This peer-reviewed study gave me faint hope for today's horsemen:
"Can You Tell When a Horse Is Stressed?"
After I read this article, I wondered if the few people involved in this study knew much about the history of horsemanship, especially the branch known as classical dressage. I also wondered if the folks involved actually cared about whether or not their horses were stressed since head position is merely one indicator.
I also wondered if most of them were aware of the multitude of problems caused by putting a horse's face behind the vertical (BTV). Considering the multitude of for sale ads I'm seeing where riders show off horses so behind the vertical that it's highly likely long periods of training would be required to (re)gain trust and willing cooperation. And that assumes the horses' anatomy suffered no permanent effects.
The state of equestrian arts today depresses me. I wonder how many people will EVER learn that BTV is not ideal. I fear the number is small.
