[dc]C[/dc]ompetition at the top level does not indemnify you from abusing your horse. It does not mean that judges are more fair, that the people involved care more about the horse. Caring for a horse and caring about a horse are two completely separate issues. These videos are perfect examples of that. Every horse is …

Because equestrians are protesting hyperflexion through means which do not motivate abusers to change – i.e. silent protests at competitions, speaking out through niche internet, signing of petitions, etc. Hyperflexion is money motivated and those who are making the most money are using the technique. Riders who are impressed by abusers are willing to move …

If you haven’t been ‘in the know’ regarding the latest assualt on horses and the sport of dressage thanks to Patrik Kittel aboard his horse Stanic at the World Cup Qualifier this will hopefully fill you in a bit more. Rollkur has been an issue written about on this blog fairly regularly, but until now …

As a once-upon-a-time-ago student of Competitive Dressage, this term is very familiar. As a student of Classical Dressage this term is foreign. But why? Do you know what “on the bit” means? Can you put it into words? What does being “on the bit” do for you and your horse? What does it lead to? …

I’ve posted quite a bit on the whole Rollkur issue… this post will not delve into it in just the same way, nor is it focused solely on the Rollkur / hyperflexion problem. To be entirely honest, Rollkur / hyperflexion isn’t even *the* issue, rather we’ve again missed the whole problem that is being superficially …

If you are unaware of what is termed “Rollkur” or hyperflexion of the neck, it is time you knew what has been plaguing much of Dressage and has been the subject of controversy since its inception. Horse Talk.co.nz published a new story which talks about a new study that was performed showing that horses not …