She looks pretty casual about how many times she hits that horse. That was hard to watch and very, very brutal. I don't think it looks like a lapse. She isn't even mad or vocally upset, i.e. not like she lost her temper even.
This shit is disturbing. This all sounds so normal for all of them the person who is filming chuckling along saying the horse is bad. This total absence of empathie is just heartbreaking. the horse world is saddly so full of this sh***t
I remember being driven to tears in a lesson with an instructor who kept telling me to use the whip and then started mocking me (in front of a few people who I did not know who were watching) when I became upset and said I didn’t feel comfortable with doing that in the manner she was telling me to do. Afterwards I felt extremely ashamed and stupid and embarrassed. It took me years to be able to look back on that moment and be able to tell myself that I was in the right and what that instructor was teaching me was wrong and that I wasn’t being stupid. It is deeply disturbing that I keep seeing examples of this type of thing happening with so many other people. The fact that there are still horse riding instructors teaching their students methods like this is insane. There needs to be a fundamental change to the whole system and industry so that instructors stop feeling so comfortable teaching students to ride aggressively and without respect.
As someone who has admittedly had these sorts of episodes with horses in the past (and has since gone to therapy, uses R+ almost exclusively, will never forgive themselves, and tries to speak out/up on the matter of horses being punished for rider/trainer mistakes)...this was not a lapse in judgement. This was casual premiditation that has been engrained into her from some source or another. Not necessarily even a past trainer but just something that she has found to 'work' (for her, not the horse) that she has undoubtedly done before...it's despicable but honestly only made worse by people trying to shift blame onto the rider or blame the 'leaker' for ruining her Olympics return...I hate horse people, lmao
Same. I've been out of the horse world forever now, but I still won't forgive myself for what I was told I "had to" do to my horses as a kid. It was abusive, it was horrible, and it shouldn't have been taught to a child as the proper way to do things. I'm really glad that before my girl was sold without my knowledge/consent when I was 20 that I had figured out on my own that it was wrong and started to change my methods with her.
Same. I can't stand the horsey set they're so full of themselves. The equestrian world is total BS and it's all about showing off and has very little to do with the welfare of the horses.
Thank you for bringing up the lack of motivation for the whipping. There appears to be no known goal, the lashings are indiscriminate. No one, especially the horse, has a clue why the whippings are taking place. To calmly but forcefully lash an animal over and over again for no apparent reason is sociopathic.
I spoke with a professional show jumper in his 40's once about his job. He admitted he hated horses after so many years of trying to make money out of them, but he said it was the only thing he knew. I suspect this may be secretly happening to all professionals. It must remain secret at all cost for the public sake, but the video shows the true state of their minds. Horses become a fodder for their livelihood.
The head neck positon is much too narrow. I suspect that the horse steppen on the brake when that position was asked and then it was forced to perform.
The victims here are the horse AND the rider. Charlotte is a bullying force here. As an adult, i would stop, dismount , and end the session with the first whip motion. Nobody , i mean nobody would strike my mount with me on it, near it, in my presence. But likely this is a young rider who was intimidated. Ms Djardin should be given a lifetime ban from owning/ working with horses. Animal abuse charges should be filed. Set the precedent! Put a stop to this behavior permanently
I would have got off my horse too but being 15 years old the rider probably felt intimidated. My mum always came with me to horse events and she said after watching the video of Charlotte 'if that had been you at 15, I would have gone into the arena and stopped the lesson', and she would have too!. The horse looks knackered to me and needs a rest.
I HATE victim blaming, and while the horse is definitely the victim, the rider is also a victim. The whole argument of "why didn't she speak up sooner" has the same energy as "what was she wearing?" Because it Does. Not. Matter. Whether she reported the same day or 4 years later, or 10 years later, CHARLOTTE is the one in the wrong, not the person reporting.
The counter argument to that is we are talking about the welfare of horses and she could have put a stop to this abuse sooner not 4 years later., The timing is cynical but Charlotte is guilty in this video. Will she just get a slap on the wrist or is this the end of her career?
