Think the Recent FEI/Rollkur Debate Has Nothing To Do WIth Your Horse or Your Haircut?
23. Feb, 2010 
7 Comments
Think again.
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that the welfare of horses in one discipline affects that of all horses. You’ll also know that an examination of the biomechanics of hyperflexion; riding ahead of the vertical, behind the vertical and on the vertical; low, deep and round, long deep and round, etc., will teach us all things we didn’t know about what can be good for the body of the horse. If your interest is piqued, you may investigate ways to lengthen the horse’s back, bring it up, safely lower the head and keep the nose a little in front of the vertical for a loose and swinging back and ribcage with a lively connection to impulsion from behind. If, like me, you are interested in learning more about how to do this, stay tuned. The long-ago promised Tuesday’s Touch series will deal with these issues.
The FEI’s affirmation that it will stand behind its own stated principles is a pretty good start, and a nice reminder that we all, no matter our discipline, need to look back at fundamental principles now and again to see that we have not strayed too far. As with all things, there are trends in riding. Remember your hairdo in the seventies? Hopefully most folks’ hairdos were not potentially harmful. But often, the things we cling to with the most ferocity can be, and we don’t even realize it. As I have mentioned before, when I first came to horses as an adult, I learned the natural horsemanship/cowboy horsemanship way. I still use a lot of what I learned then, but a little distance and time have revealed to me that so much of what I was practically evangelical about was harmful to both the horse and me. I look back with embarrassment, just as many do when they think of their Dorothy Hamill haircuts or parachute pants. In this case, however, harm is done.
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- image borrowed with gratitude from www.sustainabledressage.com
Just Say YES, a Facebook publication of Horses for Life, contains a post entitled, Article 401 Not Just for Dressage.
Here is Article 401, in case you have been living under a rock for the past 6 months, or have just been lucky:
Article 401 Object and General Principles
1. The object of Dressage is the harmonious development of the physique and ability of the horse. As a result it makes the horse calm, supple, loose and flexible, but also confident, attentive and keen, thus achieving perfect understanding with his rider.
2. These qualities are revealed by:
2.1. The freedom and regularity of the paces
2.2. The harmony, lightness and ease of the movements
2.3. The lightness of the forehand and the engagement of the hind quarters, originating in a lively impulsion
2.4. The acceptance of the bridle, with submissiveness throughout and without any tenseness or resistance
3. The horse thus gives the impression of doing of his own accord what is required of him. Confident and attentive, he submits generously to the control of his rider, remaining absolutely straight in any movement on a straight line and bending accordingly when moving on curved lines.
4. His walk is regular, free and unconstrained. His trot is free, supple, regular, sustained and active. His canter is united, light and cadenced. His quarters are never inactive or sluggish. He responds to the slightest indication of the rider and thereby gives life and spirit to all the rest of his body.
5. By virtue of a lively impulsion and the suppleness of his joints, free from the paralysing effects of resistance, the horse obeys willingly and without hesitation and responds to the various aids calmly and with precision, displaying a natural and harmonious balance both physically and mentally.
6. In all his work, even at the halt, the horse must be “on the bit”. A horse is said to be “on the bit” when the neck is more or less raised and arched according to the stage of training and the extension or collection of the pace, and he accepts the bridle with a light and soft contact and submissiveness throughout. The head should remain in a steady position, as a rule slightly in front of the vertical, with a supple poll as the highest point of the neck, and no resistance should be offered to the rider.
7. Cadence is shown in trot and is the result of the proper harmony that a horse shows when it moves with well marked regularity, impulsion and balance.
Cadence must be maintained in all the different trot exercises and in all the variations of trot.
8. The rhythm that a horse maintains in all his paces is fundamental to Dressage.
Fédération Equestre Internationale
As you can see, the great majority of the above relates to horseback riding and horsemanship in general. As they say on Just Say YES,
Article 401 is a blueprint of keeping our horses biomechanically healthy. To treating our horses with the respect that they deserve.
It might just apply to all disciplines. If you can think of one that Article 401 does not apply to, I’d like to hear about it.
This is the stated objective of dressage:
The object of dressage is the development of the horse into a happy athlete through harmonious education. As a result, it makes the horse calm, supple, loose and flexible, but also confident, attentive and keen, thus achieving perfect understanding with the athlete.
Is this not the objective, implied or stated, for all equestrian disciplines?
Below is a video made in 1932 revealing the style/trend of dressage at that time: riding ahead of the vertical. I know for a fact that no one who rode this way can look back with shame, regret or embarrassment. I wonder how the “top” riders of today will feel in years to come when they view video of today and realize that the principles of training they so vehemently adhered to were merely trends?
Straying too far from the fundamentals, no matter what you learn as time progresses is a guaranteed recipe for harm. Think: permanent waves, the Big Lick, polyester, hyperflexion, peanut rolling, and tanning beds. None of us is immune!
I still think that my Dorothy Hamill haircut was kind of cute.
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wow, thanks for posting this!
What a neat video, I really enjoyed the photos and the footage.
Mary
.-= Mary Hunter´s last blog ..Steve Martin: Training Birds with Trust Accounts =-.
Hard to resist Dorothy Hamill, eh?
Glad you liked to video. I have so much to learn. SOmetimes I have to post things just so I can have a record of them to watch over and over.
great video and a great post!
thank you
Hi Ecolicious
Glad you liked it!
Nice to see you here.
Parachute pants are OUT?!?!? I had this whole MC Hammer thing going on.
Beautiful post. Love the video with it, as it visually underscores the timelessness of good horsemanship and the basics. One of the things I loved: toward the beginning, he does a half pass at the walk that is measured, rhythmic, relaxed and *not* flashy and fast. The horse looks comfortable, relaxed, and in the moment, not anticipating the next movement with anxiety or tension.
I also noticed the rising trot was allowed for trot extension, which has to be more comfortable for both horse and rider. I wouldn’t know if it can be comfortable, having only done it once: I bounced out of my stirrups and had to work at not falling off!
I wish I could play the music to “Can’t Touch This” on this response, but as of now I can’t code that sort of thing. Give me time.
Do you wear the parachute pants while riding the extended trot? That I’d like to see. Could you please post a video?
Seriously, dressage riders or not, we can all learn so much from video like this. Tension free riding is available to us all, and is a gift to our horses.
You are so right that they would not need to be ashamed if they could look back on themselves. I am afraid today’s riders would not feel shame in the future.