by the Dutch. They have started this training method to show in public in 2006 at the WEG in Germany where I went to watch.
The spectators were livid and booohd the warm up.
The next day they were riding behind closed doors as their safety was threatened by the outraged
spectators. So the abuse went on behind closed doors. Interviews were giving on TV by
top riders and trainers (including Isabel and Bemelsman)- They were all careful in what they were saying. Nobody stood up to cirtizise the Dutch for training like that to quiet the public spectators. Riding Magazines reported and judged this
style of riding. They were getting sued by Anky and Sjef.
Sjef Janssen and Anky's training technique are ruining the sport.
I don't care if we won't see dressage as a discipline at the Olympics anymore as a result of a revolt to safe the horses.
Rather not have it anymore as an Olympic discipline than allowing, promoting and supporting this horrific training with
high scores by the judges (see results from the European Championships this summer).
They not only hurt the horses physically, they are also braking the spirit of the horse.
Top horses are being bred nowadays - Klimke, Stuecklberger, very talented riders from the past,
would have dreamed to ride talented horses like that.
The breeding of the horses has so much improved in a short period of time - where at the same time the
riding has sooo much REGRESSED.
Hilo Nick
COMMENTS
[ posted by Alexandra Kummer, 25.10.09 10:12 ]
To who it may concern,
As an advocate for humane riding and treatment of animals, I find it very saddening that high level riders don't seem to educate themselves about the anatomy of there athletes. To see this video , were the tongue turned blue and the horses eyes are rolled is very upsetting. I think it is time that riders who put there horses in this kind of flexion should be disqualified from competing!! sincerely Alexandra Kummer
[ posted by Helyn, 25.10.09 10:14 ]
Petition to the FEI to ban usage of Rollkur
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ban-rollkur
[ posted by Helyn, 02.11.09 18:33 ]
Jean Luc's new article Hyper-Flexion is online at http://scienceofmotion.com/documents/rollkur.html
[ posted by Helyn, 03.11.09 08:29 ]
A Canadian friend was telling about the horrible spectacle of a western
trainer who slammed his horse onto the ground and then placing a foot on the
horse head was lighting up a cigarette proud of his domination. Blinded by
his pathetic ego the man was not even capable to realize that his
demonstration was showing the magnitude of his intellectual deficiency
rather than his skill. The same pity arises from interviews of riders
overstressing the upper half of their horse neck, which does not have enough
muscle mass or ligament to support the stress and try to explain that their
horse loves it.
The spectacle of the "blue tong video" is horrific. The horse's tong is
dead, the horse's brain is dead and from the view from behind at the canter,
the hocks are dead too. All problems result from the hyper-flexion of the
upper neck. The horse upper neck is very weak. The horse does not have the
capacity to oppose great resistance nor support much stress in this area of
the neck. Once trapped in hyper-flexion the horse has no way out. The sole
defense mechanism left is shutting off the brain and survives the abuse.
The lowering and hyper-flexion of the neck do not favor the roundness of the
horse's back as naĂŻve theories want us to believe. At the contrary, the
practice stiffens the horse thoracolumbar spine and consequently halters
proper kinematics of the hind legs. Unfortunately, the practice is not
limited to dressage. Jumper trainers are over-flexing their horses' upper
neck with the use of draw reins. There is no physical advantage of doing so.
In fact, the technique alters the horses' capacity to transmit forward
through their body the thrust generated by the hind legs. The difficulties
of many hunter horses to make the strides between the jumps result directly
from this training misconception.
If one has the curiosity to ask to the trainer why over-flexing the horses
upper neck, from the perspective of the horse's physiology, the explanation
will be ludicrous. The only reason one does it is that every body else do it
too, each one being worry that doing so the other might have some advantage
in the show ring.
There are however, locally and all over the world, truly great trainers.
Susan Kjærgard from Denmark sent us an e-mail that with her permission we
publish in this newsletter together with an article and a video about "a
better way."
Horses perform out of their athletic abilities and mental strength which all
are directed by the horse's physiology. The western trainer placing his
dirty booth on the head of his horse lying on the ground has a theory. It is
simply that the theory is only true within the restricted limits or the
trainer' skull. We approach in the following study the practice of neck
hyper-flexion from the perspective of the nuchal ligament that is a
structure of the neck particularly stressed in the situation of upper neck
hyper-flexion.
[ posted by Helyn, 21.11.09 09:33 ]
There are millions of riders all over the world who are outraged by the practice. James Crook wrote, “A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.” Perhaps there, is a good idea. Educating efficiently the horse’s vertebral column is about orchestrating numerous and minute muscles contractions. Such sophisticated orchestration cannot be done submitting the horse to ineffective principles. Each one of us would not hesitate to stand up and applaud a great performance. Like -wise, each one of us should not hesitate to stand up for the horse and turn our back on the ring or even leave the show area when a rider practicing the hyper-flexion of the horse’s upper neck enters the scene. If 10 or 50 or 100 spectators stand up and turn their back on the ring or even leave the ring area, perhaps riders, trainers, judges, stewards and even the governing body might realize that if they do not respect horses, they may have to pack and go because a very large body of real horse persons will not let go. Jean Luc Cornille©
[ posted by Helyn, 23.11.09 14:51 ]
Stand up for your horse and leave the show area
Upper neck hyperflexion is primarily a problem of education. For a large part, riders and trainers applying the system do not have any clear idéa of the effects the hyperflexion of the upper neck does have on the horses. A successful Olympic rider applies the approach and everyone copies the technique hoping that the hyperflexion of the horses upper neck will generate successes. If the same Olympic rider had warmed up her horses wearing a green shirt, we would be talking about the greenkur and many will convince themselves that the color of their shirt has mad a world of difference on their horse.
The governing bodies will “investigate “a little further hoping that the problem will go away. The tactic is known as “drowning the fish.” Action will not be taken and therefore action belongs to the individuals who are outraged by the approach. There are several petitions going on Sylvia Loch is now collecting 6000 signatures and Philippe Karl who started his own movement in March totalizes now 12000 signatures. As today, November 23, we are 28 days in our own petition and we have received 1992 signatures. There are many other petitions going on and these different petitions are now talking to each other in order to decide a common strategy. Several ideas suggest wearing a white hat or other clothing devices in protest.
Our suggestion is to stand up and leave the show area when a rider practicing hyperflexion of the neck enters the ring. Our thought is that it would be unethical for the show organizers as well as good riders to start manifestations around the show area that could end into confrontation with Rollkur proponents and disturbances. America is a free country; you do not like it, you stand up and you leave the periphery of the show ring. There is often good vendors area to visit or food stand for a collation. The impact will be very strong for the rider and his or her eventual sponsors, for the technical delegate or steward, for the show organizers and so on.
Whatever action is ultimately decided it would be very effective if everyone in the world applied the same tactic. We are hoping that a common action will be decided promptly.
and dramas This is not confrontational and therefore unlikely to provoke drama around the show ring which would be a lack of respect for the show organizers. For the one who stands up for the horses and leave the show area they avoid to have to look at an unpleasant performance and may have good time visiting the vendors area. The message will be powerful for everyone, the riders, the judges, he technical delegate and the show organizer.
The aim is to eradicate a training technique that is subduing horses applying pressure on an area of the neck that does not have enough tissue volume to support pressure. The bottom line is that resorting to such abuse degrades the horses’ talent, the dressage specialty and the equestrian sports in general. Instead of taking advantage of actual knowledge of the equine physiology, techniques such as the hyperflexion of the horse’s upper neck stagnates the equestrian education into the beliefs of the medieval age.