@@fusspot57and how many more will be abused if we make people worried about being blamed, criticized or questioned about their reporting?? How many people are watching this and going “oh man, I don’t want to get yelled at because I didn’t report sooner so I guess I just won’t report at all.” Put the blame where it belongs, on Charlotte. Would you also blame a child who doesn’t report their abuse until years later? Or would you understand that people are complex emotional creatures and a power imbalance is nothing to scoff at.
How is the rider a victim? The rider is a participant. A bystander, if I’m generous. She should accept her part in this. Which I hope she’s done, by finally allowing this video to come out.
even if she was just lightly tapping the horse with the whip as an aid, her timing is incredibly off. She’s casually, mindlessly, abusing this horse and it’s very clear it’s not the first time
Charlotte Dujardin’s own words: ‘Short reins wins gold medals.’ If you look at her riding this past few years she only gives the horse the absolute minimum of freedom to be able to perform the really demanding dressage movements. She is so controlling with her hands that I find it impossible to enjoy her riding. It is very clear to me that this woman has no empathy for the horses she rides and teaches. I have seen her ride Valegro and enjoyed it, but now wonder what she did to him behind the scenes. Valegro was for some reason given more freedom to move than her new horses, perhaps because he was such an athlete. As a rider myself I do not understand how she is able to enjoy riding when she is constricting the free movement of the horse to that extent. But after seeing this video it is clear that it is all about the result and not about the horses, unfortunately. Very sad. I feel very sorry for all the dressage horses that are being treated this way.
I always felt that Valegro won the medals, NOT Charlotte. I really didn't think she would win medals on any other horse. Many (if not all) of her positive quotes came from when she was riding Valegro, a horse that could make a potato sack look like a top rider!
Ditto the assessment. She reminds me the time when Totillas received a record marks inder Gall and the public was salivating over it, yet the horse could not bend on corners, was sweating excessively, trotting was out of 2-beat and the whole performance screamed rollkur. It took years to gather the evidence of abuse which included later health issues of the poor horse. Dujardin is a slice from the same bread. The emperor has no cloth. The dressage has no survivability as long as these horse consumers with deep pockets and iron hands are setting the standards.
@@ezire I totally agree with you, modern dressage has no future if the trend we are seeing continues. I have stopped watching Grand Prix dressage for one reason, it is agony seeing all the pain in the horses eyes and all the stress they exhibit. I prefer to watch videos from the past on TH-cam. It is so nice to see horses being able to hold their head in their normal position and horses that look relaxed and flexible. To be fair, I do not believe Charlotte Dujardin is the worst of the worst, on the contrary I belive she is in the lower/medium end of the spectrum, even though her riding has gotten much worse after Valegro and the abuse shown in video. I wish an undercover journalist would infiltrate some of the most successful Belgian, Dutch and German stables and expose what is going on there, like one brave girl did in Denmark at Andreas Helgestrand’s stable. Totilas suffered so much, and his story is heartbreaking. I never liked the way Gall rides his horses, but as you wrote, so many did worship him back in the days. A previous trainer of mine competed in Grand Prix in Europe for a while, and she told me about what she had observed. She would not treat her horses like the top riders did in order to be the best, and this was in the nineties. Imagine how it is today. It makes me so sad for the horses….
I'm so glad the video got leaked cause I was giving her the benefit of the doubt since she said it was out of character but after watching the video, it clearly wasn't
Thank you for sharing the video. I feel similarly. This is not an ‘angry moment’ but a routine training ‘aid’ and the FEI is covering their own hind end. The timing is perfectly planned.
Thank you for cautioning everyone about the girl who came forward. Between the age and power imbalance, of course she would be afraid to come forward. The FEI has known about this for a long time and rewards these perps by giving them medals and encouraging so they are not only complicit but an accessory to abuse.
For those victim blaming,let me remind you that if she is treating her horses horribly on camera, don't think she wasn't treating her students in the same way. The only one to blame here is Charlotte.
