That's ok, Olivia. I don't expect everyone to laugh just because I laugh. I really enjoyed those Harry Enfield clips, btw. Highly amusing

Yes, it would have been very lame if they hadn't been doing dressage. It would have been senseless, and mean they probably didn't love their work as opposed to loving it. I knew you appreciated it, Mindy, although your 'lame' comment did confuse me - I'm a bit of a dullard sometimes and slow on the uptake when it comes to subtlety with words.

I agree with your summation of the guy with the bowler. He really is terrible and drags the whole team down.

Sorry if I under-appreciated your film clip, in my comment. 

I laughed out loud at it, but I knew at the time that it was because they were doing dressage movements. Dressage is only one kind of equitation, and I would be surprised if the general public could identify a human version of it, but that's my assumption. The "lame" bit was a joke, you see, and a nod to Olivia's complaint that she didn't get it.

By the way, I mis-spoke about the movements. First is an extended trot, then the collected trot, and later the half-passes.

--Mindy

I love Dressage, always have, and am thrilled to see NZ's Mark Todd competing again in the Olympics, but I still didn't particularly get the humour of that clip... sorry Richard!

I don't think you have to get dressage to laugh at it, Mindy. One thing that comes through clear enough for the dressage ignorant is that the men love it. It's also clearly evident that they are doing dressage. You don't have to understand the workings of dressage to know that, and you don't need to understand the workings to appreciate the beauty. And thanks for the rundown on it. It was interesting and does give me a greater appreciation of the work involved.

Nobody who doesn't happen to know Dressage would get it, though. It's a bit lame (!) otherwise.

If you know Dressage, which is derived from training a horse for battle, you will see the men are doing actual Dressage (pronounced dress.ahj'-accent on second syllable) movements. (First is a collected trot, then half-passes...) Dressage requires the highest level of athleticism from the horse, and an immense cooperation between horse and rider. The book/movie "Airs above the Ground" is about Dressage horses...

Of course, modern Dressage doesn't train horses to fight, but it sets the highest standard for cooperative interaction with the horse. Horses are too big and strong to control muscularly. (More than one airplane has crashed when a horse being transported panicked, kicked apart his stall, and damaged critical structures of the plane itself.) One can either make them afraid of you, or gain their trust and respect by being seen as their leader and care-taker. Since horses are prey animals, they spook and run when afraid. (On one ride, my horse was calm about a snake, and calm about a rabbit charging away from almost under her feet, then spooked when a dragonfly few up out of the grass!) Controlling a horse by fear is destructive to the horse's spirit, and quite limited in what degree of cooperation one can get.

In Dressage, the rider controls each step of each leg of the horse. I know that sounds like an overstatement, but it isn't. The best way to understand the glory of Dressage is to watch a free-style performance. What you seem to see is a horse and rider dancing in intricate, choreographed movements, perfectly timed to select music. The rider seems to sit with perfect ease on the horse, and do little or nothing to influence him, but in fact, the rider is acting separately with each of four reins, with each thigh, calf, and heel, with their back, their two seat bones, each shoulder; chest, head, and stomach. By the way, Dressage is an Olympic event. While competitions in Dressage award place winners, the more meaningful result the rider receives is a score, which tells them how close to the "ideal" (based on detailed specifications) they came in that performance. 

The video is funny because the men aren't just prancing around, but doing real Dressage movements. Nobody who doesn't happen to know Dressage would get it, though. It's a bit lame (!) otherwise.

--Mindy

It's a piss take of super size me.

More yank brilliance:

They're not just being silly, Olivia. They're indulging in fantasy while they think no one is watching. There's also a bit of role reversal at the end with the horse catching them out.

the dressage thing other than it's silly humans acting like horses.

The lad going to America is pretty cute.

Matty... what gives? The premise was, well, crazy!

Marcus, your clip is no longer available so didn't get to see it - can you try posting another version or something?

I really preferred the first performer. He showed excellent engagement. The second specimen showed a regretably concave back, an almost total lack of engagement, and poor balance. However, all three performers did prompt leg-yields, nice half-passes, and adequate turns of the forehand. His beautiful frame, and easy suspension marked the first as the class's champion, when all was said and done.

 Tally-ho! (For you three-day eventers.)

--Mindy 

Here's the clip that brought my favourate skit group of current to prominance:

Super Size Me! (with whisky)

It's all true of course. Gender relations as they might be and ought to be. Cages and spoons, I say. Silliest damn fool thing we ever did, giving the scatty creatures the vote. Poppycock and piffle!