The Dressage Rule That Shocked Us - Rein Releases are Penalised

<p><strong>What happens when you look — really look — at how dressage is judged?</strong></p><p>In this episode of Changing Rein, PhD researcher Cristina Wilkins shares a finding that genuinely surprised us: the Dressage Judging Guidelines mention the requirement to maintain contact 37 times — and visible rein releases are penalised. The longer the release, the greater the penalty.</p><p>For anyone trained in learning theory, that&#39;s a confronting discovery. Horses learn through pressure and release. So what happens when the release never comes?</p><p>Using extraordinary high-speed photography from fine artist Crispin Johansson — capturing up to 60 frames per second during competition — Cristina and her research team have been able to examine entire dressage tests frame by frame. What they&#39;re seeing raises important questions about the gap between what we say good training looks like and what the rules actually reward.</p><p>This conversation also explores how equipment like tight nosebands and even artificial foaming agents can mask signs of horse discomfort, and also introduces the concept of hypersensitisation - a possible explanation for why horses continue to perform even without the release that ethical training principles require.</p><p>This isn&#39;t about blame. It&#39;s about looking more closely at what&#39;s happening and asking whether the rules we ride by match the welfare outcomes we all want.</p><p><strong>Guest:</strong> Cristina Wilkins — PhD candidate (University of New England), equitation science researcher, and co-author of multiple peer-reviewed papers on horse welfare.</p><p><strong>Hosts:</strong> Dr Karen Luke &amp; Meta Osborne</p>