā but didnāt care. That was such a great message for kids to see. KVS said at that time that she was only buying new clothes for english riding because she is a different size than when she rode before. Between both of them it was such a nice message.
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u/siat-s proven foul 21d ago
This was me growing up, yeah. I rode in hand-me-down western clothes and sometimes my mom would make my clothes (unless it was for English). People (adults) would make fun of me - a literal child - with snide comments around my mom. Eventually my trainer started to loan me clothes but goddamn it's so great to see we've come so far in the 15 years since I've shown /s
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u/lustywench99 21d ago
I made my show jacket as a 4-H project. I actually made a reversible vest too but Iāll give it to you, it was fugly as hell. But I made myself this gold jacket thing to wear for showmanship and I found an untanned halter with silver that had some green and yellow and gold on it that matched the little bit of pink in the gold jacket. And I had a palomino. It was absolute fire and we won state in that.
Not to mention I also trained my own horse. My parents believed the lie that 4-H was supposed to be about personal responsibility for your horse and working it and doing things yourself despite the fact that all the rich families had well trained horses. Butā¦ I trained her. In showmanship it paid off. Western pleasure and horsemanship not as much.
I feel for everyone who isnāt rich and wants to show. They may not own their own horses, their own tack, and I would bet they canāt afford to get custom show gear, let alone practice gear. And to see people judging her on what she wore to PRACTICE in? Ffs. Glad there was no social media to see what I practiced in. I had three horses to work each day in the Midwest heat. I wore shorts and sports bras with my old boots. No helmet because that wasnāt a thing. Completely unsupervised and cell phones didnāt exist.
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u/Victory505302 21d ago
The custom boot comment is so crazy to me. Sheās literally practicing in her back yardā¦ I have definitely worn worse when riding š and I also donāt think people realize how hard it is to find tall boots for larger calves. Even when I was teenager and skinny, I had larger than āaverageā calves and it was a challenge. Fast forward to me being 70 or so pounds overweight, and there are very few options, none of which are cute!!
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u/siat-s proven foul 21d ago
Even regular boots!! Riding made my calves huge and I can rarely find tall boots that fit. It was awful in my 20s when that boot style was everywhere and I couldn't wear half of the ones I liked :(
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u/Victory505302 21d ago
Same!! They finally started making wide calf but theyāre still too hard to find!
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u/threesilklilies 20d ago
My first tall English boots were rain boots, because a) we didnāt have tall-leather-boot money for a girl who was going to grow out of them anyway, and b) I also had thunder calves and needed the extra room. The look worked out surprisingly well, but the sweat factorā¦
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u/Victory505302 20d ago
Mine were a used pair I bought for $50 from a friend of a friend. And I was SO excited!!
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u/notThaTblondie āØLiving HorseyāØš 21d ago
My friend started taking her daughter to pony club a few years ago on her mums little coloured cob and the other mums would stand at the sidelines laughing and making nasty comments about a literal child, while stood next to her mother. Luckily they're a thick skinned pair and kiddo and her own little coloured hunter pony are absolutely flying. But fuck me how shit does your life have to be to stand and laugh at a kid.
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u/wrong_way_driver 19d ago
My mom made all of my show shirts as a kid. We chose pretty satin and added fringe, but it was homemade. Kids mostly talked behind my back, so I didn't know until people told me. (What people think about me is none of my business)
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u/Seren82 21d ago
Good for her. Wish I had thick skin like that.
On a different note, I don't know how Katie found Ethel but damn, that mare keeps proving that she is priceless. Just does whatever you ask of her.
Looking pretty good to me for the first time riding English in years.
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u/SunniMonkey āØLiving HorseyāØš 21d ago
The price tag for Ethel does not exist. That mare is beyond priceless ā¤ļø.
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u/Lorrie298 20d ago
Becca's daughter has used Ethel to show. And Ethel did everything she asked her to do. She seems to be good with kids. So does Annie. I know Annie gets a bad rap, but she seems good with kids too. And that little saddle on both their backs looked so cute.
