I’m feeling in a critical thinking mode and decided to put it out there why Hyperflexion is here to stay and no matter how much protest goes on abusers will exist – and publicly. If for some reason this changes I will *gladly* eat my words!

1. 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.
2. Hyperflexion is money motivated and those who are making the most money are using the technique.
3. Riders who are impressed by abusers are willing to move in packs and use loud voices in support of hyperflexion and the ‘success’ it brings.
4. The FEI endorses hyperflexion.
5. Veterinarians publicly support the use/abuse of hyperflexion.
6. Hyperflexion creates more exciting movement from the horse to please an uneducated crowd, making hyperflexion a tool to market a sport once seen as boring drivel to those uninitiated.
7. Hyperflexion creates Olympic gold medalists and ‘partnerships’ who score the highest test % ever awarded.
8. Hyperflexion creates an Internationally competitive Grand Prix horse in 3-4 years.
9. Horses behind the vertical and overbent abound in pictures, video and in person in all corners of the world, making Hyperflexion “just a little bit more” of the same…
10. Hyperflexion abusers will continue to claim proof to be attributed to a “one time event” and not part of the normal routine or used for long periods of time.
11. Bonus Reason — Hyperflexion is cross-discipline and has infiltrated horsemanship for longer than most would likely want to admit, even the Classical Dressage groupies (of which I cannot be completely excluded from).

Let’s take a bit deeper look into this.

Reason #1 — “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 in some way connected to the abuses given to African American slaves, women prior to the feminist movement, many lab animals. Certainly it is not a human suffering, but it is a living being on this plant none-the-less and in the same way the horse is suffering for the sake of money and power. It took the violent sweep of the anti-slavery movement to see African Americans move out of the ‘public opinion’ of being less than and even animalistic and to appreciate the same rights and humanities of other Americans. Women were seen as weak and in need of men’s guidance and care, even if at times violent and sadistic. The feminist movement and women’s sufferage was not a gentle journey won by quiet voices. Many companies will not seek to right things which are dangerous to their customers until threat of public media involvement is made in a widespread manner.

Making hyperflexion an outcry to the PUBLIC – not just the equestrian community – may help raise the hairs on the neck of those who use it and support it including sponsors who fund it’s continued use. Many equestrians are still in the dark even about what hyperflexion is, why it is bad for the horse and what can be done to stop it.

Many have a notion that keeping the resolution of hyperflexion somewhat out of the public eye will help keep PETA and other animal rights activists from gaining a foothold towards removing all rights of equestrians in the use of horses. Is the fear of losing your own right greater than the present knowledge the the horse has lost his?! I can think of no more selfish thought than this. Secondarily, if this argument is to be made I can think of no better supportive argument than to take the side of PETA, etc because it is obvious that the selfishness of the equestrian community has grown to such an extent that it can no longer be entrusted to put the horse’s needs and welfare above it’s own interests be they emotionally or commercially driven.

Reason #2 — “Hyperflexion is money motivated and those who are making the most money are using the technique.”

You’ve heard of the golden rule before? Those with the most gold make the rules? Words to live by in this society, unfortunately. Take away the money and the well will dry up and move on to greener pastures. Just as energy efficient means will not lead the globe until they can make more money than traditional fossil fuels, top equestrians will not stop using hyperflexion until it proves to no longer be profitable.

Reason #3 — “Riders who are impressed by abusers are willing to move in packs and use loud voices in support of hyperflexion and the ‘success’ it brings.”

Beware the person with too much confidence, fanfare and a loud voice – for they are surely the most foolish. If this isn’t a quote perhaps it should be. When I was a younger rider I always thought I knew exactly what was right and what was wrong, the best methods and what should be avoided. I had all the answers and if I didn’t it was because they didn’t exist. I’ve grown up a bit and in the years between then and now the greatest thing I have learned is that the quietest voice is often the most informed, or at the very least the one who is observing the most. Perhaps they are just asleep in class. Whatever the case may be… I tend to avoid people who always know the answers when it comes to horses.

