Obsession with 'on the bit' causes rotational fall

[onlineforequine]

I have posted this thread to get a general perspective what riders think so be honest and brutal!

Last week I attended a clinic with the fantastic Dr Andrew McLean. During this demo he discussed why he and other top level riders feel that horse riding has become one of the most dangerous sports in the world.

When it came to discussing cross country, there have been something like 49 deaths from rotational falls in 'X' years; this has hugely increased from the previous 'X' years (apologies for the X I cannot remember the exact number).

It was discussed that this is thought to have developed from the modern day sports horses' inability to perform true self carriage. Riders have become so fixated with positioning their horses head and neck for them that horses are beginning to lose their natural ability to get themselves out of sticky situations and to accurately carry themselves without force from the riders hand.

With the improvements to fence safety, surely we should be seeing a dramatic decrease in falls X-country?

What do you all think?

[GinaGeo]

I was waching some videos of cross country at the top events in the 60's the other day the difference in the riding is quite astounding.

Here's one, there are loads more though! Really good watching

www.britishpathe.com/video/horse-trials/query/BADMINTON+HORSE+TRIALS

To me the biggest differences were a. the bits- they were all in either a snaffle, or a double/pehalm with two reins. and b. as you say there's very little collection, they're jumping out of their rhythm.

The riding overall isn't the same standard as it is today in this event, but the horses are doing alot more for themselves. The jumps here probably aren't so big and they're not as technical, so the riders don't need to be able to sit the horse on his hocks so much for the related distances, skinnies and corners.

I know that some bits have been banned for use X-Country under FEI rules, as they were linked with rotationals. Elevators, Mikmars and Tom Thumb's are all on the list.

[onlineforequine]

Fantastic video-it really shows the differences!

I think that 'letting the horse go out of their own rhythm' was the key thing that was being identified in the seminar last week. A trained horse should maintain a rhythm without the need for continual leg/rein pressures (unless the speed/length of the gait needs correcting).

Its good that XC are evaluating bit use etc-all beneficial for horse...and rider welfare in the long run

[workingcob]

Kelly Marks said something interesting at HOYS when interviewed on Sky about jumping the puissance wall, along the lines of how important it is to allow horses to raise their head and use the correct line of sight to judge a fence's height and other dimensions. Without this, the horse is far more reliant on the rider placing it and less able to get itself out of trouble.

It doesn't surprise me that there are more rotational falls and I suspect this is related to the obsession with outline, which all too often seems to mean "head held down" often via bits which apply poll pressure or other leverage. There is an amazing video posted in a thread in the lounge area of a girl jumping some huge fences with just a rope round the horse's neck - watch how the horse uses his head and neck when allowed to do so naturally.

I watched an old video of Harvey Smith jumping recently (from the 1960s I think) and he was on an Irish type horse in a snaffle and the horse bowled along with the lightest of contact from Harvey. The horse was in true self carriage and his head vertical or slightly in front of vertical - but certainly not anchored in behind the vertical. I do wonder, watching some of these very rigidly controlled continental horses, how on earth they cope with jumping the enormous fences they do without being allowed to naturally lift their head and neck to prepare to jump

[sarahp]

While being definitely no expert in this area, and having not yet watched the link, I was wondering about the sight point raised by workingcob - horses need to raise and lower their heads to focus at different distances. Just another thought - has the type of horse changed over the years? In my day a dash of native pony or ID in the breeding was considered very desirable for their ability to look after themselves better and not depend on being directed by the rider. And of course our prediliction for hunting had the same effect.

Another point surely is that XC fence have become far more tricky and technical latterly so just kicking on won't necessarily be the right tactic. Harvey was just magic as a rider, always admired him.

[catkin]

A very interesting thread. As a huge admirer of Harvey Smith, I used to watch him avidly as a child, often close up. An interesting (though I dare say controversial) point that occurs to me is that he used the most amazing collection of handmade bits that would, I think its fair to say, be described as severe in the extreme. Clearly, he had his good reasons and as such an amazing rider, did no harm to the horses' performance by using these bits. As some of you will have seen before, I am of course, most delighted by a horse or pony that will go correctly in the simplest of bits, but I also think this backs up what I have said about sometimes a more severe bit being better for the job. I am probably not putting this point at all well, but I'm up for a healthy debate! I think probably what he was trying to achieve as total control when required and then alowing total freedom when that was required too.

[stumpedmum]

catkin I think I understand you...use a more severe bit so that you are not constantly in a battle for control, therefore being able to concentrate better on the job in hand.

I was originally taught to always have my horses head in an outline, that this was correct and that I should control the striding etc etc. It lead to many battles and mishaps, but yes probably looked neat when it worked. Many years after that, I was taught to allow the horse to figure its own stride out, and "leave its bl**dy head alone!!" Using lots of free schooling over grids, horses learn very quickly how to stride themselves. I found it much easier to jump on a slightly longer rein, leave the horse to sort itself out, collect when I needed to, push on or help a little etc etc. Much happier days ensued! You don't have to have your horses chin on its chest to achieve collection.