Discrimination

" Dusty"

I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m probably not ever going to show in dressage at high levels and I have no desire to.  The main reason being that even though an old hunter/equitation dog can learn new tricks, from what I’ve seen I don’t really want to be a part of the dressage showing world.  At this point I have no respect for most of the judges who reward bad riding, the trainers who train what they think the judges want to see, or the riders who only get by because they buy the “right” horses to get them ahead. 

I don’t want to single out anyone in particular from the above grouping but some of the blame should ultimately be put on riders for not questioning the practices that are being taught for reward in the ring. Once you realize that most of us are not going to attract sponsors, the accepted philosophy of showing, in my opinion, comes down to torturing a horse for a ribbon that we may or may not get rewarded with.  How sick is that? Our horses are supposed to be our partners in a relationship forged with mutual trust.  How then can we reward ourselves with a ribbon for totally abusing an animal who started out trusting us?

Another reason why I probably wouldn’t show is I know that Dusty (a lowly quarter horse) would be discriminated against and she doesn’t deserve that sort of treatment.  She’s trying hard to learn what I ask of her and does many movements right, but because she’s a palomino quarter horse the judge probably wouldn’t even give her a second glance, so I won’t waste my time or hers.  Unless she gets fantastically good, then I might just take her to annoy others and show that indeed a quarter horse can look light and correctly do what’s asked with proper training. I’m considering a musical freestyle performance to either Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” or the song “Brickhouse” by the Commodores.  (Is there an instrumental version out there somewhere?)  Which do you think would be more “Dusty”?

Lest you think I don’t like warmbloods, you couldn’t be more wrong. I have nothing against warmbloods; the love of my life was a fancy 17.2 hand grey Dutch Warmblood from Holland who I had for 15 years and lost a few years back. What I rebel against is the discrimination of any horse.  The whole meaning and definition of dressage means “training” so any horse that’s trained properly and performing to the best of their natural abilities should be accepted.

What I’d like to see, if and when the dressage community seeks reform, is an acceptance of greater diversity, both in training schools/philosophies and in breed/type.  There is such a cookie-cutter mentality out there now that any deviation from this very narrow definition isn’t considered worthy of the term “dressage.”  Unfortunately, this new school of dressage has proven itself false and inferior to more traditional methods in many ways.  It has also proven itself less tolerant of those who don’t conform to its particular brand of dressage.  If we’re ever to rescue the disciplines from this downward spiral, I’d like to see more representatives of different schools and breeds not only taking part but given equal consideration; I’d like to see them judged on their individual merits rather than their degree of conformity to some new fad.  Let’s welcome them all, side by side, and let the performances speak for themselves.

Until next time

Quote for Today

If you only see the beauty of their markings and limbs then their true beauty is hidden from you.

 

FEI Presidency Up For Grabs

I just read this article in the NY Times and thought it would be interesting to dressage enthusiasts. After glancing at the web sites of the men vying for the presidency I have no real opinion on who would be best suited for the job. Neither site had any comments on their position on Rollkur or the new LDR that I could find. However,  the candidate from the Netherlands has a letter of reference from Anky herself, so I'm a little suspect of him. The candidate from Sweden has all the usual "change for the better" politics as does the candidate from the Netherlands. Since it's all politics as usual I think it's hard to believe anyone will do a better job than in previous years. You'll have to read the article for yourself and form your own opinions.

My personal preference would be to nominate a man like Philippe Karl, who has demonstrated a commitment to horsemanship that promotes total respect of the horse and rejects the use of force or other inhumane methods.

