News from Science Of Motion

December 2009

Issue No.13

Science Of Motion

Greetings!

Stand up for your horse and leave the show area

Upper neck hyper-flexion is primarily a problem of education. For a large part, riders and trainers applying the system do not have any clear idea of the effects that hyper-flexion of the upper neck has on the horse. A few successful riders applied the approach and everyone copied the technique, hoping that the hyper-flexion of the horse's upper neck would generate success. If the same Olympic riders had warmed up their horses wearing green shirts, we would be talking about the" greenkur", and many will convince themselves that the color of their shirt has made a world of difference to their horse.

In the business of showing, the governing bodies will "investigate" the matter a little further, hoping that the problem will go away. The tactic is known as "drowning the fish". Action will not be taken, and therefore, action belongs to the individuals who are outraged by the approach. There are several petitions going on simultaneously. Sylvia Loch has now collected 6000 signatures, and Philippe Karl, who started his own movement in March, now totals 12,000 signatures. As of today, November 23, our own petition is in its 29th day and we have already received 2011 signatures. There are many other petitions in progress, and these different petitioning groups are now talking to each other hoping to draw a common strategy.

Several ideas suggest wearing a white hat or other clothing devices in protest. Our suggestion is to stand up and leave the show area when a rider practicing hyper-flexion of the neck enters the ring. Our thought is that it would be unethical for the show organizers, as well as good riders to start manifestations around the show area that could end in confrontation with Rollkur proponents and create disturbances. America is a free country; if you do not like it, you stand up and you leave the periphery of the show ring. This is a win/win situation. First of all you do not have to watch a performance that would be unpleasant to watch anyway. Second of all, there are often good vendors or concessions to visit.

The impact would be very strong. It would normalize the offending rider's ego, and concern eventual sponsors. It would make the steward or technical delegate wonder about the policy of passive compliance. It would raise the same concerns in the judge's mind.

Whatever action is ultimately decided, union is power and it would be very effective if everyone in the world applied the same tactic. We are hoping that a common action will be decided promptly.

Meanwhile, we continue to explain why hyper-flexion of the upper neck is handicapping dressage as well as jumper horses. Also, we further open our newsletter to the thoughts of competent trainers. Eleanor Roosevelt wrote, "Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss peoples." By contrast to small minds trainers who apply a technique because other peoples are doing it, there are many advantages to consider the thoughts of riders and trainers who are presenting pertinent ideas. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead, US anthropologist (1901-1978)

Jean Luc Cornille

The Re-Education of Basa Rollkur

Re-Educating Thoroughbred Race Horses

by Susan Hopf

I have been involved, in some capacity, with horses for most of my life. 4-H as a young teen, riding and teaching in Combined Training for over a decade and most recently, for the last fifteen years, I have dedicated myself to learning and teaching all I can with regard to Classical Riding and Equine Stewardship. For the last several years I have included writing as a way to reach out and share my experiences with others that are also looking for a more equine friendly approach to working with their horses.

Always searching for answers I have followed the evolving teachings of Jean Luc Cornille for many years. And it is now my great privilege to contribute to the web-site, Science of Motion. I thank you all for the opportunity to share my thoughts and experiences with you

Basa, a richly colored bay Thoroughbred mare, born in 1999 came into my life as a rescue in the year 2004. She was destined for the track at one point in her life but an undisclosed injury caused her to be listed as a "Do Not Race" horse. A friend of a friend told me about her (and another) that were on their way to the killers but they both instead found themselves at my little establishment and both have been here since.

Defensive, angry and uncertain Basa's attitude was no different than many track horses I have re-trained. As is typical the first few weeks were spent just working up some sort of give and take so we could at least communicate without hysterics. Once she settled and realized I would not be putting chains, my teeth or other items of torture where they should never - ever go I found her to be sensitive and quite willing to accept new ideas in her life as long as they were presented slowly and she was given time to assess each and every new danger. With a great deal of patience she eventually became a nice riding partner.

