CDJ withdrawn from paris


Mouth foams banned across the board by FEI from 1st July in emergency rule change.

From the article:
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Dr Uldahl said such substances are “clearly uncomfortable” for horses, especially with rein pressure, there is no need to use them, and that the purpose of them is to conceal poor welfare, such as lesions or tongue discolouration.

“This renders it not only unjustifiable, but doubly concerning, as it masks more serious underlying welfare issues,” she said. “Applying sticky substances in a horse’s mouth is fundamentally incompatible with any claim of prioritising equine welfare.”

Dr Uldahl likened the substance use to other examples of “concealment”, such as over-tight ear bonnets and nosebands.
 

Mouth foams banned across the board by FEI from 1st July in emergency rule change.

From the article:
------------------------

Dr Uldahl said such substances are “clearly uncomfortable” for horses, especially with rein pressure, there is no need to use them, and that the purpose of them is to conceal poor welfare, such as lesions or tongue discolouration.

“This renders it not only unjustifiable, but doubly concerning, as it masks more serious underlying welfare issues,” she said. “Applying sticky substances in a horse’s mouth is fundamentally incompatible with any claim of prioritising equine welfare.”

Dr Uldahl likened the substance use to other examples of “concealment”, such as over-tight ear bonnets and nosebands.
Isn't this just a rewrite of a rule they never bothered enforcing?
 
Isn't this just a rewrite of a rule they never bothered enforcing?
Yes. But this is, in my opinion, one of the main causes of so many problems, the rules are there, and they are good, but they are not properly enforced, and that becomes the thin end of the wedge and everything goes downhill. We dont need to ban things, just use them correctly as stated in the rules, but nowadays the rules are seen as a vague guide, and thats not good enough.
 
If they can't use the tack without abuse remove it altogether, instant result, because by golly they need some instant results with welfare, curb bits, spurs, fluff bin em all, then let's see a level playing field

And while some of the fluff might be tasty and make the horses mouths more mobile, its not as that one says to mask oral issues, it makes the horse look like it's flexing at the poll , on the bit salivating when it may not be, so giving a false impression
 
I don't know what just happened. I guess it's in keeping with my day in general.

I hate to take curbs, spurs, and such away. People will just get sneakier about using them, and continue to abuse the snot out of them at home.

I don't know the answer, except that I don't have it.
 
Seeing what that horrid woman did to that poor horse has given me an idea.

Every year or two Grand Prix dressage riders should have to demonstrate that the horse(s) can do the needed moves without a bridle. Not a whole test but maybe piaffe, flying changes, stuff like that.

It won't work because of expense, but still.
I mulled this over a while ago and proposed:
During a test, a rider will receive double points for a movement if part or all of it is performed with a loop in the rein (I also proposed legs off too, but that would be very hard to judge)
I think it would need to be for tests above Novice
And the score for the movement would have had to have been at least a 5.5 before the score was doubled (to prevent people doing a cr*p movement and just throwing the reins at the horse to score a double 3)
 
There are several examples on youtube of people riding dressage moves while the horse has no bridle on. Some of them have no saddle also, so it can be done. The rider has to have a good seat and know how to relax into the movement and I doubt it would be possible to sit like that on a hypermobile horse. I've watched a couple of these vids, and the most noticeable difference is the lack of tension in the horses. There's no hunching up, no tail swishing. It's more of a partnership than a battle.
I do think the horses now seen in top level dressage are part of the issue - it must be very difficult for anyone to ride them, and I can see why they would add more & more ways of controlling them, until we end up here, with us all saying, no that's not right.
Perhaps a rule for scoring movements, so that over-exaggerated leg flinging (for example) is marked lower than correct movement. Maybe then we would see harmony return to dressage?
 
