This cannot be avoided...

I've tried, trust me. But I have to say something after this came out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo8W2fUjdM4&feature=response_watch

Rollkur. The four-letter word in dressage. Love it, hate it, don't mind it but don't do it, this is a topic that gets everyone riled up. And for good reason, as that video and many others show. This one is exceptional because during the extreme hyperflexion the horse's tongue turns blue and falls out of his mouth. But this does not stop his rider, who continues to ride him rollkured for the remainder of the video segment (and who knows how much longer).

I'm not a veterinarian nor a kinesiologist. However, to learn more about the physical effects of this technique, read Tug of War: Classical versus Modern Dressage or visit www.sustainabledressage.net. Those resources will be able to give you more information on the detrimental effects of rollkur.

After you know something about the physical damage of rollkur, just take a moment to look at rollkured horses and think about what they're doing. Does that position look comfortable? Do those horses look joyful? Are they happy in their work? Are they relaxed? How would you feel if you were forced into that position? Does that uphold the principles of classical dressage?

And the last question, why do these riders practice rollkur? In my opinion, one word: competition.

Maybe that's why I don't compete. Maybe because it's the root of so much evil in the dressage world.

I'll come back to this topic, but I think this is enough to ponder for one day...

A bit about babies...

The other day I went to a North American Sportpony inspection. I always find these to be well-run, fairly objective evaluations of youngstock and breeding animals, and this year was no exception. But the judge had some interesting comments about the Grand Champion.

This young colt scored 8.5 overall, with a 9 on his overall movement. First, the judge discovered that his owner was an adult amateur. Upon this news, the judge was thrilled with the owner's decision to geld the colt, despite his high scores and beauty. The judge also loved the colt's quiet, sane temperament, and commented frequently on it.

What do I take away from this? Dressage breeders need to breed horses and ponies with quality conformation, movement, and above all, attitude. A "9" mover has no value if he's unusable. Even a breeding animal needs to have a reasonable temperament to handle the challenges that come with breeding and having babies. In a country full of adult amateurs who may never aspire to the upper levels of dressage training, the brain of the horse makes all the difference.

In general, I wouldn't be opposed to stricter breeding regulations across the board, but I beg of all breeders: reproduce only the horses who are trainable! Regardless of how nice the horse is, if I don't look forward to seeing his pricked ears at the pasture gate, if I don't feel safe on him, if he is very difficult to train, I wouldn't want to ride him. And trust me, I'm not the only one.

Bottom line? Not all animals need to be bred. Breed quality, both in mind and body. That makes the journey way more fun for everyone :)