Until next time

Quote for Today

And He shall come in, riding a white horse...
    - Revelations

NO ROLLKUR

NO ROLLKUR

Tuesday- February 9th the FEI will be having a closed door meeting concerning Rollkur or hyperflexion as it is sometimes called. Dr. Gerd Heuschmann will be the only advocate for the horse as far as we've heard.  He will certainly describe the many negative effects this torturous practice has on these special animals. Whether or not his voice will be listened to and taken to heart is another story. So many of these so called horsemen and women will more than likely turn a deaf ear to his expertise and one can only wonder why?  Are they so uneducated as to condone this practice or are they simply uncaring about the distress this places on the horse. If they are uncaring the question again is, why? Is it fear of losing sponsor monies or perhaps simply not 'rocking the boat' with the celebrity riders (if one can even call them riders).  I'm baffled that anyone, be it a celebrity rider, trainer or equestrians like the 'simple every rider' would even consider taking an abusive shortcut like rollkur, and not be proud of the joy and mutual partnership forged between horse and rider in training a horse properly and humanely through the levels. That's what horsemanship is supposed to be all about. I'm sure everyone will be sending good thoughts to Dr. Heuschmann and wish him success in making this abhorrent practice illegal.

Billie over at  camera-obscura has put up some videos that show Rollkur in action. Please give her blog a visit if you haven't already . She also suggested in a previous post that perhaps if we all put up the above logo of 'NO ROLLKUR' it might be seen and heeded to let the powers that be know we are not at all happy with their past decisions regarding this black spot on the sport of dressage and we do not support their decisions to date.

' The sadness and pain in the horses eye is all the discussion needed'

 ' Right '

 'Wrong'

 Until next time

 Quote for Today

What the horse does under compulsion...is done without understanding...and there is no beauty in it.

    - Xenophon

Help Ban Rollkur

Help Ban Rollkur Now

We may finally have the chance to make our voices heard and ban Rollkur/hyperflexion for good. The furor over this particular video has been the spark igniting the controversy about Rollkur. Billie at camera-obscura, has done a wonderful and thorough job of researching all the links and petitions for us to sign. She has also written many thoughtful posts on the subject. Please visit her blog for more information about this disgusting and abusive practice that needs to be condemned and stopped now. We need to get back to the classical and humane way of interacting with our riding partners.

Until next time

Quote for Today

What the horse does under compulsion...is done without understanding...and there is no beauty in it.
    - Xenophon

Book Review - Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage

‘Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage’

By

Philippe Karl

A search for a classical alternative

The following statements are reproduced directly from the back cover of this book:

A critical and revolutionary book about dressage and what it has become today.

Philippe Karl, one of the most outspoken critics of the modern dressage world which aims purely at competing a horse as early as possible in well-paid high-level competitions, reveals some disturbing facts in this book. The author analyses the physical, anatomical and mental condition of a horse with regard to the official dressage guideline issued by the German Equestrian Federation (FN). By comparing theses with the doctrines of such masters of classical riding as La Gueriniere or Baucher, he illustrates beliefs and mistakes and shows us solutions to the dire situation of modern competitive dressage.

From the content:

· Key problems of dressage” physical aspects, straightness, balance, exercises

· The hand, leg and seat

· A system and its effects: dressage, breeding and business

· Suggestion of a “ classical” alternative” the philosophy of “legerete”

About the author

Philippe Karl, a breeder and rider, is involved in all areas of equine sport. He was an active member of the Cadre Noir, the French elite riding school in Saumur, for thirteen years.

Karl lives in Southern France and teaches riding students all over Europe. His previous publications “Hohe Schule der Doppellonge” and “Reitkunst”” have been translated into several languages and achieved international recognition.

Philippe Karl is also a talented artist whose detailed and often satirical drawings complement this book.

***

Philippe Karl is one of the few truly classical voices still out there in the dressage world, so I have been looking forward to reading this book for a long time. I really enjoyed this informative and well written book and think everyone interested in dressage and good horsemanship in general should read it more than once. It’s not a ponderous tome, but is an easy read with many clear and precise illustrations. What I liked most about it is the author’s sarcastic wit; he is not afraid to apply it to what is clearly wrong with modern training practices that are so popular nowadays, such as rollkur. Are you listening Anky?

