Ann Romney's fancy sport of dressage not so good for the horse

[Liberal_in_LA]

Washington Post’s Kathleen Parker Defends Ann Romney’s Million-Dollar Horse Habit, Calls it “Therapy”

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Back to upper-crusty equestrian pastimes. For the uninitiated, dressage, a.k.a. “horse ballet,” is an elite sport in which horses costing up to seven figures perform pirouettes and other complex moves for riders decked out in top hats and tails. Popularized by one percenters like William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the sport is a favorite of today’s moneybags, like the daughter of New York’s billionaire mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Talking down from her high horse, Parker insists that dressage not only an art form, but also a form of therapy:

“Dressage and horseback riding in general offer other rewards, including therapy for people who suffer maladies from physical disabilities to emotional imbalances. This should not be surprising, given the millennia-long relationship between humankind and horse that transcends mere transportation. Anyone who has ridden knows the deeply satisfying synchronicity between the movements and rhythms of human and horse. The emotional bond that also develops is not insignificant.”

Parker notes that Ann Romney uses horseback riding as a treatment for her multiple sclerosis. “Indeed, horseback riding is a commonly recommended activity for MS sufferers.” Okay. But dressage may not be so therapeutic for the actual horse: Practices like “over-bending,” which strains the neck, have been called out by veterinarians as abusive. And we’ll never know how Ms. Romney’s horse Marco Polo felt about being flipped over in a trailer while being transported.

http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/990554/washington_post%26acirc%3B%26euro%3B%26trade%3Bs_kathleen_parker_defends_ann_romney%26acirc%3B%26euro%3B%26trade%3Bs_million-dollar_horse_habit,_calls_it_%26acirc%3B%26euro%3B%26oelig%3Btherapy%26acirc%3B%26euro%3B

Ann Romney's fancy sport of dressage not so good for the horse

video of Ovebending

[LiberalEsto]

1. I wonder if they get a tax writeoff on the dressage

as medical expenses. That would REALLY frost me.

[magical thyme]

3. no. they get a tax write-off on their Olympic horse, Rafalca,

who is part of their business partnership with their trainer, Jan Ebeling.

[Angry Dragon]

7. So corporations are now allowed to compete in the Olympics??

[magical thyme]

9. In a sense, yes. Individuals are competing, but the horses often

are the property of businesses, whether it's just a rider/trainer and spouse running a lesson barn, or an investment partnership between a rider/trainer and one or two wealthy clients investing in a string of prospects so they can be "part" of something they'd otherwise never be part of.

[magical thyme]

2. rollkur technique (overbending the neck) is not classical dressage training

it is a shortcut used by some. And because some use it does not mean that Romney does, nor does that make it representative of correct dressage training.

And a horse flipping over in a trailer (or being in a trailer that flips) has nothing to do with dressage. It is the kind of nightmarish freak accident that all horse people dread.

There is plenty to criticize Romney for -- mainly fraudulent selling an unsound horse for $125K while he was drugged up on heavy duty sedatives and analgesics, not to mention competing with that horse when he was clearly not fit for competition and should have been retired.

[riderinthestorm]

4. The average lifespan of a wild horse is 8 years. Parasite ridden, hunted, malnourished

and frequently in pain.

Pleasure horses typically live into their late 20s. Dressage horses are no different.

Are you a PETA advocate who believes that any animal usage is verboten? Are there some trainers who incorrectly train a horse in dressage (just like there are some animal trainers who incorrectly train agility dogs, beluga whales, dolphins etc)?

Of course there are. But for the most part, horses like Ann rMoney's won't perform at the highest levels unless they've been trained correctly without fear, intimidation or pain. They certainly won't score high enough to get into the Olympics since judges are acutely aware of problems like over-flexing.

Horses for physical therapy and mental rehabilitation have been a long mainstay in the rehab world - that's not a hoax and has been utilized by so many its incredible to think people don't know about its value (Jim Brady, PTSD soldiers, autism spectrum kids etc.)

Dressage is an ancient war-art like fencing. The maneuvers are a demonstration of cooperation between a horse and rider. In ancient days these skills were necessary battle field maneuvers that required a horse to be the rider's weapon - as important as a sword. There's a reason General Robert E. Lee's famous war horse Traveller is revered in dressage circles and that's because Lee was a master horseman whose battle skills were maximized with Traveller. I support the effort to preserve these ancient skills. I know that it takes big bucks like the rMoney's to keep the sport alive and I honestly think that attacking the rMoney's on this topic is a lose/lose effort. Too many riders are simply average folk who would do anything for their pet. Dressage is the foundation of ALL equestrian sports and denigrating it only works to our disadvantage and shows our utter ignorance.

Lastly, I'll tell you I've personally suffered a major trailer wreck. I was asked to haul a horse to a friend using her badly designed trailer. Caught in a huge wind storm, the trailer detached from my truck (breaking load leveler bars and other stabilizers) tossing the trailer end over end with the horse inside (and sending me in my truck into the opposite direction 50 feet). Fortunately we all ended up okay but honestly, NOBODY wants to have a horse have a trailer problem. I've had horses flip over in my trailer while trying to transport them in an emergency colic situation! This is large livestock issues and I have nothing but sympathy on this. Virtually everyone else whose "in the biz" would understand.

[tpsbmam]

8. Thanks to you & magical thyme for balanced & educational posts

As someone who worked in physical medicine & rehab and living for many years in Lyme, CT, which was minutes away from High Hopes therapeutic riding center in Old Lyme, I'm very familiar with the benefits of horse & therapeutic riding. It was a wonderful discovery and has been ever-expanding in the populations that benefit from it.

[Control-Z]

5. Does Ann even ride the horse?

[riderinthestorm]

6. Not this one I'd say. She supports the sport by sponsoring Ebeling and Rafalca

After the Olympics, Ann and the other owners of the horse will get their chance to get on her and (try to) ride her but honestly, Ann is putting out an ungodly amount of money simply for the benefit of this ancient art. Her trainer will wince, acquiesce, offer advice, and endure (my husband is a pro in the biz and I can tell you, there's LOTS of wincing when the owner wants to ride their horse).

Ann has other horses she regularly rides and competes but Rafalca will be Jan Ebeling's mount for a long time to come. Honestly, its in Ann 's (and the other owners) best interests to NOT ride her and ruin her training. Her value is in her competition career and as a mare, her future breeding potential. Nobody wants to screw that up. It would be like the Arab sheikhs wanting a ride on their prize-winning race horse TB. Its just a bad idea when you are dealing with a temperamental athlete of any sort....