Tomorrow, February 9, 2010, there will be a Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) closed-door meeting to discuss the practice of hyperflexion, also known as "rollkur." This highly controversial technique is often employed at the upper levels of dressage training and involves hyperflexing the horse's neck until his chin is almost touching his chest; often the horse is forced to maintain this position for extended periods of time.
Pat and Linda Parelli stand with dressage master Walter Zettl in support of those who denounce rollkur. Rollkur represents artificiality taken to the extreme and performance put before the good of the horse. Convincing FEI officials to take a stand against rollkur will be a major step forward in ensuring that performance horses worldwide are being ridden and trained without force and mechanics.
Rollkur has a few passionate opponents who will be present at the FEI meeting next week, but they need our support to make an impression on the FEI officials. If you believe in the Parelli vision to make the world a better place for horses and humans, please add your name to one or both of the following petitions. Please share these links with your horse-loving friends, family and neighbors. Let's show the FEI that compromising the natural dignity of the horse for the sake of competition is NOT permissible!
The signatories to this petition ask the FEI to oppose the training method of the "Rollkur"/Hyperflexion clearly and resolutely. The FEI rules are to be adapted correspondingly to ensure that in future the use of the method of the "Rollkur"/Hyperflexion will be regarded as a violation of these rules.
Register your support to ban rollkur by adding your name to a petition which will be presented by Dr. Gerd Heuschmann – veterinarian, clinician and author of the book Tug of War; Classical versus Modern Dressage – at the FEI meeting on February 9, 2010.
Keep it Natural,
On behalf of Pat, Linda and everyone on the Parelli Team
February 8, 2010
billie hinton’s camera-obscura:
life and lessons on November Hill Farm
I wish Mr. Zettl could be at the meeting. I'm glad so many people are signing petitions and putting up the No Rollkur logo on their blogs. Our voices may be heard for once. I'm awaiting the outcome of the meeting and can't help wondering if they will listen to us and stop this practice.
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere that they recently pinned Anky over Robert Dover and Ravel who were going correctly and softly. Only one judge pinned Dover over Anky because he said her horses movements were stiff and wrong as opposed to the softness of Ravel. That's one on our side but there's many more to go.
I read the same thing about Steffan Peters and Anky - must have been the same judge!!
ReplyDeleteIt's a start, especially if the judge is willing to say WHY.