He also recognizes that not all riders have expensive horses with perfect conformation and shows the average person how to deal effectively with the horse they have, and not just some hypothetical ideal horse. For instance, he provides insights on how best to work with a ewe-necked horse with a hollow back or an over-bent horse, etc.. Some are lucky enough to have the horse of their dreams with perfect conformation and manners; however, most of us have ordinary horses and must train the horse we have. Mr. Karl assures us that all horses can do dressage and explains in detail how to work with different types of horses to achieve balance and correct way of going through illustrations and clear descriptions.

There are many points in this book that are helpful in starting the young horse or working with any horse correctly. I especially liked the sections on proper use of the double bridle and use of hands. Truthfully, it is just too hard to pick any one section of the book because they are all informative, witty and clear to understand, even for a novice. Some of the highlights are the author’s own drawings, illustrations and caricatures which are very amusing.

This book is obviously geared more toward the dressage rider; however, I think there is information here that is universal and would be helpful to riders in all disciplines, english and western. If you want to do yourself and your horse a favor, I would suggest trying this book. I read the book first before I watched the four videos that complement it. Again, in my opinion, I think reading the book first and then viewing the videos gave me more of a feel for what was happening.

The videos are absolutely wonderful and easy to learn the correct way of doing things. I bet if you watched them, you would be surprised to see how much you can learn and simplify the training of your horse. There is even a section where he has the horses longeing and ridden over jumps, explaining that one of the best ways to stretch the horse’s topline is over a jump. I know, I know, some dressage queen’s head just imploded when I mentioned jumping!

The videos are:

Classical Dressage – Philippe Karl

· # 1 – The School of Aids

· # 2 - The School of Gymnastics

· # 3 - The School of Dance

· # 4 - Training Progress “one year later”

As you can see, I wholeheartedly recommend this book and these videos. We never stop learning in our journeys with our horses and this book and videos are a wonderful way to make the journey more rewarding for both horse and rider.

Until next time

Quote for Today

If one induces the horse to assume that carriage which it would adopt of its own accord when displaying its beauty, then one directs the horse to appear joyous and magnificent, proud and remarkable for having been ridden.
- Xenophon

Switching Disiplines - Part 2

Switching Disciplines- Part 2

Trainers

If you decide to switch from your comfort zone to dressage, you may have to find a new trainer. Some trainers can handle both hunter/jumpers and the beginning basics of dressage. If your present trainer is competent in both disciplines, lucky you, stay where you are if you are happy with your present training. If you do need a new trainer, attend a few dressage shows, watch the lower levels and determine which trainers students are doing well. How their horses are going and most notably how they are interacting with their trainer. Do they look happy, stressed or tense? Ditto for the horses. Is the trainer supportive or downright surly?

When you spot a trainer you feel may be the one for you, approach them between rounds and introduce yourself. Tell them what you are planning and most importantly ask them their philosophy of training and dressage in general. Any trainer who advocates the use of “hyper flexion” or “Rollkur”, kicking chains or any other artificial means to get the horse on the aids correctly, might I suggest you head for the hills. The best kind of trainer to look for is one who is steeped in the classical dressage-training mode. This is where the basic philosophy is simple; it takes as long as it takes, learning in small steps, until it clicks between horse and rider. Softness and subtlety are the name of the game in dressage, and do not let anyone convince you otherwise. Dressage is a horse and rider team working toward being the best they can be getting the most out of each others abilities and complimenting those abilities. Good trainers are rare and hard to find, you may have to ride with a lot of toads before you find your training prince/princess charming.

Interesting Statistics

In case you thought you were too old to start something new here are some interesting statistics about dressage members. According to the official dressage site at: www.usdf.org/press/facts-stats/index.asp

USDF Members

The federation currently has more than 35,000 members:

• 90% are adults
• 96% are female
• 66% are over the age of 41 years of age
• 96% own at least one horse
• 87% compete at least one horse
• 37% own at least five acres of land

The Lower Levels in Dressage

You should know that dressage tests are separated by levels. Below are listed the levels a beginner may want to participate in and their particulars.

Intro Level

The least intimidating division, horses are required only to walk and trot through a very basic test.

Intro level: Consists of tests 1 and 2 only. Requires walk and trot, no canter.