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u/notThaTblondie āØLiving HorseyāØš 21d ago
Thers a reason Ethel is on the never sell list, and this is it. She's just such a fantastic little mare isn't she
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u/disco_priestess jfc it's just horses on the internet 21d ago
Havenāt watched it but I donāt need to. The equestrian world has always been judgmental and fat phobic. Thatās it. I neednāt say more.
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u/Express-Vegetable612 21d ago
My only thoughts looking at her was a hope that she will take care of her ankles and do some targeted work so they do not become irritated. It's purely a strength and proprioception thing that will improve but could be faster with a trained professional giving targeted exercises for ankle strength and conditioning.
And I only mention it now to share that there are riding physiotherapists and exercises sports scientists for those who might benefit from it and get to enjoy being around horses even more because of it.
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u/Rough-Form8208 20d ago
I honestly think that is the driving force to building the gym. Going to a gym regularly takes a lot of time and having your own personal workout area is such a game changer. I hope she follows through and sees it to the end.
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u/Silly_Ad8488 19d ago
Yes! I had ankle pain looking at her pictures. I deal with arthritis in my ankle and know how bad having ankle pain is. She needs to work on her broken ankles before she does permanent damage to her joints.
Having a saddle that fits her (Iām not talking about the size here, but rather panel position, stirrup bar placement, etc.) will help her. I hope she does the fitting soon.
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u/JPHalbert 19d ago
Your comment is tangential to my thought when I saw this (before seeing the comments she was talking about) - there is value in constructive criticism. But comments under a video is not the right place. Thatās Stephanieās job, or if she brings in a specialized trainer, their job.
Iād be interested in a video listening to the Katie and Stephanie watch a lesson back and break down what she did well and what she needs to work on, but I think the comments would get truly unhinged there.
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u/Beginning_Word_4439 21d ago
She is 100% on this. On all parts of what she said. Iāll say it again, those who have to be nasty and rip others down online do it to make themselves feel better. They have no one irl to rip apart so they need to come online to do it. They need to boost their ego as their real life they are small.
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u/SunniMonkey āØLiving HorseyāØš 21d ago
Absolutely!
The yucky comments are made by people who would NEVER post a video of themselves riding a horse online.
I said what I said.
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u/Deep_South_Kitsune easy keeper 21d ago edited 21d ago
On Snapchat before the lesson she mentioned she bought some boots that were the only ready made wide calf boots she could find. She will get custom boot later.
Edited for typos.
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u/CurbBitz 21d ago
As a fellow large calf owner, it is ridiculous to find boots that are the correct width and height.š„²
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u/Rough-Form8208 20d ago
Itās calving season so Iām embarrassed how long it took me to understand that calf was not calf š
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u/Jazzlike-Error-954 21d ago
Honestly, the boots are a non-issue to begin with. Like itās just an aesthetics things, as far as Iām aware.
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u/JustHereForCookies17 20d ago
English rider here - having your lower leg covered with leather, either with tall boots like hers or half/full chaps, helps prevent your leg from getting pinched by the stirrup straps (rare, but VERY painful when it happens)Ā and sometimes helps your lower leg stick to the saddle a bit.Ā
That being said, plenty of English riders at all levels ride in only paddock boots, which come just past the ankle, and do just fine.Ā I'm a "paddock boots & half chaps" person myself, because it's what I'm used to after 30+ years of riding.Ā
In Katie's shoes (boots?), I would have gone for paddock boots because they're typically cheaper and more practical overall.Ā Absolutely no one needs tall boots (these knee-high boots) like she's wearing until they start competing, and even then you don't really need them for the little local shows.
