When Patrik Kitell warmed up Watermill Scandic, his tongue protruded from his mouth.
The so called “Blue Tongue” video, which shows Patrik Kitell training the stallion Watermill Scandic at a World Cup event last October sparked a huge debate about the use of Rollkur (or hyperflexion) around the world. A horse’s tongue can turn blue when the curb bit presses down on the tongue, impairing blood circulation.
After reviewing video of the event, the FEI says it has found “no reliable evidence” that the warm up techniques used by Kittel on his horse were excessive. The FEI issued Kittel a warning letter and was told his actions will be watched in the future.
That’s not to say that the FEI issoft on Rollkur. A round-table discussion on Rollkur by FEI officials yesterday has declared that any head and neck position achieved through aggressive force is not acceptable, and agressive riding must be sanctioned and emphasized that the main responsibility for the welfare of the horse rests with the rider.
The backlash against Kittel was swift. Many people wrote letters to the FEI protesting the use of hyperflexion and posters such as this sprang up on the Internet.
So what about Kittel?
The video below was shot by Epona.TV of the warm up area. Their criticism of his ride included the length of the schooling, as well as the use of hyperflexion. Their description is below:
For a minimum of two hours, Swedish Olympic rider Patrik Kittel trained his stallion, Watermill Scandic, in various degrees of hyperflexion, on Friday ahead of Saturday’s Grand Prix. EPONA.tv was passing by the warm up at 3.45 pm, and at this time, the rider was well into his session. At circa 5.45, the session ended.
During the first part of the training session, the horse’s tongue was briefly showing. The tongue was clearly blue, and flopped limply from the horse’s mouth. However, Patrik Kittel was quick to notice, and halted the horse before reaching for the muzzle with the hand furthest away from the camera. Afterwards, the tongue did not reappear.
I find the video incredibly difficult to watch. It’s not so much the tongue; I’ve seen many horses that stick their tongues out and it’s not always a sign of distress.
But to make a horse work with its nose almost touching its chest going around and around ad nauseum? To me it seems the diametric opposite of what dressage is supposed to be — lightness, balance, harmony and impulsion. I can’t come to terms with the idea that an end performance that attempts to achieve those goals can be built from a foundation that’s so forceful and restrictive.
Hyperflexion seems to be the training fad du jour. It’s been embraced by many top international riders and even if (and that’s a big if) they have the skill to use it judiciously, it will be emulated by less skilled riders and create a downward spiral of bad riding and unhappy horses.
I hope that FEI makes good on their promise to hold riders responsible for the welfare of their horses and that they start at the top.
This Fiberglass horse from Clive Seddon looks pretty darn real!
Last week, Australian horse owner Jenny Mahoney found a strange horse in her pasture when she woke up. Sadly, this story isn’t uncommon — in Australia, as well as the US, people who can no longer feed their horses are leaving them in other peoples’ feeds
But this wasn’t your average horse dumping.
“I only have the one, McBeal, so I slowly approached the strange horse, saying ‘Steady, easy fella,’ ” she told the Herald Sun. “It was only when I got right up to it in the dark that I realized it was a life-size, fiberglass horse.”
The Mahoneys were amused by the horse, but Jenny said McBeal was positively enamored, nuzzling it until it fell over. She reported it to the police, just in case the model had been reported stolen. (It’s believed to have originated at a defunct miniature golf course in the area.)
But the story doesn’t end there.
Two days later she found the horse moved to another part of the pasture with a fly mask on its head. So she added a red blanket too.
Another two days later, the horse was gone. In its place was a 13-foot fiberglass crocodile.
“The croc had the horse rug stuffed down its throat and was meant to look like it had eaten the horse” Mahoney reported.
At least this horse left no manure and ate no hay! It can come visit my horse any time.
A horse fell out of a trailer on route Highway 59 yesterday in Houston. Against all odds, the horse survived without serious injury. The driver of the trailer, oblivious to the early exit of his passenger and the traffic jam that occurred behind him, only discovered the horse was missing when he got home.
Hoover carts or Bennett Buggies appeared during the Great Depression when car owners could no longer afford gas.
During the great depression, many car owners could no longer afford gas for their cars.
Instead they went back to the one horse power model. They took the engines out, cut off the rear of the car, attached a tongue to the front axle and pulled it with a horse or mule.
These converted cars were called either “Hoover Carts” in honor of president Hoover, or Bennett Buggies, after Canadian Conservative Prime Minister R. B. Bennett.
Now, New York artist Jeremy Dean is building a modern Hoover cart — this time using a Hummer! The converted car will be featured in an exhibit at the New York Pulse Art Fair that opens on March 3rd.
Dean’s series, called Futurama, explores the history of the automobile, development within the car industry, and speaks of the now seemingly gratuitous nature of the SUV culture. It addresses, too, in being horse-drawn, the uncertain automobile future we face as fuel reserves dwindle.
Jeremy Dean's interpretaion of the Hoover Cart uses a Hummer as the basis for the vehicle. I think he might need a more powerful horse to pull a car that's so heavy!
