Over on Twitter, TrotonTV (John Bethell) wanted my thoughts on Anky van Grunsven’s reply about her student Patrik Kittel’s ‘Blue Tongue’ video recording, now being investigated by FEI. (I also wrote about it here).
140 tweet characters does not allow a particularly thorough reply!
So John, here you go…
Example of unknown dressage horse ridden in Rollkur (hyperflexion)
We must use a degree of caution, knowing that the link is a translation (for those of us who don’t read Dutch!) With anything translated, there is always a danger of the old problem of ‘meaning lost in translation’.
For the benefit of our discussion here, I am talking about the translation made by Google today, 15 November 2009.
Anky appears to suggest that the horse’s tongue was over the bit. The question arises: ”is it OK for the horse to go with the tongue over the bit at all?; but also why would he want to put his tongue over the bit?
Assuming Anky is right, and that the tongue was over the bit, the answer is: because of pressure on his tongue that he is trying to escape. A horse trying to escape tongue pressure retracts his tongue in his mouth, and can then get it ‘over the bit’.
My thoughts are that if the tongue is blue: (a) it probably not simply over the bit, but is either trapped between the two bits, or under both bits, but with sufficient pressure to limit oxygenated blood supply to the tongue, making it appear blue (unoxygenated), OR (b) [and this is a very unqualified statement on my part, as I don't know of any studies that have addressed this] perhaps it possible that blue tongue is merely a symptom of lack of oxygenated blood to the horse’s whole head caused by overbent neck limiting oxygenated blood supply.
I am not sure what ‘losrijterrein’ means. It is possible this means hyperflexion or Rollkur, but I do not know. If this does mean hyperflexion, I am not sure if she is saying that audiences either (a) are used to seeing hyperflexion, (b) regularly complain about it, or (c) are used to seeing it enough to think it normal.
The translated reply says that horses ‘can put their tongues over the bit for any reason and that it need not be negative’ – perhaps something here is confused in translation, or maybe not. I don’t accept that a horse going with tongue over the bit is acceptable, one wonders why this wasn’t this pointed out to the rider by officials.
Anky recognises that the FEI has to uphold equine welfare, but thinks that the problem has been blown out of proportion and that they need to support riders also.
Personally, I am relieved this is getting attention at the FEI.
Somewhere I have read that Anky says the science does not show that hyperflexion is detrimental to the horse. She is right in this comment – studies of Rollkur have been inconclusive, they are not easy undertaken, and indeed the science does not as yet point firmly in one direction. A recent report to the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality noted studies contained flaws in methodology, limited numbers, or unhelpful parameters were used and that
This leads us to conclude there is insufficient scientific evidence to confirm unequivocally whether or not there are welfare issues involved in training techniques using hyperflexion’.
The case of hyperflexion and the blue tongue is perhaps a situation where rather than relying solely on the current scientific evidence, common sense should enable us to utilise our knowledge of biology, pain, biomechanics (and physics – e.g. the lever action of the curb), which is what I believe many educated people are trying to do.
You will see on the FEI website, their rules governing Abuse of Horses (Article 142, page 35) – specifically notes that no person may use actions ”causing pain or unnecessary discomfort to a horse’. Given what has been observed of recent times, these actions have not been held to account for years.
This raises the question: given the implications for the FEI and equestrian sport in general, is the FEI the appropriate body to conduct and impartial investigation into Patrik Kittel’s horse’s blue tongue? – or is it a case as Bidda Jones of the Australian RSPCA suggests ‘is the fox in the hen house’?
EponaTV has sparked much-needed debate on the use of Rollkur in horse-training, having taped a 2 hour video of a World Cup dressage horse ridden by Swedish rider, Patrik Kittel in warm-up.
The horse is seen in hyper-flexion (the scientific name for Rollkur), and the tongue is well extended, flapping outside the horse’s mouth and appears to be blue, leading to the footage becoming known as ‘the blue tongue’ debate.
You can view some footage here (there are extended versions available):
The journalists asked for comment by the horse’s rider, who apparently felt he was not contravening FEI welfare rules, although he was interested in speaking through his lawyer.
Submission to 5 veterinarians for comment noted hypoxia of the horse’s tongue, and YouTube viewers are increasingly vocal on what they see, resulting in petitions and letters to the FEI.
If you would like to follow through in petitioning the FEI, you can do it on iPetitions
UPDATE: As a result of the video that has emerged, the following has been reported in Horse & Hound:
At the Global Dressage Forum on Monday, FEI executive sports director David Holmes announced the FEI’s decision to investigate, saying: “The FEI’s main concern has always been and will always be the welfare of the horse. We are taking the issues raised in the video and in the comments made by other Youtube viewers very seriously and have opened an investigation. The conclusions of this investigation will be made public.”
