Rollkur (equestrian sport)

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Sketch Rollkur: deep, tight and, in addition, head pulled sideways

The term roll cure (also hyperflexion ) in dressage , show jumping or western riding describes a training method that is characterized by a deliberate pulling of the horse's head with the help of the reins towards the chest. The horse "bites" its chest. Representatives of the classical cavalry reject the method. It is also discussed whether the roller cure has a harmful effect on the horse.

history

Engraving by Ridinger , horse set low with false kink shows difficult dressage lesson, before 1780

A strong bend and stretch of the neck is nothing new in dressage riding. As early as the 19th century, the French rider François Baucher described a method whereby the horse's neck is strongly stretched. But while Baucher used a short, strong stretching of the neck to the side in order to promote the horse's mobility for lateral movements and turns, he rejected the flexion downwards. His method is still used today by the Cadre Noir riding school .

The term Rollkur was first used in 1992 in an article in the St. Georg magazine . Here the behavioral scientist and former editor-in-chief of the magazine Heinz Meyer described how internationally successful riders deal with their horses in the warm-up area . He criticized the inaction of the tournament judges and the FEI . The article went largely unnoticed.

A text by St. Georg editor-in-chief Gabriele Pochhammer from 2005, in which she took up the topic again and sharply criticized Dutch riders, attracted even greater international attention, also because a German journalist directly attacked the fiercest competitors immediately before the European championships . The article sparked a great response not only in the horse world. Through the article by Gabriele Pochhammer, the term Rollkur found its way into international specialist vocabulary.

In January 2006 the FEI International Equestrian Federation held an expert hearing. There they came to the preliminary conclusion that there was no scientific evidence that the method would be harmful if used by trained trainers. Because the German word “Rollkur” was not welcome, the new term Hyperflexion of the neck was created during the hearing .

At a meeting of the FEI on February 9, 2010 with supporters and opponents of Rollkur, the term "Low, Deep and Round" (LDR) was introduced, which goes back to the Dutch national coach Sjef Janssen . A distinction is made between brief hyperflexion without exertion of force or aggression on the part of the rider (LDR) and neck positions that result from "aggressive force" (roll cure).

Position dispute

Proponents of the Rollkur understand short-term flexion to be 20-30 minutes. Opponents of the roll cure understand short-term flexion 20-30 seconds. This different point of view results in a different use of the term. Opponents of the roll cure also refer to the "LDR" permitted according to the FEI, which allows hyperflexion for up to 10 minutes, as a roll cure. The contra section thus contains both criticism of LDR and of the Rollkur. The pro section contains votes in favor of LDR or an extended LDR. Nobody officially endorses the roll cure with aggressive riding style.

Per

  • Proponents of the Rollkur see it as a modern further development of classic dressage riding. Some international observers see the criticism as a defensive reflex of the traditional German riding school, which has been spoiled for success for many years, against successful innovations from abroad.
  • Two Dutch studies from 2006 do not see any harmful effects on horses after using the Rollkur. In his study, the scientist Eric van Breda compares the effect on competition horses that have been trained with Rollkur and recreational horses that have not been accustomed to this attitude. He comes to the conclusion that the roller cure does not cause any additional stress. The study by Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan et al. compares horses in rolling cure with horses in natural posture. It comes to the conclusion that the heart rate increases only slightly when using the roll cure, while other measurable values ​​show no abnormalities. At the same time, mobility improves and the horses react better to their riders.

Contra

  • Since the beginning of the discussion, many well-known personalities from the field of equestrian sport have expressed themselves critically about the application of the roll cure and described the method as a wrong path. Michael Düe, a veterinarian for the German Equestrian Association (FN) , says: "Hyperflexion is the excessive flexion of one or more joints that is likely to cause injuries". The animal's movement sequence may be permanently disturbed. The posture also affects breathing, blood circulation, the cervical spine and orientation. The gaiters are constricted, so-called neck bumps can form and neck muscles can possibly be overstretched.

    Philippe Karl, the representative of Légèrté (lightness) in riding, puts it drastically :

“Abusing a woman is a criminal offense, right ?! - So you could also say that if you do this for less than ten minutes at a time, it's ... "

- Philippe Karl :
  • In addition to the training scale, the classic principles of dressage riding include : the neck as the highest point of the horse, the development of thrust from the hindquarters, the horse's uphill orientation and a non-restricting rein. In dressage riding, the interaction between horse and human should radiate harmony and lightness. According to Paul Stecken, these principles are not compatible with the Rollkur. In addition, the slackness is also lost.

