Is Rollkur good or bad? I’ve done a little research and found information on both parts of the story. As any good horseman/woman, a person should be able to look at and understand both sides. So what are the pros and cons of Rollkur? Does it actually hurt the horse? Is there proof it has hurt any horse? Is it a good training method? What do you think?
Here is some quotes of what I have heard from both sides.
Rollkur is bad-
“Hyper flexion, otherwise known as “Rolkur,” is such a strong reminder of how much horses do for us in spite of our ignorance, our mistakes and, in this case, our need to win. I think any real horse lover gets a terrible feeling in their stomach when they see this kind of torture all in the name of performance. Not only is there the potential physical damage and pain, but the mental and emotional indignity is, to us, even worse. Here is this beautiful animal forced into a helpless position where he can see nothing but the ground underneath him...and what for? To win a prize that means nothing to the horse?”
Rollkur is good-
“Rollkur teaches the horse to lower its head and round its neck as it works. Working "deep" so that the head is pulled inward. Often promoted as being a fix-all for suppling and stretching the horse’s neck it has also gained popularity as being able to raise and strengthen the back. Because of the way in which Rollkur changes the horses balance it will help to promote very flashy knee action, Rollkur will indeed stretch certain muscles in the neck”
So whats your opinion?
Here is some quotes of what I have heard from both sides.
Rollkur is bad-
“Hyper flexion, otherwise known as “Rolkur,” is such a strong reminder of how much horses do for us in spite of our ignorance, our mistakes and, in this case, our need to win. I think any real horse lover gets a terrible feeling in their stomach when they see this kind of torture all in the name of performance. Not only is there the potential physical damage and pain, but the mental and emotional indignity is, to us, even worse. Here is this beautiful animal forced into a helpless position where he can see nothing but the ground underneath him...and what for? To win a prize that means nothing to the horse?”
Rollkur is good-
“Rollkur teaches the horse to lower its head and round its neck as it works. Working "deep" so that the head is pulled inward. Often promoted as being a fix-all for suppling and stretching the horse’s neck it has also gained popularity as being able to raise and strengthen the back. Because of the way in which Rollkur changes the horses balance it will help to promote very flashy knee action, Rollkur will indeed stretch certain muscles in the neck”
So whats your opinion?