Cowboy Poetry
Jake, the rancher, went one day
To fix a distant fence.
The wind was cold and gusty
And the clouds rolled gray and dense.
As he pounded the last staples in
And gathered tools to go,
The temperature had fallen,
The wind and snow began to blow.
When he finally reached his pickup,
He felt a heavy heart.
From the sound of that ignition
He knew it wouldn't start.
So Jake did what most of us
Would do if we had been there.
He humbly bowed his balding head
And sent aloft a prayer.
As he turned the key for the last time,
He softly cursed his luck
They found him three days later,
Frozen stiff in that old truck.
Now Jake had been around in life
And done his share of roaming.
But when he saw Heaven, he was shocked --
It looked just like Wyoming !
Of all the saints in Heaven,
His favorite was St. Peter.
So they sat and talked a minute or two,
Or maybe it was three.
Nobody was keeping' score --
In Heaven, time is free.
'I've always heard,' Jake said to Pete,
'that God will answer prayer,
But one time I asked for help,
Well, he just plain wasn't there.'
'Does God answer prayers of some,
And ignore the prayers of others?
That don't seem exactly square --
I know all men are brothers.'
'Or does he randomly reply,
Without good rhyme or reason?
Maybe, it's the time of day,
The weather or the season.'
'Now I ain't trying to act smart,
It's just the way I feel.
And I was wondering', could you tell me --
What the heck's the deal?!'
Peter listened very patiently
And when Jake was done,
There were smiles of recognition,
And he said, 'So, you're the one!!'
That day your truck, it wouldn't start,
And you sent your prayer a flying,
You gave us all a real bad time,
With hundreds of us trying.'
'A thousand angels rushed,
To check the status of your file,
But you know, Jake, we hadn't heard
From you in quite a long while.'
'And though all prayers are answered,
And God ain't got no quota,
He didn't recognize your voice,
And started a truck in Minnesota '
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
ESKENDEREYA retired from racing
The interesting thing to ME is that they did the best for the horse, and according to this article, they are trying to breed for stronger horses. Hopefully, the losses of Barbaro and Eight Belles has caused much more public awareness and also owner/trainer concern. Horse welfare and ending abuses is close to my heart, as I write about the Tennessee Walking Horses in my book: The Horse That Wouldn't Trot. http://www.rosemiller.net/
Zayat Stables' Eskendereya, runaway winner of the Wood Memorial (gr. I) and Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) and overwhelming early favorite for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), has been retired due to a soft tissue injury.
Owner Ahmed Zayat will retain a significant ownership stake in partnership with Jess Jackson of Kendall Jackson Wine Estates and the owner of Curlin and Rachel Alexandra. Together, Zayat said, they "will work to develop the best progeny for American racing."
No decision has been made where Eskendereya will stand. Zayat said the decision to retire the colt was made after "exhausting all possible options."
The son of Giant's Causeway-Aldebaran Light, by Seattle Slew, whom Zayat purchased for $250,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale, had been withdrawn from the Kentucky Derby six days before the race after a filling was discovered in his left front leg.
"We sent him to two clinics for diagnostics and I wanted to send him to one more to get a third opinion, because I wasn't willing to give up," Zayat said. "But with a soft tissue injury, we pretty much knew he was done. The horse was sound as could be and had been training extremely well at Palm Meadows. Everything was ideal until it started going downhill when he went to Churchill.
"I cannot tell you how heartbroken I am and how hard it was for my whole family every time they showed the Wood Memorial on TV. We were all tearing up watching such a breathtaking performance. I can't express my sadness, but there is also joy to have been so close to a horse like this and picking him out at the sale. I broke the news to my son Justin and he is totally crushed."
An early favorite for the Kentucky Derby, Eskendereya holds a special significance for Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher, who won his first Derby this year.
