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.

They need to do some under cover stuff potentially, BUT how many of them are actually fine with this behaviour providing it gets results? Often the rot goes right to the top. It’s how things because normalised. What they say and what they do might be very different

I think that would be a good idea, except that this sort of thing is widespread and accepted by the people at the top.
There are people who have been raising the alarm for years and yet nothing is done.

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/bgWSO7FAJA0

This charmer got a life ban but I wouldn't be surprised if it goes on everywhere

An interesting read :

www.eurodressage.com/2024/07/23/dressage-icon-charlotte-dujardin-toppled-horse-abuse-allegations

I think that the problem with anything like this is the lack of detail. people can (and will) argue that "It doesn't hurt them, just makes them uncomfortable" "its how they communicate with each other" "If the horse doesn't respect the rider then the rider won't be safe" The world IS changing though. This is intersting https://www.houstontx.gov/police/mounted/horses.htm#:~:text=In%202003%20the%20Houston%20Police,had%20very%20little%20hoof%20problems. also this https://www.horseandman.com/horse-stories/houston-police-mounted-unit-goes-bitless/04/14/2018/

Reminds me of the Kennel Club, Crufts etc , dressage and the horses have become a parody of what they once were

Appalling. It hurts me to hear these people say the care about the welfare of horses. That is pure sadism. The regulating bodies better get their house in order this time because the roof is going to get blown off these abhorrent practitioners and practices.

"Reminds me of the Kennel Club, Crufts etc , dressage and the horses have become a parody of what they once were"

Spot on, and as PP says- the judges reward it and it all flows from that. The kennel club can tiddle about with the wording of breed standards all they like but if judges are falling for the human tendency to want extremes- huge Great Danes, spindly twig legged high stepping Italian greyhounds, Dachshunds with their sternums practically hitting the ground- extremes will win, money and fame follow and somebody has to go more extreme. The same with dressage movements. The same with Big Lick horses. The same with Irish dancing kids plastered in makeup with ridiculous wigs. The same, to an extent,with Strictly.

Maybe Laura Kenny released it ;)

In seriousness, I have no sympathy for her. We expect our Olympians to act with integrity - which means doing the right thing even when no one is watching. She brutally attacked this horse in public, probably assuming she was in like minded company. God knows what happened behind closed doors.

If at the end of our lives, we learnt that we swap places and live the life of the animals or children who had been within our care the world would be a very different place.

Holy cow I have just watched the video on Sun Sports - others may have picked up on this already sorry if so but I think Charlotte says "this (the lunge whip) is so shit at hitting them hard". At minute 1.14.
What else does she hit horses hard with ?!?!?
OMFG. I have never been so sickened. Must be the end for her surely.

You would hope, but I bet it won’t be. There will be loads of people who will think what she did was perfectly acceptable and that she’s the best so that’s how it is. It’s so disappointing.

it would be good if someone could impose a ban of some kind, like from owning animals, but that is rare and usually only lasts a few months so it pointless anyway.

I just watched the video on the Times (it's behind a paywall), there it's at 0:13

Yes she did say exactly those words and I had the same thoughts you did as well.

Bloody hell, just seen that video. That’s not someone having a bad day and losing control ( though that would be bad enough), that’s someone who clearly uses this as standard training practice.
Her statement that this doesn’t reflect her training practice is a clear lie.

@AvacadoBathroomSuite @Another2Cats

So I didn't mishear. Awful. Surely those words show this is not an isolated lapse of judgement. "Hitting them hard" is part of her training method. Now I know in certain very limited circumstances it can be necessary to wallop a horse e.g. to get it to move out of the way of traffic or something extreme like that. But NEVER as a punishment (it doesn't work anyway) and NEVER repeatedly as a training method. Christ.

Sadly I don't think she can be prosecuted in the UK for an animal cruelty offence committed in the NL but the Dutch have similar laws on animal welfare. I hope whatever agency prosecutes these offences in NL goes for her. I rarely wish people ill but I sincerely hope her life is made very difficult indeed for this.

The problem they face now (elite dressage riders, and to a lesser extent all professional UK horse sports) is that they can say whatever TF they like to try to explain their actions, but they’re going to be saying it to an increasing number of riders, horse owners and trainers who DO NOT agree with their ego-driven methods. They can’t shirk off the establishment as easily as they do those they (wrongly) accuse of being ignorant “animal activists”. It is not just OETA calling for action today but many, many, disgusted horse owners too. I want to hear and see some real action from GB’s top team. Words and pr-savvy articles eschewing their commitment to welfare are pretty meaningless in the face of this video.

I just can't put into words how utterly utterly appalled I am by this. I had this ridiculous rose tinted spectacle idea that she completely loved and worked with her horses in a partnership and didn't resort to methods like this. I am side swiped - possibly very naively but I am....

I look at the face of my darling horse and can't imagine for the life of me ever letting anyone do that to him, ever doing it to him, I couldn't be in the company of anyone who did this to their horses. The person behind the camera is also laughing plus the rider are also complicit.

The excuse of "well we didn't realise how serious it was" but 4 years later have suddenly realised does NOT sit well with me.

Horrible bastards the lot of them.

I am sure I read that this abuse - sorry "training' actually took place in Gloucester, possibly at her own yard, not sure.

Almost the sickest part to me is the person filming it (or next to) laughing at the points where the horse is clearly hurt and kicking out. I have never owned or ridden horses. If I had taken my dog for training and saw the trainer treat them like this I would be apoplectic and would need to be restrained (never mind laughing). Is this what the horse world is like at times?

I have always wondered the ability some people have to buy and sell horses, as if commodities. They become treated like commodities and not sentient animals.

oh lets be clear, its what parts of the dog world are like too.

@godmum56 I have only rescued dogs and only dealt with rescue organisations - not breeders or the dog show world but I imagine you are right. Horrifying.

So disappointed about this, I always thought they were the new breed of dressage rider that treated their horses well & getting dressage back to a partnership rather than awful methods such as the use of Rollkur (so cruel)

I'm quite shocked by the video tbh. It's awful.

But I suspect this is 'standard' training at the top level. I've often wondered how the fuck they train those movements we all love to watch and the massive actions.

I also wonder how long before 'top' trainers refuse to allow sessions to be video'd, NDAs for all staff and all training behind closed doors.

It's not just dressage, every discipline has abuse happening because there is so much money involved. And when we monetise sport we lose some of the integrity behind it.

I'm really sad about it all. Not just because this is obviously not just a one off, and won't just be CD, but also because she had done so much for dressage and the equestrian industry.

Oh my goodness.... What a vile bully. She looks disengaged and angry - this looks like a bullying monster, not an ''ambassador for horse welfare'' - she she has been dropped by Brooke, as well. GOOD.

I’m afraid that’s the same excuse her defenders trotted out when she was eliminated for drawing blood using spurs at the Euro Championships in 2019. “She’s done so much for dressage, etc etc” they said. It’s a one off the said, an accident.
there should be no apology for her actions. What she’s done for dressage is taught grooms and riders that it’s ok to use questionable methods in private as long as you don’t get caught. What a legacy.

yup and why was she using rowelled spurs?