Monday, December 28, 2009

Cathy riding the VLC



In response to a readers request for a picture of Cathy riding I have posted this picture. This is the only photo I could find of Cathy riding the VLC, although there are others. What's most apparent in this photo is the hand position, called 'puppy paws', and the body position which is too far forward. It has been mentioned before, in regards to another photo, that Cathy has almost no lower leg contact. This is Ok if someone is learning to ride, but it's not OK if person purports, as Cathy has done, to be a riding instructor. In addition, I don't want someone in the media critiquing riding, as she has done on FHOTD, who doesn't have the basics under her belt.

23 comments:

  1. I think her position isn't helped by the fact she is riding on the very back of the saddle instead of in the seat. I never noticed it in the past, but I did notice her riding was weird. For all I know I ride like that, but I know my butt is at least in the right spot in the saddle.

    I also know she intended to do a basic breaking before sending him off the trainer for a horse she was purporting to be a 'sooper' stallion. Wouldn't teaching him with a proper seat do more wonders in his progress?

    I do know there is another riding picture that exists of her out there. It's a rescue site she is associated with and I wish I could remember what it was. It was on a smaller horse, I remember that much.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Anonymous. I knew there were other pictures out there but I could remember which sites they were on.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Haha. Pony Up is the rescue that used to have her name up. Guess they grew older and wiser.

    ReplyDelete
  4. CinammonSwirl,
    Your names been added to the authors list so post something and try it out.

    ReplyDelete
  5. If you had an email listed I would send you a few.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dena,
    If you give me your address I can put you on the authors list so you can post horses.

    ReplyDelete
  7. check out the user catknsn on you tube.

    ReplyDelete
  8. that's her on the filly, Casper.
    not on Vanna.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hahahaha-It never fails to amuse me to see pictures of Cathy "perched" on a horse.

    Did anyone think to include these pictures in their emails to Horse Illustrated? Maybe if they actually saw her riding skills or rather lack of them, they might think twice about her actual knowledge???

    I'll attach them to my email.;)

    ReplyDelete
  10. FHOTS is a fine example of "Those that can't do Blog"

    ReplyDelete
  11. See anything missing in the pictre of Fugs on the Pony Up site? Things that she rants and raves about - helmet, proper footwear? Oh, I guess you don't need to worry about safety when you hop up on a horse bareback.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I remember vociferously defending this video.

    Without the kool-aid, it looks like the little mare is uncomfortable. Not really ready to do what is asked. And what horse'd WANT to move out in that little tiny ring anyway?
    I can't remember where I read she's more comfortable in arenas.
    Should work on that:)

    But what do I know?
    I am a little loopy.
    A bit of "riding"

    ReplyDelete
  13. Merci Madame de Loup-garou for your input. She has quite the chair seat. Definitely not a comfortable horse.

    ReplyDelete
  14. BEC,
    I doubt if they'll respond, but I'd love to hear their response. It would be good for a chuckle.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I would tend to go after her from the prospective of her past rank and nasty behavior instead of her riding ability. I think the editor's of HI would probably be thinking to themselves about how many people are in the same boat as she so it really would tend to make her more popular.

    Fugs is afraid to ride outside of an arena, she has said that on the VLC blog in the past. She has every reason to be, with no strength in her seat and leg, one hard spook and she would be walking back to the barn.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I wouldn't advise Fugs to ride outside of an arena.

    Their readers maybe in the same boat, but I wouldn't put someone like that in the position to dishing out advice.

    ReplyDelete
  17. She's got that same seat that many of us, myself included, aquired as misguided, mistaught h/j riders did in the 60s and 70s- you know the kind, those First/Worst barns. I had to unravel all of what bad habits I'd collected over the years when I went back to riding in the early 90s. My instructor plunked me smack in the middle of a beginner flat class. Had to swallow my pride there, but what a difference it made. My brain had to be completely re-wired. Fugly could definitely benefit from some good basic dressage lessons on how to lengthen her legs and deepen her seat. Then and only then, would I take her out on the trails. Oh, and I cringe when I see her 'piano hands', or as bhm calls t hem, 'puppy paws'. That is no way to make contact with a horse.

    ReplyDelete
  18. BHM, I agree, but I think it depends. If she is relating her experiences at becoming a rerider, well fine, but if she is giving actual advice on how to ride, much different story.

    ReplyDelete
  19. She hasn't written about riding yet. I agree with you about reriding or beginner. I was referring to her posts on FHOTD where she critiques the riding in ads and the riding of instructors. I hope she doesn't digress into that type of commentary.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Are you guys positive this is her? If I saw these pictures and video I would instantly say that was a novice rider. I am pretty disgusted by how she searches the internet for pictures of yound riders to ridicule, but geez, wasn't she worried someone might snap a phot of HER riding ability?

    ReplyDelete
  21. Wow, if any of you had taken the time to read the blog post that went with this picture you would have known that at the time she was focusing on her horse, not herself. Her equitation is just fine for what she's doing. In fact, she has pretty darn good angles for not working on her own position. Now, I'm not a huge fan of hers just trying to make excuses and I'm not some professional trainer, but I do recognize outright bitchiness when I see it. Just because you're all some middle aged women who sat on your neighbor's horses when you were twelve, does not give you the right to judge someone else without knowing their situation. Just because you can sit on your ass at your computer and comment on a hater blog does not make you the next George Morris.

    ReplyDelete