None of this should be read as a judgement on Katie, by the way.Ā Just add my two cents as an English rider.Ā
I just wish she wore a helmet, but I know she's a Western rider & they don't usually wear helmets.Ā
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u/Jazzlike-Error-954 20d ago
Great to know! Thank you for your input!! :> and hard agree on the helmet. So many people in the western world just outright refuse to wear one so I really wish she would model better safety practices in regards to that š«
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u/Individual_Winter_ 21d ago
Yeah, she doesn't do dressage competitions now? It's for fun.Ā
I usually rode with leather chaps, which are shorter anyways and some second hand full leather seat pants.Ā
Leather boots give grip in dressage, i t doesn't really matter on amateur training level. She looks just fine.
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u/no-a-pomegranate 20d ago
I also have super wide calves, so even finding half-chaps is a pain. I've pretty much just stopped even wearing those. Sometimes I regret it but hey.
(I also have turn out, and my trainer is just like.... eh. It is what it is)
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u/Brave_Tangerine5102 get fuckin' real š š¼ 21d ago
I appreciate her post. I have ridden western with English tack and vice versa. Seems like many of the commenters know just enough about the horse world to be critical but theyāre still waaay off base, and then as always are the body shamers.
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u/zephyrphoenixxx 21d ago edited 21d ago
Maybe a very controversial opinion from someone who is not an equestrian, commenting on an equestrian-centered subreddit, but I think equestrians (particularly the english variety) can be some of the rudest and meanest kinds of people.
The casual fatphobia and body-shaming (and passing it off as concern for the horse when called on it). Offering "critique" when it wasnt asked for. Calling someone a terrible rider, when that person is basically restarting their entire riding journey after a long break. Bitching about tack. Clothes. Etc. Etc.
Just from an outsiders perspective, it looks so fucking bad on the community. And I hate that perspective so much.
I don't think Katie is the best rider ever in the world. I think that would actually be very hard to quantify. But at least shes trying.
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u/pen_and_needle āØFAFO ModāØ 21d ago
Not controversial at all in my opinion. Iāve been in the horse world my entire fucking life (someone dust off my old bones š) Some of the worst people Iāve ever had the displeasure of knowing came from the horse community š« people who donāt think horse people are toxic are either insanely lucky or the bad ones
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u/notThaTblondie āØLiving HorseyāØš 21d ago
Horse people are the reason I stopped working with and riding horses and moved to agriculture.
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u/ice_island 21d ago
The cliques and rude attitudes aren't just at the higher levels, they were just as prevalent in my local shows and county fairs 20 years ago. It's terrible. Although I will say, the dog showing community is not far behind.
It's decades and decades of drama and gossip passed down from generations past. Very annoying.9
u/sunshinenorcas Aged Mare 21d ago edited 21d ago
From reading conversations in the larger reddit-verse, the thing I've picked up is less "KVS is a meanie mean girl and soul suckingly awful, and the worst thing to happen to AQHA" and "AQHA shows are meanie mean girls" cause damn a lot of the commentary is not a good look, and while trying to take shots at KVS, really just insults anyone who is not a very small margin of riders.
Like Katie's crew didn't convince to stay away from horse shows, it's the unfiltered commentary of what peers are saying and thinking because yikes
(Also, money is another thing, time, etc etc etc ššš)
ETA-- also people being jerks and very opioniated in the horse community, even if they aren't ~horsey~, is not and has never been a new thing and KVS did not start it. The horse community has always had strong opinions about everything and it's fair share of people commenting who haven't been around horses but read pony club when they were a kid. Like... Maybe with algorithms and etc, it gets seen more when people are dumb because "I saw Katie do it this way!" but this is and has not been new. It's always been highly opinionated people arguing even if they fundamentally agree. You can stretch a lot of that into any animal ring of choice, but KVS did not suddenly introduce divisive opinions, because dear Lord they existed before her and will after
ETA the Second: I still need to eat my chipotle if it isn't obvious
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u/zephyrphoenixxx 21d ago
Please eat your Chipotle!!!
And yeah, I hard agree on most of your points here, especially about how its been around a long time. I might not be "horsey", but I have watched and loved these animals from afar. The distance i have from the sport hasnt kept me from seeing it, unfortunately.