I can well imagine that as a 15yr old, getting a gift of training with a world leading dressage personality from your sponsor, it's going to be difficult to turn round and say 'don't do that'! I know I wouldn't have been able to.
I presumed she had lost her temper and striked out. Then when I watched the full video I realised that she acted very normal. There’s no high emotion or shouting just very blasé about it like it’s normal😭
This is disturbing on so many levels. The whipping, the laughing, a student on the horse. I have no idea what she was trying to teach either. It’s disgusting.
Yes it’s exactly what she said, I used headphones to double check when I first heard that she mentioned hitting. She needs to be prosecuted for animal abuse and all her medals ripped off.
It also tells you that despite the picture Alicia Dickinson (the lady behind the camera that is talking about the outside rein and the second person who giggles) is just as guilty because Charlotte is comfortable with them filming as she knows Alicia is just as bad. Charlotte would never have imagined that this video would see the light of day because of the company she was keeping....
What really concerns me about this revelation, is how much abuse goes on in equestrian sports that never comes to light. I suspect it is a lot. Shameful
The ease for her when whipping that horse was not ok. You can tell she has done this a lot, just by how shes doing it. Im someone who has been trained proper whip use around equines and large animals, and the main thing is you never let the whip touch the horse unless it is the only way to keep YOU safe. I no longer use whips as a regular training tool since i started training with R+, but even i wouldnt have been that ok with hitting a horse that many times, or even hitting it at all back before R+. This is a prime example of why i hate "upper level "riders"". They all think as long as they are reaching a desired move, how you get there doesnt matter. Gross. I hope she is no longer allowed to own horses, or animals for that matter.
I find this video doubly awful. That poor young rider! That poor distressed horse! And, selfishly, I’m distressed to lose my IDEA of Charlotte as a horsewoman. You are right on, Shelby, that Charlotte’s demeanor is much too composed for a “one-off,” and the repetition is chronic in feel and just plain damning. How disappointing all around. I don’t blame the person for feeling too intimidated and conflicted to come forward sooner. It is truly brave at any time! 🇺🇸
If you're being selfish, then I'm with you. I couldn't take it in that this was Charlotte, the girl whose career has given me such pleasure to watch. And to hear that many people in the dressage community were well aware of her methods just makes me sick. There are no words to cover the depth of my disappointment and disillusionment. Shelby is right to say that the only possible positive outcome is that this leads to a massive change in the world of equine sport.
She doesn't even seem to know what she's doing. I've seen a former olympic rider and several trainers use a long dressage whip gently to train piaffe from the ground with the horse in hand. Nothing like this. No chasing after the horse cracking a lunge whip and striking the horse repeatedly. She also hits the horse waving the whip from the front and from the back. It's not only abusive, it's bizarre. So sad.
I agree. We can all react in anger/frustration and do things we aren't proud of and know better than. Hopefully we learn from these moments and become better. She doesn't seem angry or upset, it just seems like standard practice for her. I can't figure out at all what she is wanting that horse to do and what the constant clucking and whipping are supposed to accomplish. That poor horse. :( If I cluck once at my horse, she responds. It takes a lot of courage to speak out about people who could be considered "mentors", it also, like you said, can take time to learn that certain things are not okay, especially when they are being taught by people who are idolized by so many. I was lucky enough to find a great mentor early in my horse life, it definitely opened my eyes to some of the bad, useless, incorrect, and abusive training methods out there.
Also, the boldness of doing this when she knows people always film their rides? Like, she must have felt so secure that no one would ever dare post anything about her. Why would she risk it? It’s disturbing on so many levels.