“To turn a horse around for a short time, that is, to lower the neck to lift the back, that can be useful as a gymnastic exercise and is not a problem. That is why the photos of extremely low-lying horses that have now been passed around prove relatively little - they can be snapshots. But if a horse, with auxiliary reins and sharp bits, is ridden very tightly and the head is violently pulled deep, tight and sometimes sideways over a longer period, then this does not correspond to the horse's appropriate training. It is guaranteed to hurt the animal. "

- Klaus Balkenhol : Der Spiegel, 41 2005
  • Research by the University of Guelph and Uppsala University speaks out against the Rollkur. In a study by Danish and Dutch researchers in 2012 it was shown that the horses are under increased stress after just 10 minutes of rolling.
  • Critics continue to criticize that the rider misuses his rein aids by bringing the horse's head far behind the vertical. With continued use, the roll cure can lead to learned helplessness , the horse then takes this posture even with little influence, even if the rider does not want it. Riding forwards and downwards is essential, especially in young horses, for strengthening the back and neck muscles and developing the thrust of the hindquarters.
  • Excessive tail whipping, a nose line clearly behind the vertical as well as tense, spectacular-looking kicks, a smooth step and an open mouth indicate defective training and tension. Another undesirable development is to buckle the locking strap ever tighter so that the horses cannot open their mouths to avoid the pressure of the bit. The Swedish noseband is particularly suitable for this.

Current evaluation by the FEI

Horse set too low with “wrong kink”, but no rolling cure

For the first time with an official criticism of the Rollkur, the FEI expressed itself in April 2008. The statement read as follows:

“There are no known clinical side effects specifically arising from the use of hyperflexion, however there are serious concerns for a horse's well-being if the technique is not practiced correctly. The FEI condemns hyperflexion in any equestrian sport as an example of mental abuse. The FEI states that it does not support the practice. "

“There are no clinically proven side effects associated with hyperflexion, but there are serious concerns for the horse's wellbeing if this technique is not used correctly. The FEI condemns hyperflexion in any equestrian discipline as an example of mental abuse. The FEI emphasizes that it does not support this training method. "

- FEI press release of April 10, 2008

At the FEI meeting in February 2010, the Rollkur was assessed from a sports law perspective. Even in advance, there was great interest from the field of equestrian sports. The German veterinarian Dr. Gerd Heuschmann sent a petition against the Rollkur with over 40,000 signatures to FEI President Princess Haya v. Passed Jordan . In advance, the German Equestrian Association and a number of well-known people from the equestrian sport, under the leadership of Xenophon founder Klaus Balkenhol, took a stand against a possible legitimation of the Rollkur. The FEI stipulated that any head and neck position created by “aggressive force” was unacceptable and should be sanctioned. During this session, the new distinction between hyperflexion (or rollkur) and “Low, Deep and Round” (LDR) was made. In contrast to hyperflexion, LDR occurs without aggressiveness and is therefore acceptable. A working group was set up under the leadership of Frank Kemperman , the chairman of the dressage committee, in order to distinguish between hyperflexion and LDR and to develop procedural guidelines for tournament stewards in the event of suspected rollkur.

According to the FEI regulations, the use of LDR is now officially permitted for up to 10 minutes on the warm-up area. The roll cure, on the other hand, is prohibited in international competitions on the warm-up area.