That being said, I have also observed that equestrians who do well in competition often use shortcuts – both intentionally and unintentionally. And that competitors who are doing well often have a following of not as advanced of competitor equestrians or hopeful competitors. And those followers *love* the person they are following – of course if they didn’t why would they be following them? So in order to be correct in following this person they will defend them tooth and nail to the death in support of every action and intention of said followed equestrian competitor. They are unafraid to voice their opinion loudly because what they have to lose is their own belief that the person they are learning from and likely hold in very high esteem is flawless and perfect. And if they happen to lose this belief their whole world could be in a tailspin. Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy I have to wonder? Often people prefer to be right in just such a case…

As a result, louder voices are heard above quieter voices.

Reason #4 — “The FEI endorses hyperflexion.”

As if hyperflexion needed a booster seat, the FEI – the international governing body of olympic sports – steps up to the plate and gives it the green light and a get out of jail free card. What ‘professional’ can be made liable for abusing a horse when they are only using a method that their sporting association, which just so happens to hold as president the Princess of Jordan, says can do no harm if used by said professional? Exactly.

Of course this shouldn’t come as a surprise when they are also renegotiating ideas which would allow fewer restrictions on the doping and drugging of horses in competition. There is a reason that rules are in place to limit things that dull the horse’s ability to voice it is in pain or breaking down – because he cannot do it with words and is at the mercy of those gaining profit through exploitation. Yep, I said it – exploitation.

Reason #5 – “Veterinarians publicly support the use/abuse of hyperflexion.”

How do you bring a strong man down? Cut him off at the knees and strap lead to his back. As if the above reasons were not enough weight to tow behind the half-dead pick up truck, lead veterinarians have publicly stated that hyperflexion is not physically harmful to the horse. Those bulges we see at the 3rd cervical vertebrae are now “normal” side effects of competition horse training. The unusual muscle development of the neck is standard.

It has been my personal experience that veterinarians are human, which means that not only are the subject to making mistakes and lacking knowledge in their so called area of ‘expertise’… they are also easily intimidated and or convinced to support a cause if they are in the right social circles. I tend to be a bit suspicious of allopathic medical ‘professionals’ be they human doctors or animal, and the supporting documents for hyperflexion only adds fuel to my fire.

Reason #6 — “Hyperflexion creates more exciting movement from the horse to please an uneducated crowd, making hyperflexion a tool to market a sport once seen as boring drivel to those uninitiated.”

Think of hyperflexion what soring is to Tennessee Walking horse big lick shows. It is what creates the flash and boom and draws the crowds of uninformed and potentially horse-illiterate spectators. The TWH Celebration annually draws thousands, when is that last time you saw a national dressage show perform in the same way?  In the following video take a look at the sheer crowd in the stands at the 2007 NYPD Walking Horse Celebration.

I remember the first dressage shows I attended, they really were boring. Why? I liken it to watching someone meditate, or that is what it should be like – two beings meditating together to form a partnership of invisible communication. Now that meditation has to be marketable it is being spiced up. A bit like turning tai chi into MMA death matches.

Reason #7 — “Hyperflexion creates Olympic gold medalists and ‘partnerships’ who score the highest test % ever awarded.”

Anky van Grunsven was the top rider for many years. She has only allowed this title to slip a bit by making room for others who now use hyperflexion as well. The last Olympic games I watched in China made me want to throw up as horses who were not forward, on the forehand, behind the bit, crooked, constant tail swishing, etc were the norm and being praised and glorified by thousands of adoring fans. I had to turn off my tv, go outside and praise be to my horses that I have not bought into such disgust. Mostly my horses just snorted and munched at grass.

Recently Edward Gal riding Moorlands Totilas scored a 92.30% in London. This is the highest score ever recorded for a competition, let alone of the caliber – a World Cup Qualifier. The horse’s movement is reminiscent of Anky van Grunsven’s Salinero if you ask me, complete with the horse behind the bit at the halt, tail swishing, leg mover, etc etc etc. The list goes on.

