Saving the Horse with Two Fingers
Subtitle: The Rule that was never written down.

Funny how sometimes similar things or concepts can come at you all at the same time. Over the past few months the concept of two fingers has been brought to my attention in very different ways.

I heard of a very interesting presentation given to Dr. Gerd Heuschmann, Klaus Balkenhol and Col. Carde. Visiting with Klaus before the dinner, Kit Wisdom showed him something so fascinating he had to drag her over to Dr. Heuschmann and Col. Carde and demanded that she show them what she had just shown him.

Keeping her first two fingers straight as a representation of the horse’s jaw with the first shorter finger representing the horse's jaw and her second finger the top of the head she then asked for them each in turn to put as small a pressure as possible at the end of the fingers: there was no way any of them could open their own two fingers, no matter how hard they tried! Not only that, she asked them how far down their arm they could feel the strain of muscles trying to pull, to try to open these pretend jaws of the horse. Klaus had her try it on him three times he was so fascinated. Colonel Carde had to try it twice himself before going to get Dr. Heuschmann, insisting he try it out as well. Kit, as an instructor, is keen on finding unique ways for people to learn for themselves concepts that will help them with their riding. This simple demonstration shows that no matter how long the bones of the horse’s jaws are, that it takes very little pressure or strength to tie his jaws shut so that he is unable to open them.

Two fingers.

A couple of weeks ago I received a very impassioned letter from a dressage judge. A judge frustrated and dismayed by what she was seeing in the dressage arena. She wrote asking if we would consider doing an article on the crank noseband. While we had done one in the past, we were of course more than willing to revisit the subject.

“How do I con you into an article about this bloody crank noseband? How do I get the FEI to register about the damage and pain being done to horses' mouths and minds from the pain? The German bridles, and now other countries, are making their bridles with not only the noseband padded but the head piece over the poll now has to be seriously padded . Why ???? Because the bone structure of the horse's head forces the noseband down to relieve the pressure on the face and so places enough pressure on the poll to be wearing the hair out/off the poll, soooooo they now have to pad the crown piece of the bridle.

Yes, some horses chatter more than others and need a noseband, but nowadays it gives the rider that much confidence that the horse cannot under any circumstances open his mouth (you can still hear the poor horse who is in so much pain grinding his teeth without opening his mouth,) but the rider can push the horse "forward" into a really good competition trot and "collection" Knowing it doesn't matter how hard/strong the contact is, he/the horse CANNOT open his mouth and lose you marks ."

We can hear the anguish in the written voice of this judge. The same anguish that is turning people away from watching the dressage competition. The FEI may be wondering why the numbers are down on watching the dressage Olympics. For many riders and trainers and horse lovers today, what we see at the highest levels is no longer about good riding, but about force and taking away the horse's voice.

Kit, with her simple demonstration of two fingers, created great excitement in these three distinguished trainers. The dressage judge that wrote to us trusting that we would address this problem, with so much anguish in her voice, also brought up the idea of two fingers. But in a very different way.

Others that I approached asked: whatever happened? It's not so long ago that we all had to be able to put two fingers under the noseband after we had done it up. Others were truly surprised to find that this was not a rule that had been written down long ago.

The words of this FEI level judge inspired me. I hope they inspire you too. Inspire you to ask, wonder, and do something about the rule that was never written down.

A history where it was a very common thing, the accepted thing, from beginners to advanced, everyone knew about the necessity of making sure that there was a two-finger width between the horse's face and the cavesson.

So what did happen? How did we get from there to here?

I mentioned that I had found inspiration in these words. For many years we have talked about the detrimental effect of rollkur, of working the horse behind the vertical, of not allowing the horse a voice, the damage done by crank nosebands, and the list goes on. It seems every time we turn around, we are trying to raise awareness about one more issue.

As we discuss each new subject, as we look at it from another angle, as arguments are put forth first on one side and then the other, somehow along the way nothing gets done. Maybe perhaps in some small part because of the confusion this all causes.

So let's simplify things. Many of us want to see a change. Perhaps not all of us can agree on the change that we want. But one thing we can all agree on is that something does need to change. We do not have time to wait for political change, nor can our horses wait for years for research to show us what we already know. Rather than trying to fight against or for many different things, what would happen if all of us would raise our voice for one thing? For one simple thing? Not for a new thing that we will need to prove, but for an old thing that had been established for many generations as beneficial for the horse.

We invite all of you to join us with your name and e-mail address to an ongoing petition to the FEI asking for one simple rule change. That any noseband or cavesson used on any horse in a dressage competition be required to have a minimum two-finger width between the horse's face and the noseband whenever in the warm-up or dressage arena, or anywhere on the show grounds, from beginner to advanced.

Sometimes the simplest things are the most elegant. Sometimes the simplest things are the simplest to enforce. Sometimes the simplest things are the simplest to understand.

We invite you to join us not only with your virtual signature, but to send to us any photos or video or any other material showing how the lack of this rule is currently damaging our horses. Let us all challenge the FEI to give the horse back his voice. To stand behind their own first requirement that the Horse's Welfare is Paramount.

Perhaps together with something very simple, with just two fingers, we can change the equestrian world.

As the judge shared her final thoughts, “Whatever happened to the FEI's first requirement that the THE HORSE'S WELFARE IS PARAMOUNT”?

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/SavingTheHorses/

Please note the petition site will ask for a donation but it is not necessary and the petition is free to sign.