http://www.eurodressage.com/equestri...11-cdio-aachen

The two images that caught my eye were, first... Rath and Totilas and second... Peters and Ravel.

Take a close look at them......Rath is hard on the snaffle and the curb, while Peters rein contact is less.

However, their heads are nearly in the same place......

Rein connections affect upon lightness; seems to me that the tighter the rein connection the less lightness of forehand the horse will have.   This does have a direct and proximate affect upon the rest of the horse and the presentation.  So why are the world GP dressage riders presenting dressage with the brakes being applied to the horse.   I have forty years of experience and I know that when I pull back on a horse I am appling the brake.   So here in the images from the link we have two different applications of rein pressure achieving the same result.   This clearly shows that in actuality the rider is over braking the horse....ala your foot on the brake pedal [the snaffle bit] while your hand gradually is appling the emergency brake [the curb bit] of your vehicle.

Why are the judges not addressing this situation?  Article 401 states the the horse should appear to be doing it own its own.   How can such an appearance be present when the rider has the horse in braking mode all the time?

This incorrect continuous presentation has now negatively affected the basic schooling of lower level horses.  It is shameful.