Is it true about Charlotte Dujardin withdrawing from the Olympics?

[Freakwave897]

Or is it fake news?

It’s so disappointing if true…

I am a huge fan and can’t quite believe what I am hearing.

This was my thought exactly, how can someone who is calmly walking around and whipping a horse claim a lapse in judgment. I was expecting a quick outburst in frustration this is just a normal day at the office from the video.
Whips are often used to teach dressage moves but there is a big big difference between gently touching the horses legs to teach them where to go and cracking a lunging whip onto them hard enough you can hear it over and over.

Exactly this. She isn't lashing out in anger in the heat of the moment, she's standing there calmly like it's a normal part of the lesson. Same as the Mark Todd video. I'd say it absolutely does reflect the way she trains horses and pupils.....as she assumes the pupil/ parents will be ok with this

"Tbh I was expecting CD to have lost her patience or to have appeared flustered or impatient but she looked chillingly calm and comfortable as though this was “normal” for her."

100% agree, she's using it casually forehand and backhand like she does it all the time. Ok the noise of the lunging whip through the air makes it sound worse but still, she's hitting him hard.

What is she even trying to achieve here? She doesn't give the horse time to respond to the strike, to do what she is trying to make it do, which is very unfair. A child could see that the horse is stressed, pissed off and really tense, the total opposite of what dressage is meant to be.
I think she's trying to make it pick its hind feet up more- to create the illusion of impulsion and engagement, but it's just circus tricks. No better than the hard handed showing child sawing at the pony's mouth to "get it's head in" and make it look collected on the bit.

I bet she's not the only one...Grand Prix dressage now with flicky hyperextended joints and big exaggerated actions just gives me "Big Lick" vibes. I'm glad the video has come out now, perfect timing IMO.

Good. The least she deserves tbh.

Just to be clear, for those who don’t know, a lunging whip, or even a training whip, or a short crop, should never, ever be used to hit a horse.

That is not their purpose.

A stallion drives its herd from behind , and impulsion in a horse comes from the back legs, so the theory of long training whips is that you mimic and encourage forward impulsion when mounted, or from the ground, by applying a feather light touch on the flank, as obviously when you are mounted you can’t use your arms to extend backwards far enough to do that, so the whip is an extension of your arm.

Occasionally a crop can be used to steer but never hit. If you have to hit a horse to
get it to move, or speed up, you need to work on your riding skills or horse training.

Hitting should never be used - if you are frustrated you walk away - hitting with whips or no whips should not form part of any standard training regime.

Similarly, spurs are only to be used by experienced, balanced riders with an independent seat. Nowadays they are rounded and blunt and are used to touch the horse lightly on the flank in a tiny area, rather than using a squeeze of the heels. But a good rider with a properly trained horse should be able to use their seat and weight distribution to stop and start and increase and decrease speed. Ironically, correct dressage training helps you do this!

I’m not horsey at all but the video was awful. CD was in control the whole time and choosing to whip that horse. Even to me, it was clearly painful for the horse.

Dreadful woman. She may be doing what she’s been trained to do, but that makes it all the worse.

I'm not usually a fan of social media or the fact that everything gets filmed these days but in this case - and any instance of animal cruelty - I am absolutely fully supportive of it.

Not only has it brought to light CDs awful and cruel training methods of these animals she supposedly "worships" (🙄) but it will mean different laws and safety regulations will have to be implemented across the board and less (hopefully no) horses have to be subject to this kind of treatment.

I never once, in all my years of riding, saw cruelty at my stables but the regular staff had contacts and worked regularly with events like the Olympia Horse Show. It's sadly endemic. The very idea of wearing spurs is abhorrent, as is the video of Dujardin whipping that horse. They drive these animals to the very edge, and they win because they're terrified. Sadly I am not surprised to hear the news about Dujardin. Stories like this have circulated about her before, as has the state of the scarring after she disingenuously claimed the spurs had 'slipped' and the bleeding on her horse's side was a one-off. I'm delighted she finally has what's coming to her.

As for the owner of the video holding back this footage until an opportune moment, I have mixed feelings. Yes, it's four years old and earlier disclosure would have prevented horses from suffering further. But perhaps the person who shot that footage knew, not only that Dujardin's behaviour was her standard practice, but that it was also standard in high-end competition riding (and likely beyond) in general. What then?

Disclosing the video ahead of the most major global sporting event and costing Britain one of our best Olympic hopes would garner exactly the right amount of publicity. It has, and draws attention not only to Dujardin's revolting actions but to a festering canker going right to the roots of equestrian sports. If the right question are asked this could effect lasting change, rather than simply exacting necessary retribution against one major, repeat offender.