Carl Hester used to talk about the benefits of LDR(Rollkur) before the backlash against it got big and the practice became done off camera. I've been saying for years Charlotte isn't the golden rider everyone thinks she is. Most of the horses she rides display signs of hyperflexion training, including Valegro, who constantly dipped behind the vertical, broke at the third at times, and in a halt brought his nose to his chest thinking that's what was being asked. I've seen too many horses flinch in her presence, and if this was a one off video from her being angry and losing her cool, she wouldn't have been that calm and collected about it. This is her norm. The only reason why she was put on a pedestal was because of Edward Gal's use of Rollkur on Totilas, and them winning the Olympics before. Too many riders and trainers were being outed during that time for hyperflexion, so they put the spot light on her because "Look heres someone who rose who hasnt openly embraced hyperflexion, so stop looking and asking us to do something about the people who are still doing hyperflexion, because we wont."
if I remember corectly what he ment by ldr was like very low stretch, when the horse kind of falls on its forehead if it makes sense. but still, he was weirdly indecisive when the whole rollkur situation started to get some coverage. I remember him saying something along the lines of "the rollkur training is something new, we shouldn't be so quick to judge," which felt weird considering that the wellbeing and health of the horses were being put on the risk by this "new" method, and he parades himself as the rational horse loving oldhead
I will say this, Carl and Charlotte work off the same yard but he has very little control of what she does now. In the sport, I never hear anyone who has seen Carl ride personally or train with him say a bad word about him. My own coach is trained by him, I am never encouraged to use these methods. Charlotte isn’t well liked amongst many people in BD. Plenty of people who know her or have warmed up with her at competitions have attested to her brutal training tactics and poor attitude. For that reason I’ve been disenfranchised with her for many years now.
Dujardin is only suspended from competing. This was a training lesson. She must be suspended from teaching although. Young riders look up to their role models and in a young age you trust the olympian hero.
One of the ladies giggling in the background that goes on to explain something about the outside rein is ALICIA DICKINSON (FORMALLY ALICIA FIELMICH) from YOUR RIDING SUCCESS. She herself is a known scammer and horse abuser. She's also very well known to bully and belittle her students and any horse person she comes across. She has been involved in multiple incidents herself over the years. Alicia has her own motivations for trying to bring down Charlotte. Her own personal vendetta. But she is just as guilty as Charlotte. It is evident that Charlotte is comfortable in her actions in this clip. She is also comfortable with the company of the people standing by as Alicia is just as abusive herself and I bet Charlotte thought Alicia would never use this against her. Now it is very possible that it was only released by the young rider however YRS released a video a couple of days ago before this went public where Alicia went on for a good hour about how she has had lessons with gold medalists previously that have whipped the crap out of her horses and she just let it happen as they were her idols too so she thought it was the way to go. Alicia tried to paint herself as a different horse person these days to get ahead of the narrative however the chances of that being true is minimal with this person. That TH-cam video has since been taken down. Now you might want to believe what Alicia has tried to do. But I would like to add that Alicia was an adult at the time of the incident with her own business, horses and students both in the UK and AUS. She knew better. We all do. I don't know how zookeepers train their animals but I can sure as hell pick what is abusive and what is justified. Alicia cannot claim that she didn't know better.
It takes some practice to make a longe whip crack like that… I agree that this is not a one-of thing. If this kind of “training” is what it takes to get horses to perform these movements, maybe we need to re-evaluate whether or not we should be asking horses to do these movements. Reminds me of that video with Katie Prudent saying “sometimes the horse just needs a going licking”. No. That is not a thing a horse EVER needs. Friends, forage, freedom… those are needs. A beating is just something you do to a horse to force it to comply with your demands. I will admit I have hit horses in the past. Hard. But that was part of the culture where I was working (trail riding place…) Now, the memory of it haunts me. We can do better.
The horse looks tired to me. It wants to trot rather than canter and she is pushing it to canter and lift its hind legs off the ground. It needs a break and a long rein. TRT method and Featherlight Horsman ship get their horses going well with no bridle because the horse WANTS to do it, not because ut is being forced and whipped into doing it.