"Eskendereya is as good a horse as I've ever brought to the Triple Crown races," Pletcher said. "Mr. Zayat and I investigated every possible avenue to get him back into racing form at the level that his fans expect, but after leaving no stone unturned, it became clear that this was the best decision to make for Eskendereya. His Fountain of Youth and Wood Memorial victories were the most impressive prep races that we have ever had and we had tremendous confidence in his ability to excel at the distances of a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half. We look forward to this next stage of his career as a sire and creating the next generation of racing stars."
Zayat said Eskendereya helped him bond with trainer Todd Pletcher.
I feel Todd and I developed an emotional touch, with our baby, Eskendereya, the common bond," Zayat said. "He thought the world of him and he expressed his feelings about how he could be a Triple Crown winner. The affection he had for the horse and the dreams he had for him, it was like we had lost a family member, God forbid. It was very painful. I kept text messaging Todd to keep his chin up. He said he knew he had to focus on the Derby, but it wasn't going to be the same. He sent me a text after the Derby and said, 'Sorry, I couldn't win it for you.'
"The scary part is that the horse was getting better. He is a once-in-a-lifetime horse. Todd and I discussed every other possibility before concluding that retirement was the only option and the right decision to protect Eskendereya's health. This will probably take me a very long time to get over, but I am comforted by the fact that I will have the chance to see his offspring follow in his racing footsteps.
"We are excited about the future and are confident that he will continue to thrill the racing world by siring the best future progeny. Mr. Jackson is the perfect partner for such a beloved horse and I look forward to working with him as he has proven to be a true sportsman and a credit to our industry. He has tried to create the best breed and bring back the legacy of American racing. He has over 100 broodmares and I have 50, all top broodmares. Between us we are trying to bring stamina back in racing, not just speed. It's very important that I'm staying in, both emotionally and financially."
Jackson said: "I am extremely pleased to partner with Zayat Stables in ownership of this magnificent Thoroughbred. Eskendereya is best of class and his progeny will only add to his legacy and that of American racing."
Zayat pointed out that Eskendereya has run the fastest Beyer (109) as a 3-year-old, with a Ragozin speed figure of 2½ and a Thoro-graph number of negative 3. Eskendereya dominated the Fountain of Youth Stakes by 8½ lengths. No horse has won the Fountain of Youth by such a distance since Spectacular Bid's 8½ length win in 1979.
Eskendereya, which is Arabic for the city Alexandria, was bred in Kentucky by Sanford R. Robertson. He retires with four victories from six starts, with one second, for earnings of $725,700.
(This article first appeared on Bloodhorse.com.)
Zayat Stables' Eskendereya, runaway winner of the Wood Memorial (gr. I) and Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) and overwhelming early favorite for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), has been retired due to a soft tissue injury.
Owner Ahmed Zayat will retain a significant ownership stake in partnership with Jess Jackson of Kendall Jackson Wine Estates and the owner of Curlin and Rachel Alexandra. Together, Zayat said, they "will work to develop the best progeny for American racing."
No decision has been made where Eskendereya will stand. Zayat said the decision to retire the colt was made after "exhausting all possible options."
The son of Giant's Causeway-Aldebaran Light, by Seattle Slew, whom Zayat purchased for $250,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale, had been withdrawn from the Kentucky Derby six days before the race after a filling was discovered in his left front leg.
"We sent him to two clinics for diagnostics and I wanted to send him to one more to get a third opinion, because I wasn't willing to give up," Zayat said. "But with a soft tissue injury, we pretty much knew he was done. The horse was sound as could be and had been training extremely well at Palm Meadows. Everything was ideal until it started going downhill when he went to Churchill.
"I cannot tell you how heartbroken I am and how hard it was for my whole family every time they showed the Wood Memorial on TV. We were all tearing up watching such a breathtaking performance. I can't express my sadness, but there is also joy to have been so close to a horse like this and picking him out at the sale. I broke the news to my son Justin and he is totally crushed."
An early favorite for the Kentucky Derby, Eskendereya holds a special significance for Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher, who won his first Derby this year.
