Anky van Grunsven talks about her method

EPONA.tv interviews Anky van Grunsven about the controversial technique, hyperflexion of the neck. Based on the 2006 workshop on rollkur, which was held in Lausanne, Switzerland, the FEI's manual for dressage stewards:


"Providing that a horse is fit and well and not suffering from any back or neck injuries or ailments there are no known clinical side effects specifically arising from the use of
Hyperflexion. However, there are concerns for the horses well-being if the technique is not practiced correctly. The FEI does not permit excessive or prolonged Hyperflexion in
any equestrian sport."

But what is "correct"? What is "prolonged"? And what is "excessive"? So far, no clear answers have been given by the FEI, and so the ban on "excessive or prolonged" hyperflexion of the neck seems useless. At the 2006 workshop on rollkur, delegates were told that "brief spells of hyperflexion" - lasting no more than 20 seconds - were employed as suppling exercises. Detractors of the method claim that it has little to do with stretching, but is a form of mental abuse which serves only to subordinate the horse.

What do you think?


See www.epona.tv and www.epona.tv/uk for more interviews from the cutting edge of dressage. Professor Heinz Meyer, Dr. Gerd Heuschmann, Dr. Andrew McLean and Professor Hilary Clayton are just some of the names you can find on Epona.tv/uk

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• anky
• van
• grunsven
• rollkur
• hyperflexion
• epona
• dressage
• cruelty
• abuse
• stretching

[oliviabodycomb]

i really want to pull her chin to her chest yank her jaw from side to side and jump on her back and make her trot around and run thats why her names Anky cos she likes to yank yank yanky the horses mouth

[ninak2012]

This is probably the most unanimous youtube agreement in dressage training I've ever seen for terrible terrible training. It's not justified through what she says. I don't know how she's made it this far.

[horsegirlanna]

@caloase THANK YOU!

Finally someone who knows what they're looking at :)

Anky's the best in the world for a reason - she's a great rider and trainer

[TheCletuus]

ROLLKUR IS ILLEGAL!!!!! Fuck Anky....makes me soooo mad.

[ponytriggerlove]

@jumper649 So true! She shouldt do it that way! And especially since she ride/rode on that level she does...

[ponytriggerlove]

@NinaTheiil Iknow, i hope you didnt take me sarcastically :P I ment what you did ;)

[NinaTheiil]

@ponytriggerlove I dont think so. You can see that the horse doesn't like it .. And she says she dont have a clue for how long she is hyperflextion .. It could be for 15 minutes. poor horses.

[ponytriggerlove]

2:42 - 2:58... do that horse really want to do HYPERFLEXION?

[jumper649]

Rolkur doesn't work muscles, it just stretches the nuchal ligament, which then causes the bone on the skull to grow more to support the nuchal ligament that is under stress. Also, advanced dressage horses are well trained at being obiedient, if a rider cranks their nose to their chest, they would tolerate it because they are obiedient and have a severe bit in their mouth. They do Rolkur to avoid the pain. I disagree with Anky.

[eingallsstella]

@TJPerformance no i do not sit there with a watch i am busy listening to my horse and observing the changes in the horse that is when i know when i have gone too far or too fast, or even too slow. By listening to a horse, i will never abuse it. Even someone without a watch on can give a rough estimate of time they have spent doing something, if they cant then they shouldnt be "training" horses.

[littlekaty199]

Isn't having spurs like, really bad?

[taschenschlampe]

I just can hope for all the poor horses which have to do hyperflexion, that one day all this will finally stop...