I know, you either love or hate Carl Hester. Chances are pretty good you're in the “love him” camp. I'd love to be there too, but I'm not. When he started talking about the benefits of LDR and my fantasy of a white-knight in competitive Dressage was over.
He might not be riding his horses in extreme hyperflexion, but he's not shy to play the political game by supporting the riders that do.
Now Carl Hester thinks we need to show up and support Totilas [let me roll my eyes for a few minutes].
Totilas back in action
It was very clever of Totilas’ connections to keep the pressure off in the build-up to his first outing after nearly 2 years. The first I heard about his appearance at CDI Kapellen, the Belgian 3-star, was in a text message — I could hardly believe what I was reading!
Totilas might not be at his best at the moment, but he still does things for the dressage public that very few horses can. Twitter and Facebook were abuzz.
A competent, though not perfect, Grand Prix had the critics saying he wasn’t the same horse. However, in the following grand prix special Totilas was back into the 80s and, lo and behold, the negativity started to turn positive.
Hopefully, people can move on now. Clearly the horse is not going back to Edward Gal and, for the good of the sport, can we not show some support for Toto and Matthias [Rath]?
I can think of nothing worse than the pressure they have been under and I can’t help thinking their progression would be quicker and easier with that positive support. Hopefully, they will gain confidence, keep getting better and be back as top rivals for glory at this year’s World Equestrian Games [WEG].
Horse & Hound, Totilas is back, let’s support him
Does Carl Hester really think the uproar over Totilas was limited to the change in riders? Come now, we're not that fickle!
We were in arms against Matthias Rath planning to employ the help of Sjef Janssen, known for ruining horse after horse with Rollkur.
Some were still in the dark, thinking that Edward Gal, Toto's former rider, had never sullied his riding career with hyperflexion; that the evil Sjef Janssen was going to ruin their perfect horse. Boy were they were shocked to learn that Edward Gal had indeed been using Rollkur, and not just a little but quite extensively.
We sat and watched Totilas have an obvious breakdown with his new rider, Matthias Rath. The Wonderhorse could be great, but apparently not so great if his rider kept getting in the way. The curtain had been pulled back to reveal a monkey on Totilas' back. Problem is, this isn't the first monkey Toto's had to cart around the ring.
The reason we're balking to support Totilas is because we'd have to support everything that comes with Totilas.
- The abusive training method known as Rollkur aka LDR or hyperflexion;
- The riders who've propelled their careers with the use of these abuses (Matthias Rath, Edward Gal, Sjef Janssen, the list goes on);
- and we'd have to happily sit there and watch a horse perform who'd been abused just moments before in the warm-up.
Nobody's been bashing Totilas. Quite the opposite. People adore him and have become bothered by the turn of events surrounding his training, competing and the sad story that always comes with the use of Rollkur.
It's quite clear from Carl Hester's words that he sees support of the sport a good thing, even if a good horse has to be abused in the process. True sportsmanship, where I'd rather see true horsemanship.
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If only we could have these riders turn into horses and allow the horses to ride the riders in this manner for 30 minutes we might just see a shift in consciousness. Join me in applying Ho’Oponopono to this issue and hold the “infinite possibility” that the trainers and riders who are proponents of this method of training will have a change of heart and learn to ride with feeling – in their hearts as well as their hands.
That poor horse having his head pulled in like that.See how the rider gos if u cut 1/2 the oxygen of to there brain.A little more seat & legs & not so heavy on the hands.I hate seeing horses heads pulled in like this.
Kirstie
Perhaps someone like Carl will volunteer to teach folks like Rath how to ride with empathy, since FEI turns a blind eye to atrocities if committed by the wealthy.
That would be great, if Carl Hester were to acknowledge that Rath isn’t riding with empathy .. but I think both of those are a ways off based on his (Carl’s) statements publicly.
‘You can only change how horses are treated by winning.’- Carl Hester
The saddest part of the Totilas story is that Carl is right – most of the criticism I’ve seen has been regarding the change in riders. Somehow everyone saw Gal as being the perfect partner, not recognizing the tension and incorrect movement. As long as the crowds go for something that is flashy at the expense of the horse’s physical and mental health, we will have an unhealthy sport. I think Carl means well, but I’m tired of it being all about the sport and the people, and no longer about the horses.
I can’t read the horse and hound article; ‘vip members only’ you have to PAY to read it…
Besides, many people deny that Hester uses LDR. He wrote in his book ‘down to earth dressage’ that he uses it (even called it ELASTIC WORKING), but still the fans deny Hester uses it. Would be a harsh wake up call for them, now he even advocates LDR! Hester himself called me a lyar on facebook yesterday, after i posted a comment in which i said he uses it.