Reason #8 — “Hyperflexion creates an Internationally competitive Grand Prix horse in 3-4 years.”

Andreas Helgestrand rode to victory in 2006 on Blue Horse Matine – a 9 year old mare.

Reason #9 – “Horses behind the vertical and overbent about in pictures, video and in person in all corners of the world, making Hyperflexion “just a little bit more” of the same…”

Pretty self-explanatory. Do a google search for something rather inert in connection to horses and you will find a plethora of images showing riders with horses whose noses are behind the vertical. Behind the vertical is behind the vertical, period. End of sentence and argument. I’ve heard it all before and people will likely continue to argue the point that ‘it was only one moment captured in time’ or that their horse is always like that, etc. Horses ridden forward as they ought to be are not behind the vertical with their nose. If the horse is behind the vertical, he is NOT forward – maybe fast, but not forward. One moment captured in time 10+ times over is not ‘one moment captured in time’.

Reason #10 — “Hyperflexion abusers will continue to claim proof to be attributed to a “one time event” and not part of the normal routine or used for long periods of time.”

Can anyone else hear in this statement “WIFE BEATER“? See above – if it has happened more than once it is not a one time event. If it has been captured for more than a split moment, it is more than a split moment. Fairly black and white. Abusers often argue this point, of it was a one time thing, it isn’t as bad as it looks, it doesn’t last as long as it seems, blah blah blah. They are excuses, manipulative excuses. Why? Because if they can get away with it they will, they have not changed and likely will not change. Why are abusers and users of hyperflexion allowed to continue telling us what limits should be allowed in regards to abuse? Seems a bit like an alcoholic saying what the legal blood-alcohol limit should be for drunk driving.

Reason #11 (BONUS) — “Hyperflexion is cross-discipline and has infiltrated horsemanship for longer than most would likely want to admit, even the Classical Dressage groupies (of which I cannot be completely excluded from).”

You can find it in jumpers, hunters, western riders, english riders, saddleseat, hunt, etc. While it is more prevalent in some disciplines over others the truth of the matter is that the majority of equestrians believe that control of the horse is gained largely by manipulating the neck. Yes, control can be had in this way but it is also mistakenly referred to as building a relationship, communication, a partnership, etc. Plain and simple it is a physical way to control the horse and avoiding communication and removing choice from the horse’s options.

Classical Dressage is often pitched as a ‘faultless’ practice and following that deviates from the intentions of competitive Dressage. This is like saying that because you call yourself a Christian you love your neighbor, honor your mother and father, and never sin or think impure thoughts. A name does not prove and action.

I wouldn’t call myself a groupie, per se, I enjoy the thoughts behind Classical Dressage while also acknowledging the fact that CD Masters or ODGs (Old Dead Guys for short) were human as well and because they are dead we cannot see with our own eyes as to the purity of their actions or truth behind their words. The internet should prove well enough that written words will never equate to spoken words just as pictures will never do justice to watching the same in person. There have been hints that Francoise de la Gueriniere may have used hyperflexion, largely in part of the images in some of his books. The Duke of Newcastle may have been suspect. Francoise Baucher has been touted as using hyperflexion heavily and is the one that Sjef Janssen ‘blames’ for imparting and inspiring the use of it with Anky van Grunsven. Reiner Klimke has been accused by a few small voices in the background. The Spanish Riding School has also been implicated among other national schools. No one is safe from the accusations. The truth of the matter is that whether Masters or ODGs used hyperflexion is irrelevant. As mentioned above, it only matters if a follower of one method or man over another wishes to be right rather than to be happy.

There is still hope in the world — you just have to look more closely for it.

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 there hasn’t been a clearly demonstrating video available to show a ‘professional’ using Rollkur in a competition setting for more than a brief period of time.

You can watch the edited version of approx. 4 minutes long showing *just* Kittel riding Stanic, including a slow motion portion making the flacid blue tongue flopping from his mouth all the more evident.