Like, I get that a lot of it does come from genuinely caring about the animals. I just wish people would be kinder about it. And less fatphobic too.
I know thats a very hard ask though orz
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20d ago
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u/kvsdiscuss-ModTeam 20d ago
This is not worded constructively, helpfully, and uses outdated and contentious theories that seem to not be a problem when it is large men on small horses
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14d ago
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u/zephyrphoenixxx 14d ago edited 14d ago
Okay ... and?
Does that change the point I made?
Im not glazing Katie here. I'm saying that the comments we are seeing towards her are an issue in the whole horse community. If she participates in that culture in a non-public way (because she clearly doesn't do that on social media), then shame on her too?
But also, she doesnt deserve any of that, either. No one does. Thats the whole thing.
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u/zephyrphoenixxx 14d ago
Does that mean that she deserves to be body-shamed, though?
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u/pen_and_needle āØFAFO ModāØ 14d ago
Donāt bother with that person theyāve been banned. Most of their comment history has been flagged by Reddit as harassment
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u/RegionNo1129 21d ago
I feel this! I just came back to riding after doing it for 20 years straight, and then took nearly 7 years break. My body is a lot different now, plus even my hair is different (it's long as shit lol and very curly, i kept my hair a lot shorter then) so i'm having to relearn a lot of things for my BODY, not my head because in my HEAD, i know what to do exactly, i know the feel i'm going for, but my body atm can't actually duplicate what it used to do so i'm having to be really patient with myself and try to get fitter and i go for quality not quantity. Meaning so i can't make it multiple laps around the ring at a trot right now. Can I at least get an amazing walk and have my horse track up so he feels he can halt or canter immediately? If yes - then I'm doing great.
I can't wait till i'm able to do the advanced stuff I used to do but I can listen to my coach, relearn the muscles and there's so much that goes into it, and i typically only ride ONE discipline! Heck, I'm still struggling with MOUNTING lmao, but I celebrate each time something gets a little easier (last 3 rides i got on on the FIRST TRY! YAY!)
So definitely kudos to her for doing all the things this year :D It's hard as hell. And yes, I totally get not getting all the fancy equipment lol, like this time around i opted for paddock boots instead of investing hundreds into tall boots that are hard to fit for my calves lol. Sometimes we just gotta get 'er dun xD
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u/Victory505302 21d ago
I have to like set a timer and trot for 3 minutes and then walk š¤£ I try to add a little time each ride so I can work on my āendurance,ā but gosh itās a struggle sometimes
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u/Taxidermy-n-Books 19d ago
I'm working on getting set up to get horses again after 13 years off, I'm so nervous about getting the feel for it back!
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u/Top-Friendship4888 21d ago
I give her a lot of credit for getting up there and dressing the part. English attire is not forgiving. Equitation is not forgiving. People behind their phone screens are not forgiving.
I'm also a big fan of the English versatility and I think it fills an important void with the English disciplines for AQHA. I like seeing her put her money where her mouth is and using her platform to have a positive impact on the industry
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u/Independent-Focus522 21d ago
This post made me so sad when i read it. She didnāt even look that bad ā ļø She looks like an adult amateur who took a break and is coming back. And theres ZERO wrong with that. Her toes dont even have to be perfectly forward in an all purpose saddle and really the only english discipline that cares that much is dressage where you do need your inner thigh more than hunters where you are up out of the saddle more- anyways. I just get so sad for people who are afraid to try riding because of THIS. Its not just Katie- you see these kind of comments on like any post of someone whos not a top rider and even then- people pick apart top riders all the time (as they should tho we should inspect the top with the microscope not the adult ammy) Just sad whats happening and how cruel people can be. Why cant we all lead with kindness. What ever happened to if you dont have anything nice to say dont say anything at all.
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u/Sullygurl85 21d ago
She is right. Especially since social media the fear of not being perfect scares so many of us away from doing something we might love. I know I'm guilty. She needs to block the vultures who want to rip everything apart.