Perhaps a rule for scoring movements, so that over-exaggerated leg flinging (for example) is marked lower than correct movement. Maybe then we would see harmony return to dressage?
This is already the rule though. Those medium trots with legs flying forward aren't correct as the back legs should match and not just shuffle along behind, the piaffe should have two beats to be correct, a gaping mouth and a blue tongue fighting every stride is inconsistency in contact and would be marked a 4-5 at lower levels etc but they still get 8's if the riders name gets an 8. If I hauled my cob round a prelim kicking with spurs while pulling her back teeth out I'd be rightly asked to leave but if you do it to a fancy warmblood while wearing tails it's fine.
 
This is already the rule though. Those medium trots with legs flying forward aren't correct as the back legs should match and not just shuffle along behind, the piaffe should have two beats to be correct, a gaping mouth and a blue tongue fighting every stride is inconsistency in contact and would be marked a 4-5 at lower levels etc but they still get 8's if the riders name gets an 8. If I hauled my cob round a prelim kicking with spurs while pulling her back teeth out I'd be rightly asked to leave but if you do it to a fancy warmblood while wearing tails it's fine.
Exactly this, the rules are there, they describe all the movements, but as I said in my previous post, they are not adhered to, and that's a problem.
It's not difficult to ride without all the stuff, and I'm pretty sure most GP riders can do it. I can certainly ride my 18hh GP horse through a GP in a headcollar, no spurs, no whip.
 
Exactly this, the rules are there, they describe all the movements, but as I said in my previous post, they are not adhered to, and that's a problem.
It's not difficult to ride without all the stuff, and I'm pretty sure most GP riders can do it. I can certainly ride my 18hh GP horse through a GP in a headcollar, no spurs, no whip.
"Exactly this, the rules are there, they describe all the movements, but as I said in my previous post, they are not adhered to enforced, and that's a problem."

Just a small change, yes the riders should be adhering to the rules....but if no-one is enforcing those rules then the judge / BD / FEI are equally to blame, if not more so. They set the standard.
 
Exactly this, the rules are there, they describe all the movements, but as I said in my previous post, they are not adhered to, and that's a problem.
It's not difficult to ride without all the stuff, and I'm pretty sure most GP riders can do it. I can certainly ride my 18hh GP horse through a GP in a headcollar, no spurs, no whip.
I was going to say there’s plenty of videos of GP riders bridleless, often when they’re facing some other backlash and want to seem fluffier (or it just feels that way 😅)
 
I was going to say there’s plenty of videos of GP riders bridleless, often when they’re facing some other backlash and want to seem fluffier (or it just feels that way 😅)
I see this too, and wonder if it really counts for anything when the horse has likely been trained to do the movements with the ol' "kick, whip, pull" in the first place. Perhaps a little too cynical, but I'll never be disappointed if I just expect nothing at all times 😂
 
"Exactly this, the rules are there, they describe all the movements, but as I said in my previous post, they are not adhered to enforced, and that's a problem."

Just a small change, yes the riders should be adhering to the rules....but if no-one is enforcing those rules then the judge / BD / FEI are equally to blame, if not more so. They set the standard.
I'm fine with that, I did say enforced in the post I made yesterday.
 
Most of these riders are simply not currently capable of riding that way. They could be, but it’s not how they’ve been taught and it would take time to relearn. They train the way they do because it’s easier for them. It’s why they’re so defensive when this sh*t gets called out. They know they wouldn’t have the career they do if they couldn’t kick and pull a horse round a GP whilst hiding behind the “spicy sport horse” argument. They want results now.
 
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Jovian enjoying a marshmallow at Aachen
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The video appears to show questionable training methods possible welfare concerns. FEI is investigating, so Charlotte Dujardin withdrew from competitions (including Paris) pending review. Exact details aren’t public yet, but it’s likely related to horse treatment. Updates should come from FEI or her team soon.
 
I think the only solution is vote with your money, I now no longer interested in anything promoted by riders or watch competitions, and I followed dressage before it was fashionable.
One of my most clear memories is watch the practice arena in front of Goodwood house in 1993, and some riders daughter watching, she looked about twelve, practising the moves on foot. There was no money or hype. I think it all changed when dressage to music became a thing, they had the Euros at Hickstead 2003, I was so excited and slept in the car in the horsebox area, and then it became a selling experience, and more about a show.
 

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