Or you can watch an unedited version which shows other riders in the arena, including Anky van Grunsven and Patrik Kittel and a normal speed filming of the Stanic’s blue tongue.

The FEI has begun an investigation into the issue, likely to save face against all the public protest that has arisen, and still acknowledges that they support the use of Rollkur by ‘professionals’. Interestingly enough, I’ve found more videos as a result of looking up Patrik Kittel on youtube, demonstrating that this is not a singular offense and that Rollkur is now part of his regular routine on the road to competition glory.

EponaTV, which posted the videos of Kittel at the World Cup, states on their website that this is normal routine with most international competitors when they film at shows and is not exclusive to Anky van Grunsven or Kittel, though Kittel does train with Sjef Janssen, Anky’s partner. Looks as though the disease is catchy…

Sjef Janssen coaching Patrik Kittel aboard Stanic

Happy Athlete?

Anky in Aachen

Check out the following links for more info….

• EponaTV : Blue Tongue at World Cup
• EponaTV : Blue Tongue Video FAQ
• FEI Launches Investigation into Odense Dressage Warm-Up
• Dressage Disgrace Website
• Sign The Petition To BAN Rollkur!

]]> http://www.writingofriding.com/pressing-matters/blue-tongue-disgrace-but-wait-theres-more/feed/ 4 http://www.writingofriding.com/general/the-orphanage-of-on-the-bit/ http://www.writingofriding.com/general/the-orphanage-of-on-the-bit/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:44:39 +0000 Erica K. http://www.writingofriding.com/?p=651

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?

Don’t have an answer to these questions? You aren’t alone. The term “on the bit” doesn’t have an origin in the long-time history of Dressage, but according to Bettina Drummond it is an orphan that is only causing chaos, confusion and much of the demise of Dressage.

I found this great article at Eclectic Horseman written by Dr. Max Gahwyler and Bettina Drummond which talks about the origins of “on the bit” :

There is no other statement used so often in Dressage riding as the horse should accept the bit, be on the bit, etc. And very often when you go to clinics or shows, it’s the predominant preoccupation of riders, trainers and, unfortunately, often also the judges. It is the foundation of Dressage riding in our country, and this should be just the reason why we should step back and have an unbiased look at what it does to Dressage riding (and why so many of our horses and riders get stuck or break down in the 1st or 2nd Level.)
So our next step is to go back to the countries where our present day Dressage originated 500 years ago, such as Portugal, Italy, France, Germany, Austria and Sweden, and scrutinize the literature in the original language and meaning, and not in the English translations, which are all very recent. Even the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) and later the American Horse Show Association (AHSA) Dressage Rulebook were only put into English in the 1920s. But, no matter how hard you look, even going back to the 15th and 16th century, you do not find any expression equivalent to “On the Bit.”
This expression, if you like it or not, fixes the attention of riders, trainers and judges on the head carriage and frame in front as the symbol and hallmark and primary objective of Dressage and training. Instead, the frame in front should express the engagement and throughness from behind and the rider in harmony with the horse on the aids; the frame in front should not be the result of hanging on the reins. It is well expressed in the German Federation statement that the horse seeks the contact and the rider provides it, not the other way around, since pulling the horse into a vertical head position has nothing to do with collection. On the contrary, it prevents engagement and develops nothing but an insensitive, unresponsive horse on the forehand and does not allow for an expressive movement in self-carriage.

The concept of collection and elevation in front. The lines behind the horse show the progressive flexion and engaging of the hindquarters. Wilhelm Museler from Reit Lehre 1928.

