This is one of those days when I really can't believe what I'm reading. The FEI's new partner, World Horse Welfare, who has had NOTHING on their website about rollkur and only just partnered with the FEI this past weekend, is now saying rollkur cannot cause a horse's tongue to turn blue, as if they are the authority and actually know what they're talking about!
Even worse, the FEI is debating whether to allow horses to compete on certain painkilling medications.
Follow the links to read more.
From the British magazine Horse and Hound:
Today, the FEI announced a condemnation of any training methods and practices contrary to horse welfare, requesting all stewards to use disciplinary measures — yellow cards — to prevent infringements of the rules from now.
But whether rollkur is actually against FEI rules is still subject to debate.
"And that is exactly what we need to clarify, we have realised much more needs to be done in this area," said FEI veterinary director Graeme Cooke.
"Clearly, anything inappropriately done to excess is something we have concerns about. And there needs to be more clarity about rollkur — whether it is acceptable and to what level."
The FEI will work with its partner, international equine charity World Horse Welfare, on the issue of hyperflexion.
World Horse Welfare chief executive Roly Owers told H&H: "There are issues with rollkur (hyperflexion) and the incident in Odense last month has brought this sharply into focus. We are happy to work with the FEI on this.
"However let us be clear that hyperflexion cannot cause a horse's tongue to turn blue; much of the reaction around the You Tube video seems to imply this."
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/291879.html
From Eurodressage:
The FEI General Assembly hasn't caused such a stir in recent years than this afternoon at the 2009 Assembly in Copenhagen. Today the clean sport committee made the shocking proposal of allowing horses to compete on a low level of painkillers. This is a complete changeover from the zero-tolerance policy the FEI has been advocating passionately for years.
http://www.eurodressage.com/news/dressage/fei/2009/fei-newdopinglists.html
billie hinton’s camera-obscura:
life and lessons on November Hill Farm
how many deep navy blue swear words would you like me to asterisk out? :-) ridiculous statements.....WHW? pah!
ReplyDeleteThis is really unbelievable. My question to these professionals or as I like to think of them 'the idiot brain trust' would be: if rollkur/hyperflexion doesn't cause any damage why in the world would it be okay to allow pain killers in competition?
ReplyDeleteIf dressage in the 'old days' didn't need all the extra training in hyperflexion to get the job done why is it needed and accepted now. There are lots of questions going unanswered here and the FEI and World Horse Welfare are avoiding them. They are making it possible to legally abuse a horse in public and it's disgusting.
What's that rumbling you hear? Why I think it's some of the old dressage masters rolling over in their graves!
TBF to WHW, i don't think they know ..they can't avoid what they don't know and have only just been dragged into!
ReplyDeleteold masters turning in their graves...they will be indeed!
check out the FB blue tongue page - i've linked to the WHW's fb page .. and we're all joining up and getting them up to speed... :-)
ReplyDeleteClaire, thanks for the extra info!
ReplyDeleteArlene, it's terrible. We must push harder.