What do you think to this?

Question

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.sustainabledressage.com/rollkur/why_not/deep_vision.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.sustainabledressage.com/rollkur/why_not.php&h=250&w=250&sz=24&hl=en&start=28&um=1&tbnid=qFmOB98WFlTuHM:&tbnh=111&tbnw=111&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhorses%2Bvision%26start%3D20%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

I was aware of over bending and so on, but this site shocked me. I'm so use to asking for a bend when riding, outlines and what not, (not as extreme as some of the pictures from the website)

Here's 2 images of my 6 year old gelding from his first dressage test (not me riding him) But he came 1st and seemed to enjoy it.

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/5376/april2008259bi5.jpg

and

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/9518/april2008237wd1.jpg

I've always been a great fan of dressage and still learning, but what are everyone else’s views?

Answer 1

Note: Overbending and Rollkur are not the same thing. Also note, the deeper the head set, the more the back of the horse comes up. However, Rollkur is when the horse's head set is so deep that it raises the back to an unnaturally high level. Extended use of Rollkur can cause physical damage that may or may not be reversible. The only reason someone should ever use it as a training tool is if the horse does not use his back after months of correct training so the horse should have the correct muscling to be able to do so. And if Rollkur is used, it should never be used longer than a few minutes durring the training session, and used very infrequently. You often see it happen as a result of uneducated riders "training" their horses with draw reins to achieve a deeper head set when the horse is not correctly using their hind end.  I am not a fan or Rollkur, because usually it is done by people with rough hands and people who don't have a clue what they are doing. There are a handful of people on the planet who use it correctly, but it is certianly possible to train a horse without using it, and with the majority of horses, it should never and will never need to be used.

The thing I hate about the horse world (at least in the USA) is that most people are totally clueless. Unless they have huge sums of money to train with people who are from Europe or have studied in Europe, or have studied there themselves, it's odds on that they haven't got a clue. This is not the rule, I know one person who is mostly self-taught and she is a clinic instructor for CHA (the highest level available to be a certified riding instructor- she certified me!). But anyway, most people only look to the head to see if it looks correct, but in actuallity, the headset is only worth about 35-40% of the whole package. If the horse is not correctly working from behind, then it is imposible for the horse to achieve a "correct" headset. The energy that the horse has should move in a cycle. It should be created in the hind end, move up over the back, over the neck, into the mouth, and back to the hind end. The horse should use it's abdomen and back muscles to lift the back and withers up, thus allowing the head to come down. If the head is up in the air, it should be an immediate red flag that the hind end is not working either correctly or enough.

Classical Dressage is the foundation to all good riding. It is beneficial to every horse- not ever horse is going to be a dressage star, but regardless of what discipline the horse is intended for, it will help them become a better athlete, and will help them stay sound and healthy longer by learning how to carry themselves correctly.

Answer 2

Over bending is as much a fault, (in my younger days, it was classed as an evasion) as being above the bit or the horse not working correctly.

I loved the pictures of your baby horse. Good luck with him.

Answer 3

nice i hope that you ride him soon in the tests!

Answer 4

Very interesting and informative site.  Thanks for posting.

Answer 5

I used to show dressage, English, and Western.  Now I strictly trail ride.  Looking back on it, I wish I would have been easier on my QH mare.  I made her do things that were not the most natural.

I also had more fun as a kid riding out on the trails.  In my opinion, dressage training is unnatural and can cause long-term problems.