​The World of Dressage

The Netherlands

A Horse to be Reckoned With....

 

Bred in Broeksterwâld in 2000, Totilas began his journey to become one of the world's most fantastic horses.

 

Given basic training until he turned five in 2005, Totilas entered his first major competition and went on to be named the best horse from the Netherlands, and placed fourth in the final ranking of five year old dressage horses. 

 

Totilas' owners, Jan K. Schuil and Anna Schuil-Visser, contacted Edward Gal (a world respected competitor) and asked if he would ride and train the stallion through the highest levels of competition. Gal began his work with Totilas in 2006, instantly feeling the stallion's incredible power and ability.

 

 "He has an incredible amount of talent; it’s simply a pleasure to ride him."

- Edward Gal

 

In July 2009, Gal and Totilas broke the World Record score in the Grand Prix Freestyle with an 89.50% and shortly thereafter broke their own record with a score of 90.75% at the 2009 FEI European Jumping and Dressage Championships.

 

Totilas became the first horse to ever recieve a 90% in official competition.

 

In December 2009, Gal and Totilas once again broke their own record in the Grand Prix Freestyle with a 92.30%.

 

Totilas, an impressive black stallion, demonstrates the highest level of elesticity the world has ever known. He is known for his incredible extentions in the trot, and his even more impressive Piaffe and Passage work.

 

 

"He is capable of such power and balance while he's in motion that it is almost beyond what most other horses can do."

- Anne Gribbons, United States Equestrian Federation

 

 

 

Although Totilas seems to have been gifted with the incredible talent of an ideal dressage horse, the horse's training as been noted as controversial.

 

An unfortunatly common training method known as "Rollkur" uses hyperflexion of the horse's neck as a method of suppling the horse. However, Rollkur is not a quick movement lasting one or two strides, it lasts the entire ride. 

 

Defined as "flexion of the horse's neck achieved through aggressive force," Rollkur is considered to be both physical and mental abuse of the animal. It is achieved by the rider using extreme force in his hands resulting in the horse evading the bit and curling up the neck, bringing his jaw close to his chest. This allows the pressure of the bit to lessen, however this position is detrimental to the horse. In minor cases, Rollkur causes a loss in impulsion and throughness due to a improperly stretched back. In extreme cases, Rollkur can stop bloodflow to the horse's mouth.

 

In 2012, the FEI banned the use of Rollkur in competition and warm ups. If a rider is seen using Rollkur, he will be dismissed from competition. 

 

Critics accuse Totilas' trainers of artificially inflating dressage scores through Rollkur and corrupting the fundamentals of the sport. 

 

In October 2010, it was announced that sport horse breeder Paul Schockemöhle had purchased Totilas for a total of €14.7 million. Following Totilas' purchase, 2011, Schockemöhle and co-owner Ann-Kathrin Linsenhoff selected Matthias Alexander Rath, a 26 year old German rider and stepson of Linsenhoff, to be the new rider of Totilas.

 

"I'm absolutely devastated...It's like I'm struck by lightning."

-Edward Gal

 

 

It was rumored that Linsenhoff had bought Totilas with the intention of gifting him as her step-son's new mount. 

 

After Rath trained with Totilas for several, the pair began competing and the results were disheartening. 

 

Allegations of abuse arose soon after the pair's 2011 performance in Rotterdam when Totilas stuck out his tongue while during the test. This is viewed as a sign of stress, causing public concern that Totilas was being abused due to the use of rollkur in his training.

 

However, prosecutors have yet to determine if these allegations are sufficient enough to prosecute.

 

The following years after the change of Totilas' rider lead to disappointment. Totilas endured several injuries inhibiting him from competing. Although Rath expressed hope the pair would both be sound and healthy enough to compete in the 2016 Olympics, will be 16 years old (a relatively old age for a competative Grand Prix horse).