Movements: 20 meter circles in the trot. All trot work is trot rising, develop the medium and free walk, and halt.

Training Level

Training Level Movements: Consists of 20 meter circles in the trot and canter, halt, free walk, medium walk, change rein across the diagonal in the trot, trot rising and sitting, and serpentines on the centerline in the trot. This level has 4 tests.

20 meters is 66 feet. Meters always confuse me, so a tape measure might come in handy before practicing circles. Measure and mark it out with traffic cones or whatever you have handy to give you an idea of the size of a 20-meter circle.

Horses at Training Level should accept the bit. A horse has accepted the bit when it allows a soft contact of the rider's hand with its mouth without any resistance. Such as setting the jaw, tossing the head, rooting, going above or behind the bit to evade contact, opening the mouth or sticking out the tongue – these are evasions that tight, drop, flash and crank nosebands seeks to artificially hide, and which, though legal in dressage, should be avoided.

First Level

First Level, Movements: All of the above plus halt, medium walk, free walk, halt to medium walk, 10 meter circle in the trot circles, 15 meter canter circles, lengthen stride in trot sitting and rising, full arena serpentines in the trot, leg yielding, you will also be adding canter lengthenings.

First level has 4 tests

Horses in this level should be on the bit. A horse cannot be “on the bit” until it has “accepted the bit” - that is, you cannot “put” a horse “on the bit”, you can only ask it to accept your hand. When it does this, the horse will then (and only then) put ITSELF “on the bit” as it is ridden forward into a soft, flexible contact...

(we’ll have more on how to accomplish this correctly in future posts)

Equipment

Just a quick note here on bits: in the lower levels, the only bit allowed is a plain snaffle – no curbs, pelhams, etc... If you would like to check out the tack and equipment used in Dressage, Sustainable Dressage has a great page on tack and auxiliary equipment. In addition standing martingales draw reins, boots, wraps, earplugs etc… are not allowed, they are very strict about this and many of these items are not even allowed on the show grounds. It comes down to you and the horse, and no artificial devices are permitted; you are however allowed to carry a dressage whip, that shall not exceed 43 inches long and wear a regulation spur, but these are optional at the lower levels.

The only place on the show grounds you are allowed to use boots, wraps and a running martingale is in the warm up area. If you forget to remove this tack from the horse, you will be disqualified.

Tests

In the levels of Dressage, there are standardized tests, which I find helpful. As an equitation rider, I never knew what the course or test would be until arriving at the show. Suffering from foggy brain syndrome, it would take me forever to remember the course, watch a few rides go and then enter. With dressage, you know beforehand exactly what you are working towards and so can practice at home and be prepared. You also have the option of bringing along a reader to stand beside the arena and call out the elements of your test to you so you don’t forget where you are going. This kind of organization appeals to me.

Most tack stores sell Whinny Widgets laminated Dressage test books, which are formatted for callers as well as riders in an easy to read print size with arena diagrams in the lower levels. These great little books come in handy for schooling or at shows.

Dressage beginners who are working up to Second Level need only have a horse that is balanced and paying attention to the aids. The horse will be required to perform more and more advanced collections, extensions and turns as you progress through the levels, so balance is the key ingredient in this recipe for success. However, the beautiful thing about this system of levels is that it takes you through all of the steps you need to get there in a simple, progressive way – and you can go entirely at your own pace.

Until next time

Quote for Today

Ask often, be content of little, reward always.

Nuno Oliveira

Switching Disciplines

Switching Disciplines

A lot of us can remember being die-hards in our particular discipline, and could think of a time when we wouldn’t consider trading it in for anything. For me, it was hunters/jumpers – particularly equitation. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else, and I’ll grudgingly admit I used to look at dressage riders as if they were from another planet.

Nothing gives me more enjoyment than having a great round over a jump course on a well-trained horse. That said, I no longer have the ability to do this on a regular basis because I have developed arthritis in my knees. Jumping in particular can put a lot of stress on a rider’s knees. (I would say the knees are the first to go on a rider… but then again the bats in my brain have been in a permanent holding pattern for the last couple of years too. Which went first: the knees or the brain? I would say it’s a tossup.)

