Dressage Is there a problem with modern dressage and the FEI?

milliepops said:
genuinely interested to understand how this has put you off? I can't think of a time when I've seen a rule being broken and ignored at the shows I've been to or aspired to, that would have discouraged me from taking part. I'm fairly well out of the loop so accept it might be complete ignorance on my part (in which case I'm OK with that tbh, it's quite nice in my own little bubble :p i only know nice people )
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I think it's because other rules don't involve cruelty to the horse to quite the same extent maybe...some of the photos of rolkur/hyperflexion just makes me feel deeply uncomfortable
 
Shame on the FEI, shame on the rider, shame on the event, shame on her coach, shame on anyone who is connected to, or watched this horse and didn’t stop her competing.

This is the reason animal welfare groups come after horse riders and it makes me so sad, because the vast majority of us really care about ours, over and above anything else.
 
I just can’t understand why she wasn’t eliminated. What is the point of having rules if there is no consequence when they are broken? You would hope the rules are there to act as a deterrent as many competitors would not take the risk of breaking them for fear of being caught and eliminated. Very unfair on the horse first and foremost, but I would be fuming if I was a fellow competitor abiding by the rules.
 
YouKnowBest&Me said:
Well I suppose I'm not talking about a specific incident admittedly and dressage as an individual discipline has never been my bag so I am speaking from relative ignorance ? but the general impression I get from speaking to others and reading and seeing images about incidents in media it seems to me that dressage more than other equestrian sports seems to have an elite who seem to ignore rules about appropriate bitting and other welfare issues with no real consequences for some high level individuals. But I do enjoy lower level dressage as I said in my other post.....maybe I'm just jealous I'm not a super talented dressage rider ??
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You'd be surprised - the FEI Eventing yellow card list always makes for good reading. The dressage one however hasn't been updated since March and only two entries in the last year, hmmm.
 
YouKnowBest&Me said:
I think it's because other rules don't involve cruelty to the horse to quite the same extent maybe...some of the photos of rolkur/hyperflexion just makes me feel deeply uncomfortable
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understood. Personally it makes me more invested in the riders and trainers that don't promote that and who have the horse's interests at heart. for me, I can't say it puts me off having a crack at it with my own horses (attempting to follow the positive ethos!)
 
Poor horse, a standard curb is already a fairly strong bit if you are pulling on the reins. Why would a rider want to do that? Why did her horse deserve that?
I love dressage, but this puts me off big time. The same bit used on a slack rein I wouldn't mind, but she is clearly pulling on the reins on the harshest bit she could get away with and she scored 70%. Dressage is about and means training, not abusing your 17 years old horse.
 
I was talking about this with my non horsey husband today.
I think the 'pros' in general have killed any desire for me to watch this sport, and I have followed it from the 1970's, I have no wish to fund them or their sponsors, by buying promoted products by riders or tickets for these competitions. Perhaps that's the way forward, we start putting pressure on the sponsors, and lobby them for change and enforcement of rules.
Modern technology should make it possible to inspect tack and bits before it's put on the horse, mark it, then the horse is scanned before it enters the arena. A simple non-tamper tag could be used for lower levels.
Really though, it's beyond my understanding why anyone who is supposedly an expert would want to make money by knowing causing an animal harm. Let's stop funding them, indirectly, and tell people why.
 
This may be a silly question but why would she be using a strong contact with a curb bit? Would it be because the horse was pulling?
 
Mule said:
This may be a silly question but why would she be using a strong contact with a curb bit? Would it be because the horse was pulling?
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Yes, without watching a video but reading the write up, it sounds like she balances on her hands not her seat, so very basically she’s pulling on the horse, so the horse is pulling back at her. If you look at the picture closely it does almost look like the horse has its tongue over the curb.
 
milliepops said:
understood. Personally it makes me more invested in the riders and trainers that don't promote that and who have the horse's interests at heart. for me, I can't say it puts me off having a crack at it with my own horses (attempting to follow the positive ethos!)
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That is a good way to look at it! The more people doing it 'the right way', the more things will change (fingers crossed....!)
 
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