I posted a few weeks ago on the topic of the Patrik Kittel video that has ignited controversy about hyperflexion, rollkur, and questionable training techniques.  I have to admit, I was a bit surprised by the response I received to this post and felt that an update was in order as there have been some recent developments.  Although Billie has continued to do a stellar job of covering the controversy on Camera-Obscura, there are a few things I want to address here.

First off, I received many informative and helpful comments on the post and want to thank all the readers who offered insight or opinion.  Of particular interest, Billie provided some evidence that Kittel has a history of abusive training practices at shows and on more than one occasion has been found using inappropriately fitted tack on horses bearing sores or even bleeding from the mouth.  Camera Obscura has all the up-to-date information, or if you want to go directly to the article look here.  Kim, at EHTT, put a link to a great informational site on her blog as well.  Check out Dressage Disgrace for a number of excellent articles on the topic of rollkur, including a scientific report on how the position affects a horse’s breathing.

This issue does not seem to be losing much steam and the FEI released a statement on the topic on November 17th.  Unfortunately, it does not appear as though any aggressive action will be taken to put a stop to this practice.  While the FEI claims concern for horse welfare, no concrete action to stop these training methods is being proposed.  Responsibility for preventing rollkur has been placed upon ring stewards at shows who, by numerous accounts, are often ignored or verbally abused by riders.  November 23rd brought a statement from the USDF disparaging the use of hyperflexion; once again, no firm stand was taken and no suggestion was provided for ensuring a stop to the practice.  So far, a lot of very politically correct double talk and no satisfactory action.  As a community, equestrians need to keep the pressure on these organizations to step up and enact change.  One great idea Billie offers is to stop supporting sponsors of those riders that use rollkur:  check the link for her suggestions on companies to avoid.

It is critical to inform these companies, and any others you choose not to support, WHY you no longer support them.  Someone is going to have to start taking financial hits to get people to take notice.  Most importantly, don’t get frustrated or give up.  Remember the Butterfly Effect:  the flapping wings of the tiniest butterfly can create a ripple effect with far reaching consequences.  Be that butterfly.

Image courtesy of Matt Rudge

I have been debating about whether to post on this topic or not, as Billie has done such a fantastic job of covering the issue on her site Camera-Obscura.  In the end, I decided to mention it as I know I have some readers that don’t generally follow blogs and so may have missed the story.  I really believe that more people need to become aware of the issue and the resulting flurry of activity, and hopefully join the legions of people that are calling for change.  Please visit Billie’s site for all the details and for the excellent coverage that she continues to provide on the subject.

I’m no expert in dressage and I’m not going to pretend to have a complete understanding of the topic, but here is my attempt at a brief overview for those (like me) who are relatively new to the idea of rollkur.  I would like to invite those who are more educated to jump in and correct/add to my explanation.

Basically, rollkur is a highly controversial training technique that is increasingly common in dressage style riding.  It is also called hyperflexion, and consists of the horse being ridden for extended periods of time “behind the bit” – often to the point where the nose/mouth is held to the chest as the horse is driven forward.  Proponents of the technique claim that it stretches the horse’s back muscles.  Opponents say it’s horse abuse.  From what I’ve read, I certainly tend toward the latter sentiment, but I’m no expert and encourage you to educate yourself and formulate your own opinions.  If you Google “Rollkur” you’ll get no shortage of information and images to study.  Either way, riders who utilize the technique are apparently winning at high levels in dressage competition, which makes it difficult to enact change.

What I do know is this:  the current frenzy on this topic originated after Epona TV aired a video of Patrik Kittel riding a horse during a warm up period for a show and utilizing this technique.  The video goes on for what feels like forever, and shows the horse’s blue tongue lolling out of his mouth, as he rides around and around in this restricted position.  You can watch other riders casually going by, no one giving this guy a second look despite the obvious distress his horse is exhibiting.  Due to the public outrage following the release of this video, a firestorm of petitions has made its way through the system and people are calling for change.  Although I am not a dressage rider, I feel that this is important because it makes a statement about winning at any cost.  I think that many of us who compete at a high level in any discipline have witnessed questionable training practices that result in winners.  We all know how hard it is to compete against an ideal that is not natural and is not naturally created.  This is our chance to take that first step towards encouraging healthy, fair competition that does not result in or encourage animal abuse.  Even if you are not a “horse person” I ask you to check out Billie’s site and educate yourself.  She has tons of information and multiple ways to get involved, including online petitions, Facebook groups, and contact information for organizations that can enact change.