"Eskendereya is as good a horse as I've ever brought to the Triple Crown races," Pletcher said. "Mr. Zayat and I investigated every possible avenue to get him back into racing form at the level that his fans expect, but after leaving no stone unturned, it became clear that this was the best decision to make for Eskendereya. His Fountain of Youth and Wood Memorial victories were the most impressive prep races that we have ever had and we had tremendous confidence in his ability to excel at the distances of a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half. We look forward to this next stage of his career as a sire and creating the next generation of racing stars."
Zayat said Eskendereya helped him bond with trainer Todd Pletcher.
I feel Todd and I developed an emotional touch, with our baby, Eskendereya, the common bond," Zayat said. "He thought the world of him and he expressed his feelings about how he could be a Triple Crown winner. The affection he had for the horse and the dreams he had for him, it was like we had lost a family member, God forbid. It was very painful. I kept text messaging Todd to keep his chin up. He said he knew he had to focus on the Derby, but it wasn't going to be the same. He sent me a text after the Derby and said, 'Sorry, I couldn't win it for you.'
"The scary part is that the horse was getting better. He is a once-in-a-lifetime horse. Todd and I discussed every other possibility before concluding that retirement was the only option and the right decision to protect Eskendereya's health. This will probably take me a very long time to get over, but I am comforted by the fact that I will have the chance to see his offspring follow in his racing footsteps.
"We are excited about the future and are confident that he will continue to thrill the racing world by siring the best future progeny. Mr. Jackson is the perfect partner for such a beloved horse and I look forward to working with him as he has proven to be a true sportsman and a credit to our industry. He has tried to create the best breed and bring back the legacy of American racing. He has over 100 broodmares and I have 50, all top broodmares. Between us we are trying to bring stamina back in racing, not just speed. It's very important that I'm staying in, both emotionally and financially."
Jackson said: "I am extremely pleased to partner with Zayat Stables in ownership of this magnificent Thoroughbred. Eskendereya is best of class and his progeny will only add to his legacy and that of American racing."
Zayat pointed out that Eskendereya has run the fastest Beyer (109) as a 3-year-old, with a Ragozin speed figure of 2½ and a Thoro-graph number of negative 3. Eskendereya dominated the Fountain of Youth Stakes by 8½ lengths. No horse has won the Fountain of Youth by such a distance since Spectacular Bid's 8½ length win in 1979.
Eskendereya, which is Arabic for the city Alexandria, was bred in Kentucky by Sanford R. Robertson. He retires with four victories from six starts, with one second, for earnings of $725,700.
(This article first appeared on Bloodhorse.com.)
Saturday, May 8, 2010
New York City police horse honored
ATTA BOY!
New York Police Horse Honored for Role in Foiling Bomb Plot
by: Tracy Gantz THE HORSE
May 06 2010, Article # 16306
Miggs, the 15-year-old police horse who was one of the first responders to the failed bombing of New York's Times Square, on May 5 received carrots, apples, and cupcakes for his heroic efforts, according to the website dnainfo.com.
Miggs and his New York Police Department human partner, Officer Wayne Rhatigan, responded to street vendors about the suspicious Nissan Pathfinder parked in Times Square May 1. Rhatigan noticed smoke coming from the car, called for backup, and helped keep people out of the area.
New York City officials honored many for their efforts in the incident, including Rhatigan; his NYPD partner, Pam Duffy; NYPD's Bomb Squad; and their bomb-sniffing dogs.
"Usually horses are afraid and run where there's smoke," Rhatigan told dnainfo.com. "But Miggs did what he was supposed to do. He's proven to be a bomb-proof horse."
The horse has been part of the NYPD mounted unit for five years, and Rhatigan has partnered him the entire time. Miggs is named for a fallen Staten Island police officer
New York Police Horse Honored for Role in Foiling Bomb Plot
by: Tracy Gantz THE HORSE
May 06 2010, Article # 16306
Miggs, the 15-year-old police horse who was one of the first responders to the failed bombing of New York's Times Square, on May 5 received carrots, apples, and cupcakes for his heroic efforts, according to the website dnainfo.com.