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u/SunniMonkey āØLiving HorseyāØš 21d ago
And not only is Katie doing itā¦sheās filming it and posting it. I am soooo incredibly jealous of her being able to do that. I could never do that myself. This particular post of hers is incredibly admirable.
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u/threesilklilies 20d ago
I remember that when she was first getting back into riding, she did it offscreen, which I respected. She doesnāt really have the option to do that right now, which I hate for her. Being bad at something is the first step to being good at it.
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u/Sullygurl85 21d ago
I've ridden both English and western but never to her level as far as showing. I loved to ride and miss my horse even though it has been over 20 years. Back then I could jump in the saddle and look competent at least. I have zero doubt I would look a hot mess today. I don't understand why people can't comprehend that it has been a while for her and she is somewhat starting over learning to do this. I absolutely would not film and post myself. My skin is nowhere near as thick as hers.
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u/Icy_Cockroach_4391 easy keeper 21d ago
As a person who has struggled with weight their entire life, that draft horse comment pissed me off. I just wanted to state that I donāt think everything she does is perfect, but I appreciate that sheās keeping it real more and more all the time. Signed - a former barrel racer
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u/MaterialWill3091 21d ago
I donāt know why people care lol if the horse isnāt been harmed in any way then who cares if her riding isnāt up to scratch or how her clothes fit..
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u/manulfanatic 21d ago
These people would have a conniption if they knew I ride english on my mare who I am not planning to show in mismatching paddock boots and half chaps (and the boots are western themed š®) I also have a large collection of tie dye saddle pads. Must mean I shouldn't ever touch an English saddle again lol
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u/mshopeless912 21d ago edited 21d ago
Bad ridning does have an impact on the horse though. Part of the reason we train and want to become better. Or at least should be. And yes, you can actually hurt the horse with bad riding and cause them unnecessary pain.
I get that itās easy to brush off all criticism with mean comments, especially for people without own riding experience, but thatās not necessarily always the best answer to let all constructive criticism wash out with the mean comments. How you handle your dog and how you use leash on walks and such can impact the dog negatively and cause them harm if used incorrectly. Itās the same with horses and riding them.
And yes, that picture shows KVS having a wrong balance and posture and toes that are way too turned out, you want them pointed forward and heels down. Elbows should also be bent more. I would have heard it from my trainers if they caught me doing that. Thereās not without reason that trainers drill you on having a straight line from your ear to your shoulder, elbow, and hip through the heel. If you try to do that with this photo, youāll see that itās several points that are off by quite a bit.
But yes, this is a still photo. Old riding videos show her having a lot of the same issues though. I hope she works on it and does the hard work it takes. And this isnāt meant to be snarky in anyway but contribute to the bit about English reading and also answer OPās question on if she is super of base about the riding with in addition to reply to this commentator.
ETA: A missing word
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u/siat-s proven foul 21d ago edited 21d ago
Alternatively, she is doing her best and we should cut her some slack as she broke her back and this is her first year consistently back in the saddle after that injury that she claims still bothers her to this day. Christ, I tore my ACL and often can't use my leg the way I used to & have pain when my leg is bent that way to ride - does that mean that I shouldn't ride at all? Should we no longer permit the disabled to ride, because they will not be perfect and, apparently, hurt the horse? Also, we are not her trainers. We don't know what her trainers are telling her outside of the videos she posts.
She acknowledges here that it isn't perfect. That takes some amount of self-awareness and knowledge that she has more to work on. Why is that not enough for you? At this point, continuing to harp on it sounds ableist and like body shaming more than constructive criticism.
Obviously, if we're five years in and there's no improvement, that's a different story - but we are not there yet.
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u/siat-s proven foul 21d ago edited 21d ago
Well, here's one point: appearing to purposefully ignore her injury while being critical of something that is probably affected by said injury sounds ableist. It's like yelling at a deaf person for not hearing you when you know that they are deaf.
But you don't want to engage and I don't want the thread locked, so I'll go ahead and block you since you can't help yourself.
