Hyperflexion: The Unethical Practice that FEI Judges Reward Riders for
Hyperflexion is a position in which a horse’s nose is behind the vertical (Beckstett, 2019). It is often used in dressage training and during warm-up, prior to competitions. Hyperflexion covers several terms, e.g. ‘Rollkür’ and ‘LDR’ (Low-Deep-and-Round) (Christensen et al., 2014). It has been previously taught that the technique improves a horse’s ability to lift and round his topline (essential for collected work) while it encourages more expressive gaits (Pascoe, 2023). However studies say otherwise.
With more attention on horse sport now, especially with the Olympics coming up this year, why are we still seeing hyperflexion being used, especially at high levels of the sport?
Effects of Hyperflexion
It has been found in studies that horses have higher cortisol levels, directly after being ridden in hyperflexion compared to ridden in a looser frame (Christensen et al., 2014). Changes in cortisol levels is often used to assess stress in horses. In a study investigating the effects of different head-neck positions on the larynges, found that horses ridden in hyperflexion had a significant reduction in the laryngeal opening area (Zebisch et al., 2013).
Similarly, changing the poll flexion by 15° showed a significate increased in upper airway tract abnormalities (Tilley et al., 2023). So horses ridden at 100° saw a reduction in the laryngeal diameter. Photos below are of dressage horses at FEI World cup Amsterdam & Basel and their nose line angle (100, 107 & 95 degrees).
Not only does hyperflexion cause stress and damage the upper airway tract, it has negative effect on equine behaviour. It was found that in a study with twenty high-level dressage and twenty show-jumping horses, conflict behaviours were significantly higher when ridden at hyperflexion (Tilley et al., 2023). This is also seen in the warm up periods at dressage competition. 69% percent of 355 horses were ridden with their nasal planes behind the vertical in the warm-up area, 19% were ridden at or behind the vertical and only 12% were ridden with their nasal plane in front of the vertical. Horses carrying their nasal plane behind the vertical exhibited significantly more conflict behaviours than horses with their nose held in front of the vertical (Kienapfel et al., 2021).
In a study where horses were allowed to make a choice in a Y maze (after conditioning to the maze) to be either ridden in Rolkur (hyperflexion) or ridden with their head on or in front of the vertical, 14 of the 15 horses chose significantly more often the maze-arm associated with nose in front of the vertical (von Borstel et al., 2009)
This shows that horses prefer to not be ridden in that frame.
Dressage Judges Rewarding of Hyperflexion
In a study looking into the comparison of the head and neck position of elite dressage horses during top-level competitions in 1992 versus 2008, found that the likelihood of being behind the vertical during Passage or Piaffe was significantly greater in 2008 than in 1992. Not only this, but higher scores correlated significantly with head positions that were further behind the vertical during Piaffe in 2008 (Lashley et al., 2014). FEI judges awarding of higher scores for behind the vertical head & neck position was also found at Grand-Prix Special (CDIO5 *) at Aachen 2018 & 2019.
The study showed that the further the horses nose line was behind the vertical, the higher the chance of a good rating. Not only this, but also the higher the riders were ranked in the “FEI world ranking”, the higher were their marks in the competition and horses of riders higher in world ranking tended to show and a nose line stronger behind the vertical (Kienapfel et al., 2021) In a study investigating head and neck positions in competition and warm-up and dressage competition had similar results. Higher level riders (medium & above) were not penalised for having horses ridden behind the vertical. In fact, it was found that conflict behaviours while riding in the tests did not influence marks. Of the individual conflict behaviours shown during the test, only the frequency of “going against the reins” tended to influence marks. The general lack of influence of the frequency of conflict behaviour on marks is likewise an alarming finding. Either, judges ignored these behavioural signs of discomfort or horses’ discomfort is associated individually with other parameters of performance (Kienapfel et al., 2014). The FEI dressage judges manual for all movements says the nose line must be on or above the vertical. In extended movements the “Athlete allows the Horse to carry the head a little more in front of the vertical” (FEI, 2024).
So why are the FEI so clearly breaking their own rules and rewarding riders for this damaging behaviour?
There needs to be a change.
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