Miggs and his New York Police Department human partner, Officer Wayne Rhatigan, responded to street vendors about the suspicious Nissan Pathfinder parked in Times Square May 1. Rhatigan noticed smoke coming from the car, called for backup, and helped keep people out of the area.
New York City officials honored many for their efforts in the incident, including Rhatigan; his NYPD partner, Pam Duffy; NYPD's Bomb Squad; and their bomb-sniffing dogs.
"Usually horses are afraid and run where there's smoke," Rhatigan told dnainfo.com. "But Miggs did what he was supposed to do. He's proven to be a bomb-proof horse."
The horse has been part of the NYPD mounted unit for five years, and Rhatigan has partnered him the entire time. Miggs is named for a fallen Staten Island police officer
Friday, May 7, 2010
AMAZING DOG (but for horse lovers!)
This is amazing. Dressage lovers will especially appreciate this. Enjoy!
http://www.tvkim.com/watch/160/kims-picks-impressive-dancing-dog
http://www.tvkim.com/watch/160/kims-picks-impressive-dancing-dog
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Facing Fear from Jane Savoie
I am sure as humans and especially as horse back riders, we have faced fear. The question is: how, and what to do. Here is a letter from a reader of Jane Savoie's email newsletter that I found especially helpful. I have had some rather bad falls in the last 3 years, and lost a lot of my early confidence. Yes, I am 70, and still think I am 50, but I had been surely acting like an old lady. What helped me a lot was discovering what I have heard called: the Jockey strap. I am not sure what it is exactly, but one day I discovered my "seat belt" for riding.
As my hand hung down by my side, it touched the latigo strap. I was riding with one hand..the only way this works. I had an epiphany: hang on to that latigo strap close to the saddle, and I had an anchor. When my horse spooked, I went with it, and got it stopped, and regrouped. It is that first splurge of energy that unseats us in most cases. Try it, you might love it as I do. On my dressage saddle, I attached some soft latigo straps and had one for there also. It is a marvelous feeling to have that stability that I once has as a much younger and, yes, stronger person. For me it must hang where my arm naturally hangs, or it is uncomfortable and puts me off center. Putting a strap in front of the english saddles or using the saddle horn is not the same feeling.
Here is the letter from Jane's
Hey Jane,
I just listened to the last CD in your Freedom from Fear set. And I have finally figured it out! My biggest fear is the fear itself! I kept thinking that I "shouldn't" be afraid, reinforced by other people asking why I was afraid in that condescending tone. But the fear is not only normal, I should honor it, as you said. It is totally ok.
So when Mini Me comes and says "What if you fall off again? You'll never recover. You're gonna DIE!" I can thank it and consider what I'm going to do that day such as I am going to trot around the round-pen today. Hmm, am I capable of doing that? Yes. Is my horse ok to do that today? Yes. Ok thank you fear, good point but not justified, please go sit on the fence and I'll call you if I need you. Or if the answer is that no, as a matter of fact now that I think about it my horse is not ok to trot around the round pen today, I can say good point, thank you, we'll have this discussion again after another 20 minutes of ground-work.
What a relief! It takes so much energy to run from the fear and avoid it. How much better to turn and look it in the face and even dance with it and then send it to the sidelines.
message:
As my hand hung down by my side, it touched the latigo strap. I was riding with one hand..the only way this works. I had an epiphany: hang on to that latigo strap close to the saddle, and I had an anchor. When my horse spooked, I went with it, and got it stopped, and regrouped. It is that first splurge of energy that unseats us in most cases. Try it, you might love it as I do. On my dressage saddle, I attached some soft latigo straps and had one for there also. It is a marvelous feeling to have that stability that I once has as a much younger and, yes, stronger person. For me it must hang where my arm naturally hangs, or it is uncomfortable and puts me off center. Putting a strap in front of the english saddles or using the saddle horn is not the same feeling.
Here is the letter from Jane's
Hey Jane,
I just listened to the last CD in your Freedom from Fear set. And I have finally figured it out! My biggest fear is the fear itself! I kept thinking that I "shouldn't" be afraid, reinforced by other people asking why I was afraid in that condescending tone. But the fear is not only normal, I should honor it, as you said. It is totally ok.
