Coming of Age on Horseback

I could only get half-way through this video. First off, it was beautifully shot and edited. It was a visual/aural work of art. That said, the way the girls are treated looked like institutional torture. The girls' parents should also be ashamed for pushing their girls like this. It was also clear to me, when there were three girls standing atop the horse, that the horse was clearly being pushed to his physical limits. Cruel, all the way around, for all parties.

A rather peculiar sport (exercise, circus act, ?) to let loose on an uninformed international audience. First question: What are the girls doing? Second question: Why? Third question: Why is the coach acting/speaking like a drill sergeant to little girls? I hate her. Overall filming: too much reliance on extreme close ups. Who's more important? The horse gets as many close ups as the little girl who is supposed to be the protagonist.

A sport that is ever so relevant.

The film I was able to see is about saving the family farm. What ???

It strikes me that someone or many are exploiting these prepubescent girls. Even supposing that they are the best in their "sport", will this be the apex of their achievement? It would be much better if they had something to look forward to in adulthood rather than reflecting on this as the highlight of their life. Let them have their childhood.

I found this distressing on many levels. Sorry, I just couldn't recommend the film nor the "sport" to anyone.

The conditioning and dedication of these young girls is impressive, but to what end? Short of joining a circus, all the girls will age out of this activity soon. None will be left with an attachment to a sport or a dance mastery that they can follow for their own enjoyment as they move forward with their lives. The horses seem to get genuine affection from the kids, but having three unstable bodies flailing around on your back at a canter has to be nerve-wracking at best. Meanwhile, either a horse or a vaulter might be injured. I think FEI should consider de-certifying this as a sport, for the sake of both the equine and human participants. Maybe replace it with competitive stall mucking out in leotards and barn boots.

This could also be about gymnastics or dance...but equestrian vaulting? Really? Reminds me of the old Disney movie Toby Tyler.

Wonderful film. As others have said, it was a great call to let everything speak for itself.

The video is lovely, but I'm wondering if the filmmakers fudged a bit to create the sense of drama. A good coach knows that if you can't do a lift on the ground, then you can't do it when you're up on the horse. A lot of the difficult lifting is practiced on the ground (and with the girl who flies in safety harness), so that each part of raising someone up can be perfected before adding the challenge of being on the back of a moving horse. So this video makes the coach look incompetent... You could still have plenty of drama by showing the lifts not working during harnessed practice. It is the disappointment and growth of the young girl that is central to this piece--not the risk to her safety.

Beautifully done Sadly evocative of how time treats women as we grow and age out of the things we love to do.

Stylish and sympathetic while unsparing. Thanks for allowing this film to speak for itself.

Extraordinary - thank you.