Interview with the best rider in the world! :)

[Jenny]

The Kalman de Jurenak vid is excellent though,definitely my favourite dressage vid so far and I could watch him ride for hours.

Me too   

[Cabruze]

I dont think he means rollkur, Jane, 'deep work 'as practised when those videos were shot, probably 12 years ago now, had never been taken to such extremes. I know that Kalman would never have approved of what is going on now.

But the first really is nowhere near as beautiful as the second film- you have to get that to really see why we consider Hans Heinrich to be the best!!

Heather

To help me learn good from bad, Heather, please can you explain what he means then when he says "Five years ago, Nicole Uphoff and Isabell Werth rode their horses in a very deep position with the nose behind the vertical.  And sometimes you have horses where you must gymnasticize them in such a way ....."

Oooo I'd really like the DVD with Parts 1 & 2 but have strict instructions from my dearly beloved to "Stop spending money!!" 

[visconde]

To help me learn good from bad, Heather, please can you explain what he means then when he says "Five years ago, Nicole Uphoff and Isabell Werth rode their horses in a very deep position with the nose behind the vertical.  And sometimes you have horses where you must gymnasticize them in such a way ....."

particularly when Uphoff did it becuase of a spooky horse didnt she? or did she also think it had some physical benefit as well?

[Heather]

 Hi Jane,

His idea of 'very deep' and the current version, are very different! Nicole and Isabel rode their horses not that much lower than that pic of Anja, more curled back, yes, but still nothing like as extreme as certain current champions! I watched both of them working in horses at the WEG, Aachen and other international shows and never saw anything that approached what would be now thought of as rollkur. The neck was extended out, lowered and then face btv, but never with the neck shortened and cramped back to the point that the eyes literally bulge out of the head, as is seen today.

The effect never looked in any way forced. I personally dont agree with it, but would have more so when that article was written. It must be 5 or 6 years old, and a lot can change in thinking, in that time! I wouldnt now ride a horse as long and low, even as I did with Rei when I first had him here 4 years ago.

You will see the young chestnut horse coming btv, in that first video of Kalman's, but it is a very different 'deep' to rollkur. I am certain that this is what Hans Heinrich meant as his perception of 'deep'.

Hope that helps!

Heather

PS it was first used to stop Rembrandt spooking, but then Dr Schulten Baumer who trained Isabel at the time, thought it loosened the back, and developed it into a training method. Reiner Klimke hotly disagreed with it and predicted it would be taken to extremes, as indeed, it was!

[Nix77]

i liked the article. I would love to watch him ride a young horse through this.

as for the 'deep' i had a friend who used to ride with ferdi eilberg and she would ride her young horse 'deep'  as a stretch to loosen his back. Although I would not do this (not least because she is a far more talented rider than i will ever be) it was not rollkur in any way. She would ride in a swingy trot in a 20m circle and ask for down and round, whilst keeping a very very light seat. This was for a few minutes in each direction as part of a warm up. She would also do flexions at halt and walk, but i cannot remember exactly what she did. it wasnt for long, anyway. the horse seemed to be fine with it.

[Heather]

He is riding a 3 yr old Hannoverian in the first of the two DVDs Laura! And yes, he rides him beautifully!

Heather

[Cabruze]

Thanks Heather ..... just shows how careful "celebs" need to be if they're not to be misinterpreted!!  Actually Hans makes this very point himself later in the article!

I've printed off the article to keep - really love most of what he says. Would be really interesting to watch him. (Another reason for visiting our friends in Germany!!)

[Heather]

Hes near Hanover, Jane, Landreiterschule Hoya.

Heather

[Cabruze]

Yes I know.  Sadly opposite side of the country from our friends in the South!