So when Mini Me comes and says "What if you fall off again? You'll never recover. You're gonna DIE!" I can thank it and consider what I'm going to do that day such as I am going to trot around the round-pen today. Hmm, am I capable of doing that? Yes. Is my horse ok to do that today? Yes. Ok thank you fear, good point but not justified, please go sit on the fence and I'll call you if I need you. Or if the answer is that no, as a matter of fact now that I think about it my horse is not ok to trot around the round pen today, I can say good point, thank you, we'll have this discussion again after another 20 minutes of ground-work.
What a relief! It takes so much energy to run from the fear and avoid it. How much better to turn and look it in the face and even dance with it and then send it to the sidelines.
message:
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tennessee Walking Horse soring update March 2010
More efforts to control the soring of Walking Horses. If you are interested in more information, check out my website: http://www.rosemiller.net/, and read my book: The Horse That Wouldn't Trot about my life with these wonderful horses.
New Soring Investigation Procedures Announced by USDA
by: Pat Raia
March 24 2010, Article # 16053
Exhibitors at gaited horse shows will be subject to additional Horse Protection Act (HPA) compliance procedures this season under new USDA inspection rules for Horse Industry Organizations.
The USDA requires organizations conducting horse shows to provide USDA-licensed inspectors to examine horses for signs of soring--the deliberate injury to a horse's legs to achieve an exaggerated gait.
The agency annually establishes new compliance procedures based on federal inspectors' observations during the previous year.
The new rules require horses found noncompliant with HPA regulations in pre-class inspection to be dismissed from the class and prohibited from participating in any remaining portion of the event. Previously, noncompliant horses were dismissed only from individual classes. Also, horses dismissed from the show arena must be brought directly to the inspection area for follow-up examination.
The new regulations also allow USDA inspectors to use digital imaging to determine if a horse is noncompliant.
Application of HPA compliance procedures has been contentious in recent years, especially at Tennessee Walking Horse shows. Stan Butt, executive director of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association, did not respond to a request for comment
New Soring Investigation Procedures Announced by USDA
by: Pat Raia
March 24 2010, Article # 16053
Exhibitors at gaited horse shows will be subject to additional Horse Protection Act (HPA) compliance procedures this season under new USDA inspection rules for Horse Industry Organizations.
The USDA requires organizations conducting horse shows to provide USDA-licensed inspectors to examine horses for signs of soring--the deliberate injury to a horse's legs to achieve an exaggerated gait.
The agency annually establishes new compliance procedures based on federal inspectors' observations during the previous year.
The new rules require horses found noncompliant with HPA regulations in pre-class inspection to be dismissed from the class and prohibited from participating in any remaining portion of the event. Previously, noncompliant horses were dismissed only from individual classes. Also, horses dismissed from the show arena must be brought directly to the inspection area for follow-up examination.
The new regulations also allow USDA inspectors to use digital imaging to determine if a horse is noncompliant.
Application of HPA compliance procedures has been contentious in recent years, especially at Tennessee Walking Horse shows. Stan Butt, executive director of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association, did not respond to a request for comment
Friday, February 26, 2010
Rollkur/hyperflexion in dressage horses
Edition XII
Hi
Some time ago this youtube video of a horse being ridden aggressively using hyperflexion or "rollkur" was viewed by many, including myself. I think it would be wonderful if the national Tennessee Walking Association (TWHBEA) who is the recoginzed organization which registers the Walking Horses, would be brave enough to do this same thing: show a big lick horse that had been sored on YouTube to get the practice to stop. Of course they wouldn't. Two of the stores in Shelbyville which sell Walking Horse supplies won't even carry my book: The Horse That Wouldn't Trot. (my youtube book trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tygLsb9qHaE I discuss soring in this book, as well as sharing touching horse and horse/human relationship stories, and some history of the Walking Horse breed. I didn't bother to ask the third supply company in Shelbyville. My goal was to tell the story about soring these magnificient horses as well as entertain. The industry says it wants to clean up, but still hasn't. It still takes the government inspectors to appear on the show grounds to have "cleaner" horses, others pack up and leave.
anyway, here is what FEI has done about this abuse. Why cannot we do the same for the Walking Horses?
