Please Help Spread This Message For Change
Recording of teleseminar with CAROLYN RESNICK
where Carolyn discusses why Rollkur is anti-dressage! – Carolyn Resnick to listen.
Recording of teleseminar with KLAUS FERDINAND HEMPFLING
where Klaus discusses the use of Rollkur now available – click KFH to listen.
The following video is very disturbing, heartbreaking even. It was taken at the World Cup dressage qualifier in Odense, Denmark during a warm-up of over two hours, with this horse being ridden in various stages of hyperflexion. Although the horse suffered so severely here, he was ridden for a futher 90 minutes. There was a complaint from one of the spectators but shockingly, the FEI steward chose not to react.
Video shown with permission of EPONA.tv – Read their accompanying article here
CLICK THIS LINE TO READ HOW YOU CAN HELP SPREAD THE MESSAGE
We know that a horse in hyperflexion has problems breathing, cannot see where he is going, is in a psychological state of learned helplessness, can end up with ossification of the poll and a number of other physical problems brought and yet because “everyone” is doing it, the FEI (Fédération Equestre Internationale – the equestrian sports governing body), refuses to take a stand.
This site has been put together by people who want to see an end to the often barbaric way horses are treated in modern dressage and we need your help…
The film is quite shocking and we wouldn’t blame you if you did not want to watch. However, by facing up to the uncomfortable truth, we hope you will be sufficiently horrified and saddened by the suffering of these horses, that you feel compelled to take action. In which case you have come to the right place.
There is astounding scientific evidence of the damage this type of training does to horses and it doesn’t have to be like this. We must use our collective voice for those who cannot speak to enlighten the authorities and trainers responsible.
We want to make this message go viral to alert as many people as possible and to catch the attention of the media.
You can lend your support by first commenting below and then by going to the How To Help page to find out what you can do next. Thank you so much.
We all can voice our opinion, but we need MORE accurate science regarding the affect of rolkur/ldr.
We can mandate that FEI and USEF enforce their own rules because we can produce scientific evidence that cannot be disputed.
There is a way, but the companies who have the equipment do not want to participate in the research so it must be purchased. We can gather scientific evidence in a working arena setting with an audience that will validate and/or invalidate any claims regarding equipment or schooling method affects upon the horses.
So do you want to ride the ride rather than talk the talk, go to http://www.hartetoharte.org and read the brief on the Rider Impact Research Study along with the article on tetanic contractions. Then if you are really sincere about stopping rolkur/ldr and any other form of equine abuse, please contribute to the effort to purchase the equipment….and spread the word…….we need to raise $250,000.
You can never find the refinement sought after in dressage as long as the horse is overpowered not only with one, but two bits (and in this case two harsh hands). If the sport is really about man and horse working together, showing of their skills and achieving perfect, precise movements, lets make it just about them and take away the tools that force the horse to submit to the pressures. Make the challenge the man who can communicate his intent to his horse with as few tools possible.
This is simply disgusting. I hope I never witness anything as barbaric as this, god help the rider if I do.
I just don’t understand why people think this is necessary, and anyone who awards a rosette to that is just plain jaded.
I have been involved in natural horsemanship for many years now, and have much more pleasure doing what I do now than I ever did in the show ring. I hope other people can look out of the box, and find the true enjoyment in riding – their horse.
It is tragic that all the “art” from the art of horsemanship has been lost. I am full of hope, that people see that this is not what dressage really is, and that this subjection is not at the heart of dressage; a tactful and respectful communication between horse and rider. We have to stand up against the short-cut training like “rollkur”. It is cruel, and succeeds only in breaking these beautiful athletes down.
Thank you so much for bringing this dispicable practice to light! Anyone who has the least bit of biomechanical knowledge knows this will cause injury to a horse. The judges should be disciplined for allowing this torture! The website http://www.sustainabledressage.com/rollkur/why_not.php has some very good information about what this practice does to a horses body.
Keep up the good work! Renate
Hyperflexion in dressage horses, soring Tennessee Walkers to make them step higher, racing babies until they break-how are we any different than the people at the turn of the century who used to beat horses to death in the streets? Even with all our “Natural Horsemanship” and knowledge of how horses think, people will still torture a horse for the sake of a piece of ribbon or a hunk of wood. And what is the point of having these governing bodies in horse shows if they don’t have the balls to enforce common sense treatment? I’m so disgusted with the way horses are treated I’m ready to shoot some of these idiots out of the saddle. Here’s hoping that more and more of these videos of torture and abuse are brought to the public’s attention so we can stop it for good.