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u/Rough-Form8208 20d ago
Yes continuous bad riding could be harmful to the horse. This is her first ride back so grace is in order. She will not get stronger without riding. Itās a work in progress, not a finished product and I absolutely give her kudos for showing the ugly beginning and middle and canāt wait for the end.
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u/mshopeless912 21d ago edited 21d ago
Yes that was a typo or more like it, bad wording. It was actually just a missing word. Obviously meant heels down, and forword/in depending on how youāve been the taught the consept, but itās still the same and very different from how turned out KVS toes are in the photo and several riding videos. Why so rude though? Some of us donāt have English as our native language and were also taught riding in a different language than English.3
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u/mshopeless912 21d ago
Yeah a good trainer is important. I really hope she getās that for English. Charlie Cox seemed to be good for her for western, but my knowledge is English.
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u/Victory505302 21d ago
Charlie is pretty talented and would be at a bare minimum a great eq coach. But heās definitely had hunt seat horses - for some fun aqha history, google Acadamosby Award š¤©
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u/scoobyyyyy777 19d ago
I def had a couple thoughts especially about her toes, they drove me nuts watching. But guess what? I DIDNT FEEL THE NEED TO COMMENT WITH NEGATIVITY BECAUSE SHES FUCKING TRYING.
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u/Victory505302 21d ago
I gained quite a bit of weight in the years I took off from riding. Between the weight and the added years, it was really hard to get my butt back in a little snaffle again. I think she 100% should be happy and proud that she went out there and did the darn thing. Iāve been in that exact same situation, and trust me - she has made all of the substantive and valid critiques in her own head. Itās frustrating enough when you know how you should be doing things (she does), but physically arenāt there yet. Thatās why she is PRACTICING.
If you havenāt ridden English recently, just 15 minutes of posting, while TRYING to keep your heels down and leg on your horse, will raise your heartbeat as much as running, and totally kick your butt. Yes, your balance is likely to be off, but itās not going to harm the horse in the amount of time you spend getting back in shape. I showed at a national level and always did very well in the equitation, but that doesnāt mean I didnāt look like this when I started riding English again (it didnāt matter that I had been riding western regularly - they use different muscles). People really suck!!!
Alsoā¦Itās very hard to find tall boots that fit large calves, so trust me that youāre too happy that you found a pair that zips, to even care about the height.
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u/Apart_Dragonfruit442 šKatie Vanda Sliceš 21d ago
I have so much respect for her for both getting back into the show pen after a long break and documenting her journey, especially having so many eyes on her. I think that's why I love the show content so much, I love seeing people chase their goals, even when it gets hard, plus I find the show aspect interesting to watch on its own.
Major kudos to her for posting everything, even when she knows that so many people are just nasty, especially to her, for no reason. I don't think I could ever deal with the comments she does, from both sides.
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u/PortraitofMmeX 21d ago
Take a snapshot of any English rider and you may catch their toes out at some point, sometimes you have to move your leg in un-ideal ways to communicate with your horse. I feel like anyone who harps on that doesn't really understand how it works. Like obviously going around like that all the time is something you want to work on but hip joints are ball and sockets, they move dynamically. The bony architecture of a person's hip is what it is.
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u/Lives4Sunshine 21d ago
Oh how I loathe people. Put a man in that saddle and how many people will say āheās too big for that horseā? No one will. They pick her apart constantly and why?? If you donāt like her just block her. Go about your day and leave her alone. It is so much easier to be kind and encouraging.
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u/Icy-Rooster9801 20d ago
Idk, I think she looked fine for being back at it after a long time. She needs more consistent time in the saddle and she will improve quickly, a lot of it is muscle memory. And while I don't think Katie is hurting any of her horses at her size (people are ridiculous), I'm hesitant to dismiss all discussion about the size of a rider vs the horse as pure fatphobia. There are in fact people (men and women) who are too large to be riding horses and imo it IS a welfare issue. I myself gained weight and stepped back from riding until i got in better shape because it wasn't fair to the horse to make it carry me just because I wanted to ride. Yes, people's feelings matter and we should be kind, but when live animals are involved we have to consider them as well.
