Riding a fine line

In the the latest developments of the FEI’s attempt to police hyperflexion, the FEI has sent out a press release trying to clarify acceptable neck positions in the warmup that are definied in the new dressage stewards manual.  Three neck positions that are permitted:
Snapshot 2010-05-12 17-01-45.jpeg
How would we interpret the acceptable LDR position diagram differently if the horse has its ears pinned and the rider was leaning back? 

Unfortunately, there are no pictures of what is not permitted.  Instead, the press release explains:

“Any head and neck position obtained through the use of aggressive force is not acceptable. Movements which involve having the horse’s head and neck carriage in a sustained or fixed position should only be performed for periods not exceeding approximately 10 minutes without change.  Deliberate extreme flexions of the neck involving either high, low or lateral head carriages, should only be performed for very short periods.”


The stewards manual explains that the steward will intervene should he observe:

 â—￾ Neck stretching achieved through forced, or aggressive riding 
 â—￾ The use of extreme flexion
 â—￾ A rider deliberately maintaining a sustained fixed head and neck carriage longer than approximately 10 min
 â—￾ In cases when the horse is in a state of general stress and/or fatigue
Admittedly, I don’t have any experience as a steward, but I have concerns about the potential ambiguity of the rules.  For example, the press release states that “extreme flexions” should only be performed for “very short periods” but the manual instructs stewards to intervene at the use of any extreme flexion.  We’re not talking about measuring dressage whips and spurs–the rules are based on how “aggressive” and “deliberate” a rider is being and the “stress” level of a horse.  How soon will it be before there’s a major controversy involving a disqualification based on such subjectivity?
We can all see the difference between the “low, deep, and round” diagram above and the absurd Kittel video (below), but remember that the FEI concluded there was “no reliable evidence that the warm-up techniques used by Mr Kittel were excessive.”  Under these circumstances I think we need some sort of diagram or video to tell us what exactly would be considered excessive.
Patrik Kittel and the infamous ‘blue tongue’ video. 

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