However, BHS chairman Patrick Print has since written to HRH Princess Haya requesting the FEI launch a second investigation into the practise of hyperflexion.
Print’s letter reads: “The concerns so widely expressed are reasonable and therefore deserving of an urgent two-part investigation: first, an inquiry into the treatment of this particular horse on this particular occasion; and, second, a broader inquiry into the ethics and consequences of hyperflexion. In this second aspect The British Horse Society stands ready to assist the FEI in any way it can.”
In my opinion, Julie Taylor and Luise Tomsen from EponaTV deserve an award for services to horse welfare.
Professor Leo Jeffcott was a plenary speaker at the ISES Conference in Sydney. having worked as an FEI event veterinarian (including 6 Olympic Games, 4 World Equestrian Games and 4 World Cups).
Professor Jeffcott was well-placed to speak on the importance of research to welfare and athletic performance. He presented a sad expose of welfare-breaches that have occurred during top-level competition – from Stockholm to The Hague and Rome – horses dying from heat stress, Aspirin use as an illegal anti-inflammatory/painkiller, anti-psychotic use on a horse and the 5 charges of illegal Capsaicin (drug) at last year’s Beijing Olympics, as well as Rollkür use (over-bending of the horse’s neck, bringing the horse’s head towards it’s chest) in dressage training.
Extreme measures show jumpers have used to inflict pain to teach horses to avoid hitting the fences include: chemical pain-induction, rapping (knocking the legs, including in some cases with nailed poles) and using mechanical bandaging techniques. Professor Jeffcott says forensic tests including thermography to identify areas of heat, has brought welfare benefits to competition horses, but that these methods can only be used at a competition. He said that some cases were the result of ‘inappropriate medication rather than deliberate doping’.
The main issues historically facing eventing have been: heat stress, acclimatisation problems and falls, deaths of and injuries to horses and riders. The introduction of misting fans and changes to cross-country/endurance day have produced welfare improvements for competitors in equestrian events.
Rollkür (also known as low-deep and round, LDR or hyper-flexion) has been the most publicised taint on dressage; it was noted ‘that the horse cannot self-maintain the position for a prolonged time with-out welfare implications’.
One of the conference presenters noted that the pain and discomfort of Rollkür makes it unacceptable under the Danish animal protection law. A recent paper by ISES scientists undertaken for the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality to provide an update on hyperflexion research (since the 2006 FEI workshop), shows that the few interim studies are not conclusive in one direction, however.
A delegate said that “having the FEI in charge of competition welfare rules was like having a fox guard the henhouse”, there was then a short discussion on the possible value of independent veterinary regulation at competitions.
The conference’s organisers said that the eyes of the world are firmly focussed on the welfare implications of horse sports and that ‘animal welfare groups have a strong influence on public perceptions – the speed and scope of media delivery means that images fly around the world in seconds after an incident. Therefore we need to be proactive in discussing and promoting ethical and sustainable training and management systems before someone else dictates our practices to us’.
It is vital therefore, that riders at all levels consider the welfare implications of their actions in the training, competition and care of their horses.
Your interest in the idea of the 5 Freedoms of Animal Welfare has encouraged me to post a few more photos. A starting point – would be the rules for equipment. It would seem that it is about time show jumping gear rules were reviewed.
Horse tries to evade pressure of the bit - even with his mouth held shut by a hanoverian noseband, he attempts to escape the pressure.
Draw-reins used by this show jumper are detrimental in that they de-train the horse's 'slowing', 'shortening' and 'stop' signals. From the biomechanical perspective there are also issues, but this is another story...
Loosen off your horse’s noseband – you must be able to fit 2 fingers under it at least – no matter what ’style’ it is. He has to be able to move his lower jaw, and to chew gently (the old masters used to say ‘to murmur’).
A noseband should not a be a band-aid for bad training. Be proud in the comfort your horse has with a cavesson noseband that is just for ‘aesthetics’, rather than tightened as a crutch. Ask questions of your training, riding, and use of your hands.
Overtightened nosebands lead to tension throughout the horse’s body. Although our own anatomy is obviously quite different to a horse, feel the tension in your neck and shoulders when you clench your teeth. Now stop clenching, and gently move your mouth. Don’t you feel much better?
Philippe Karl says that if you strap your horse’s mouth shut, you are effectively telling him
’shut up, I don’t want to hear what you have to say’.
Why don’t you loosen off your horse’s noseband today and listen to what he has to say?
