Rollkur has been used by dressage and show jumping riders. The technique has been controversial for some time;[3] petitions and boycotts (including a threatened boycott of the London 2012 Olympics) have been created to ban the practice.[2][4] The FEI moved to ban the practice following the release of video of Swedish dressage rider Patrik Kittel using rollkur during a competition warm-up, where the horse's tongue appeared to turn blue as a result of the manoeuvre.[2][5][6]
Despite the official FEI rules of dressage, which state that "the head should remain in a steady position, as a rule slightly in front of the vertical, with a supple poll as the highest point of the neck",[7] horses in FEI competition routinely work with their heads behind the vertical (BTV), in hyperflexion.[8][9] Judges appear to penalize competitors for heavy use of BTV posture at lower levels of competition, but not at the higher levels of competition.[10][11]
Most usage of the technique in recent times has been by dressage riders but rollkur was, and is still, used in other equestrian disciplines, most notably show jumping, before being adopted by some well-known dressage riders. However, it is not an old theory in dressage, either: François Baucher trained a similar method, although he did all his severe flexing at the halt, and in addition he connected the posture of the hind legs to the mix.[clarify]
In dressage training, a rider who chooses to make the horse work for periods with its neck lowered and its head behind the vertical, is misunderstanding the physiology of the horse. Relaxing a horse does not include forcing the horse to bring its head behind the vertical, which forces flexion of the neck at the 3-4th vertebrae, causing a ripple effect of the ligaments, muscles, and spine into dangerous positions, not to mention interfering with the large salivary glands that lay behind the horse's jowls. The proper head position for a horse is slightly above the vertical, with the poll at the highest point, which is most natural for the horse and allows it to fully engage the hindquarters necessary for collection.
It is a misunderstanding of basic equine anatomy to suggest that forcing a horse to tuck its chin and bringing its head behind the vertical is beneficial or improves suppleness. The most extreme form of this hyperflexion of the neck is rollkur, where the horse is forced to lower its head and bend the neck at the 3rd, 4th, or 5th vertebrae, forcing chin as close to the horse's head as possible,[clarify] and using the outside rein to shape the horse along with the rider adjusting their position in the saddle to gain the maximum effect. In short, the horse's breathing and ability to salivate is negatively impacted, weight load is shifted to the neck, which it can not sustain, so the horse hollows out its back and this causes the dreaded "spine-kissing".[clarify] In such a position, the horse can not see what is ahead of it and in addition to causing great discomfort, the horse is no longer balanced, so it must work harder when it moves. Because it can not fully engage the hindquarters, its actions build muscle in the neck and change its shape over time, while building up the forearms that results in exaggerated motion when the hypertension is released. In the extreme, the horse's mouth touches the middle of its chest. Rollkur is not a quick movement lasting a few seconds, but is held for a length of time, through work at the walk, trot, and canter, including shortening and extension of the gaits. Rollkur is not just longitudinal flexion (nose to chest or forelegs), but accompanied with repeated bending to the rider's leg.
Some riders who use rollkur accomplish the head position by lowering and fixing the hands until the horse yields its jaw backwards in response to the pressure on the bit. This technique (pulling in) goes against all classical riding. In classical dressage, the horse accepts the bit and the horse decides to come down with its head because it trusts the hands of the rider. In good companionship, it is possible to ask the horse to go a little deeper than the animal would do itself, but to obtain the extreme posture of rollkur does require physical coercion.
In western pleasure and related events, the same practice has been used for decades, though not called rollkur. Usually draw reins are used to achieve hyperflexion and a very low "headset" that is desired in competition. However, it differs from rollkur in significant ways, the primary being that pleasure horses are not typically asked for the high degree of collection and complex maneuvers, such as the passage and piaffe, required of dressage horses.[12]
Hyperflexion has become more common in international dressage over time. By the 2008 FEI Dressage World Cup, the 15 highest-scoring equine competitors spent the majority of performance time with their heads in hyperflexion (behind the vertical) in all of the primary gaits.[8][11]
Rationale
Proponents point to leading riders and trainers who apply this technique and have consistent winning scores in the arena. Studies have supported this, with results indicating that horses in hyperflexion were awarded higher scores by judges in competition. The scoring advantage is attributed to greater exaggeration of the horses' leg and back movements, which thereby appear more expressive, as well as more extreme forward protraction of the front legs.[9][8][11]
Health and welfare
Hyperflexion of the neck has been linked to airway obstruction, musculoskeletal pathology, stress, fear, and pain in horses.[9][13]
Horses ridden in hyperflexion show more conflict behaviors (resistance to the rider's commands) and signs of discomfort, even at the highest level of competition, indicating that the posture is aversive even after prolonged training and experience.[10]
It also impacts forward vision, as horses have a relatively limited vertical field of vision and cannot see in front of them well with their noses pointing vertically downwards or backwards. This may itself lead to further stress while in the hyperflexed position, as the horse cannot adequately watch out for obstacles while moving forward.[13][10][14]
Those who disagree with rollkur say it goes against the principles of classical dressage and the written rules of the FEI. This includes the fact that the horse is physically behind the vertical. This makes it difficult to check if the horse is correctly accepting the bit. During hyperflexion of the neck the cervical vertebrae are compressed, where classical dressage promotes lengthening and relaxation of the neck. With rollkur, impulsion and throughness may be lost due to a stiff, improperly stretched back. This can easily occur when the hand of the rider is not gently asking the horse to come low (but pulling in) - and/ or the horse is not accepting the hand, but bending in an attempt to evade the hand. A pure disadvantage is that the horse is encouraged to bring its point of gravity towards the forehand.