WAKE UP, BUNCH OF HEADLESS CHICKENS! YOUR BELOVED POP STAR RIDER USES LDR! AND WHEN CONFRONTED WITH THAT FACT, HE REACTS JUST LIKE ALL OTHER LDR RIDERS!!!
It’s the same no matter the rider – if someone likes them they will defend them to the death even if it’s blatantly obvious. The same happened with people defending Edward Gal, even when confronted with clear evidence (photo & video) of Gal riding in deep hyperflexion several horses including their beloved Totilas.
For the record. Hester’s ‘elastic working’ is not EDR, the term refers to having soft and ‘elastic’ arms so as to not block the horse through the reins.
It is a horrific practise, having recently taken on a horse who has awful damage because of such practise which lead to his tongue being split through the sheer force. The supposed professional responsible for training him is still carrying on.
As Linda says above quite rightly, only a shift in consciousness could change those riders and when one says “those riders” this is including Carl Hester, who very happily uses LDR too to get artificial paces to seduce the modern, fashion driven, emotional dressage judges that are blinded by bling and demonstrations of false power. Dressage has become a business in which the horses are being used and abused to create celebrities that attracts sponsors (=money). It is simply disgusting because Dressage was one of those rare “planes” of artistic endeavor that searched for harmony and searched to make “love visible” on this earth. Success at all cost was not the aim. What counted was thorough dedication and love of the horse, desire to learn and be receptive of what the horse was communicating.
It is nice to hear the comments above and that not everyone is gullible to the point of believing what “celebrities” want them to believe. Rollkur and LDR are the same as the horses are not allowed their natural paces in training. Without natural paces ridden in harmony, there is no collection possible in the future. There is no “enhancing” of the natural paces. They are destroyed by rollkur and LDR purposefully, to be replaced by the mechanical steps of a horse that is forced to block his body in some parts in order to exaggerate the move in other parts (elbows, front legs).
Only a horse can collect himself (rider prepares that is all through training), but now a LDR horse simply cannot collect himself, he must prance instead because he cannot use his whole body to work. The modern dressage rider now decides for the horse, which parts the horse must use. It creates chaos in the horse’s mind and body which needs much therapists and physios, vets of all sorts to recover from this.
Nature will have its way, long run and that those who have fallen into artificiality will one day be punished by her. Also, Switzerland has now banned rollkur and the Fei offices are situated in Switzerland (where I live). One wonders what is going to happen legally about this.
The FEI seems to be now run by Sjef Janssen and Sheik Mohammed in the background. This we must not forget. Totilas’s story is a story of power and money and “power and money” always attract weak people.
Weak people blow their ego like no one, this is why they explode when one pricks their balloon.
Besides, Edward Gal is Riding GRIBALDI on the photo (father of Totilas).
You’re correct, they are so similarly marked it can be tough to keep track of sometimes. I’ve corrected it with an image of Gal on Totilas as the WEG.
Gribaldi DIED of a ruptured aorta, as a result of LDR/Rollkur/Hyperflexion.
Please fil
me on your merits as a veterinarian specialised on pathology! You must be as your statement about a ruptured
aorta being the direct result of HFL is rather astounding. My grandfather died
of a ruptured aorta as well. I think I need to sit down with my grandma about the
abuse she so obviously gave him…..
My frustration with all of this is that no one seems to blame the judges- in the horror that is the ‘Big Lick’ if judges didn’t place that crap – trainers wouldn’t train for it (NOT that I give any passes to trainers who do) same with this hyperflexion – the judges MUST see the stress on the horse – his/her expression alone speaks volumes- why pin it for the win? The first time I watched Totilas (my phone corrected that to ‘Gorillas’ *snort!) I thought ‘wow’ on the forehand movement – but it didn’t look like he was even tracking up – and no one seemed to notice that –
The judges certainly should have –
I was entertaining the judges to lunch at our big USDF show in San Antonio at the time of that first win and they were looking at pictures on their phones and oohing and aahing. I asked to see the pictures and I said “He’s way out behind and he looks like he’s trying to do Spanish Trot, only badly” . I was slapped down by those judges (I forget now who they were) but I was an AHSA Dressage judge for 10 years and like to think I would certainly not have awarded 90% . I am now retired but I feel like becoming a judge again as you are so right – we must hold the judges accountable..