I'm not casting any judgement whatsoever on whoever disclosed the video. What matters isn't when the footage was released, but that it was, and that consequently Dujardin has been seen for precisely what she is.

And yet, a Dutch athlete who was convicted of sexual assault of a 12 year^ old girl^ is fine and dandy to compete and represent his country.

I mean. 🤦🏻‍♀️

She's an evil bitch who has quite evidently abused an animal. She SHOULD be held accountable and suffer the consequences of her despicable actions...but she won't. These kind of people get away with it and her life will carry on as normal.

Is anyone else puzzled by the “like an elephant in a circus” comment? I’m not horsey, but is there supposed to be a sliding scale of acceptable abuse of performing animals?

horrific woman, and by the sounds of it a horrific culture through and through.

Disgusting. Her medals should be taken away. The horses won them for her.

Anyone captured whipping an horse that many times: it’s not a one off. She was on the news the other night, purring about how much she loved her horses. Like an abusive partner who beats their loved one then says sorry, I won’t do it again.

Sickening.

I think the suggestion is that elephants were/are trained this way, and that's quite rightly not seen as acceptable nowadays so it shouldn't be acceptable for horses either.

There is a bloke on facebook called Isaac Ares Rio who is worth a look. I think yes the timing is interesting but the struggle to improve the care of horses used for dressage is not new and has been ignored by mainstream press. I suspect that is the reason for the timing.

I am not sure of the rerlevance?

There’s always been talk that CD isn’t as nice as you’d think. Sadly this video just proves it.

ive been around horses nearly my whole life, as have DD and DH. All of us just casual riders, a bit of very low level competition nothing fancy. I learnt to ride without a whip and, although I carry one now, very rarely if ever use it. Most sessions I just waggle it a bit the first time I ask for trot and my mare responds, never have to use it to ask for canter. Can’t remember the last time I made contact with her side with it. DD usually rides without a whip, DH doesn’t use it. None of us use spurs.

we are on a lovely yard, I don’t honestly see anything that worries me. Once about 10 years ago we had a woman who would regularly hit her mare when tacking up (the mare had absolutely no ground manners and would try to kick / bite all the time. Can’t think why!). The woman left not long after arriving.

basically the sport doesn’t have to be cruel, but there are certainly people in it who are - there are those that use fear and punishment and pain to get what they want, but it should not be the norm.

the video is distressing to watch and I’m not sure what CD is trying to achieve? Get the horse to pick his feet up?!? Sadly I don’t think it will end her career, but I hope fewer people will send their horses to her for training.

This is 2019. Are rowelled spurs still permitted?

This is shameful for team GB and the equestrian industry - and so it should be! Who cares if the timing was optimal or not - the point, lest we forget, is that she readily admitted it without whisper of denial. She knows her method were wrong. She’s said that. She’s been eliminated previously. We also know she is not the only one doing this, so yes, tough and sad that it’s overshadowed other competitors, but equally fair that this finally gets the wide press coverage that it deserves. For once I say let the mud stick. That’s the only was to force better regulation and a rethink about rider suitability to the sport and care of horses.

if you want your stomach turned, go and google horse abuse dressage. I take it we all know about the abomination that is rolkur?

The video is on you tube

Sickening behaviour. I’m so pleased that cruel woman has been exposed for who she really is. Her reputation is in tatters and deservedly so. That poor, frightened horse.

Thanks to those who've answered questions, the horsey world is alien to me (sadly my mean parents didn't buy me one when I asked for one aged 8).

It looks like most people are saying that to get horses to contort into the modern day extreme postures required in dressage, force is necessary. If that's right, that's really sad. I'd always thought dressage was a slightly bonkers equivalent to dog agility where they were doing horsey things but taking it up a notch and to music.

This isn't OK either, obviously. But should not be used to diminish what CJD has done.

I know nothing at all about horses or riding. But I do know about "errors of judgement", and that wasn't what I saw in the horrific video clip. An error of judgement suggests a loss of control in the moment, a mistake under pressure. What I saw was someone repeatedly whipping a horse, very calmly. As if it was the most normal thing in the world to her.

I agree, I don't think either of them should be taking part but for very different reasons. They shouldn't be compared.

That video is sickening, she's a brutal, casual and confident abuser.

She goes on and on and the horse is obviously frightened based on its body language? Can someone horsey share their thoughts on the horse's behaviour and body language during this training session? Please?