Welcome to this month's HorseConscious Newsletter. http://www.horseconscious.com/guest/newsletter-xii (please see the whole newsletter if you wish, and you can subscribe to it. It is based in Europe)
Well, the big news story of the month has been the meeting of the FEI and their subsequent announcement on the subject of rollkur/hyperflexion.
If you've not heard the news, here is the official statement:
Following constructive debate at the FEI round-table conference at the IOC Headquarters in Lausanne today (9 February), the consensus of the group was that any head and neck position achieved through aggressive force is not acceptable. The group redefined hyperflexion/Rollkur as flexion of the horse's neck achieved through aggressive force, which is therefore unacceptable. The technique known as Low, Deep and Round (LDR), which achieves flexion without undue force, is acceptable.
The group unanimously agreed that any form of aggressive riding must be sanctioned. The FEI will establish a working group, headed by Dressage Committee Chair Frank Kemperman, to expand the current guidelines for stewards to facilitate the implementation of this policy. The group agreed that no changes are required to the current FEI Rules.
The FEI Management is currently studying a range of additional measures, including the use of closed circuit television for warm-up arenas at selected shows
The group also emphasised that the main responsibility for the welfare of the horse rests with the rider. ABSOLUTELY! INCLUDING TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE RIDERS AND OWNERS
The FEI President HRH Princess Haya accepted a petition of 41,000 signatories against Rollkur presented by Dr Gerd Heuschman.
Let me paraphrase a section of that again: hyperflexion/Rollkur has been defined as flexion of the horse's neck achieved through aggressive force and is unacceptable.
It remains to be seen what guidelines they will give to the stewards and how exactly they intend to fully police this although the use of video cameras will certainly help.
I think the real policing (and power) does not lie with officialdom at all but the people who love horses and follow the sport. It is their presence in the warm-up arena and elsewhere that will safeguard the health and safety of the horses in the future. Bold print mine! this is what the Walking Horse Industry needs also. It IS the people who can and will change/stop the soring problem also!!
The people have spoken and now know that they have a platform and a voice that perhaps they have never had before. I was actually interviewed earlier in the week for a forthcoming documentary on the subject and made the comment that with the internet and the power of social media, we are now seeing democracy in action. No longer can public figures, such as the riders, and those in authority, the FEI in this instance, consider themselves untouchable and beyond reproach.
Did you notice the number of signatories? 41,000!! Here are some other numbers to underline the public support for this campaign:
The original Blue Tongue video on YouTube (and wherever else it has been posted) has been seen nearly 200,000 times
The site I set up http://www.dressagedisgrace.com/ had over 23,000 visits and 500 comments in the 2 months following it's launch
So you do have a voice and through you, the horses now have too. If we can bring about this change, what else can we achieve? This month's newsletter features a couple of articles giving you the chance to show your support for the other issue that needs it - saving America's wild horses.
Before we leave the Rollkur debate for this issue, if you are interested in taking the measure even further, Nevzorov Haute Ecole have started a petition to ban equestrian sport altogether. Their statement said the following:
"Whether or not to take part is only up to you to decide. Some will simply not be able to close the window, others will look through and quickly forget it, meanwhile others still, terrified, will watch the development of affairs. We do not call for anyone. We just give you an opportunity, here and now, to become a part of history. But - it is up to you to decide."
