To think dressage is cruel and also ludicrous?

Racing is the worst of it. The horses are still juvenile and developing when they race so are incredibly prone to life-limiting lameness when older. Steeplechasing frequently leads to accidents and deaths. Abuse of animals in training is rife, and the horses that don’t make it often end up in the European meat market.

What Charlotte Dujardin did was cruel and inexcusable. There is no room for abuse of horses in any training regime.

This isn’t the first time she’s come under scrutiny.

Charlotte said: “I’m obviously absolutely devastated – nothing like this has ever happened to me before. The health and welfare of my horses is always my number one priority, but of course I accept the decision.”

Funny how in 2019 she drew blood from a horse…

https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/britain-lose-silver-medal-charlotte-dujardin-eliminated-european-championships-694352

This is exactly it, what is the likelihood that this is the first time she’s acted like that whilst training? I’d say most definitely not! Just the first time she was caught on camera. Awful behaviour!

Actually, they do very much get the thrill of galloping, when they are turned out in their fields - ideally with their best buddies - but also when they are hacked out. Nobody expects a horse to train intensively every day - it is alternated with other types of exercise.

Anyway, I agree with pps who have said that dressage done correctly is based on natural moves - albeit taken a bit further. (I struggle to maintain that position when watching haute école but others may differ[. But piaffe, passage, tempi changes, pirouettes are all done spontaneously in the wild, or in a field when a horse is expressing himself/herself naturally. Dressage is asking a horse to produce these moves (perhaps exaggeratedly[, and maintain them for longer.

Apparently what was happening in the infamous video was a training session aiming at obtaining piaffe. I have watched a few seconds only and from what I could see, what was going on there was never going to lead to a piaffe. It looked like it was aiming to instil fear of the trainer/fear of the lunging whip. I have never seen piaffe taught that way and nor would it make any sense to try to achieve piaffe like that, even on a very green horse - not that a green horse is in any way ready for piaffe.

It's very upsetting when a rider whose career you have followed and whom you hold in high regard has been exposed to be less than you imagined.

@FourLeggedBuckers

that's the thing isn't it. When there's so much at stake people are always going to push the limits.

I don't know how you solve it when the 'equipment' is a horse. Having regulations don't solve it, slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket doesn't solve it... ( and that's AFTER the abuse, so REALLY doesn't solve it...)

All I can think of is to stop it being an Olympic/top level competition, but the Govt won't do that while the GB team does so well @ there's SO much money in it

😢😢

It’s disappointing to see so many people trotting out the old excuses - it is entirely possible to force a horse to do something it doesn’t want to do, and you can certainly coerce it. Horses are largely compliant animals.

Many horses will continue to try to oblige their owners despite being in pain, or uncomfortable in their work. We have an obligation to horses not to put undue pressure on them to perform for our egos.

Unless horse owners and riders admit that and accept that a lot of what is done in the name of horse sport is questionably ethical at best, we have no real hope of making things better. And I do believe it is possible to ride horses ethically, but not when there is money, fame and kudos at stake.

I'm not saying either is great but this post shows massive ignorance

My horse spotted a snake on the ground cunningly disguised as an old lead rope and tried to jump into my arms, screaming “Mummmmeeeee, heeelllp”.

Twat.

Competition horses are well cared for and racehorses are not fearful!

I have rescued ex racers. I can assure you they ARE fearful of a lot of things depending on the yard they came from. It has sometimes taken me over a year to gain the trust of a horse who has been abused. You are deluded if you think otherwise.

I’ve had horses for many years and been on a few yards before eventually having my own stables and land. I’ve seen things that have given me nightmares the way some people treat horses especially in riding schools. Some “trainers” (and I mean big names in the equestrian world) shouldn’t be near animals imo. Charlotte Dujardin being one of them. This isn’t the first time her training methods have been questioned, it’s just the first time someone has had the balls to speak out about it. “An error of judgement” no, it wasn’t an error of judgement, she battered a horse around the legs and this isn’t unusual with some “trainers”. She isn’t the only one, there’s lots out there like her unfortunately.

