What are Saddlebred horses used for?

What is a Saddlebred horse good for?

Because of its special mixture of intelligence, athletic ability and beauty, the Saddlebred is a versatile riding horse. Its beauty and spirit makes it well suited to the show ring as a saddle horse, competing in saddle seat, western, driving, jumping, eventing and even dressage.

What makes a good Saddlebred horse?

In fact, the USEF rule book states that “the standard of excellence of the American Saddlebred is beauty, symmetry and balance. Balance features coordinated motion, with straight true folding action of the front legs with flexing hocks carried close together, producing a clean, rhythmic and fluid way of going.

What does the horse on the bottom of a saddle represent?

The horse on the bottom represents a horse with a long, weak back — the topline and underline are similar lengths. A common flaw that negatively affects the horse’s balance is a back that is long in relation to the neck and hip.

How can you tell if a saddle fits a horse?

This is the acid test of saddle fitting. A horse that moves freely, without hesitation or signs of distress, probably is wearing a saddle that fits him correctly. Most horses show a dramatic change in disposition and movement when an ill-fitting saddle is the source of pain.

How does Shaffer characterize the horses in Equus?

Shaffer uses many devices to underscore the symbolic stature of horses in Equus. In describing the costuming and gestures of the actors who play the horses, Shaffer is careful to stipulate that they should not imitate horses in any way that might be construed as comical or silly. There is no prancing or neighing, for instance.

What does Equus mean in the Bible?

He comes up with a quasi-Biblical genealogy for the god Equus (Latin for “horse”) and invents his own acts of worship. These include wearing a string bridle and self-flagellation with an improvised riding crop.

Why does Alan enter the stables furtively?

Here, Alan enters “furtively” because he does not want the horses, and subsequently Equus, to witness him having sex with Jill inside the stables, his “Holy of Holies”. Despite this, Equus is cognizant of Alan’s actions as indicated with Nugget’s presence, albeit out of Alan’s line of sight. Alan [in terror]: “Eyes!…White eyes – never closed!

Why is Equus chained in the stable?

For Alan, Equus lives in all horses and is chained because of “the sins of the world” (Equus 38). When Alan goes back to the time he was twelve, looking at the picture of Equus, Dysart asks him questions about the stable.

What is the relationship between religion and character in Equus?

The main characters in Equus display a wide range of relationships to religion. By exploring these relationships, Shaffer shows us that we all “worship” something in life, whether or not we belong to an “actual” religion. Frank Strang, for instance, is an atheist, but his “worship” takes the form of constant work.

What inspired Peter Shaffer to write Equus?

Peter Shaffer was inspired to write Equus by the chance remark of a friend at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The friend recounted to Shaffer a news story about a British youth who blinded twenty-six horses in a stable, seemingly without cause.

How does Alan describe himself in the story of Equus?

He describes himself as “stiff” and “raw”; he tells Equus that he wants to be in him, and that he wants to be him. Alan rides the horse-god harder and harder, screaming with pleasure and pain, “ One Person! ” This continues until, in a final fit of sexual and spiritual ecstasy, Alan “twists like a flame” and drops to the ground.

What happens to Alan and Jill in the stable?

She suggests that they lie down together and talk, but Alan insists that she leave. Jill puts on her clothes, and Alan warns her that she had better not tell anyone about this encounter. Jill reassures him that she won’t. She tenderly bids him goodnight, but Alan “turns on her, hissing.” Terrified, Jill runs out of the stable.

What happened to Alan in the Horse Whisperer?

Up until the crime, Alan worked a job that he hated at an appliance store and spent weekends in Dalton’s stable, grooming the horses. Sent to psychiatrist Martin Dysart for treatment, Alan slowly discloses details about his repressed childhood and his fascination with horses.

How does the Horseman react to the man picking up Alan?

The Horseman stops and Frank confronts him, angry that the man picked Alan up without permission. The Horseman coolly responds that Alan was perfectly safe. Frank tells his… (full context) …visits Dysart’s office; she wants to tell the doctor something important about the horse photograph Alan has in his room.

What does Equus say to Alan at the end of the play?

He tells Alan that the worst of it is over now, and that he will get well—no more nightmares, no more Equus. He soothes him until the boy falls asleep. Then he stands and moves to center stage. “I’m lying to you, Alan,” he says. “When Equus finally leaves—if he leaves at all—it will be with your intestines in his teeth.”

What happens in Act 2 of Equus by William Shakespeare?

Act 2 begins slightly after Act 1 left off. Dysart is in a reflective mood; Alan has gone to his room, and the psychiatrist is now “alone with Equus.” Dysart tells the audience that he can hear Equus’s voice: the horse -god mockingly asks him, “Do you really imagine you can account for Me?”

How does Dysart present Alan’s obsession with Equus?

Alan worships Equus; to cure him of his fantasy would be to take away the “core of his life.” Without it, Alan is just a boy with no education, no friends, and no real engagement with modern society. In this scene, Dysart clearly lays out what is at stake for Alan.

What is the theme of Equus by John Shaffer?

God and Religion Not only is religion a significant theme in Equus, it has shown itself important to Shaffer’s writing throughout his long career. Shaffer is fascinated by the human need to believe in a god, to discover a suitable form of worship.

How can I track the themes in Equus?

LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Equus, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. The place and value of passion in life is the most important issue raised by Shaffer’s play.

How is religion presented in the play Equus?

The concepts of passion and worship are intimately related in Equus, and over the course of the play, Shaffer complicates our idea of what religion is and should be. The main characters in Equus display a wide range of relationships to religion.

What is the purpose of the hypnosis in the stables?

Dysart uses hypnosis on Alan to get him to describe what he used to do with the horses at night in the stables. It is confirmed at last that Alan reveres horses as a manifestation of the god Equus, a spirit who lives in all horses.

What has influenced Alan’s imagination about Equus?

Now it is clear that Alan’s imagination has been influenced by his mother’s teachings of Bible as stated before by Frank. For Alan, Equus lives in all horses and is chained because of “the sins of the world” (Equus 38). When Alan goes back to the time he was twelve, looking at the picture of Equus, Dysart asks him questions about the stable.

What are some quotes about horses in the Bible?

It catches the scent of battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry. 9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. 17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.

What is the moral of the Story Equus?

Equus embodies a paradox: he is at once in chains, yet also has the capacity to be free. Like Christ, Equus must first suffer in order to bring salvation. Alan will be saved, he says, by riding away on Equus—the horse can thus be interpreted as Alan’s escape from the pressures of his family life and modern society.