You can read more and sign the petition at:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/against-equestrian-sport.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi
Some time ago this youtube video of a horse being ridden aggressively using hyperflexion or "rollkur" was viewed by many, including myself. I think it would be wonderful if the national Tennessee Walking Association (TWHBEA) who is the recoginzed organization which registers the Walking Horses, would be brave enough to do this same thing: show a big lick horse that had been sored on YouTube to get the practice to stop. Of course they wouldn't. Two of the stores in Shelbyville which sell Walking Horse supplies won't even carry my book: The Horse That Wouldn't Trot. (my youtube book trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tygLsb9qHaE I discuss soring in this book, as well as sharing touching horse and horse/human relationship stories, and some history of the Walking Horse breed. I didn't bother to ask the third supply company in Shelbyville. My goal was to tell the story about soring these magnificient horses as well as entertain. The industry says it wants to clean up, but still hasn't. It still takes the government inspectors to appear on the show grounds to have "cleaner" horses, others pack up and leave.
anyway, here is what FEI has done about this abuse. Why cannot we do the same for the Walking Horses?
Welcome to this month's HorseConscious Newsletter. http://www.horseconscious.com/guest/newsletter-xii (please see the whole newsletter if you wish, and you can subscribe to it. It is based in Europe)
Well, the big news story of the month has been the meeting of the FEI and their subsequent announcement on the subject of rollkur/hyperflexion.
If you've not heard the news, here is the official statement:
Following constructive debate at the FEI round-table conference at the IOC Headquarters in Lausanne today (9 February), the consensus of the group was that any head and neck position achieved through aggressive force is not acceptable. The group redefined hyperflexion/Rollkur as flexion of the horse's neck achieved through aggressive force, which is therefore unacceptable. The technique known as Low, Deep and Round (LDR), which achieves flexion without undue force, is acceptable.
The group unanimously agreed that any form of aggressive riding must be sanctioned. The FEI will establish a working group, headed by Dressage Committee Chair Frank Kemperman, to expand the current guidelines for stewards to facilitate the implementation of this policy. The group agreed that no changes are required to the current FEI Rules.
The FEI Management is currently studying a range of additional measures, including the use of closed circuit television for warm-up arenas at selected shows
The group also emphasised that the main responsibility for the welfare of the horse rests with the rider. ABSOLUTELY! INCLUDING TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE RIDERS AND OWNERS
The FEI President HRH Princess Haya accepted a petition of 41,000 signatories against Rollkur presented by Dr Gerd Heuschman.
Let me paraphrase a section of that again: hyperflexion/Rollkur has been defined as flexion of the horse's neck achieved through aggressive force and is unacceptable.
It remains to be seen what guidelines they will give to the stewards and how exactly they intend to fully police this although the use of video cameras will certainly help.
I think the real policing (and power) does not lie with officialdom at all but the people who love horses and follow the sport. It is their presence in the warm-up arena and elsewhere that will safeguard the health and safety of the horses in the future. Bold print mine! this is what the Walking Horse Industry needs also. It IS the people who can and will change/stop the soring problem also!!
The people have spoken and now know that they have a platform and a voice that perhaps they have never had before. I was actually interviewed earlier in the week for a forthcoming documentary on the subject and made the comment that with the internet and the power of social media, we are now seeing democracy in action. No longer can public figures, such as the riders, and those in authority, the FEI in this instance, consider themselves untouchable and beyond reproach.
Did you notice the number of signatories? 41,000!! Here are some other numbers to underline the public support for this campaign:
The original Blue Tongue video on YouTube (and wherever else it has been posted) has been seen nearly 200,000 times
The site I set up http://www.dressagedisgrace.com/ had over 23,000 visits and 500 comments in the 2 months following it's launch
So you do have a voice and through you, the horses now have too. If we can bring about this change, what else can we achieve? This month's newsletter features a couple of articles giving you the chance to show your support for the other issue that needs it - saving America's wild horses.
Before we leave the Rollkur debate for this issue, if you are interested in taking the measure even further, Nevzorov Haute Ecole have started a petition to ban equestrian sport altogether. Their statement said the following:
"Whether or not to take part is only up to you to decide. Some will simply not be able to close the window, others will look through and quickly forget it, meanwhile others still, terrified, will watch the development of affairs. We do not call for anyone. We just give you an opportunity, here and now, to become a part of history. But - it is up to you to decide."
You can read more and sign the petition at:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/against-equestrian-sport.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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