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kentuck

(110,950 posts)
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 03:44 PM Jul 2012

I would like to suggest we change the French word, "dressage" to "horse dancing"...

I know Mitt speaks a little French because that is where he went on his "mission" during the Vietnam War, rather than going to battle.

But does anyone remember how the Republicans wanted to change "French fries" to "freedom fries" when the French refused to go along with everything we wanted for the illegal war in Iraq?

Personally, I have nothing against the French. In fact, I rather respect them for helping us get our freedom during our Revolutionary War. But I dislike Republicans that make silly arguments.

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kentuck

(110,950 posts)
3. So long as "prancing" doesn't have a French derivative?
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 03:49 PM
Jul 2012
It suits the Romneys better, I would agree.

CTyankee

(63,769 posts)
2. Oh, I LOVE saying that word! It sounds so hoity-toity!
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 03:48 PM
Jul 2012

Remember when Bush 1 made fun of Dukakis because of "endive" growing in MA? bush pronounced it "Ahn DEEV" which was correct, but sounded silly to American ears...http://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/20/us/campaign-trail-for-quayle-a-search-for-belgian-endive.html

 

cali

(114,904 posts)
5. Dressage was actually inspired by Xenophon
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 03:55 PM
Jul 2012

a Greek philosopher/military leader/historian and more.

The Western World's earliest complete surviving work on many of the principles of classical dressage is Xenophon's On Horsemanship. Xenophon emphasized training the horse through kindness and reward.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_dressage

Dressage of course is a french word, but the discipline itself is more ancient than the word. Anyway, dressage doesn't translate to horse dancing.


lunatica

(53,410 posts)
14. Or the speed with which one can change their clothes
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 04:23 PM
Jul 2012

Or find mix and match accessories and put a whole outfit on. LOL

 

riderinthestorm

(23,272 posts)
8. Dressage means "training" in french. Training for combat skills
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 04:05 PM
Jul 2012

The "prancing and dancing" are actually battle moves which made the horse akin to a tank in warfare. Tai chi doesn't look like a martial art either.... Probably a better name would be "combat drills" since that would be the most accurate.

Of course by changing the name, we'd look just as silly as the Rethugs and freedom fries....

Kolesar

(31,182 posts)
12. My sister in law trains people in dressage
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 04:15 PM
Jul 2012

That has been her life since she was a preteenager; she is obsessed by it.
Thanks for the explanation.

murray hill farm

(3,650 posts)
15. I say change it to Animal abuse for sport!
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 04:35 PM
Jul 2012

Imagine the straps and restraints it takes over a very long, long time in a young horses life to "train" them to move in ways that are extremely un-natural for a horse to move or stand...and probably painful as well. It is not natural for a horse to hold it's head in such a way as this sport requires and it certainly is not natural for for a horse to move in jerky style stepping...and for what! The amusement and sport of a few! It is just cruelty to the animal. Imagine taking a human child and strapping their legs and running that strap to their necks to keep their head trained permanently down...and every step taken to be short, lifted and quick...and keeping that child in that position for years to accomplish the transformation training. That is what is done to these horses...and we call it sport.

 

riderinthestorm

(23,272 posts)
16. Oh my god, you couldn't be more wrong, on every front.
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 04:44 PM
Jul 2012

You have a saddle and a bridle. That's it. Period. For training. Unless you think anyone who ever got on a horse wearing a saddle and bridle is abusive then that's a whole other argument.

You cannot '"force" the horse to do anything - it will simply lie down if pressed. They certainly know they have 1200 lbs on the average human.... You don't "strap their legs", ever. The head carriage, movements and maneuvers are all things the horse does in the wild, free. The training is simply to get the horse to do it on command with a rider.

And FWIW, this isn't a sport of the "few" its the basis for all riding - trail riding, barrel racing, jumping, therapeutic riding....

antigone382

(3,682 posts)
17. Your description of dressage is so far removed from how the sport actually works it's almost funny.
Sun Jul 29, 2012, 06:06 PM
Jul 2012

Dressage is totally about understanding the actual center of balance of the horse and rider. It is about very finely tuned and harmonious communication between horse and rider. The "collected" way that dressage horses carry themselves is desirable specifically because it signals that the horse is comfortable with the rider on its back--I won't go into the details of horse anatomy and how it relates to dressage, but suffice it to say that dressage's origins are in the writings of Greek general and horsemanship expert Xenephon, whose entire focus was on training horses through communication and partnership rather than brute force or demands for their submission. Dressage is one of the most humane sports involving collaboration between humans and animals that you can imagine.

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