Sunday, April 29, 2012

matthias rath on totilas - more rollkur

http://www.st-georg.de/bilder_popup.php?objekt_id=12208

Or CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS.

I'm posting this because apparently the owners of Totilas are having these photos removed from sites in an effort to stop the outcry about this abuse.

The photos are in the public domain. If you have nothing to hide about the way you ride, why the efforts at censorship?

Disgusting.


12 comments:

Grey Horse Matters said...

That is disgusting. What's the thought process here: Let's get a wonderful talented horse and abuse the crap out of him for a ribbon and some media time? The poor horse, I feel so sad for him and all the others made to suffer the unnatural torture of rollkur.

Dougie Donk said...

Picture 5 is obviously walk on a free rein & doesn't he look so much happier? Poor horse....

smazourek said...

Lets not forget that Edward Gal did this too, he just hid it better...

billie said...

A, agreed totally. It's upsetting to see. There is no elegance, no harmony, just a contorted rider and his indentured servant.

billie said...

D, I love that free rein photo - I've seen a few photos of T. at liberty and it is like a different horse has entered his body. He moves so much more fluidly when not contorted.

billie said...

s, not forgotten. Just saw a photo this week of Gal on T. in extreme rollkur. It's all the same amount disgusting to me.

Calm, Forward, Straight said...

Poor Totilas. He's such a beautiful horse.

It seems to me, despite the rollkur treatment from his rider(s), that he tries so hard to please.

Makes me sad...

billie said...

Actually he's been trying hard to say NO MORE - by spooking and generally acting up with Mathias Rath, hence the work with (I think - don't quote me on this part) Sjef Janssen who taught Rath how to rollkur him and with his head cranked down again he's back to his indentured slave self.

I am so angry about this. That horse should be in a field somewhere being treated like a king.

*Sharon* said...

Damn. I was hoping this sort of abuse was waning. I guess when you get Sjef to be your trainer, that's not very likely.
Have shared it with my FB buddies to get more world-wide coverage.

forever in blue jeans, Beth said...

just breaks my heart :'(

billie said...

Sharon, check out the no-rollkur FB group/page - 6000+ members in only a few days and lots of ways to say NO to this method of riding/training.

billie said...

Beth, it's sickening. I feel so sad for Totilas when I see what's being done to him.