You know, if we accidentally hurt our dog, he yelps out in pain, right? The poor horse doesn’t have the capability to say “OUCH” when something hurts so the ignorant human keeps on torturing the poor animal in the name of “training”. Education is lacking on the part of these famous celebrity riders and trainers. Someone has to make them work hard with their chins pulled down to their chests and see how fast they say “OUCH”!!!
I own 5 horses, I have never seen anything so disgusting as this video! this is real abuse, and should be banned and so should the rider.
I have just watched the video…I would like to see that ignorant rider tuck his chin on his neck for the same amount of time as this poor horse did and see how he feels, not only was he made to do this but have his back weighted and preform so called dressage moves as well. Poking his tongue out surely said it all! This cruelty has to STOP now. I have had the privilage of being invovled with and owning beautiful equines for over 30 years and have seen some disturbing sights but this one takes the biscuit.
Kimberly – “I hope anyone who owns a horse and does dressage rot’s in hell for putting the beautiful horses through it for their own greed and pleasure.”
I’m sorry but that statement is very inappropriate. There are dressage riders who work with the horses. There are horses who love competition. I’m sure some like dressage much like people who love dancing versus track running and so on and so forth.
Did you know, if you are a well learned horse woman, that dressage is natural? Horses naturally move in piaffe, passage, and even half passes. Before wild mustang stallions fight, a lead will perform piaffe in front of the challenger. Extension and collection of the gaits is also a natural event. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHaEzGz0HeE I’m sure you are very familiar with Haute Ecole? If you don’t like dressage, don’t watch it…but this site isn’t about getting rid of dressage – It’s about generating public awareness for a horrifying training method in the top levels of dressage.
I almost cried when I saw the blue tongue…but then really had to pull back tears when you watch the interaction between the ridden horse and a horse being walked (3:06 till about 3:11) It’s sad – a horse can’t say he needs help, and the rider should be more sensitive to his horse. Classical riding isn’t about control.
The pro-rolkur (prolkur) faction keeps on trying to defend this practice. We must continue to show our outrage but there is something else we need to do as well: Education of the masses as to proper riding so that in the future shams such as this will be recognized for what they are.
I propose that spectators who are as disgusted as we are about these barbaric practices BOO the riders when they come in. Get a group together so you dont feel isolated.TURN YOUR BACKS on the riders and the arena.POINTEDLY! Let others know what you are doing . If enough people did it even the thickest rider would start to feel embarrassed and the FEI would have to start taking into account the wider view of their supporters. Can you imagine a whole crowd of people turning their backs on the arena? A whole arenas spectators? Magic! May take a few goes but it would catch on.
I suggest they collectively make themselves heard. This could spread if people have GUTS!!!!!! Make your feelings felt. i suggest that all disgusted spectators and memebers of the public write, petition and email the FEI continously and shame them until they outlaw it. What ever happened to the RSPCA and equivalent.
An effort is being made for change, however, talk is cheap and people are not willing to get on the band wagon and do what is necessary to accomplish change.
go to http://www.hartetoharte.org & read the Symposium Letter…not one official has responded. read the Rider Impact Research Study…we are now getting some well known researchers to join in the project.
glad to see some other people are starting to get the measage about dressage and it’s affects on the horses, i am a horse lover and love the andalusian horse which is of course one of the top breeds for dressage, it is in my eyes the most stupid and cruelest sport along with horse racing, it does not look good making a horse dance it is done for greed money and for people to show off their skills to win shows, i hate it everything about it itr is not beautiful at all making a horse dance is not natural it is cruel and selfish i only wish we could ban these sports forever, i am about to buy a beautiful andalusian horse who has not been and never will be trained in dressage i think it is enough that these beautiful creatures let us ride them in the first place but people are not happy with general riding anymore it has to be something more spectacular like dancing or dressage as it is so silly named i have no intrest in it seeing it does not fill me with happiness it fills me with dread for the poor horse who is having to perform these silly movements to please the riders.
I hope anyone who owns a horse and does dressage rot’s in hell for putting the beautiful horses through it for their own greed and pleasure.
You would hope that riders at the level of competition this video shows had actually understood the Scales of Training, and could have worked out for themselves that Rollekur doesn’t fit. Relaxation, Rhythm, Contact, Impulsion, Straightness, Collection. Contact and Collection, not hauling the head until the poll is a foot below the top of the crest. Impuslion which should be driving forwards, not ploughing at 45 degrees into the ground.
Rollekur is the sort of excess that can be seen in breeding to type – where the original purpose of the animal gets lost in looking for extremity of features. The modern Rollekur horse would fall over its own feet on a battlefield, even if its crest makes a terrible parody of a war-stallion.