That brings up the subject of maintaining a sensitive and soft mouth, which goes back to the school of Naples. It was then clearly realized that in training a young horse, harsh rein action would occur, either inflicted by the rider, or the self-defense of a young horse, and the sensitivity of the bars would be progressively damaged. Let’s face it, a piece of steel in the mouth that is pulled on unilaterally or on both sides with the connection of the snaffle joint pushing against the palette is no treat. Also for about 6,000 years all snaffle bits had cheek pieces, so when using one rein, the cheekpiece of the other side prevented the bit from slipping through the mouth and pushed the head in the desired direction. More recently invented loose ring snaffles are not a step in the right direction.
So when you read the book of Johan Batista Galiberti, written in 1610 and translated into German in 1660, Galiberti, a pupil of Grisone and Piniatelli, recommends the training of the horses first in a caveson or hackamore until the basics are established and only then progressively introducing a bit. In addition, the reins to the bit are held in the left hand, which is always softer, and never used. Training continues with the caveson in the right hand until the horse is made light and in self-carriage. At this time, the caveson is progressively dropped and the connection established through the reins to the bit. But since the bit was never used for the training, the sensitivity and lightness was maintained and the principle of the Descente de Main evolved as used in the Ecole de Versailles and later became beautifully described by Robichon de la Guérinière and DuPaty de Clam.
Interestingly, a few years ago, the riding manuals of 1720 of the Royal Spanish Riding School, which were believed lost, were rediscovered in Vienna. And here again, the training of the young Lippizzaners was done in a caveson without a bit, which was only introduced after they had reached a secure level of training.
The remainder of this concept can still be seen in some lunging cavesons from Europe, having in addition an adjustable snaffle bit. These cavesons were common 50 years ago in Europe, but were never available in the United States where the concept of preserving a sensitive mouth was never a primary objective of Dressage training. However, in a young horse trained like this neither the lunge line or initially the side-reins were attached to the bit, so the introduction of the steel bit was a process of slow, gradual acceptance without any pressure. Later in the training, long side reins were attached to the snaffle, but never the lunge line, which only pulls the bit up or out of the mouth. Doing this is an abuse of the horse and only done by uneducated and insensitive horsemen.

Very few people have ever made or experienced a horse with a truly sensitive mouth, as neither trainers nor riders are concerned with this, as it is not part of the present culture of “On the Bit” in the U.S. In addition, the early introduction of the double bridle, not to speak about draw reins and other devices we see so often, is the hallmark of incompetence as well described by Udo Burger.
So how did the English term “On the Bit” appear in our terminology? To the best of my knowledge, it started with the creation of the FEI, which took place in 1921, initiated by General DeCarpentry with the assistance of Dr. Rau and the German General Halsing Bersett.
General DeCarpentry wrote the FEI rules and definitions in French as we see them today in the FEI rulebook using the sophisticated French Dressage vocabulary with its infinite nuances and meanings. But nowhere do we find any expression even remotely resembling our notation of “On the Bit.” which would translate in French as “Sur le Mors,” an expression which simply does not exist.
The Germans never translated the French FEI text, understanding most French and having an eloquent and well-established equestrian vocabulary of their own as demonstrated in their rule book and the publication of Basic Principles of Riding and Advanced Techniques of Riding by the German Equestrian Federation. Nowhere do we find anything in the original German version close to our statement of “On the Bit,” which is only occasionally used in the English translation for lack of any other expression. So why does this definition of “On the Bit” come up in the English FEI version which became today’s AHSA Dressage Rules and definitions in the official rule book?
Since there was hardly any Dressage in the early 1900s in England or in the United States, nor any English books on Dressage or magazines, there were simply no real equivalent terms for the statements of DeCarpentry, not to speak of reflecting the nuances of meaning of the French Dressage terms. I do not know who translated in the 1920s to ‘30s the French FEI text into English. It is eminently clear that the translator had a fairly good grasp of French but not of the French equestrian terminology, and the term “On the Bit” was created without really understanding what was meant in French or how this newly created definition would affect riding in English-speaking countries.
Lacking any other source of information, this FEI text was taken over by the AHSA and is still the official version which we see today in our rulebook, including the statement “On the Bit” without any futher explanation. Also, our AHSA rules reflect primarily FEI requirements, movements and gaits with no really meaningful statement from Training Level to 4th Level. Even recently introduced new movements such as chewing the reins out of the hands are neither referred to nor defined after they were put into our tests six years ago.

