DressageDisgrace

Self carriage is an incredibly important foundation in any sort of riding. But specially in dressage, it is essential to have self carriage before we can have real collection.
In everything from pleasure riding to Grand Prix dressage, self carriage will give you a comfortable ride and a long lived, free from injury, happy [...]

There is little difference between a classical dressage rider and a competitive rider in the hands of a master, but the methods of training are very different. The two methods are different from the standpoint of how to develop lightness and self-carriage.
At this time in history the classical school of dressage is very strong and [...]

This is an article of a conversation between B.H.S. horse trainer, Alexander teacher and NLP life coach, Joni Bentley, and the well-known German veterinarian Dr. Gerd Heuschmann, who’s also the author of Tug of War: Classical versus “Modern” Dressage.

Joni Bentley is the originator of The Bentley Technique. The Bentley Technique is a simple way [...]

My Uberstreichen Exercises are ground schooling to introduce the horse to the bridle for all disciplines to support both beginning and advanced training under saddle. They teach a horse to collect and lengthen from the slightest request from light rein aids, gas pedal and brakes for a bit as well as bitless riding. All exercises [...]

Below is the replay of the fantastic call with Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling, who spoke at length about the history of Rollkur and how this has led to the ‘death’ of the spirit of so many horses.

Call courtesy of HorseConscious.com
Click DressageDisgrace for the transcript of the call
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Rollkur – contrary to what many riders think – is not a suppling process other than to “rubberise” the horse’s neck. This practice is considered very harmful by all the great Master Trainers of the last 2 centuries. It causes blockages to occur between the horse’s back and his shoulders, so that the energy from [...]

“It is hard to understand how people can ride their horses like its done in the world cup warm up video. I wonder why the rider cannot see the extreme pain he causes through this warm up. How did their ambitions disconnect them from the art of horsemanship where cooperation and partnership between horse and [...]

“There is growing awareness in the scientific and dressage and horse communities of the cruelty and damage done by practices such as “rollkur”. This and many others have been scientifically documented, not only by organizations and individuals that denounce all horse sport, but also those deeply involved in those sports. Surely there comes [...]

“We are happy that not only NHE sees the problem now, but I am afraid that this video will be discussed as not a global problem but just a case of this sportsman. However, this Sportsman is just a part of the system which is based on cruelty- visible or hidden.
I am a founder of [...]