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?

Horses aren't excessively whipped in racing. If it happens, a jockey gets fined and suspended. The Jockey Club rules are that a horse is allowed to receive 5 strokes in the final furlong in flat racing and the same number after the final hurdle/fence over the jumps. It's not sadism. I've watched racing for years, and some horses are prone to idling near the end of a race. The whip is a reminder that their job is not yet done

I don't think Dujardin comes from a privileged background.

What she did was very wrong but I wonder how many others competing in the Equestrian events at these Olympics are guilty of this kind of treatment and possibly worse?

Why reply to the thread

I watched both videos and cried my heart out. was no nappy (disobedient) horse but a kind, h horse that was totally bewildered at being beaten. I wouldn't have treated ANY horse like that because it does no good, and is of course cruel, wicked behaviour.
I started riding when I was 12 years old and got my first pony when I was 25. I arranged for a friend who is a qualified riding instructor to give me a weekly lesson, which were conducted without cruelty and improved both the pony and me. When the poor old pony died of cancer I got a horse. She was miss-sold as being calm and ready for riding club work. She was a bundle of nerves including being traffic shy, and inclined to lash out with her forelegs. I didn't hit her because it would have been horribly cruel - she was afraid, poor lass.
My riding teacher and I decided to take her right back to the beginning and when she began to realise that nobody was going to hurt her, she calmed right down. She

🥰 I also had horses as a child, so did my mum, never was brutality or abuse a solution to anything

I know people are a bit 🧐 about the timing of this, ie the olympics, however if it's going to make massive waves across the whole of sport and hopefully beyond, about cruelty and abuse then hopefully it gets blown wide open
There was a hoohaa about prince Harry and a pregnant polo pony he rode til she died, it's lost in the newspapers, ... he's an animal abuser too, but it's lost in press... at least the Olympics can hopefully raise it high enough to actually make a difference ... here's hoping!!

It was a momentary lapse of judgement where she happened to find a whip in her hand and go hell for leather, whipping the animal which was clearly in pain.

Why are lunge whips sold then

@Mary1234567 as a guide, not to be used on the horse

When you lunge a horse you stand in a triangle like the pic. If you want the horse to move over, you move the whip to point at the shoulder to push them out
It's basically an arm extension so as if you are putting your arm out to say "move forward" not to hit them with it

@Mary1234567 to lunge horses ...

For me it's the coolness with which she did it. She didn't lose control and she wasn't angry. Completely normal for her. Chilling.

Once?? I hope it did ruin her life, she didn't give a hoot about the horse or anyone watching did she ?

I lost the last bit of my post Just to say that my friend and I got Cleo going nicely so when I had to sell her a few years later (marriage broke up) I could do so with confidence. What a year that was - Ben the pony died, old man left me and had to sell Cleo. That DuJardine woman needs a short sharp shock!+

I've seen this video and it's disgusting. There is even laughing on it. She should be banned from owning or working with a horse for life. Pure evil.

I hope she never has horses or represents the country again.

I thought she was fantastic.

This has put a forever black mark against her.
Hitting the horse like she did is not normal. She's not flustered or distressed but uses that whip so naturally and easily it's something that's NOT A ONE OFF.

Scary how she seems so at ease and comfortable hitting the poor horse. One of very many I expect.

I hope she suffers for this, vile woman.

It upsets me that the rider(?) said twice (she was asked to repeat) “why do you have to hurt him?” and the answer was something like ‘because he’s rubbish'. The horse seemed so calm and sweet.

A lunge whip is meant to be used to keep the horse out on a circle and away from you, as it’s dangerous for the horse to turn in on you, it could end up getting caught in a lunge line. Most of lunge work, the horse should be taking command from your voice.

The laughing sounds like it’s coming from the person filming; who presumably has been paid a lot of money for her video
Should she be prosecuted for aiding and abetting animal cruelty?

I really hope this vile woman gets banned from competing for life.

What a bitch. I wish that horse had bucked her right in the jaw.

Such a weird instinct when you see a beautiful animal: to think how can I control it and make it behave in a really unnatural way. And the rider then gets lauded for this bizarre behaviour.
And that's before we even get to the whipping

It's not unnatural though. You can see a horse do a passage when it's excited or a pirouette playing in the field
It's just teaching them to do what they do naturally but with a command

Nobody seems to object if it's someone on the ground making a horse rear on command but dressage somehow is different

Sorry I don't buy the momentary lapse of judgement. There have been queries over her riding before ie blood in the mouth etc.
I used to be a fan but as I've watched her over the years, increasingly I don't like how she rides.

Of course people object to horses being trained to rear on command .

It's taking away their choice to do what they want to do when they want to do it, though, doesn't matter whether the person is riding the horse or is on the ground