While classical riding training is supposed to create a good relationship between horses and riders, the reality is unfortunately often anything but harmonious. This is because highly problematic training methods are repeatedly used in equestrian sport.

Training that is based on the physical and mental maturity of the horse and the guidelines of the German Equestrian Federation is unfortunately still not common practice in equestrian sport. The eight points¹ of classical riding doctrine stipulate, among other things, that the health of a horse has top priority. The use of a horse must be based on its disposition, its ability and its willingness to perform.

The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture also writes in its guidelines for animal welfare in equestrian sport² which the German Animal Welfare Federation also contributed to³ that aids that cause pain or fear to the animal during training and use without a reasonable reason are prohibited. Despite such guidelines, riders and trainers regularly use methods that are contrary to animal welfare. They inflict avoidable suffering on horses with practices such as barring, touching or the roll cure. They try to force the animals to perform in a way that they would not do under normal conditions, or at least not to the same extent. We strictly reject this practice, which is contrary to animal welfare.

With the active bar, a person usually stands hidden behind the obstacle and hits the horse's legs from below with a metal or wooden pole when jumping over the obstacle. With the passive bar, a thinner second bar, usually made of metal, is also placed above the top bar of the obstacle. If the horse hits the metal bar, the animal feels pain. The loud noise when the bar falls also causes the horse to become frightened and scared. The horse is thus brutally taught to jump higher next time. Although the bar is already banned, it is still sometimes used in show jumping. The German Equestrian Federation initially put this method into perspective by introducing touching. This involves touching the horse's legs with a pole during the jump, but the pole must not be made of metal. According to the guidelines of the German Equestrian Federation, touching is now also prohibited.⁴

In the roll cure, riders pull the horse's head down so low over a longer period of time with the help of the reins or with draw reins that the mouth partially touches the chest. This is also known as hyperflexion. The animal's neck is overstretched enormously, which is painful and can result in permanent damage. The horse experiences massive stress and fear . Its field of vision is so severely restricted that it has to be guided without being able to see what is happening and what is in front of it. In addition, the rolling cure not only severely impedes the horse's breathing, but also possibly its swallowing. The latter has been the subject of many studies and could be one reason why horses often foam at the mouth when using this method. In addition, the rolling cure can cause pain or even injuries in the mouth and, depending on the bit, also in the tongue and palate area. If the horse realizes that it can no longer free itself from this situation, it will eventually give in. It becomes numb and develops a learned helplessness. This state is similar to depression. The roll cure is used in almost all disciplines.

When blistering, riders rub a highly irritating substance, such as capsaicin, onto the coronet band or cannon bones above the hooves. This causes the horse to feel more pain when it touches the obstacle pole. As a result, the horse jumps even more carefully and higher. Blistering is no longer used in Germany.