The typical riding style in Spain is the "Doma Vaquera" - the work with the horse on the cow herds. Parallel to it, in America, the rodeoriding had been developed, which origin lies in the Doma Vaquera. For the "Vaqueros", the cowboys, it is important to be able to rely fully on their horses and lead them with the slightest assistance. The horses work often up to 12 hours and it is plausible that thereby a composition importance is not attached. With the work on the herd of cows, the horse is ridden either calmly behind the herd to drove it or it must be ridden fast and agilely to separate individual animals. Thus only the two paces - step and gallop - became generally accepted, which does not mean that the Andalusia cannot trot...
The riding with one hand is needed as the "Vaquero" has to open gates, has to work with the "Carocha" (the long driving stick) and naturally, in order to have one hand free at the Feria for the glass of Sherry. The correct workhorses are trained in each case by the Vaquero, who teaches his horse, what is important for him and his work and all of this simplified - one may not forget that these horses work usually their whole life under the same rider.
Nowadays you find "Doma Vaquera" tournaments and presentations, in which there are firm guidelines, after which the horses are judged. Usually crossed horses (Anglo Hispano Arabs) are taken, because they are fast, persistent and agile.
Here on La Paz we ride a simplified Doma Vaquero style: the horses go with Spanish saddles, which are ridden with relatively long stirrups and on Hackemores, a bridle which affects the nose. The one-handed riding style is, at the beginning, unusual to learn but very simple. We normally do not trot here - on the one hand due to the area, on the other hand because of superstructures at the saddle, which makes it impossible to trot. For the Andalusians it is their homeland and as they are used to climbing - one can have the fullest confidence in them.
|
|
top