LOTS OF NEWS
BY DEBRA & DOMINIQUE BARBIER
There were a record number of Iberic Horses in the Hong Kong, Olympics. My friends, the Brazilians, had a team selected for the Olympics. Unfortunately ,due to lameness, my friend, Rogerio and his horse Nilo, could not compete. He was going to be the first black rider in the Olympic for dressage. He is already preparing for London!! Manuel´s daughter, Luisa Almeida, was the youngest competitor ever in dressage , she rode her Lusitano Samba,……congratulations….
Everybody knows my attitude towards competition. Be nice and follow the FEI rules. Sadly, competition is moving further and further from the rules and having less and less regard for the horse. Let´s hope for change or we will loose the very essence of dressage. As a teacher I have to deal and adapt to the new “ dressage for competition” . Through the year I help a number of national and international competitors. I have created countless passage- piaffe transitions and pirouettes. My only demand was “be good to your horses then I´ll help you” . Lately my concern is more than ever the respect and the well being of the horses. As a owner/breeder the responsibility of choosing proper training is primordial. As we see the world and the FEI, even in Germany, are facing conflict in training horses (vulkur). I am hoping for many changes ahead. Methods like draw reins / German reins / tie downs and use of force, are not only detrimental to the horse but cruel. Even a short time in using these methods can cripple physically and mentally your young horse for ever. GERMAN REINS ARE NOT A SOLUTION, THEY DISREPECT THE HORSE. As you know only fifteen to twenty percent of the horses might have competition potential, please respect them. The other eighty percent of the horses would like to be treated well. So that they will be able to make some non Olympic rider very happy.