READ ON

Riding By Torchlight

Freedom of Expression
By Susannah Cord

Please Note : This article first appeared in Horses For Life in July 2008.

Lately, I have been ruminating on the word,'expression'. It started with an article in Dressage Today by Michael Klimke, son of the late Reiner Klimke, and a trainer and successful competitor in his own right. The article is titled 'A Horse That Goes On His Own', but on the cover it is represented as 'Allow the Horse Freedom of Expression'. That got my attention. How often does one hear that? We hear a great deal about expressive movement and expressive gaits, but how often do we hear about allowing the horse the one thing all of us in the free world take for granted? Freedom of individual expression.

Very early on in the article, Klimke reminds us that the horse needs to find the balance to be 'on the seat', and to 'carry himself and go on his own'. As riders and trainers, we have to develop the horse to move freely 'without too much pressure from our legs and rein aids', and that this allows the horse to 'work more freely in self-carriage'. But most interestingly to me, he states that 'The most important benefit is the often overlooked development of the horses' personality." He goes on to say that '...it is easy for trainers to forget about this interior aspect of the horses' growth, but it pays to concentrate on each horses' individuality." Somebody buy this guy a beer. Make it a case.

In a dressage world increasingly in danger of churning out mechanical puppet, cookie cutter dressage horses, in a world still largely concerned with the deadly evils of the anthropomorphizing of animals, he speaks of the individuality of horses. Of learning to ride better from our seats to allow them to develop their own personal expression. And how this relates to their inner growth and development. At the very end of the article, Klimke suggests that "In your daily riding, don't think the horse must learn your way. Concentrate on riding primarily with your seat, and you will succeed in learning your horses' way....."

This reminds me of a tenet in movement therapy that I learned from Feldenkrais practitioner and SENSE Method creator, Mary Debono. When I asked her about the effects of Rollkur on the inner systems and biomechanics of the horse, she simply replied "Movement benefits from choice." In other words, put a body in a straightjacket and you severely limit that body's options in how to answer any question asked of it. More often than not, this means that while you may get an apparently acceptable answer, it is rarely, if ever, the correct or most desirable answer for that body, its' individual biomechanics and conformational eccentricities. I think of this kind of training as drinking grape juice and calling it wine.

READ ON

FEI to Delay New Medication Rules

The F�d�ration Equestre Internationale (FEI) Bureau has passed a resolution delaying implementation of the new Equine Prohibited Substances List and the accompanying Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations until April 5, 2010.
The resolution was passed in order to allow for broader debate and consultation on the policy change approved at the recent FEI General Assembly regarding the restricted use of a small number of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The decision, which reversed the 1993 ban on phenylbutazone, has provoked considerable debate among FEI stakeholders.
The FEI recognizes that a number of issues arise as a result of this policy change, which was voted in by a majority of 53-48 at the meeting in Copenhagen on Nov. 19.
The change in policy will affect National Federations and organizers who must comply with state laws as well as international competition rules. It has implications for the breeding industry and the selection of horses and might impact animal welfare concerns. It also affects the laboratories involved in the testing procedures.
The FEI acknowledges that these concerns are all legitimate and recognizes a need for further debate on the issue. The delayed implementation of the new regulations will also allow for supplementary research to be carried out on the use of NSAIDs in the competition horse.
"The FEI has been criticized for not providing sufficient time for consultation on the substances that differentiate the new policy from the old and there has also been widespread unease about the late publication of the progressive list," said FEI President HRH Princess Haya. "Views that have been expressed since the vote are being taken extremely seriously by the FEI as legitimate welfare concerns and we give similar importance to our membership's decision to effect a policy change. In light of both these considerations, we felt it was only fair to delay implementation of the new list to allow everyone to have their say and let other veterinary experts look at the science behind this policy change."

Jean Luc article Hyper Flexion of the Upper Neck-A Failure of Olympic Dimension is on the latest edition of Horses For Life. The latest issue is a TRIUMPH!" ".... it is brilliant!"
"POWERFUL" . is how many are describing.