Rollkur what is it meant to do!?!?!?!?

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twobearsarthur

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After recent threads on HHO about Rollkur i researched what it was about as I honestly didnt have a clue.
I know can see what it is.
I can see its cruel and inhumane, i understand the detrimental effect to a horses skeletal and muscular system.
As dumb as this may sound I just cant for the life of me figure out what its meant to do??? What i mean is what do these people who use it think they are achieving? In their eyes "the positive benefits" of riding this way.
As from what i can tell it stops the hindquarters from engaging in even the most basic schooling movements.
Sorry if this is a stupid question but i for the life of me cant see any logic to it.
Thanks
 
I don't have a view on whether it is a good training aid or not, just to say that having watched Anky at the BD convention a couple of years ago, it has to be combined with an effective leg. She made a big point of this, saying that the horse still has to work from behind. The very low and bent positioning of the neck then allows control of strong horses, but she did demonstrate the horses working in all sorts of different outlines and could change them as she wanted to.

Again this is NOT my opinion, just relating what she said (to the best of my understanding!).
 
I think it is something that can be practiced on horses that are built naturally uphill, have huge amounts of energy and natural balance and is used to create extraordinary movement whilst the horse is under maximum submission.
(not something I would practice, even if I were lucky enough to own a horse with enough talent to cope with the method)
 
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Short answer...total submission.

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Yup, pretty much.

They use it on hot horses to get and keep them under control - horse has his head in his chest which means horse can't see where he's going therefore horse has to rely on his rider instead of "being naughty". They use it because it's harder work for the horses so when they compete, they find a "competition outline" easy to maintain therefore their work looks effortless. It's supposed to make it easier for the horse because he has worked in an extreme outline. I won't go in to what it actually does - if you've read the recent threads then can see my opinion on it from those.
 
in theory, it is supposed to activate a muscle deep in horse's chest. quite frankly, the same stretches can be achieved on the ground with a carrot and relaxed horse. Just realised, i often give my horse a polo out hacking. He swings his neck around as soon as he hears the wrapper - hope no one thinks I'm trying to do this out hacking!

Have a look at the horse hero link and the comments below it. There is quite a debate about the physical benefits/damage, but consensus that this is mentally stressful for the horse
 
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