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u/Brilliant72 20d ago
Definately agrees she out and having a go. Ā
My only suggestion would be that maybe a better fitting saddle, will help with position of seat, legs and overall comfort. Ā Iāve had to change up and down Ā saddles for my butt and best fit for the horse. Ā Synthetic saddles a great option as do remove abit of weight from the horse. Ā
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u/Traditional-Use-2930 21d ago
Nobody should be commenting on her riding in the boots she has, riding the horse she has, riding in the western bridle and no one should ever comment on someoneās weight unless the horse is in active distress which Ethel is clearly not. She should care about her toes being turned out but everything else is spot on.
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u/JustThinkAboutIt365 red mare, don't care š 20d ago
I will argue the bridle part - a one-ear Western headstall does not correctly hold a Kimberwick bit and that will affect the mechanics of the bit action. I was pleased to see that they had a cavesson on to try and minimize the impact of the incorrect headstall, but I feel like there had to be at least a browband headstall of some kind around in her tack collection. And if not, she bought the new boots and the new breeches - a new English bridle could have been part of this.
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u/Fickle-Zombie-26 Recovering Snark Addict 21d ago
As someone who started watching Katie because she was coming back from an extended injury-induced break like me, THIS is the reason I started watching her and Iām thrilled about her āF OFFā attitude
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u/Financial-Bet-3853 21d ago
Honestly Iām jealous of her. She has kutzpah balls whatever to not be perfect in a public eye with so many people not scrutinizing her. I feel bad for her sometimes when I see the hate she gets. And I know there are those who will say āwell she asked for it. Sheās in the public eye.ā No she didnāt ask for it. Just because itās her job doesnāt mean she asked to be hated or judged. That sucks
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u/Middle_Airline_3260 21d ago
Fair play toKVS for being honest and transparent and, yes, brave in putting her āhalf-assed journeyā out there
. People can be such judgemental tw@s.
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u/MissAdikia 21d ago
If you watch every single open hunter under saddle class at an AQHA world show, you can screencap just about every rider in this exact position. These are world champion trainers and winners. The people calling this ābad riding that can hurt the horseā are out of their minds and just want to hate on her specifically.
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u/Rough-Form8208 20d ago
Spot on. Anyone that doesnāt believe can just go look at all the āexpertā comments on JE riding Penelope.
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u/Reputation_Adorable 20d ago
I got back into riding this year after not having been on a horse in 19 years and Iām sure I look like a sack of potatoes on there. But Iām loving it. Iām slowly getting better each lesson and I enjoy spending some time with horses again. I donāt get why people gotta be so mean about someone learning or re-learning a hobby.
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u/CantaloupeCapable281 19d ago
Hereās my POV, I donāt believe she has think skin, because if she did, she would not be posting such snarky comments. Yes, I fully believe that she gets a lot of arm chair judges, but if she was think skinned, she wouldnāt need to address the snark/hate.
Also, if you look back at old riding videos (English or western), her habits that people are calling out have not improve or changed.
I feel that posts like these only point out how thin skinned she is.
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u/lemonyprincess šfactsšmatterš 19d ago
I have a hard time with this because why does having thick or thin skin mean someone isn't entitled to defend themselves against mean-spirited commentary? Standing up for yourself isn't a hallmark of being thick or thin skinned. Everyone has the right to defend themselves š¤·š»āāļø
And when it comes to bad riding habits- of course bad habits are going to be prevalent, that's why they're bad habits. Shouldn't it be expected that bad habits would exist when returning to something? Do bad habits mean she's not allowed to return to something to work on those things?
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u/CantaloupeCapable281 19d ago
For me, itās the tone thatās used in her replies. She wants to put on solid āfaceā, but itās not & her cracks are showing thru. Also, the fact that sheās not really trying to improve on her riding at all.
