Again, while listening to the interview, I think that it’s all about mutual respect between horse and rider. Respect, alignment with the nature of the horse, not necessarily in alignment with the way that humans view respect. One has to only observe the horse in a herd, and then it’s possible to see “respect” throughout the “community.”

Regarding Rollkur–If we were asked to move, with our heads tied down toward our waist, what a sight that would be…not to mention the pain and cruelty. Even worse would be the embarrassment and humiliation.

My horse, who came to me over 2 years ago with unkonwn issues, including fear, has come around beautifully, and will follow me around as well as move out ahead on a long 30 ft line, out on rural trails–showing confidence. She will nose-touch new items found along the way, and then expect a hearty pat for her bravery. She now demonstrates such regard for anyone who handles her, (under my scrutiny, of course) and yet, would not allow anyone to even touch her face just two years ago.

I’ve learned how sensitive she is to any form of human body (movement) language…wow! what an awakening to me, even though my other two lovely Arabian mares were very self-assured and didn’t require me to seek to “understand” them this much. (No rollkur was ever in their lives either) But, here we began with a mare who could not talk and tell what she had been subjected to for 12 years of her life.

All that Klaus has shown in his utube clips, books, etc., has served to awaken me to how horses react to soooooo MUCH MORE than hands, and feet.They are all-knowing…our body language and our thoughts as well!

What a path of learning, that continues on!

Years ago, if you would have asked me what my goal in life was to be I would have answered that more than anything I wanted to take the proceeds of the sale of a home and use that money to buy a great horse capable of going international. I was willing to donate all my retirement time and hundreds of thousands of dollars to that goal. But now, when I see what it means to be at that level and by what is winning in the ring, I am appalled. I no longer want to show, want to spend money on what I see as an abomination in the dressage ring.

Rolkur and the forced submissiveness is NOTHING to aspire to. So now I take my lessons at home with my instructor and my never-will-be-FEI horse and I am happy. Most importantly, my horse is happy too. You can tell by his appearance when I am training. I look forward to once again being able to clinic with my personal hero Walter Zettl and to learning dressage as an ART and not as forced manipulation of a helpless animal.

In the world of dressage I am just another nobody, so no FEI organization is going to care what I do. But one day (with any luck) they will learn to understand that the top level of riders only make up a small portion of the dressage population, and that the sport is basically financed by hundreds of thousands(or millions) of nobodies just like me. And as I will walk away, so may many many others.

As a current member of USEF and USDF I am waiting to see what action they take and to see if they have the guts to support the antiRolkur movement, and if they don’t, I’ll probably walk away from them as well.

Yes I know the current FEI elite and their Blue Tongues will say I don’t know what I’m talking about, and that only they have the gifted golden fingers to train that way. Well, that’s fine. They can have their glory until such time as some animal welfare group further humiliates them. Until such time as animal welfare concerns takes dressage right the heck out of the Olympics by popular disdain.

So I’ve made a promise to myself and this is what this little dressage nobody who doesn’t have the “expertise” to ride rolkur is going to do. I will carefully check every product I buy and any and every product endorsed by a Rolkurite I will not purchase. No books, boots, videos, shirts, bridles, saddles, gloves, underwear…….

I will loudly protest and shout from the rafters my disdain for the practice and I will not clinic with anyone who rides or advocates such riding practices as rolkur. I will join any grassroots movement which is against Rolkur whether it be by wearing a white baseball cap and if I were to attend an event where it is used I would not be against holding up a sign or other indication of my extreme negative feelings for the practice. I will take pictures and post on the internet, or videos if I’m holding a video camera. I will join all blogs fighting the use of rolkur.

I may be just a force of one, but there are many of me and together, we can make a difference.

When sponsors stop endorsing Rolkurites due to negative profit (or visa versa) and dressage interest or attendance decreases THEN maybe the organizations who state they support the welfare of the horse will care. WHEN IT HITS THEM IN THE POCKETBOOK. Obviously this whole welfare of the horse thing is right now, to them, an inconvenience.

Princess Haya, are you reading?

I would love to see how Klaus works with ill treated horses and turns them around. He does not sound like a monster but a realist. I was not impressed with what I seen but it was interesting to hear the reason for riding in such a way. I am not sure I agree with it. Hats off to you for being brave enough to talk to us.

This has been so much easier to work my way through by reading/listening to/working with some really sound people (eg reading Linda Kohanov’s books; working with Angela Dunning here in the UK) and it is similarly so good to be able to listen to Klaus share his experience.

What I have been able to let go, has made space for something much richer.

Thanks for making this teleseminar possible Mark and thanks to Klaus for his time. Your efforts do not go unnoticed.