Just to show you a quick example of the first few pages of the AHSA rulebook and how this can lead to complete misinterpretation of the original French text of DeCarpentry, article 401-3 states “The horse gives the impression to execute of his own accord what is required of him, etc.” But in article 401-6, it states “In all his work, even at the halt, the horse must be on the bit”-which obviously includes training levels and introductory levels, since there is no distinction made. This in no way represents the finesse of the French Dans la Main (“on the aids”). But in article 403-3, it states that at the walk the horse should not be asked to walk on the bit, and in article 403-4.2, it states that at the medium walk the horse must be on the bit. This makes absolutely no sense, and if you want, you can go through the entire rulebook as far as riding is concerned and find contradictory statements like this one after the other.
If in our English translation we would say in article 401-6 that the horse in all its work even at the halt remains obediently under the influence of the rider’s aids, this would be closer to the true French meaning and removes the fixation to the hands, the bit and the front of the horse, and leads to a more integrated approach of all aids applicable to this movement.
Using this expression “On the Aids,” we could approach the variability of the French terminology with expressions like “teaching the young horse the progressive acceptance of the aids” up to the FEI levels where it should be on the aids. This includes lightness and self-carriage: not pulled into an artificial frame in front, the emphasis placed on the seat, position, weight, harmony between horse and rider and correct timing and coordination of all the aids. An artificial frame in front does not allow for expressive movement in self-carriage.
But to replace the expression “On the Bit” and banish it forever to oblivion is really no problem, since over the past 50 years we have established a vocabulary of Dressage in America. Terms such as “Acceptance of the Aids,” “On the Aids,” “Throughness,” “Connection,” “Lightness,” “Self-Carriage,” “Swinging Back,” “Relaxation,” “Balance,” and “Engagement,” just to name a few, would much better demonstrate what we really mean and which are really the objectives of Dressage.

Then we achieve what the FEI and DeCarpentry said originally; namely, that the horse gives the impression of doing on his own what is required of him, and not pulled together behind the vertical and consistently on the forehand and never truly through. Unfortunately, we see this all the time from Training Level up to a lot of poor piaffes, passages, piourettes and awful transitions.
Allowing the horse to seek the aids as the older Germans said, or the coordinated aids, aids coming through the back, non-interfering aids, weight aids, seat aids, supporting aids, leg aids, etc. with the horse determining the contact would probably better represent what we really should aim for in Dressage.
Also, what further seems to justify to pull together the front of the horse, and often behind the vertical and call it Dressage, are photos shown in European and in American Dressage magazines of winning teams with an incorrect, pulled together, short frame in front. Even though we always speak of Classical Dressage, nobody seems to go back to the original drawings and photos of the past. Interestingly enough, this concept of having a horse in front of you and with a head carriage more in front of the vertical the more it is collected is clearly depicted in the pictures of Müseler, (see diagram on facing page), which were adopted as correct by the FEI as long as Niggli was its chief but have pretty much fallen by the wayside as of now.
On the one hand magazines print the statements of Harry Boldt, Klaus Balkenhol, Christine Stuckelberger, Cindy Sydor, etc, condemning pulling the horse together in front and then publish dozens of pictures showing exactly the opposite, with horses pulled behind the vertical winning competitions. Take a look in one of the many Dressage publications available in the U.S. and judge for yourself. A clear policy and message to the Dressage community could not hurt.

In a more recent example in an article with Christine Stuckelberger said, “Today you see the horses pulled together. This is a mistake. A judge should penalize a horse that is tense and always goes behind the vertical.”
Harry Bolt said, “Regarding horses’ necks, I think judges should be more careful that horses’ noses are in front of the vertical.”
Snydor echoes the comments of many colleagues in adding that an overemphasis on the front end of the horse is another threat posed by poorly trained and performed exhibition work. “If it’s too much about the head, neck and front legs, it’s bad,” she says. “It may be more spectacular to the uninitiated, but there is already too much emphasis on the front end in regular dressage. We don’t need to be promoting that emphasis any further.”
Another reason the scores are so high today is because of the gaits our top horses show, not because of the quality of the execution of the difficult dressage movements. Just look at the horses’ mediocre piaffes, passages, flying changes and transitions, etc., we see in all the shows. But the German warmblood has a habit of going forward no matter what kind of head position the rider puts him in, even though this does not represent correct training and pulls him on the forehand.

