Everybody has commented how Richard Armitage sits a horse mighty fine. So, I’m dipping back into the RA Bag of Goodies for another example of superb horsemanship. The last I was on a horse many moons ago, it was all I could do not to slide off.
Richard Armitage as Guy of Gisborne, on a horse, courtesy RichardArmitageNet.com
Being an ex-horse rider, it soooo presses my buttons! Ex because of age and infirmity by the way.
While he looks good on a horse I don’t think he is a good rider, not surprising as he only learned to ride for RH and admitted not being very comfortable with it. It got better with practice but he is noway near someone like Viggo Mortensen who looks like he was born on a horse and is a passionate horseman in real life. I don’t know enough about riding to judge myself but more then one person has found fault in the way he sits on a horse or holds the rein.
One the other hand, as he’s trained in singing and has eared his money in musical theatre it is not at all a surprise that he can actually sing.
MTA not that it matters, as the dwarves, unlike Aragorn, are not meant to be masterful horsemen.
I expect that for a film, looking good is the main point. I can well believe that critique of the actor’s style is warranted in terms of reins, etc. I had English riding lessons for some months when I was ten (we were posted elsewhere, otherwise I could well have become a horsey girl; I do like them) Much time was dedicated to correct handling of the reins, and to knee and thigh control. Much was dedicated to grooming and caring. I think we got as far as trotting! Not even to canter…To watch dressage, whether the international competitions or the Lippizaner school (NOT the touring contingent), is a great pleasure.
For film, it is probably sufficient to keep a straight back and look noble. Or very funny, like Bilbo!
Actually the pic above is an example where it doesn’t look good what he does with the reins. But it may be excused with the unfamiliar horse he only got after Guy turned good. And of course the slower the gait, the easier it is to look good, like in the scene when he left Nottingham. As I understand they all got riding lessons for the hobbit and James Nesbit said, Richard was the best of the group, because he had already done it for RH.
😀 And Jane, there has been a tradition that, when asked at auditions, do you ride? every actor says YES. So, if RA was the best rider of the Hobbit group, well, he did sit on a horse in RH (and it ran away on him, apparently. With him) and had a couple of weeks of Hood Academy. Perhaps Mr. Nesbitt and the other Dwarves had not sat on a horse before… still, I like the look of Armitage on a horse!.
I had my first horse when I was four years old so do not remember life without knowing how to ride. Agree with Jane about how he handled a horse in Robin Hood. One of the best shots of RA from RH3 is him atop a horse. He looks mighty fine but still looks terribly out of his element on that horse. He always seemed to look like what’s referred to as a “stiff rider.” Then again, I wasn’t really looking at the horse in this scene. : D But I’m confident Richard Armitage’s intelligence and zeal for excellence will remedy his lack, and in fact, he looked a little more at easy in the Hobbit trailer. What little I saw of him on a horse.
Giggling away, Frenz! I wish I could really ride horses! I do like them. And I did have an eye on the horse in some shots – aren’t you supposed to keep the horse’s head up? Or have I completely forgotton those long ago riding lessons? Ah, my big dogs paid attention 🙂 Obviously, 2-3 weeks of Hood camp cannot produce a proper rider (and I hold a golf club as though it were a hockey stick – it doesn’t look as good as RA on a few minutes of horse, but boy – I can hit the ball to eterniity!. Whatever works)… 🙂
Fitz, I’m not sure I can ride well, but I do know how to ride. I’m also not sure what terminology to use, but one of the things that made my riding more natural and gave me much more control was letting my body become one unit with the horse’s body. For people who are not used to riding, they place way too much emphasis on a horse’s head when in fact it is a rider’s body that needs to be used more. From what I’ve seen of RA’s riding and of course watching the Hood Academy videos, it’s obvious he’s been told that so seems a little lax with the reins as a way of concentrating on his body. It’s also obvious in the early Robin Hood clips that he was not melding with his horse but is still a separate entity. Again, he is a smart guy and we all know he’s attuned to his body, so if he rides much more, I’m sure he will become proficient. The real question is whether or not he likes horses. If he does, then he will become an excellent horseman.
Hi Judiang,
I tried to climb on a hay wagon in junior high and the driver took off with me hanging on dangling between the wheels. Yikes! They pulled me on or I wouldn’t be here to write this comment. Ha! I’ve not been around horses since. Ha! I know, it was the driver’s fault, not the horses’. Though I do love the look of horses–so majestic. And, I think to be at one with such a noble steed on a gentle trot or a full gallop would be amazing!
And Richard Armitage on a horse? As Angie would say, two stallions in one picture. Sighhhh!
Holiday Cheers! Grati ;->