“I just don’t know what to say. The video is painful and it is poor horsemanship but everyone knows that already.
A teacher of mine once said to me that you should be able to ride with string for reins and if you can’t, then you’re no horseman.
My job is to show people how they can train where this condition is never an option. The man is pulling and holding the horse against his will and making his whole body suffer. This will bring the horse a life of pain in his old age if he makes it that far and does not die of colic from this kind of training. This kind of abuse should have been stopped years ago.
What is happening in the warm up and performance arenas needs to be monitored and governed. Allowing this kind of treatment is a disgrace to the dressage world and the really ugly thing about it is that the rider doesn’t even know he’s doing anything wrong because we are allowing this abuse to happen at the highest levels of competition. I guess that he feels that his horse needs to stop fighting, that he has too much will and should give in to make the ride more harmonious…
This is where saddles, bits and bridles turn into torture devices and is the reason I developed my Method so that people can witness that fighting or forcing a horse is totally unnecessary. A horse in long and low, and in this case low and and round, should not be held by a rein or draw rein because it can be done on a lose rein through request rather that demand and a locked hold of the rein. Demands from a rein using the curb bit that require constant restriction of the horse’s head, will and freedom should be banned.
It is a shame that the highest form of horsemanship has become a cruel art. If you read the dressage rule books in this country, it says that the horse in dressage is to be trained in the moments of unity and harmony. In my estimation if you are pulling on a horse and locking him into a frame to get submission, this is not unity or harmony. It is a great abuse of the horse’s body and should certainly be nothing we should admire or allow.
I hope and pray we will see new rules to stop this kind of abuse of horses.”
Carolyn Resnick
Related excerpts from Carolyn’s blog
My Methods of developing a competitive performance resonate to the theories of the classical school. I prefer the classical methods of training because they focus on developing the dressage horse through the fundamentals of procedure, ground training, lightness of aids, harmony and unity. I also believe that the classical method provides the competitive rider with more support in developing the rider’s skill in horsemanship for dressage. All the problems that are occurring in the competitive world could be corrected by using the classical methods of dressage.
If you think about it, once you put the leg and rein aids on the horse correctly, the horse is like a piano. A piano is a generic instrument. You can play classical music or jazz on the same piano. The only requirement is that the piano be in tune.
There are many ways of developing the dressage horse. My interest is to use the lightest aids from the beginning to create the maximum performance in each horse. I find that taking the time to develop the horse through the fundamentals of the classical methods builds the horse’s understanding and willingness to perform. In the end it is the fastest way to create a fully schooled dressage horse. Using the principles of the classical school of dressage, no horse or rider is put to a task that they can not achieve.
In unity there is harmony. Dressage is the practice of unity between horse and rider. Unity is an art, the formula of practice, and the first and last step in dressage. Getting the resistance out of a horse when the horse is resistant is not dressage.
It is important to remember to keep the philosophy of dressage in the act of riding and training your horse. One rule that should never be broken is to never ask your horse to perform any movement before he is prepared and willing to try.
until the fei will stop acting so cowardly and take a stand, there is no hope of resolving this. the weakness of the org is astonishing. there are very few real horsemen, most who consider themselves so are just amoral, greedy pervs who dont deserve the amazing horses they ride. cant someone do something?
I think it is really important that we keep the pressure on here. As time goes on, I think the FEI will quietly hope the whole issue goes away. British Dressage has already closed its forum for discussion of this issue. And I have found it really interesting that all the horse riders who are already looking for a kinder way to train their horses are aware of the Blue Tongue video, whereas the riders who are locked into the competitive side of dressage don’t seem to have heard of it. Are we in danger of preaching to the converted?
Thank you, Carolyn, for your insightful and compassionate response to the ugly and shameful torture that is currently deemed acceptable in the competition world of dressage and elsewhere. I am so grateful that there are people in this world, such as you, to show us that there is a much kinder, better way to be with our horses. I hope that we can all work together to stop the cruelty and abuse that is commonly used against these beautiful animals.
As long as those organizing and judging these competitions allow this to go on it will continue. The leaders must make and enforce the rules based on integrity and for the horses, who are for the most part unwilling partners in the whole deal, then all the sheeple will follow. Most people don’t even think these days, they just do because everyone else is doing it and getting rewarded for it. If the leaders have no integrity then it is up to those that do to show them a better way, raise awareness and consciousness and do whatever it takes to bring about change. Bad things can only stay while the good turn their heads the other way.
The level of ruthlessness demonstrated by the so called rider is sickening.
I think that FEI should strongly denounce such cruelty and disqualify such participants.
In addition this man does not live in a bubble – more people are likely accountable and bear responsibility as well: possibly his trainer and riding stables…
It seems that we should also be equally concerned by the retaliation that the horse might have to endure and with his treatment in general. I hope that Danish Animal Rights organizations will look into this as well. This horse needs a new life.
How it is stated from great riders: dressage is for the horse and not the horse for dressage. On this video you just see how the horse is abused for the ignorance and selfishness of men and it shows the disrespect men has towards all living creatures and the deep disbelief of possible love, understanding and harmony between him and nature.
In this way the person damages his own soul.
why are there no better values in the official sport arena, why do we have to see the acknowledgement of abuse and wrong acting?
This art of dressage which can be so beautiful; a dance really, between rider and horse, has become ( as in this instance)akin to watching the torture of body, mind and spirit. What is especially sad is that those whose role it is to protect these creatures allow it.