Rollkur: The Overlooked Norm

None of the video footage or music is mine. I only claim ownership of the editing, hence the watermark.

Please take the time to read this description as well as watch the full video and read all the captions on the video.

This video surrounds rollkur and absolute elevation in the horse world.
Disclaimer - I am NOT claiming that every horse is abused in this way nor am I claiming that every person in this industry abuses horses.

Rollkur or hyperflexion of the horse's neck is a practice in equestrianism defined as "flexion of the horse's neck achieved through aggressive force" and is banned by the world governing body, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports

If you want to learn about all the science behind the damage caused from over-bending a horse's neck, you can read these articles - (http://www.sustainabledressage.net/rollkur/why_not.php)
(http://www.symbiosis.cat/rulkur/)
(https://bitlessbridle.com/WrongRolkurPtOne.pdf)
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4121138/)

Rollkur is not a new phenomenon, it has been present in the horse world for many years, most notably in dressage training and history.
(http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/2012-london-olympics-equestrian-coverage/archive/2012/08/11/the-quot-rollkur-quot-controversy.aspx)

Over-flexion may not always be the result of a rider with hard hands. Some horses will put themselves into this position to avoid the bit. In these cases, the horse had been trained aggressively by a past owner or is a horse who does not want contact with the bit (possibly sensitive mouth or young horse).
(https://equicessities.wordpress.com/2014/11/23/how-to-correct-over-flexion-from-the-bit/)

But rollkur is not the only headset a horse can be forced into that results in damage. Absolute elevation is an even more hidden norm. The horse's nose and head are at the vertical, but it's jaw is still pulled tightly against its neck, causing breathing problems and spinal damage to the third or fourth vertebrae.
(https://dressagedifferent.com/2013/10/21/absolute-elevation-the-sister-to-rollkur/)
(https://bitlessbridle.com/WrongRolkurPtOne.pdf)

Not only is there spinal and muscular damage when a horse is trained in hyper-flexion or absolute elevation, but there are breathing and vision problems that arise from this position as well. When the head is at or behind the vertical, the horse is forced to look straight at the ground in front of their feet which creates a 'dead eye' where the horse tries to look more forward and strains their eyes. Not only is this dangerous for both horse and rider, but it also puts unnecessary stress mentally and physically on the horse. These head positions cause difficulty breathing which again puts stress on the horse as it struggles to breathe efficiently. The tight position of the jaw pulled against the neck causes an obstruction in the upper respiratory tract which can result in a collapse of the tract over time. This headset along with tight and low nosebands and flashes increase pressure on the nasal cavity, causing the horse to feel that it is having a more difficult time with comfortable air intake.
(http://academicequitation.com/2013/09/09/rollkur-part-3/)
(http://www.thehorse.com/articles/29302/artificial-head-neck-positions-effects-on-horses-breathing)
(https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forum/discussion-forums/dressage/77186-new-study-on-the-effects-of-rollkur)

This video has more information and photos/videos to go along with this video
https://youtu.be/hM4fKJ9VtfU
https://youtu.be/FzYHvjQ9raA

Song:
https://youtu.be/3V-pYCGx0C4

If you are interested in these types of abuse awareness videos, check out my other ones.
Horse Abuse Awareness Videos Playlist
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ8PSu3_WceZaIrwmBBW-In-uUMAkUdzf

Видео Rollkur: The Overlooked Norm канала Horse Source