The public and private debates remain as to whether rollkur constitutes animal abuse, both physically, due to the held over-flexed position which can include airway obstruction, tongue nerve damage (e.g. tongue hanging), over-foaming, nuchal ligament damage, etc., and mentally due to forced submission. Given that a similar practice is longstanding and routinely seen with the use of draw reins in schooling horses for events such as western pleasure, the debate has major ramifications across different disciplines.
Related Research Articles
Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes shows are limited exclusively to jumpers. Sometimes jumper classes are offered in conjunction with other English-style events. Sometimes, show jumping is but one division of a very large, all-breed competition that includes a very wide variety of disciplines. Jumping classes may be governed by various national horse show sanctioning organizations, such as the United States Equestrian Federation or the British Showjumping Association. International competitions are governed by the rules of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports.
Dressage is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrian sport defined by the International Equestrian Federation, dressage is described as "the highest expression of horse training" where "horse and rider are expected to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements".
A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and international championships in a given discipline or breed. Most shows consist of a series of different performances, called classes, wherein a group of horses with similar training or characteristics compete against one another for awards and, often, prize money.
Classical dressage evolved from cavalry movements and training for the battlefield, and has since developed into the competitive dressage seen today. Classical riding is the art of riding in harmony with, rather than against, the horse.
Equitation is the art or practice of horse riding or horsemanship.
The trot is a two-beat diagonal horse gait where the diagonal pairs of legs move forward at the same time with a moment of suspension between each beat. It has a wide variation in possible speeds, but averages about 13 kilometres per hour (8.1 mph). A very slow trot is sometimes referred to as a jog. An extremely fast trot has no special name, but in harness racing, the trot of a Standardbred is faster than the gallop of the average non-racehorse, and has been clocked at over 30 miles per hour (48 km/h).
Western pleasure is a western style competition at horse shows that evaluates horses on manners and suitability of the horse for a relaxed and slow but collected gait cadence, along with calm and responsive disposition. The horse is to appear to be a "pleasure" to ride, smooth-moving and very comfortable. Most light horse breeds in the United States and Canada may compete in western pleasure classes, either in open competition or at shows limited to a single breed. However, horse conformation and temperament play a role in this event, and hence animals of stock horse breeds that are calm, quiet, have collected, soft gaits and the strong muscling required to sustain slow, controlled movement are the most competitive.
A double bridle, also called a full bridle or Weymouth bridle, is a bridle that has two bits and four reins. One bit is the bradoon, is a modified snaffle bit that is smaller in diameter and has smaller bit rings than a traditional snaffle, and it is adjusted so that it sits above and in front of the other bit, a curb bit. Another term for this combination of curb and snaffle bit is a "bit and bradoon", where the word "bit" in this particular context refers to the curb.
Saddle seat is a style of horse riding within the category of English riding that is designed to show off the high action of certain horse breeds. The style developed into its modern form in the United States, and is also seen in Canada and South Africa. To a much lesser extent, it is ridden with American horse breeds in Europe and Australia.
Draw reins and running reins are pieces of riding equipment used for training that use the mechanical advantage of a 'single movable pulley' to cause the horse to bring its head down and inward. While a regular rein is the strap that attaches to the bit and is held by the rider, these types of reins slide through the bit ring, adding leverage to the rider's hands and arms, allowing the rider to force the horse's head into a desired position.
A "baucher" is also a type of bit, named after the man.
Western riding is considered a style of horse riding which has evolved from the ranching and welfare traditions which were brought to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors, as well as both equipment and riding style which evolved to meet the working needs of the cowboy in the American West. At the time, American cowboys had to work long hours in the saddle and often over rough terrain, sometimes having to rope a cattle using a lariat, also known as a lasso. Because of the necessity to control the horse with one hand and use a lariat with the other, western horses were trained to neck rein, that is, to change direction with light pressure of a rein against the horse's neck. Horses were also trained to exercise a certain degree of independence in using their natural instincts to follow the movements of a cow, thus a riding style developed that emphasized a deep, secure seat, and training methods encouraged a horse to be responsive on very light rein contact.
Andreas Helgstrand is a Danish dressage rider. He won four consecutive Danish dressage championships, from 2005 through 2008.
The term forehand refers to the front half of a horse's body.
Totilas, also known from 2006 to 2011 as Moorlands Totilas, and nicknamed "Toto", was a Dutch Warmblood stallion standing 17.1 hands high who was considered to be one of the most outstanding competitive dressage horses in the world, the first horse to score above 90 in dressage competition, and the former holder of the world record for the highest dressage score in Grand Prix Freestyle Dressage.
Uwe Schulten-Baumer, nicknamed "Der Doktor", was a German show jumping and dressage rider who became an internationally famous dressage trainer and coach who worked with Nicole Uphoff and Isabell Werth, who won 4 and 5, respectively, Olympic gold medals in individual and team dressage.
Richard Davison is an Olympic standard dressage rider.
Patrik Kittel is a Swedish horse rider. He was born in Stockholm. He competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where he placed fourth in team dressage. At the 2012 Summer Olympics he competed in the team dressage events and qualified for the Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle, finishing 14th.
Jessica Rae Springsteen is an American equestrian. The daughter of musicians Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa, she is a show jumping champion rider who has represented the United States Equestrian Team in international competition and won a silver medal in the Team jumping at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in 2021 in Tokyo.
Charlotte Fry is an English Olympic, European Championships and World Championships medal-winning British dressage rider. Fry has a total of 82 victories and is currently third in the FEI World Dressage Ranking.
1 2 3 Lashley, Morgan J. J. O.; Nauwelaerts, Sandra; Vernooij, J. C. M.; Back, W.; Clayton, Hilary M. (2014-12-01). "Comparison of the head and neck position of elite dressage horses during top-level competitions in 1992 versus 2008". The Veterinary Journal. 202 (3): 462–465. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.08.028. ISSN1090-0233. PMID25296851.
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