A quick glance at the warm up arena at the World Cup dressage qualifier of the season in Odense, Denmark, revealed hyperflexed horses and blue tongues.
For a minimum of two hours, Swedish Olympic rider Patrik Kittel trained his stallion, Watermill Scandic, in various degrees of hyperflexion, on Friday ahead of Saturday’s Grand Prix Special. EPONA.tv was passing by the warm up at 3.45 pm, and at this time, the rider was well into his session. At circa 5.45, the session ended.
During the training session, EPONA.tv spoke to a spectator who claimed to have notified one of the show’s officials of the prolonged hyperflexion. Odense’s Chief Steward confirms to EPONA.tv that a complaint was lodged against Patrik Kittel’s riding, but it was not deemed necessary to comment or take action, because Kittel was no worse than other riders using the same method.
EPONA.tv has spoken to Patrik Kittel, and asked him if he thinks he is riding in accordance with the FEI Code of Conduct.
“I think you should send the questions in an email along with the footage, so I can give it to my lawyers,”
said Patrik Kittel. EPONA.tv follows up by asking whether he himself is unaware of whether he rides in accordance with the FEI Code of Conduct.
“Of course I do. Otherwise a steward would do something about it. But I don’t want to discuss it with you now. Have a good day,”
concludes the rider.
There were more horses at the World Cup qualifier whose tongues were blue. Here, the retracted lips clearly show how the curb is pressing down on the tongue, impairing blood circulation. Note the difference between the colour of the tongue and the mucus membrane of the bars.
Blue tongue due to ischaemia
“When we see dressage horses with blue tongues, it’s because blood circulation is reduced in the tongue. When the blood supply is reduced, tissue hypoxia ensues in the tongue, and it turns blue,”
says Marianne Dahl, DVM, a Danish equine welfare specialist. She elaborates:
“The explanation is in the horse’s mouth and it’s the curb bit and rein tension which cause the problem. As long as a horse is not bitted, the tongue is relaxed and takes up the entire oral cavity. The tongue is a very dextrous and sensitive organ. In a well fitted curb, the tongue can still be relaxed and fill out the oral cavity as long as there is no rein tension. The moment the rider puts tension into the reins, the angle of the curb to the mouth is altered, and pressure on the tongue is increased. The tongue, which consists of muscle tissue, becomes tense and may be flattened.
If the tension is high – which is to say that there is a marked change in the angle between the shank of the bit and the bars of the horse’s mouth – and if the pressure is held for a prolonged period, ischaemia and hypoxia may follow. The tongue will become discoloured and turn blue or purple. If the chain on the curb is tight, the pressure on the tongue will be stronger, and if the nose band is tight, so the horse can’t open its mouth, the pressure on the tongue will be even stronger still.
Hypoxic muscle tissue is extremely painful. So therefore, it’s completely unacceptable to subject a horse to riding techniques which causes hypoxic discolouration of the tongue.”
Come back real soon now, ya' hear?!
great site!
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This has been going on for years and years. People seem to think it is a new thing. I quit showing my grand prix horse years ago due to this. I no longer show anymore, but I go to shows and stand by the warm up, commenting on the hideous and complimenting anyone I see doing things right, which is rare.People have got to speak up! Boycott the crap and support anyone on the right track...Support the horses! Ban sponsors and hit them where it hurts. We must all do it. I am sure Klimke and Nuno Oliviero are rolling in their graves!! Humans would be no where without horses, we must protect them from this cruel practice, which is prevalent in every style of riding, not just dressage. It should not be allowed and must be punished!! I ride all my horses bitless/bridle-less and they are much happier. The least people can do is not abuse their horses with their bits! Tammy Fifer
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The horses need all the help they can get. As the original inventor of Bitless Bridle in 1988, the Spirit Bridle produces the descriptions contained in Article 401, yet USEF and FEI continue to refuse to do what ever is necessary for the benefit of the horses' health and welfare. They even refuse to acknowledge tetanic contractions, the primary and least recognized muscle injury to horses.
Allan Buck
Pure Classic Dressage
www.hartetoharte.org
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Yeah well did you get a load of what FEI is doing now?
Remember that whole "well LDR is okay as long as it is for ten minutes" thing?
Now, they've decided to eliminate the ten minute rule.
I'll probably have to write about this. Bastards.
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Watching the competitors at the WEG 2010 games is like daylight and nighttime when watching the reining and the dressage. The reining horses look so happy, relaxed, and perform so well with next to no hand contact in both the warm-up ring and in competition! Some (SOME) of the best dressage competitors do to. Unfortunately far too many of the dressage horse are being forced into extremely overflexed positions for LONG LONG periods in the warm up ring and in competition.
I understand that several of the freestyle reining performances later this week will be bridleless, even without a rein draped around the neck of the horse. It will be interesting to see how many freestyle dressage horses will be presented with that much confidence in the horse.
I also applaud the reining fraternity for having such stringent rules on how each movement is to be judged with a very clear point system. If any judge's TOTAL score is 3 points out from the rest of the judges, s/he MUST carefully explain her/his scoring before a review panel as a video tape of the ride is shown. It really helps to remove "subjectivity" from the scoring and also is extremely helpful in preventing dreadful things like rolkur from happening and being rewarded.
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I'm sorry but I must respectfully disagree with you. I was disgusted by the reining, and I say this as someone who in the past has done it and has owned a reining horse. These horses are also too now jerked down by the bit, ridden in rolkur, and aren't even sliding with the front end up but rather the chin tucked to chest.
I'm very disappointed by the reining but was very encouraged by other things I saw which I will be writing about soon.
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Wow, if you really thought those reining horses looked "jerked down" you must have been absolutely sick to your stomach when watching practically all of the dressage performances.
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I was!! Will write on this shortly.
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