Comments on: Head Movements Affects Breathing and Drooling

By: Marilyn Wilson

Marilyn Wilson — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:19:12 +0000

This hyperflexion will be the ruin of dressage as we know it. And anyone that says it doesn’t cause distress should have it done to them and see how long it takes before they’re begging for mercy.

By: suzi m.

suzi m. — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:37:11 +0000

Leigh: thank you for such a thoughtful, considerate, and truthful response to Jennifer’s post. I appreciate your tactful and gentle approach. It is difficult to know how to respond to those who can’t see the obvious pain and torture these horses are subjected to. Your patience and insight are inspiring.

By: Cathy

Cathy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:13:59 +0000

The really sad part is I don’t believe that most riders would knowing hurt their horses and most coaches wouldn’t knowing tell their riders to hurt their horses. But, that is what is happening. Why are the horses requiring more and more leather as the horse becomes more advanced. A horse’s mouth should not be tied shut with a crank or a flash nose band never mind both of them. A horse as it advances in training is supposed to be more responsive to the rider not less.

Check out http://horsesforlife.com at the website (where the article came from) and their facebook links page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Horses-For-LIFE-Publications/51217564556?ref=ts#/pages/Horses-For-LIFE-Publications/51217564556?v=app_2309869772&ref=ts there are a bunch of links there to more articles about rollkur
Cathy

By: enlightenedhorsemanshp

enlightenedhorsemanshp — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:04:37 +0000

Leigh
I appreciate the effort and kindness you put into your answer to Jennifer. I know it was not easy. It had a great effect on me, however, already one of the choir. You gave me an idea to pursue further and post about in my own blog in support of this issue. Well done, and thank you.

By: Leigh

Leigh — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:29:06 +0000

Jennifer, I want to say this in a gentle and respectful way, especially because I’m guessing that you’re quite young, given how you worded your message. I hope that you understand that I am writing to you in a spirit of learning and teaching, and I applaud your passion about horses and your belief in others’ passions as well.

That said, you need to do some research into horse physiology and biomechanics.

Horses do not drool to cool themselves down. Dogs do, because they can’t sweat. Horses have an extensive and capable system of sweat glands in their bodies, and you will never, ever see a horse in the wild drooling. It is not natural for horses to drool.

I suggest that that you do some digging — even ask your veterinarian when he or she next comes to visit you — about where you can learn more about how horses’ bodies work.

And sadly, there are many people who knowingly or unknowingly harm their horses. You obviously would never do anything on purpose to hurt your horse, but there are, unfortunately, many people who would. Where there is money there is the potential for cruelty — look to the histories of many commercial horse disciplines and you’ll see horrendous abuses.

And while you obviously don’t want to do anything to hurt your horse, I suggest that you read and learn and think carefully about what you are doing with your horse — we can hurt them, frequently, without even realizing it. And yes, some horses will respond to pain by throwing their riders, but most horses have been trained away from their instincts to respond in that way, learning that to survive means that they tolerate things they don’t like. Their ability to do this is not that surprising, given the fact that they are prey animals and their survival in the wild could be affected by showing any vulnerability — horses have thousands and thousands of years of learning to never show weakness so the predator won’t go after them.

Instead of saying this article is “stupid” I urge you to actually look at the science involved.

By: Christina

Christina — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:56:35 +0000

Dear God,I can’t believe how people close their eyes to the truth of what they are looking at. Regardless of many people’s lack of scientific knowledge, one only has to look at the horse’s face, especially the eyes, the curled lips, the dilated nostrils, to know that a horse is in distress being ridden this way.

Sign up for the free Klaus Hempfling seminar online on Sunday, November 15th and learn something. Don’t be complacent, become an educated horseperson, and above all, don’t perpetuate this abomination of training!

http://www.dressagedisgrace.com/live-teleseminar-klaus-ferdinand-hempfling

By: jennifer

jennifer — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:29:34 +0000

no offence this is stupid!!!! horses drool to keep themselves cool not because they can’t breath!! in fact most dressage horses enjoy what they do, if they didn’t like what they do, they wouldn’t do it! no matter how much training, you cannot train a horse to do something it doesn’t like to do. and the whole drooling thing is like sweating. at my jumping lessons we jump only 18 inches and r horses drool and we only ride an hour (horses can ride much longer and harder than that). this whole article is stupid and u should get to know your facts better. Horseback riders usualy LOVE what they do, which means they would never do anything to HURT the horse!!!! if horses didn’t want to do something or something was hurting them… their riders would have been thrown off!

By: Sascha Day

Sascha Day — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:49:26 +0000

Excellent description. Drooling is scientific evidence that damage has been done, and is being done, to horse delicate structures, inhibiting both his ability to breath and swallow.
Any drooling, in any sports event, by any horse should be met by immediate disqualification from the event officials and this should be publically understood and further investigated as evidence of animal cruelty and damage.

By: Dorothy

Dorothy — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:50:42 +0000

How can anyone say that this hyperflexion does not cause injury, let alone distress with this sort of evidence??