Horses for LIFE Publications

AUGUST 2006 • VOLUME 12 • © Copyright HORSES For LIFE™ Publications

Tell us what you think!

Are you worried about the balance that you see some Iberians put into?

Do you agree that rollkur passes all international boundaries and that we need to speak up?

Have you tried the Sense exercises? Tell us about your success!

What is dressage to you!

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Comments

bitless
Written by briskgo on 2006-08-03 21:26:54

Thank you so much for featuring Dr. Cooks work. I have just started my bitless life a month ago and will never ask my horses do endure metal in the mouth again.

I hope that other subscribers will be brave enough to try this wonderful method of pain free communication.

If we cannot hear these gentel vegetarians, what hope is there to listen to one another.

Geraldine Davidson

Rollkur - From a German Point of View
Written by Laura PB on 2006-08-27 23:03:46

I am a German horse trainer who just flew in 4 weeks ago, to live in California with my husband fir the next 3 years. First I want to say, that I am VERY happy about the fact, that over here people pay attention to how they ride their horses in a good, honest way. Also I want to say, that it was acknoledged by the FN, that I was over-qualified for an apprenticeship for Bereiter. I had the honor of being allowed to work officially, without having to do the apprenticeship and taking the test after 4 years of working in this profession.

My message to the FEI would be the following:

10 years ago I was almost kicked out the Hessian Squad of Junior Riders, because my horse came a littlebit behind the vertical during very short moments of trying to collect it before starting the actual work at clinics with trainers such as Schmezer, Kuckluck, Peilicke, Boldt, Schuhmacher nd many more. Their explanation was, that the horse is restricted in its ability to see and that it will, no matter what, fall onto the forehand. Also I was told by Holger Schmezer, that "riding like my horse's tail is on fire" will have the same effect and will hurt the horse on the long run. What you see at international competitions, in the warm up area, is a connection of the two. Horses FAR behnid the vertical, in breathtaking speed, on the forehand, unable to see where they go. Dead, rolling eyes, animals that lost their pride that they are so very appreciated for, one of the things that cause fascination even in people who do not ride or own a horse.
I remember one of my friends getting kicked out of the Squad, becuase she was not able to hold the reins in an acceptable manner when riding on a double bridle. They told her that she is hurting the horse and that she is obviously not ready to start a carreer as a first class rider.
In order to get into the Squad, we had to sign a paper that says, that we will always obey the rules of the LPO, will never torture or mistreat our horses, will never get unfair and will always grant access to our stables and horses to higher authorities such as FEI and FN, as well as DOKR. Also we had to sign, that we will always follow our trainer and will always be a role model at competitions in the treatment of our horses, colleagues and people around us.
I had to sign this paper once a year, when I was called int the national squad, that paper got even longer.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS??? I know that riders at all levels in a squad in Germany still have to sign this paper, so why is nobody interfering? What happened to us knowing, that these animals are helpless when it comes to a fight against the human being? These animals depend on us, they get fed, watered and their freedom through us, how can we torture these animals, that are forced into trusting us? The old Reitmeister watered and fed their stallions personally by hand, to make sure these horses knew who was the boss and to maintain a trusting relationship to the horse. Some of these stallions would only be handled by one single person, because they knew that their life depended on these humans. They were never treated unfair by these, becuase they knew about this situation.

I quit my last job, because my boss forced me into doping her horses at a CDI***. I talked to the FEI and they did not do anything about it. They only told me, that they are proud to know such an honest rider and that they wish me luck for my carreer in the future. What does that tell you?!?

From a very disappointed international dressage rider.

Entwickeln
Written by Laura PB on 2006-08-27 23:23:55

I am back fast...
I just read the article about "Entlwickeln" and, I admit, found it very amusing, in a positive way. "Entwickeln" means to develop. I just sarted teaching some American riders in my area and already ran into the problem of missing a word. I was standing inside the arena and told my student, that she has to let the horse develop, she looked at me like a deer in the headlights.
To cut the long explanation short:
Through several different exercises you can let the horse develop, due to the fact, that these exercises make the horse use their hindlegs more, on their own. They gain throughness and the rider can finally do, what he same for: RIDE! Effortless, on a horse that Understood, because it developed the position asked for on its own, it was not forced into it, but it was explained and shown what it was expected to do. That is, atleast to me, what "Entwickeln" does; it explains and shows the horse a way to be happy, through, free and satisfying to the rider. Riding takes on a whole new meaning, work to the horse as well. It is a feeling, that you will never experience on horse that went throught Rollkur or other ways of torture.
I hope, I made this atleast a littlebit clearer to those, who were wondering.

Also I read the article about the Iberian Horse, to train those is one of my favourite things to do. I was happy to read, that some people really DO understand about the balance of these amzing horses, that wothout a problem can compete internationally, if trained the right way, paying attention to their very needs of having their own balance. They can strech through the back, but not if forced like a warmblood. Some can move like a warmblood, but not if pushed by one.
Thank you for this very true article!

Laura

Diagonalization ?
Written by Sarta on 2007-12-29 00:19:30

Hi,
I just read the articles about diagonalization ( both the "missing link" article and the success story ), and it seems wonderful, but I'm not sure of what it is exactly I have to do while I'm riding. Do I simply have to allow my shoulders to move alternately with each stride ? Can you please describe which shoulder moves when ? In other words, can you explain in detail the "pattern" that enabled that "green out of shape teenager" to sit the trot ? What do I have to do ? Thanks a lot, I'm sooo tired of bouncing all over the place ( my poor horse isn't too happy about it either ).

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