This entire debacle has been continuing for the past two weeks however we had a recent development in the past two days (that and my inspiration to write seems to have made a comeback haha), so I still felt it worth reporting:
Anky van Grunsven sues Eurodressage
(I'm sorry, but I just can't help it - when I read the part Sjef allegedly writes "you are a tiny miserable figure", I pictured a little snobby napolean-looking character sneering it out in nasally tones - ha!)
Most recently:
Anky retracts lawsuit
Should you desire to research the controversial technique of Rolkur further, I highly recommend Sustainable Dressage as informative reading.
Personally I disagree with the Rolkur/hyperflexion method. At best, it stretches the horse for a moment - however it does so incorrectly and by over-stretching the longissimus and thus possibly causing harm to the horse. At worst, when used forcefully (as it is much of the time), it strips the horse of its dignity and forces fear-based respect, causing irreversible and detrimental damage. I strongly feel that there are better and more effective means of stretching a horse and gaining its respect and obedience. Keep in mind also that a horse in a hyperflexed frame cannot possibly physically track up and get beneath themselves as well as they can when they are in a 'normal' frame.
(this obviously is not a method simply trickled down to inexperienced and uneducated hands using it incorrectly...this is how the professionals do it and I only see an uncomfortable and undignified horse)
(for the record, I am using Epona clips however am not an 'Epona supporter' - I actually honestly have very little idea of what they are about...but the clips remain appropriate)
Anky speaks of Rolkur:
On the other hand, I am not privy to the belief that LDR (low deep round) is necessarily the same as Rolkur - yet the two are often clumped together as one. Here is why I believe them to be different:
Steffan Peters and Ravel warm-up LDR at Aachen
Keep in mind I have seen Steffan Peters ride very little and a very thorough research and in-depth look at his performances would be required for me to accurately pass judgement on his personal training methods; I am simply remarking on his use of LDR in the above warm-up alone. In the above video I see a very loose, supple, relaxed horse who is, above all, on a loose rein. The horse appears comfortable and content throughout the LDR warm-up and note how its head and neck position differs from a forced nose-to-chest Rolkur position.
Just sayin'!!
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3 comments:
Interesting video of Peters, I know I've heard talk of how he rides too deep but haven't ever seen the videos before. I've seen enough of Anky to make my stomach turn. These were nothing like Anky, although the last part he's riding pretty deep, the horse's tail is much more active and there's an excessive amount of saliva.
The first part I couldn't see anything wrong with. My older horse actually moves like this when we trot and these days I only ride him in a halter and leadrope so it isn't as if I'm forcing his head in this position.
Looking through photography websites in the dressage groups of photos just shows horse after horse behind the vertical with hollowed backs in double bits, I think we're a long way from seeing true collection and the classical way coming back. Hopefully I'm wrong.
I don't doubt that Peters rides deep but I surmise that he does so as Gal appears to - softly?? As opposed to the hard and forceful RK I have seen Anky do.
I keep hearing that the Anky version of dressage is NOT what is being practiced in your average barn yet I see picture after picture of non-classically-ridden horse too, so it makes me wonder how many actual classical riders are out there? Not to say that 'my way is the only way', but I strongly regard classical to be the most correct form of dressage and that which is most beneficial to the horse.
(as an example, I attended a dressage show this year - purely as a spectator - and felt that a good 9/10 horses were clearly ridden in a non-classical sense. Most were clearly being see-sawed, even, and the riders were obviously riding front-to-back as opposed to back-to-front)
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