I don’t understand the Charlotte Dujardin furore….

[VivaLaSpag]

For transparency, I know absolutely nothing about horses but have seen this all blow up so am trying to understand the context and concern. In no way am I saying what she has done is right.

My question is, aren’t horses whipped to the finish line in horse races? If this is a routine practice then why is there such concern about what Dujardin has done?

I'm not sure it was being filmed discreetly. At one point the person (presumably holding the phone) says "When we watch this video back later and we practice this, you'll need to block him" or something similar.

I think it was being filmed so they could rewatch the training session in order to practice.

It's all very odd. I am shocked that anyone could watch that lesson and not be horrified. Especially if it was their daughter riding. Apart from the animal abuse, she could have caused a bad accident.
Just shocking all round but ultimately I'm just glad she's been exposed whatever the exact ins and out of the situation were at the time. Unfortunately I've lost all trust in elite dressage now.

IF it was being filmed openly for review and to learn from, the the person who filmed it is complicit in the abuse.
Anyone who didn't stop it is - to a lesser degree - responsible.
Shame on all of them.

I don’t disagree with this but our culture worships famous people. We also revere people with Olympic medals. The reason CJD describes the horse as ‘shit’ in the video is because it isn’t capable of performing to the level she is accustomed.
Ultimately a person in her position teaching a clinic wields a lot of power and needs to behave accordingly.
She and she alone is to blame for her actions.

I’ve ridden and competed horses most of my life.

In more recent years I started to really get a different view of it. The spurs, chains, tying heads down to win, standing in draw or side reins for hours, limited turnout, riding horses on roads risking their lives. I had a lesson much like this once, where I was given a whip for each hand and told to hold my ponies head in and basically whip it into submission. This same instructor wipes the floor every time they compete.

Maybe it is time for change. Just because it’s always been done doesn’t mean it’s right.

Report them to someone then! Please, for the horses sakes

To who and how? The instructor is not BHS or qualified, just a random who gets results and ‘helps’ others get them. I gladly would and have heard so many similar stories but the instructor seems worshiped much like CJD (not dressage though-showing which is just as bad IMO) and has no regulatory body to report too.

I have no evidence, no video. I was told to whip a reluctant horse while holding the contact and driving it forward, so the impulsion would make it rounder. Something so many people seem to do! Maybe not with 2 whips but ‘holding’ heads in is something almost everyone competed horses did or does, along with tight draw and side reins. I no longer compete or own horses and haven’t for about 5 years. People presumably know the instructor is like this unless they have changed yet still use them on repeat as though it’s completely normal!

@Peronipony the showing world is horrendous and you are right lots of riders do hold the horses heads in and use the methods you mention. That said there are good and bad in all walks of life and it isn’t fair to say “something almost everyone competed horses did or does”.