Worried eyes

Rollkur: researchers explore neck hyperflexion in horses

http://freehorses.17.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=192

A study of the Rollkur technique used in dressage horse training has been carried out in Canada.
In Rollkur, the horse's neck is hyper flexed so that the nose is very close to, if not touching, the chest. The front of the head is behind the vertical (angled in) instead of being vertical or slightly forward of vertical as in normal poll flexion.

Dr Ute von Borstel and others working at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada conducted a series of tests to investigate whether the technique adversely affects the horse's welfare.

The FEI's draft description of Rollkur states that: "Hyperflexion of the neck is a technique of working/training to provide a degree of longitudinal flexion of the mid-region of the neck. Hyperflexion cannot be self-maintained by the horse for an extended period of time."

With the help of two equestrian centres - one in Ontario, the other in Ohio - the researchers devised a preference test, to see if horses would choose or avoid Rollkur if they had the choice.

Equine Science Update e-news reports that each horse was ridden into the trunk of a Y-shaped maze and allowed to choose which arm of the maze to take to enter an exercise area. After leaving the maze the horses would be ridden in 20 metre circles in either the Rollkur or normal poll flexion posture, depending on which arm of the maze they had chosen.

Previous training had taught the horses that leaving through the left arm would result in being ridden in the Rollkur posture. Leaving through the right arm resulted in being worked in a normal outline.

A rider would ride the horse into the maze, but allow the horse to choose the exit - and by implication the style of riding that would follow.

Fourteen of the 15 horses in the study chose the normal poll flexion.

Another part of the study involved horses being exposed to a "fear test" whilst being ridden either Rollkur or normally. Each horse suddenly encountered a fear-inducing stimulus: a fan blowing air with plastic strips attached to it; and an umbrella that was opened and closed as the horse approached.

The researchers found that horses tended to have higher heart rates and to react more to the fear-inducing stimulus, when ridden in Rollkur rather than in normal poll flexion.

The researcher concluded: "Horses show higher levels of discomfort when ridden in a coercively obtained Rollkur posture compared to regular poll flexion, and that they will avoid being ridden in Rollkur if given the choice."


Impact of riding in a coercively obtained Rollkur posture on welfare and fear of performance horses.
UU von Borstel, IJH Duncan, AK Shoveller, K Merkies, LJ Keeling, ST Millman. Applied Animal Behaviour Science (2009) 116, 228 - 236.
Equine Science Update

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FEI STATEMENT ON HYPERFLEXION (ROLLKÜR): the following statement was adopted:
There are no known clinical side effects specifically arising from the use of hyperflexion, however there are serious concerns for a horse's well-being if the technique is not practiced correctly. The FEI condemns hyperflexion in any equestrian sport as an example of mental abuse. The FEI states that it does not support the practice.

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[valeriemci1]

I would like to see horses put people in a rollkur position. Yes, the horse's eye looks worried....anything for good scores and the horse suffers more at the hands of humans. I would NOT have blcoked those riders faces. If they have the balls to put their horses in such extreme hyperflexion...they should have their faces showing their cruelty. Hyperflexion..what an understatement!!!!

[bootsandsaddles]

Good video. Every horse person should see it. Even in 'ordinary' dressage, I have seen horses under great stress, because it is basically unnatural.

Now, people are starting to put heavy horses through it. It's really bad.

[catoohey]

I wish that someone would take everyone of these riders and superglue their chin down to their chest and see how they like it.

[blahmeme]

USDF recognized the problems, and re-named it, giving the riders who perform this a way to simply tweak the method. Now it's "as long as there is no obvious hand force". Classical Dressage is lost in the show world. The riders don't want to take the time and the judges aren't looking hard enough. Those that do aren't judging very often due to their consistent "bad score giving". Now days, Classical Dressage doesn't win ribbons, sadly enough.

[mychemicalromancesky]

@Walnut28Comms 2:52 pinned ears.

[tallia18]

thankfuly the USDF has recognised the problems that rollcore (hyperflexation) acuses and are making riders down for it and going back to the softer more truely classical dressage.

[horsesmylife98]

This is a great video it shows how much pain and suffering a horse goes through... i dont know how people can look at a horses in this pain and sayits beautiful how much mettel do you need in a horses mouth!! if this dosent make people aware then type in horse revolution bit

[gurlluvshorse123]

@Walnut28Comms i agree totally

[CharlineWeisberg]

what a movie..pls watch this in webmovietube

[MarieCaulkins]

what a movie..watched 5 times in webmovietube