Some dog trainers are the same. They batter an animal into submission or use “aids” to get the result they want. It’s disgusting.

So what happens to them then? Let the breeds die out? I love racing and I’m not apologizing for it. I especially love seeing athletic horses jumping at speed. There are accidents, as there are with sporting human beings, but I don’t see horses or dogs as the same as us. They need us so in return they give something back. Most people with pets or competition horses get this. If others don’t like it, too bad in my view. Competition horses are well cared for and racehorses are not fearful! Of what? They enjoy what they do or they would refuse to do it. As indeed some do.

I’m asking for it posting this comment on here but ahhh, fuck it…I don’t think humans have any business sitting on a horse full stop.

Absolutely but people don’t want to acknowledge that.

I agree with the comments on high level dressage unfortunately. Dressage is basically training, and competing should be showing the level of training and communication between horse and rider, sadly I think the art of this, of truly training a horse well, communication with the horse and riding sympathetically has been overtaken by wanting results and quick 'fixes' have become more common.

I used to compete at lower levels and it was more about doing your best bit of schooling in front of someone you've paid to criticise you so you can work on that criticism and create a better partnership.

Racing and anything to do with jumping are more immediately dangerous, but I'm not sure these horses at top levels in dressage are always trained using the best methods unfortunately.

Although pp do have a point when they say that forcing a horse to do anything it doesn't want to is nigh on impossible, they weigh half a ton or more, have metal feet and can move sideways at speeds in excess of 40mph if they desire. It's not an argument you're going to win. It's done through cooperation.

Also that horses do perform these movements naturally, they are enhanced and taught on cue, but I've seen all types and breeds pull these moves in the field, under saddle when excited or spooking, playing etc, or just bimbling about.

Being honest though, when my horse started to get older and he retired, I did start to question a lot of things and felt conflicted. On the one hand is it fair to use animals in this way, but the other that we as humans, have developed and cultivated the relationship with these animals and I think as we have encouraged their dependency on us with breeding etc, we owe it to them to meet the different needs we've created in them that can't be met in the wild.

Wait hold on?! If all the things wrong in dressage blue tongue, hyper flexion etc you think the white boards are the work of the devil. Are you my old pony? He hated white boards

That’s the real cruelty of dressage. That and an unnecessarily literal interpretation of walking. And geometry!

They do tend to also frown when you jump the white boards

You might want to try it.

Having a good working bond with an animal is incredibly rewarding, and the animal loves it too. Riding a happy horse, training with a happy dog, bloody brilliant.

Ditto plastic bags. Evil.

There’s just not enough room to gallop safely in a standard dressage arena and you lose so many marks 😞

Some do. I didn't compete at very high levels but did hack, jump etc
Some dressage horses are regularly turned out to do as they please. Best vet, physio, dental care etc
My friend has a couple of drrsssge horses and regularly gallops both of them on a track

Definitely and the recent trials of using cameras in the warm up arenas of big events highlights this.

My horse has been happier since I started dressage training (with a very talented, empathic coach). The chap that trims his feet (he's not shod) asked what was different in his routine because he was so much better behaved than normal and we worked out it was probably the training 🤷‍♀️

At the lower levels 'dressage' is flatwork training so the very basic movements are what kids do in riding school.
Flatwork training is important for all ridden horses. You need 'dressage' in showjumping eg to adjust stride, lead etc.

Dressage at the highest levels or Grand Prix is horrific & I'm glad the spotlight is on the sport. Horses strapped down by nosebands, forced behind the vertical the list goes on. I think it's the worst ahead of racing & eventing.

I have horses & compete at very low levels. Horse ownership is a wonderful experience & riding & low level competing can be a part of that, however I think the time has come to see the back of horses in the Olympics.