HUMAN RULES

The horse world today has many rules and regulations that over time have become more important than the welfare of the horse and encouraged the ridicule of riders for not wearing this years fashionable garment.

The first thing that really doesn't make sense is the rule about what coloured jodhpurs can be worn at competitions. What does it matter what colour jodhpurs you wear, white or cream ones don't make you a better rider and some of us look absolutley ridiculous in light coloured jodhpurs.

In some horse exams, by level two you have to have a hacking jacket worn with white shirt and tie...WHY? As long as you are wearing jodhpurs and a hat of the right standard, if you wear sensible, non-flapping garments what does it matter. Some people have to go out and buy these hacking jackets (not cheap) just for this one event. Never to be worn again, what a waste of money.

The rules for endurance in the UK allow for bitless bridles but not barefootedness, and even bitless bridles are not encouraged or against the rules of some events. Shouldn't we be encouraging these new methods if they improve the performance and well-being of the horse? People should be able to do any horse event from racing to driving in their own method. The welfare of the horse should be top of the list and if someone has a bitless, barefooted horse who is fit and healthy why can't they go on to do well in any event they choose. Maybe the authorities are worried that that particular horse might just win! I even see absurd rules in driving, like the reins should be brown only, or with black harness brown reins must be used and vice versa.

We don't need whips, spurs, bits, double bridles or shoes to have beautifully disciplined horses. Usually these horses are better behaved and happier because they don't have any hangups with aids. Usually when people worry about a bitless horse being hard to control in a competetive environment it's the bitted horse people who seem to have the trouble with their mounts.

I know some events will turn away anyone trying to compete without a bit or without shoes, also people who are not allowed to do show jumping unless they have the right jodhpurs or jacket. This only encourages a misunderstanding of the use of the bit and in truth is nothing but snobbery with regard to what should be worn in a show arena.

This is the new millenium, we should be moving on from these old fashioned ideas about how a horse should be trained, how many plaits he has, what the rider is wearing. It should be about the welfare of the horse, how well he behaves, how well he jumps and all without any cruelty, no whipping, no big bits, no nosebands which stop him breathing properly etc. Lets face it we've become acustomed to these rules and regulations, they make us feel safe, make us feel like we're doing the right things for our horses. The federations says I have to have my horse shod, the judges say I have to have a bit. If it feels wrong then stand up and say something, stop hiding behind regulations!

Someone somewhere has to begin getting these rules changed and the only way is to go to competitions and question the rules, draw the attention of the press when they say you can't enter and make the federations change the rules for the better. If you can prove how well behaved and happy your horse is without a bit, without shoes or show that black jodhpurs work just as well as cream or white then make a stand and change the horse world for the better. They did it with cricket and tennis and the change has not interfered with the standard of play.