The International Jumping Riders Club just held their General Assembly. After some club business, they get down to important topics of the club. One of them is complaining of “outsiders” meddling in their business.
The meddling in question is the talk of making double bridles optional in Dressage. The Dressage riders are against it and are afraid that it will lead to double bridles being banned. Then all hell will break lose and everything will be banned. IRJC President Mathy Jr. goes on to say that the double bridle is “one of the nicest bits”. Then Director Ottaviani goes on to complain about “outsiders” telling us what to do. She also agrees with the Dressage riders that if you allow one thing to be banned then everything will be banned.
Then some of the riders go on to freak out, cough Beerbaum cough, about the nose band tightness tool. Luckily Ms. Foster was there to keep discussions on track. She says the discussion should not be about the tool, as there should be some standard way of measuring. She thinks it should be used only if there is a disagreement between rider and steward. Sounds like FEI wants all horses to be tested once per round. Ms. Foster is recommending that it be used only if there is a disagreement.
The tool is 1.7cm/0.6in tall. I just measured my fingers on a desk and it is just under 0.5in tall.
Interestingly, the FEI rep said that of 600 horses tested with the tool, only 3 failed to pass. They don’t give any details on the test, such as which discipline or what level.
Dressage has their issue of blue tongue and behind the vertical, but show jumping will also have to come to terms with their issues of horse welfare. All the head tossing, horses with so much equipment on their heads you can’t see their faces, and yes, behind the vertical that you see horses are being ridden in between jumps.