While the Hoover wagons of old were simple and functional, Dean’s creation sends a message about modern overindulgence: it will include such features as drop-down TVs, leather seats, additional chrome package details, working running lights, a stereo and speaker system, an entertainment system including 3 LCD video screens, a DVD player, chrome rims, and – essential for any modern-day carriage – low profile wheels.
All I can say is that if it comes to the point where we need horses to pull our cars, readers of this blog will likely be ahead of the game as we already have them. Now, we just need to start teaching them how to drive!
The Micklem Multibridle in "Strongest" Setting. When I foxhunted Kroni I used this configuration. When we were riding at home he was fine using the simple side pull configuration.
Recently I got this comment/question from Valerie L. It’s a good one so I thought I’d answer it in a post rather than in the comments.
I’m new to all this but have been thinking of using a bitless bridle on my 10 year old as the idea of having a steel bar in the mouth doesn’t really appeal to me. I’m a novice happy hacker/small jumps but my son loves to hunt him. I’ve been advised that if i make the change it has to be complete. Is there an issue with loss of control in hunting conditions as safety is my main concern.
Valerie, good question!
Riding bitless can be rewarding and it’s a whole lot easier in the winter. I wouldn’t worry about changing between bitless and bitted. It’s no different from changing bits (many people “bit up” to hunt or event).
My experience with riding bitless is that horses either “get it” within a couple of rides . . . or it just isn’t that appropriate for them. Even then, you sometimes do need to increase your level of control for more exciting activities such as hunting.
My Trakehner gelding loved being ridden bitless. For most activities all I needed was a simple side pull bridle. I also hunt and can tell you that it wasn’t enough control for riding first flight. You might look into the bitless bridles that offer different levels of control. I’ve used both the Micklem Multibridle and the LG bridle with success. My Trakehner got pretty exuberant out in the hunt field and I appreciated that extra bit of control!
Not all horses do well bitless, however. I’ve tried riding my TB bitless numerous times (with several different bitless solutions). He’s made it pretty clear to me that he prefers his loose ring snaffle.
Freedom has now been barefoot since October and his feet keep looking better and better. Here’s the progression.
During the summer Freedom's hooves showed the effects of wet/dry cycling that we had in the spring. We had to patch his feet to keep his shoes on -- and I had to ride with my fingers crossed.
Freedom lost a front shoe out hunting in October. His hoof looked pretty good considering how long he galloped and jumped on it. In fact, he didn't take a bad step, even when we hacked back.
Two weeks later he lost a hind shoe so I pulled them all. The ground was soft and although there was some chipping, he was pretty comfortable. I used hoof boots when I rode.
Freedom's feet three months into the mission are looking much better. In the snow he doesn't need hoof boots, even for riding. I love not having to worry about the shoes coming off and the charge for a trim sure beats studs and snow rims!
It’s funny. I never thought that Freedom would be able to go barefoot because I’ve had so much trouble with his feet. My farrier was the one who suggested that I pull his shoes and see what happened. She’s pleased with how they look now too.
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FEI rules Patrick Kittel’s warm up methods “not excessive”
February 9, 2010 · Leave a Comment
When Patrik Kitell warmed up Watermill Scandic, his tongue protruded from his mouth.
The so called “Blue Tongue” video, which shows Patrik Kitell training the stallion Watermill Scandic at a World Cup event last October sparked a huge debate about the use of Rollkur (or hyperflexion) around the world. A horse’s tongue can turn blue when the curb bit presses down on the tongue, impairing blood circulation.
After reviewing video of the event, the FEI says it has found “no reliable evidence” that the warm up techniques used by Kittel on his horse were excessive. The FEI issued Kittel a warning letter and was told his actions will be watched in the future.
That’s not to say that the FEI issoft on Rollkur. A round-table discussion on Rollkur by FEI officials yesterday has declared that any head and neck position achieved through aggressive force is not acceptable, and agressive riding must be sanctioned and emphasized that the main responsibility for the welfare of the horse rests with the rider.
The backlash against Kittel was swift. Many people wrote letters to the FEI protesting the use of hyperflexion and posters such as this sprang up on the Internet.
So what about Kittel?
The video below was shot by Epona.TV of the warm up area. Their criticism of his ride included the length of the schooling, as well as the use of hyperflexion. Their description is below:
I find the video incredibly difficult to watch. It’s not so much the tongue; I’ve seen many horses that stick their tongues out and it’s not always a sign of distress.
But to make a horse work with its nose almost touching its chest going around and around ad nauseum? To me it seems the diametric opposite of what dressage is supposed to be — lightness, balance, harmony and impulsion. I can’t come to terms with the idea that an end performance that attempts to achieve those goals can be built from a foundation that’s so forceful and restrictive.
Hyperflexion seems to be the training fad du jour. It’s been embraced by many top international riders and even if (and that’s a big if) they have the skill to use it judiciously, it will be emulated by less skilled riders and create a downward spiral of bad riding and unhappy horses.
I hope that FEI makes good on their promise to hold riders responsible for the welfare of their horses and that they start at the top.
→ Leave a CommentCategories: Commentary · Competition · dressage · equestrian · horse training
Tagged: blue tongue, dressage, FEI, hyperflexion, Patrik Kittel, rollkur, Watermill Scandic