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Opinions on Rollkur

4K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  Kayty 
#1 ·
Hey, i was just generally wondering what everyones opinions are on people practicing Rollkur with their horses ?



 
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#7 ·
You opened up quite the can of worms, I'm sure, haha.

Whether you understand it or not, I would still read the book JDI mentioned. It's a GREAT read, and points out things that you look back on and go, "Oh wow, duh!" lol.

I am also very opposed. You try running around with your chin on your chest. o_O
 
#8 ·
i'm not sure i've opened up a can of worms,
i was asking a general question as this is a hot topic in the horse world
it isn't something i've done nor am i planning to do it

yes i will read it but i was in quite a rush to go to the doctors, so didn't get chance to type everything i wanted to
 
#9 · (Edited)
I think it is a terrible thing to do to a horse. I bought a horse that had been trained with some rollkur (I didn't know what it was at the time when I got him, I feel stupid now). The first few months that I have had him we have been working on getting him to relax down onto the bit, because he is nervous about being on the bit. It can be frustrating sometimes how slowly he progresses but I am patient with him. He just turned 5 and is at training level dressage right now, I'm a first level rider. Last summer he showed with his rollkur training people and did training 1, got 53%. Well now I am doing training 1 in September partly to try to get a higher score to prove in a way that relaxing onto the bit is much, much better than having a horse that is forced onto the bit.

and also I am taking my horse to a Gerd Heuschmann clinic (the author of the Tug of War) tomorrow! Irony lol
 
#11 ·
oh okay then, i didn't want people being all touchy about it with me just because i'd asked their opinions haha

well nice to hear what all of you think, keep stuff coming everyone !

also :

I think it is a terrible thing to do to a horse. I bought a horse that had been trained with some rollkur (I didn't know what it was at the time when I got him, I feel stupid now). The first few months that I have had him we have been working on getting him to relax down onto the bit, because he is nervous about being on the bit. It can be frustrating sometimes how slowly he progresses but I am patient with him. He just turned 5 and is at training level dressage right now, I'm a first level rider. Last summer he showed with his rollkur training people and did training 1, got 53%. Well now I am doing training 1 in September partly to try to get a higher score to prove in a way that relaxing onto the bit is much, much better than having a horse that is forced onto the bit.

and also I am taking my horse to a Gerd Heuschmann clinic (the author of the Tug of War) tomorrow! Irony lol

I'm so glad that you're doing well with him, keep up the good work !

I had a horse who's head was very up-and-in because he'd had unexperienced riders on him and a very strong bit in his mouth as well as all sorts of contraptions used to force his head in, so i know what it's like working with head problems;
my instructor and i did a lot of work with him though and he turned out to be a brilliant little boy in the end =]

good luck with everything roro, let us know how the clinic goes !!
 
#13 ·
Rolkur is hyperflexion of the neck. So instead of the poll being the highest point of horse, it is overbent with the 2rd or 4th vertebrae being the highest point. Often the horse will have it's head jammed into it's chest, thus the hind legs are unable to come up underneath him. Supposedly it is to soften the jaw, but essentially it is just pulling the horse down into a frame, also known as 'forced helplessness'.

I have no problem with putting a horse deep for a few strides if it is bracing the neck and jaw, however it is not a forced action as rolkur is.
 
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