In conclusion, since we now have a terminology in the United States correctly expressing the objectives of Dressage, maybe the time has come to upgrade our definition and rulebook statements and get rid of terms that not only make no sense but also are detrimental to the future of our sport.
It would be a nice beginning of the new century.

Read Original Article on Eclectic Horseman »

As a Massage Therapist and NeuroMuscular Therapist, the alignment and focus on the horse’s pelvis makes much more sense to me than focusing in the position of the head and neck, although the two do influence one another and are inter-dependent. The state of modern horsemanship is short-sighted, looking only at what is in front of us when riding, than looking at what is underneath us. But, as a bodyworker, I am also reminded frequently that this is not common knowledge and unfortunately is not widely known among the public – yet.

I love the visual in the second image shown above, which illustrates the relationship of the horse’s pelvis to his balance point and center of gravity, as well as how it affects the horse’s neck posture. In humans there is a similar correlation. If our pelvis is rotated one direction or the other our neck vertebrae will likewise have more or less curvature.

I don’t know about you, but when I read things like the above article it gets my blood moving and makes me want to become fluent in french, german and portuguese just so I can pore over the classic literature…

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 represented by Rollkur and those who are being allowed to utilize it in order to gain success.

I want to address Rollkur from two perspectives…

1. Being a symptom of a larger problem
2. It is one more ‘quick fix’ method just like many others that are “acceptable”

I got started thinking about this topic yesterday, while lunging one of my ‘young’ horses. He is a coming 5 year old who has had very little in the way of formal training. A bit of leading training when he was a weanling, he does a decent job in the cross-ties while still learning the art of giving space on the right side, picks up his feet and what have you. He isn’t shy about being touched all over, but yesterday was only his second time being lunged, ever. The last time was a year ago for a lunging demonstration that I video-taped. I have not be in any great rush to get him started under saddle.

I was contemplating the path that is taken by many when starting horses under saddle. I was envisioning many of the round-penning techniques that I have not only witnessed, but at some point in my horse experience have practiced myself. I remember being amazed at how quickly someone could start a horse under saddle with little or no dangerous reaction from the horse. The thought quickly crossed my mind, reminding me of a gadget I had seen not long ago – The Barnes Trainer – which guarantees to take the buck out of any horse young or old.

As all of these thoughts were crossing my mind, my young guy decided that the distractions I was taking part in mentally were warrant enough to bring my attention back to him. He opted to get my attention by getting more and more nervous about the arena, the scary wind blowing things around outside, and now whinnying to the other horses…

Certainly he could have continued to escalate – something all too common – to a place of throwing a temper tantrum, spooking repeatedly, continuing to become more and more distracted and distraught, perhaps showing signs of being herd-bound, rearing, bucking, kicking, striking, trying to rub himself all over me, running through my attempts to stop him, etc. He does, afterall, have the perfect excuse of having very little handling, right?

Instead I took my focus back to the one thing which can be reliably concentrated on – his feet. It is something that takes the mind back to doing, rather than reacting. Soon he is down to a level calm, he’s sighing and letting out little sneezy snorts, head is lowering, his tail is swinging and he is perfect tune to my every whim.