In addition, I had to consider my horse’s age and physical situation. Despite our best efforts and preventative measures, horses usually develop arthritis as they age too, and this has to be a consideration as well. How much concussion they can take after a certain age and a career of jumping? Jumping can put a lot of wear and tear on a horse’s joints, tendons and ligaments, and at a certain stage, jumping may need to be scaled back or stopped altogether.

My horse Erik developed ringbone in both front pasterns, due in part to regular jumping. With both of us needing a change of pace, but not wanting to retire him (or myself) completely, we decided to find ourselves a new line of work. For us, dressage was the right choice. It helped Erik further develop his hind end and concentrate less concussion on his front end. In addition, for me, it required expanding and fine-tuning all of the skills I learned doing equitation, giving me a chance to take my riding to a new level. After all, “dressage” just means “training,” and who couldn’t use more of that?

It is so ingrained in the minds of h/j riders that jumping is the end-all of riding, and I thought I would miss jumping and get bored. I wondered if my horse would be bored. However, I soon found out that dressage is not nearly as easy as it looks, and can be pretty exciting in its own right. And, on the bright side, it turns out old dogs can learn new tricks…

Most riders think they need a fancy warmblood to compete in dressage. Believe me, dressage is for every size and shape of horse, from ponies, Arabs, Friesians, and Quarter Horses to Thoroughbreds. This is part of what makes it great. Sure, when you get to the higher levels, a stunningly athletic horse is an asset if you are going to compete. Dressage, at its most basic, is about getting the most from your horse, whatever his or her potential may be. There is in some ways a more even playing field; you don’t need a fancy horse to be successful, just one that will perform the tasks at hand. I’ve seen good trainers take grade horses through Grand Prix movements; they may not be as glamorous or extravagant as a fancy warmblood, but it is proof that type should never be a factor. It is truly the discipline for everyone. I repeat: you do not need a warmblood to compete successfully.

This year I plan on training on Dusty (a 15.1hh quarter-horse palomino) and Blue (a 15.3hh-registered paint). We believe in keeping our horses well rounded, so they are all schooled in basic dressage as a matter of course (and our higher-level jumpers are even schooled to fourth level.) Likewise, all of our dressage horses learn to hack out and jump (we’re probably one of the few stables whose dressage horses also foxhunt on occasion – as I type this, somewhere in the distance a dressage queen’s head just imploded…) . Blue and Dusty both have some background in dressage already, but I am looking forward to really focusing on this aspect with them. We may not ever show, but all horses (and riders) can certainly benefit from basic dressage, regardless of their chosen sport. I will go out on a limb and say even horses ridden in Western tack could benefit from some basic dressage.

Competitive dressage simply means an exercise in which the horse and rider show proper training and synchronicity during their performance in the show ring. If this sounds a bit daunting, fear not: competing in the lower levels, no one expects perfection. It is designed to allow horses and riders to progress at their own pace through the levels – and each element of each ride is scored, so you are really only in competition with yourself from show to show, and you’ll be able to see exactly what areas have improved and where you still need some work.

Dressage is not always stuffy, stuck-up top hats and shadbellys. One of the major hang-ups keeping me from giving dressage a try was the thought of having to buy all new clothes and tack, but this is completely unnecessary, particularly at the lower levels. There is no reason to be concerned about wearing what you already own, as long as it is USEF approved. In the lower levels, you can wear your hunter/jumper attire and use your English saddle and tack. Adding a white dressage pad will help your hunt seat saddle look more in keeping with the dressage theme. As always, neatness counts and it is considered a form of courtesy to be turned out well. Apart from that, there isn’t anything special you need to get started.

While you are considering whether to change disciplines completely or just need variety and a change of scenery, check back for the rules and protocol associated with a Dressage show. I will address this in my next post.

Until next time

Quote for Today

In training horses, one trains himself
- Antoine De Pluvinet