swell

literature

  • Gerhard Heuschmann: Finger in the wound. What riders need to know to keep their horse healthy. Wu-Wei Verlag, Schondorf 2006, ISBN 3-930953-20-X .
  • Heinz Meyer: The bridle of the horse: purposes and effects. History and current discussion. FN-Verlag, Warendorf 2006, ISBN 3-88542-431-2 .
  • Philippe Karl: The wrong ways of modern dressage. The search for a "classic" alternative. Cadmos, Brunsbek 2006, ISBN 3-86127-413-2 .
  • Gustav Rau: old gold. The story of a war horse. Reprint of the 2nd edition, Stuttgart 1925. Olms-Presse, Hildesheim 2001, ISBN 3-487-08426-0 . With a foreword by Pierre Durand, especially pp. 10/11.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. a b c Under duress Interview with Major a. D. Paul Stecken, faz.net, April 9, 2012
  2. a b c FEI chief veterinarian Leo Jeffcott St. Georg, spring 2006
  3. Rollkur - Hyperflexion ( Memento of the original from March 23, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Christian Bingold, Blog, April 2008 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / equivetnews.blogspot.de
  4. Rollkur - a word makes a career St. Georg, November 29, 2007
  5. ^ Dressage pervers Gabriele Pochhammer, St. Georg, July 2005
  6. a b Heresy , opinion of the German Equestrian Association (FN), July 31, 2005 Warendorf
  7. Dressage pervers - forced methods on horseback , Evi Simeoni, FAZ.NET, July 29, 2005
  8. We are approaching the circus interview with Klaus Balkenhol, Der Spiegel , 41 2005
  9. a b FEI workshop “Rollkur” in Lausanne, January 2006 , St. Georg, 2006
  10. Commentary on the FEI workshop in Lausanne on Rollkur , Gabriele Pochhammer, St. Georg, 2006
  11. a b The radical roll torture ( memento of the original from October 19, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. dressur-studien.de, accessed on October 26, 2012 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.dressur-studien.de
  12. Rollkur becomes Low-Deep-Round ( Memento of the original from April 13, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Dressage studies , February 9, 2010 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.dressur-studien.de
  13. When does the rider begin to mentally treat a horse? Interview with Christoph Hess, head of the training department of the German Equestrian Federation (FN), 2005
  14. Welfare concerns of "rollkur" technique. equinescienceupdate.co.uk, 2006
  15. A non-natural head-neck position (rollkur) during training results in less acute stress in elite trained dressage horses, 2006. doi : 10.1207 / s15327604jaws0901_5
  16. MM Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan, MB Blok, L. Begeman, MC Kamphuis, MC Lameris, AJ Spierenburg, MJ Lashley: Workload and stress in horses: comparison in horses ridden deep and round ('rollkur') with a draw rein and horses ridden in a natural frame with only light in contact. In: Tijdschrift voor diergeneeskunde. Volume 131, Number 5, March 2006, pp. 152-157, PMID 16532786 .
  17. We are no longer allowed to abuse our horses , interview with Gerd Heuschmann, Cavallo, accessed on October 26, 2012
  18. When does the rider begin to mentally treat a horse? Michael Düe, St. Georg, 2005
  19. Rollkur takes the breath away from horses ( memento of the original from October 19, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Dressage studies, January 16, 2010 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.dressur-studien.de
  20. ^ Dressage pervers Gabriele Pochhammer, section "Bumps in the neck", St. Georg, July 2005
  21. You poor horse - loved. Tormented. Humiliated. . 3 sat . Philippe Karl on 'LDT', a roll cure allowed by the FN for ten minutes. Video, minute 18:50.
  22. You poor horse - loved. Tormented. Humiliated. . 3 sat . Philippe Karl on the physiological background and consequences of the roll cure. Video, minute 23:57.
  23. ^ Olaf Stampf , Mathias Schreiber, Stefan Aust: Interview with Klaus Balkenhol: "We are approaching the circus" . In: Der Spiegel . No. 41 , 2005, p. 146-149 ( Online - Oct. 10, 2005 ).
  24. by Borstel, UU, Duncan, IJH, Shoveller, AK, Merkies, K., Keeling, LJ, & Millman, ST (2009). Impact of riding in a coercively obtained Rollkur posture on welfare and fear of performance horses. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., No. 116 (2-4), pp. 228–236 ( doi : 10.1016 / j.applanim.2008.10.001 )
  25. Prolonged awkward neck positions linked to higher stress levels in equestrian horses Interview with Machteld van Dierendonck about a study by the University of Utrecht in collaboration with the Danish University of Aarhus, utrechtcentral.com, July 21, 2012
  26. Rollkur study proves increased stress for horses Pferd Plus, July 21, 2012
  27. ^ FEI workshop "Rollkur" in Lausanne, January 2006 , Andrew McLean, St. Georg, 2006
  28. ^ FEI workshop "Rollkur" in Lausanne, January 2006 , Gerd Heuschmann, St. Georg, 2006
  29. The dressage of difficult horses, the correction of spoiled and bad horses , EF Seidler (reprint of the edition Berlin, Posen and Bromberg 1846), Hildesheim, 1990, ISBN 978-3-487-08101-4
  30. Encyclopedia of the Entire Animal Medicine and Animal Breeding: with the epitome of all relevant disciplines and the special etymology. Concise dictionary for practical veterinarians, animal breeders, farmers and animal owners in general , Alois Koch, Volume 8, Perles, 1891
  31. Medical Riding Instruction , Robert Stodulka, Stuttgart, 2006
  32. News from the FEI Veterinary Committee ( Memento of the original from May 28, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , April 10, 2008 (English) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.fei.org
  33. ^ FEI damn Rollkur , St. Georg, April 14, 2008
  34. ^ Rollkur, Hyperflexion or LDR: The confusion of terms of the FEI pferdplus.com, November 27, 2011
  35. a b Rollkur meeting of the FEI: Decision taken , st-georg.de, February 9, 2010, accessed on February 14, 2010
  36. FN takes a stand against hyperflexion ( memento of the original dated February 12, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , pferd-aktuell.de, February 8, 2010, accessed on February 14, 2010 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.pferd-aktuell.de
  37. XENOPHON chairman Klaus Balkenhol initiates an open letter to the FEI ( Memento of the original dated February 16, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , pferdesportzeitung.de, accessed on February 14, 2010 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.pferdesportzeitung.de
  38. FEI outlaws rollkur when ridden using 'aggressive force' ( Memento of the original from March 18, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Charlotte White / Horse & Hound , February 10, 2010 (English) with integrated video statement from the FEI @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.horseandhound.co.uk
  39. FEI BUREAU APPROVES NEW STEWARDS 'GUIDELINES ON WARM-UP TECHNIQUES ( Memento from July 7, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
  40. A big step in terms of animal welfare Interview with Gerd Heuschmann, Cavallo , February 9, 2010