I never take these things for granted, that is the ad caveat I want to leave. Sometimes when I read my posts I can’t help but think, “my gosh, I sound like someone who has ridden for only a few weeks and is excited because she was able to pick up her horse’s feet!” But the truth is that I am constantly excited! I have been working with horses for 14+ years, day in and day out. I can’t help but think that if I’m not excited about it like a little kid, then there is no point in doing it anymore. I can just as easily have problems which are incurable by the best of trainers as I could have no problems with my horses, and my excitement isn’t so much at the lack of problems as it is about the level of communication and the depth of my relationship with my horses, something which I hope brings back some inspiration to everyone who reads my blog or listens to my radio show, read my book, works with me, etc…

How does this whole mess relate to Rollkur / hyperflexion? Just as easily as I was able to bring myself back to focusing on something I could initiate rather than reacting to my own horse’s actions (thereby exasperating them..), I could have decided to cover up what he was telling me with some sort of gadget. Rollkur advocates create rollkur on the lunge even… ! I could shut down what O Man (yes, that is his nickname ) was trying to tell me – that he was nervous, that I wasn’t paying attention to him, that he needed someone to guide him because he isn’t mature enough to lead the way or go on autopilot, that he isn’t sure what it is that I want, that the big bad wind is scary, so on and so forth. Whatever the exactness of his words were, I listened instead of putting duct tape over his mouth.

Rollkur is that duct tape, but it isn’t the only method we use to shut the horse’s communication down with us. How many ride with tie-downs to hide a horse who tosses it’s head because of a rider’s poor hands, rough bit, insecurity in the saddle, or lack of forward movement? How many ride with martingales, use spurs, are constantly batting with their whip or the length of their reins, resort to harsher bits to get the job done, tie their horse’s mouth shut with crank cavesons and flash nosebands?

It isn’t even because we know that is what we are doing. There might initially be some gut feeling of ickiness about the whole concept of these gadgets or methods, but eventually we dull our gut feelings out with the reassurances of other riders, trainers, people we look up to or are seeking approval from. Whatever the reason, eventually we dull ourselves out as much as we are attempting to dull our horse out. And it works, until it doesn’t. It will work on lots of horses, until one of them protests so much as to hurt someone or themselves. But… we still write it off as being a personal problem with that individual horse.

Rollkur is simply a method which disgusts us more than other gadgets – there are even people outside of those winning gold medals and trophies, who support Rollkur! How is it any different from the soring of Tennessee Walking Horses? It isn’t, both are used in a way to win some recognition at the expense of the horse. Rollkur is a double blind though, because it is also used as a method to control the horse, to keep the horse from bolting across the arena rather than halting at x ‘and salute’.

What all of these gadgets and gimmicks (including Rollkur) have in common is the fact that they are band-aids for a bigger wound. It is similar to our healthcare system even – we simply medicate, medicate, medicate… and ignore what is going on underneath. Why? Usually because it is less frightening to simply dull out, shut down, hide and ignore than it is to face, confront, chase after, discover the truths hiding underneath. But, that is our perception, and the mind does not equal reality.

Rollkur is really a sign of the times. We medicate and bandage as a society on the whole. The issues facing us with our horse is only a mirror of what is facing us in other aspects of our life.

It think I’ve managed to cover both positions that I was aiming for. This morning in my mailbox I got an email with another rollkur based video in it on youtube. In it’s description area, there was mention of the study I posted about earlier, in which the horses choose either rollkur position or a natural neck position based on which direction they choose in a maze. I can’t help but wonder why it is, that we know this to be wrong, even the FEI has declared it a form of abuse… and still we continue trying to prove it is wrong through other means. Why is it not enough that the horse’s mental faculties – not to mention his now perverted sense of relationship with humans – is being abused in order to say enough is enough? Is it a greater sign of how much we are willing to let ourselves be abused while making excuses or searching for a good enough sign of proof that we are being abused before putting an end to it?

I can’t help but link our relationship building with the horse to our relationship building with other people. We are perfectly happy letting a boyfriend/girlfriend treat us like dirt, and still wonder why our horse is walking all over us? Or vice versa and cannot understand why our horse has no confidence? Everything is connected, no matter how we might like to say that our arm is not connected to our leg, it is via the center of our body. It is all an intrisically connected network.

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 only choose normal poll flexion when given a choice while maneuvering, their physiological reaction to stressful stimulation is comparatively lower when compared to their reaction while in hyperflexion.

Link : Rollkur : Researchers Explore Neck Hyperflection in Horses