https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/ban-the-mecanical-doping.html
If you agree, please share widely.
More and more horses are seen mistreated at the top of the sport and now we are seeing amateurs also joining this bad behavior.
Are you talking about what are sometimes called Doda boots? If I’m remembering correctly. They seem to be ubiquitous.
Yes Viney, but it’s not because you see them everywhere that they are good for the sport nor the horse integrity.
I’m a little bit surprised that as breeders, you have no problem with the fact that the way some horses use their back and hind legs is not natural and for this reason can’t be transmitted to their offspring if they are stallions or mares and if a number of a sire’s products performs remarkably you can’t know if it’s because of the genes inherited or because they are using some “pinch” boots.
Mating mares and stallions is already a difficult task, but if you can’t believe your eyes then the job is almost impossible.
Good luck.
…Unless the assumption is that 100% of the jumping population is going to wear them, thus levelling the playing field. (Please remove Firth of Lorne from the field so play can resume). I believe the FEI had a discussion about it last year (?) and forbade them entirely in the young horse classes, while instructing the stewards to check the tightness and position of the back boots in the 1.45 and up. They had the option to ban them entirely but chickened out… er, opted not to. It would be interesting to see the statistics on injury rates incurred by horses wearing the boots in this day and age versus ancient history, especially given the advances in modern footing. Really, Big Star? Cella? You need those things? On the bright side, I saw far less of them in the American equitation finals this year, so someone’s wising up.
It makes me laugh when the announcers say, 18 clear? What does a course designer have to DO these days? Easy peasy. Take off the damn boots.
What next, I have never even heard of this. Good grief.
Can someone explain this to me? Like Calamber, I’ve never even heard of this. Can you explain what it’s doing?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5shy-XOcN8c
I don’t understand how pressure can make the horse jump better.
[QUOTE=Calamber;8421409]
What next, I have never even heard of this. Good grief.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Beentheredonethat;8421444]Can someone explain this to me? Like Calamber, I’ve never even heard of this. Can you explain what it’s doing?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5shy-XOcN8c
I don’t understand how pressure can make the horse jump better.[/QUOTE]
Sadly, they have been around for a long time - maybe not DODA exactly, but there have almost always been some sort of pinch type boot. Remember McLain Ward? (Was it him)?
I have nothing to add except for the horse in that video looked exceptionally lame behind to me… different strokes…
[QUOTE=Beentheredonethat;8421444]
I don’t understand how pressure can make the horse jump better.[/QUOTE]
There is no scientific research to understand exactly why the horse having his hind leg tendon pinched when jumping will swing higher those hind legs.
One can imagine that because of the pain the horse want to escape, he will throw higher his hind legs.
As a consequence injury to the horse happen and all the veterinarians specialized in jumpers will confirm (at least this side of the pond)
As Nutmeg stated, FEI have banned them for horses until they are 7 y/o and failed to apply the ban to horses regardless of age, probably because of financial consequences of some riders/trainers/owners (some horses will have to step down to a lower level of competition and therefor their value will be reduced…)
By banning them we act in the interest of the welfare of the horse and at the same time we have a level playing field.
Interesting. Thank you. You learn something new every day.
I have to say, I can’t see people going for the welfare of the horse over jumping higher unless everyone really steps in. There’s too much money in it. Why would the FEI ban it only for horses under 7? What is the logic in that? That seems to indicate it’s OK.
The fact that they did ban it for the young horses indicates to me that somewhere in that corrupt, rarefied mess that is the FEI is a shred of reason. Somewhere under that pile of princesses and chemists is a horse person. We need to give that person all the ammo we can to get the pressure (literally) dialed back. Signing and sharing andy.smaga’s petition is an excellent start.
In my mind gear like this simply invalidates the jumping records of all the horses that wear them.
Gee, they finally came up with something that replaces poling the horses, punishing the horse for each effort over a jump.
If I could afford to breed I would not consider any performance record of a mare or stallion wearing these boots as valid for my selection process for buying breeding stock, and I would be MUCH less eager to buy any of their offspring unless the individual horse PROVED that he/she can perform satisfactorily without the added gear, whether in training or in show classes.
This makes poling the horse look much better, at least the horse is not punished over every jump when poling is used.
As for how the pinching works, well we pinch between the tendons of the cannon when we want to MAKE the horse pick up his leg for cleaning. This does not look any different than that.
[QUOTE=Beentheredonethat;8422759]
Why would the FEI ban it only for horses under 7? What is the logic in that?[/QUOTE]
Simply because they know it’s harmful to the horse and decided to protect the younger ones who are the more fragile.
Hopefully it’s only a first step in the right direction and that soon they will ban those boots regardless of age.
agree, but it’s not easy to know wich are the pinching ones in some cases.
[QUOTE=Jackie Cochran;8423012]
In my mind gear like this simply invalidates the jumping records of all the horses that wear them.
Gee, they finally came up with something that replaces poling the horses, punishing the horse for each effort over a jump.
If I could afford to breed I would not consider any performance record of a mare or stallion wearing these boots as valid for my selection process for buying breeding stock, and I would be MUCH less eager to buy any of their offspring unless the individual horse PROVED that he/she can perform satisfactorily without the added gear, whether in training or in show classes.
This makes poling the horse look much better, at least the horse is not punished over every jump when poling is used.
As for how the pinching works, well we pinch between the tendons of the cannon when we want to MAKE the horse pick up his leg for cleaning. This does not look any different than that.[/QUOTE]
agree, but it’s not easy to know wich are the pinching ones in some cases.
Is there a true, protective reason for wearing any hind boots in jumping?
If not, I say ‘bye, all.’
unfortunately, yes !
[QUOTE=nutmeg;8421093]
…Unless the assumption is that 100% of the jumping population is going to wear them, thus levelling the playing field. (Please remove Firth of Lorne from the field so play can resume). I believe the FEI had a discussion about it last year (?) and forbade them entirely in the young horse classes, while instructing the stewards to check the tightness and position of the back boots in the 1.45 and up. They had the option to ban them entirely but chickened out… er, opted not to. It would be interesting to see the statistics on injury rates incurred by horses wearing the boots in this day and age versus ancient history, especially given the advances in modern footing. Really, Big Star? Cella? You need those things? On the bright side, I saw far less of them in the American equitation finals this year, so someone’s wising up.
It makes me laugh when the announcers say, 18 clear? What does a course designer have to DO these days? Easy peasy. Take off the damn boots.[/QUOTE]
Why naming Firth of Lorne??? And don’t take of the damn boots, normal Eskadron backboots are ok and they are allowed in young horse classes. They should be also banned in the warm up arena… Many riders change the boots before going in the ring.
I should have been clearer! “The boots” when you are a show groom standing at the practice fence usually refers to the pinch boots, as in “It’s time to put on The Boots.” Of course the Eskadrons or Bevals normal back boots are fine, in fact advisable. The Firth of Lorne reference was a joke and a bad one that I should not have made. But going ass over teakettle is all too common with sensitive horses that are forced to wear Doda’s.
Exactly, I was a show groom and now I like to stand and watch at the warming up arena.
I know for 95 % sure that Firth doesn’t wear pinching backboots, he has the fighting spirit of Stakkato and his owner would never allow it.