But most important is the injury-issues. Dressage is about achieving balance as much as anything, and no viewer could say that poor, willing animal was being allowed to be balanced. The FEI judges know the definition of ‘correctness’ as well as the rest of us: why don’t they start using that to judge what, perhaps rather than who, comes into the arena…
I think this is just a very individual case. And that rider is obviously not very good. This horse was obviously in distress. This would not normally happen to Professional, and ‘normal’ riders that perform dressage.
To some people ‘Horse Riding’ full stop is cruel. But people all over the world do it. Whats done is done. there is nothing we can do about it now.
All you people looking on and riding – get some balls and say something! Just because these people ride in expensive equipment and ride even more expensive horses is all the more of a trajedy! But in the name of “sport” we allow this? If I was there this would not have happened for as long as it did because even though I’m a woman I’ve got balls to stand up to these losers that attempt to be winners but have no clue what that means. Whatever system runs an industry that allows this is corrupt and an embarrasment. I think these people that do this are sick control freaks that need help. And until these competitions are run by people who have a better hold on themselves and can grasp the idea of this – it will always be this way. I don’t go to these shows, I don’t compete anymore, I certainly don’t give them any money and I’m very happy to not be a part of this sick part of the horse world – I wish it would all just go away. If youre gonna let people compete at this high level – there should be some sort of interviewing process other than whats done now. Who got that person to that level and has allowed him to look like a competing winner? Thats just crazy. Did one just slip through the cracks? Right. Tell me another one.
All I have to say is: How would the riders, trainers and owners like that to be done to them. I don’t think they would like it at all. Horses (or any other animal) cannot say “Hay, you know that hurts and I can’t caught my breath and Iam getting dizzy.” I hope the FEI really cracks down and stops this in the training and showing of horses. Plus, I think they need to punish alot of people that had anything to do with what happened to that horse (like the rider, trainer, handlers, groomers and the FEI person that was watching what was going on. That is what I think should happen. Thank you for your time in reading my thought.
Even non-horsey people are going to hate this one! A person doesn’t need to know a thing about horses or dressage, to be able to see that rollkurr is cruel.
This is discussing! Someone should have closed the show ring and escorted the horse and rider out. Fines for animal abuse. What kind of people do this?
Rollkur may have been started in ignorance of the pain and damage it can inflict to horses. We are human and we all make mistakes. But what is unacceptable is that people continue this unhumane practice with the knowledge of the negative consequences it has for the horse. Horses have stoically served man for centuries, it is time that we thank horsekind for all they have done and all they continue to do for us with some sensitivity, kindness and intelligence. MAKE ROLLKUR AN ILLEGAL PRACTICE!
This is barbaric – and it carried on for another 90 minutes! The guy needs horsewhipping – along with the FEI who condone it.
I have ridden horses out hunting for 40 years,but never like this. The pain he must have felt in his neck and tongue (notice his tongue sticking out – it has nowhere else to go because his hands are so fixed!!!) is unimaginable.
I find it shocking that even when the rider halts and bends down to see his horse’s tongue he still wont release the contact. Ban Rollkur and the riders that use it!
I am part of the dressage world. Was this ride too much? too severe? perhaps. Should rollkurr be used as a training method perhaps, perhaps not.
However, any training method is that..a training method not a way of going. Was this horse pushed ahead in the classes faster than he was ready for…did this horse have enough training to perform at this level…we don’t know. Is it what we would choose for our own horse…no.
I would like to point out though that I have been involved in horse for years. Jumper, Hunter Jumper and now finally and happily dressage. There is abuse in every single discipline. What about the hunter/Jumper that lunges the horse for several hours before a class in order to make it appear calmer….is it calmer or just exhausted?
Put people and animals together be it your dog at home, your expensive jumper or your pony club horse..there will always be some that abuse these beautiful trusting creatures. Does this mean that dressage is bad? Hunter/Jumper is bad? Owning a pet dog is bad?…..no. It just means that there will always be some people who misuse training methods and animals….
I may not know a single thing about dressage(i’ve been rding for about 3 -4 yrs) , but this is unbelieveable.I like to think of dressage as a fun sport for you and your horse to have fun trying and going to shows,not to torture your horse by doing this! When i was the video i was very upset the horse looked so uncomfortable. i just wanted to push the guy off the horse an take him with me so he wouldnt have to feel that awful pain any more.It’s a great thing someone has put this out there.Horses have helped us in so many ways and this what we give in retur?I really hope FEI cracks down on this and stops as fast as they can.