Matthias Rath Totilas Aachen 2011 Freestyle

Barbara F · Grand Prix

Matthias Rath Totilas Aachen 2011 Freestyle

Figarocubed · Advanced

Well, I'll never ride as well as Rath, and I hate to pick on the top level riders for fear of sounding like another poster who loves to tear them apart.

Totilas is an outstanding athlete. I love that horse. Rath is not the rider Gal is. Some day, but not yet. This is not a partnership equal to Gal/Toto. Maybe some day, but not yet.

Rath's hands are distressingly busy/floppy and he lacks the superb posture and core control that Gal has. JMHO.

berndride · Yearling

Hi,
I was there to watch them.
While there is no doubt Gal did a superb job training Totilas, Rath did a very good job riding the horse.

The grand prix special was better than the freestyle though. The freestyle was the first time at a competition in this version.

Riding a top level horse that someone else has trained to top scores is a very special talent as it requires a very good communication line to the horse.

If you have trained the horse yourself for many years, you have that line. If you take a lower level horse and you are a good rider, you can establish your line of communictaion and the hrose will follow, but taking a top level horse and take it to top level again in a short period of time, you need to listen to the horses way of communictaion and adjust to it. That is a very complex challenge and it needs a very good feeling for horses. Even if you were not such a good trainer for the horse in the first place, the challenge to ride the educated horse to the top would be a very special thing.

Its all about feeling and communication. Totilas doesn't need to learn many things anymore. He needs to talk and the rider needs to listen. Listening is sometimes the more difficult challenge. You communicate with your body and that needs excellent seat, excellent aides and a clear and sensitive mind.

I have no doubt that almost every grand prix rider could ride Totilas to a decent result, but taking him to the same top level (or close) again is a different thing. I think its difficult enough to give Rath the credit for excellent horsemanship.

-- Edited by berndride on Monday 18th of July 2011 11:38:58 AM

MagsNMe · Advanced

I'm sure we could pick at his riding for the remainder of our natural lives, however, the kid (and he is), has balls of solid rock to take a horse THAT well known and lauded and take him back into competition. I'm sure many of us would not be willing or able to stand up to the immense scrutiny he's held up to.

My trainer is German, and used to compete nationally and internationally there. The crowds are HUGE and knowledgeable. Then she came here and rode at 'the' show here in the province. And wondered what the hell was going on. I know myself, and I'm a dressage troll at best, I feel pressure at shows and they are diddly. And my horse ain't no Totilas! Although she's cute as a button. And we know that fellow competitors are ripping us apart as we ride, for reasons unknown (okay, known, usually because of self-esteem issues). Imagine it multiplied.... no thanks. I'll give him credit.

barnfrog · Advanced

I hope he keeps developing him. Imho many parts are better, and the twos after EG (on any horse) no one seems to regain. Getting a horse more open/out to the hand/etc is difficult when the horse has not been trained that way for years. Imho the horse is much more like his young horse performances with strides getting longer (but still not as much). The extreme tension is gone, but I think MR is doing a nice job. He does seem to have gotten more even than the last outing, the zig zags are more correct/traditional. And center ring Aachen is certainly more intimidating that a games even.