I recently observed a clinic with a well known showing expert, in which this person worked with a variety of horses and riders of various experience. I can honestly say it was the nearest thing to an equestrian version of "inspector gadget" I have ever seen.
The person appeared with a Mary-Poppinsesque bag from which a bewildering array of bits of kit constantly spewed forth in order to "fix" each horse and rider combination - I don't think I have ever seen so many horses with one part of their anatomy attached by elastic to another. The combinations where the horses poll and mouth were attached to the girth were particulary interesting, as the horses bobbed along with their heads on their chests whilst their back ends continuing to drag along in another county.
So this set me wondering - is it the producers of show horses who promote this quickfixery, or do the owners demanding quick results cajole the producers into it?
My guess is it's a chicken and egg scenario. A lot of people these days want instant success (but at what price and what kind of success?) It takes time and commitment to do the hard yards so gadgets come into play. It's a lot easier to tie the horse into an outline than to ride it forward into contact & self carriage. I don't think much of a riding instructor who uses this approach though.
ReplyDeleteI also wonder whether these methods are even particularly effective - after all, if someone wanted me to learn to touch my toes, and tied me in that position, I am not sure that being tied there would assist my musculature, and even if it did - would not be particularly willing to offer that behaviour voluntarily, having been coerced.
ReplyDelete...And there is the novelty value of a quick fix gadget. Amazing what people will buy for their horses - call me daft but I prefer to buy food and allow their muscles to develop naturally through being turned out and then consistent schooling - when they are old enough.
ReplyDeleteIt was also clear that some of the participants were not particularly comfortable with the approach taken - but the fact that someone is XYZ who produces horses for ABC, has a big Oakley lorry and name-drops continuously, seems to confer unquestioning compliance.
ReplyDeleteI once attended a dressage clinic with a whizz bang dressage rider. She proceeded to insist that I work my very sensitive, light mouthed but calm Thoroughbred in an extreme overbent outline which I now see was the precursor to the dreadful Rollkur. I decided then and there that if that was the direction dressage was taking I was out of there. Her reasoning was that the horse MUST work in the outline dictated by the rider.
ReplyDeletewhen I first returned to horses I went to a VERY fancy dressage yard to have lessons on their schoolmasters. Whilst there I took the opportunity to observe the (very well heeled) liveries schooling their beautiful (very expensive) warmbloods. What struck me was that the whole affair appeared to be a battle between horse and rider, with the rider as "dictator", and both looking pretty unhappy. What struck me most however was in the six months or so that I was there I never once saw a horse display any self expression or offer any movements out of the sheer joy of being able to do them - I guess if you are so worried that your horse will offer something unexpected in a test which will lose you a few points then perhaps the way to go is to crush any self expression out of them until they become horsebots. Very sad.
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