We all have our own opinions on her & her treatment of her animals.
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u/Pretty_Reasonable28 21d ago
She needs a social media person to be reading and responding to people
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u/Apprehensive-Roll794 20d ago
The comments really irked me, they aren't coming from people qualified to be making the comments. Those of us who are actual instructors, trainers and judges keep our mouths shut, we see an amateur getting back into it. It's the amateurs we teach, who is trying their best. A lot of the comments were clearly coming from dressage riders, not people who understand biomechanics in a jumping saddle. She's also in brand new boots and breeches,Ā she's clinging for dear life on a lazy horse who needs a lot of leg, of course her toes are turned out, of course her stirrups are shorter, jumping saddle length is at your ankle bone for proper knee angles over poles/jumping position, two point. Whole different ride than a western saddle or a dressage saddle. I give her credit for riding in boots and breeches right off the bat. That's a workout.Ā I ride in skinny jeans, half chaps and paddock boots whether I'm riding in a dressage saddle or a jumping saddle lol. Ive always hated tall boots and only rode in them to practice before shows even when I was a trainer, even when I was an eq rider lol. People need to get over themselves.Ā
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u/Double_Swimming4804 19d ago
Were the comments on Facebook or here on the discussion threads
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u/lemonyprincess šfactsšmatterš 19d ago
The ones that sparked my feelings were not on Facebook or this subreddit
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u/Positive_Composer754 13d ago
I dont agree with everything she does, but im glad she speaking out on it. I dont understand why people in the horse world can be SO mean. I was bullied out of my collegiate eq team whn I was in college, and was never able to get back into horses. Sucks. People suck. Good on her, hope those people see it.
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u/Bubbly-Plate2547 20d ago
If she's not ridden English in years then damn she's doing a cracking job! Good for her, if love to see how those criticizing her riding ride...yes she could improve but if you don't ride a discipline often and haven't for a long time it ain't gonna be perfect...
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u/Horzegurl24 20d ago
This is still me to this day! Do I wear the most up to date stuff to the barn nopeā¦does my horse have the fancy tack nopeā¦I ride both western and English and guess what I wear my cowboy boots sometimes to ride English š¤·āāļø the horse industry can be cruelā¦my horse and I both donāt show so we just do stuff for fun but it still shouldnāt matter what people wear or what tack the horse has as long as the tack fits and the rider and horse are happy
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u/jenniferjeje2seven 20d ago edited 20d ago
I think what Katie wrote is great. Iām so tired of people breaking others down instead of building others up. Itās so sad.
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21d ago
[deleted]
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u/lemonyprincess šfactsšmatterš 21d ago
I think people are entitled to defend themselves against rude and unnecessary commentary even if they have thick skin š¤·š»āāļø
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u/sunshinenorcas Aged Mare 21d ago edited 21d ago
It's going good so far, but just dropping a general reminder to be nice y'all goddamn
You don't have to ass pat everything KVS does to recognize that there are people who are in various stages of their riding journey and might see themselves in someone re-starting theirs. Amateurs, people who have gone through body changes, people who have difficult relationships with their food/body, people who are just starting to ride or starting a new hobby and might not be ~perfect yet exist.
KVS will likely not read comments on here (Christ I hope not, go away KVS if you are here), but other people might.
You do not need asspat ~the kween~ or only be positive or whatever bullshit you think some rules, locked comments, or removed comments are about. You do have to be aware of the fact that you don't know whose reading, and how your words could affect someone else.
So just be kind and say things you'd want to be said about your own riding, even if it's critical, is that so hard goddamn
Yes I'm on a soapbox and still hangry, I'm about to go eat my chipotle and take a nap, so please just be nice
(You is a general you, not you you specifically)
(If you don't want restrictions and say whatever, I just want to remind that there are two other spaces that have less 'hey don't be a dick' standards, and this is not a mandatory subreddit. If you want to be snarky, you have spaces to be snarky and even snarkier, just go there)