I was an ignorant person and a novice and did not have the courage to say No! It was my fault and I take full responsibility. I'm ashamed that I was did not listen to my heart 😢
I believe we have all had situations where we feel too intimidated to speak out and too scared to follow our heart. All we can do is learn from it and do better next time ❤
The power dynamic in this kind of situation is never with the rider, especially a younger less experienced rider. Trainers need to understand that, but sadly they are trained in an apprenticeship style system where these horrible abusive methods toward both horses and riders are passed down as normal. Certainly they don’t reflect on the ethics of the power dynamic. Sadly, this means that pretty much all of us have learned at our horses’ expense. Hopefully, we now know better and do better!
As a dressage rider myself, I too am very disappointed to see her beating this poor horse who is obviously being hurt and quite confused as to what he was doing to deserve this continuing abuse! The giggling from the observer is appalling as well. I’m surprised the rider didn’t get bucked off! Glad she was finally caught on tape as obviously the other Olympic riders probably do similar abuses and are some times reported, but nothing ever happens as a consequence!
She literally says something along the lines of 'this is so $hite at hitting them hard' as the whip is cracking against the horse... One off my backside! I'm just as disgusted by the people laughing at the abuse as I am CDJ. I've said it before & I'll say it again- there are too many tools & too much tack which has become normalised abuse with-in the equine community/industry these days. Judging needs to change, competitions need to change, riders need to change, training needs to change, what is considered acceptable tools & tack needs to change.
I am also totally disgused with the videographer "giggling" while she, Charlotte, was doing this abuse!!! This totally disgusts me. Agaun, another reason why I let my credentials lapse as an FEI Judge. Your friend, the Retired Paramedic and Horse Trainer in Ontario, Canada, Jenn 💖 🇨🇦
Thank you for such eloquent coverage of such a tragic and sad sad sad sad reality.... we all are now responsible to turn this into a long overtime call for action and change... for us all to step up.. no more normalizing, accepting, turning blind eyes... we all see, and know... we can no longer unsee and unknown and un act ... we need to stop this abuse and honor our collective majestic horses ... time to put them first and stop this !!
Someone like her should know that beating a horse is not a training method. Period. Also, everyone seems to have forgotten the time when she got eliminated for blood on her horse from her spurs. She's obviously a rider who uses pain as a motivator/punishment. No way in hell, that this is a "one off". She got caught, and she's trying to dig herself out of the hole. Carl Hester needs to distance himself from her.
@@dancingfilly7355it’s not a method though is it. It’s purely someone losing their temper because theyre trying to do something and it isn’t working. There’s no method, it’s just laziness and downright unprofessional behaviour. I’d be fuming if this was the sort of training I received considering how much I imagine she charges for lessons
This does not seem to be a sudden loss of temper, having multiple gaps in action when she could have reconsidered, nor is it at all connected to the light tapping in classical methods with the horse on long lines with the handler close to the horse. As someone with both Valegro Breyer models, though I do not follow FEI competition closely, this is appalling.
So nice to see someone evaluate this calmly and concisely. I am one of the millions who did idolise CDJ… watching her and Valegro always brought me to tears… but now I’ve been brought to much different tears by watching her with a horse. I can’t help but wonder how much Valegro must’ve gone through… and any other horse at the top of their game. You like to think ALL equestrians love horses. End of. And they want the best for them… this is so far from true and it’s terrifying. I’m scared for the future of our sport, upper level athletes don’t put the horse first. wherever horses are a means of income there will be abuse. So so sad. Have to feel for the rider too, being a young person you’d be 99% likely to not say a word when you’ve got this powerful and influential dressage rider “teaching” you.
I read comments in The Chronicle of the Horse and too many people are focused on the timing of the release of the video and the laughing in the background (saying it was the person recording). They are losing focus of the point-horse abuse!!!! Too many people are getting away with this and it needs to stop. And as you mentioned clients are intimidated and afraid to speak out. I see it in all disciplines. And so many people think this stuff is ok. They still feel certain training methods are acceptable all in the name of a win. However if they saw someone whipping a dog in the same manner they would scream bloody hell!
Timing is not the issue, the whipping is the issue, it's disappointing that the timing is discussed, it is not changing the abuse and tehrefore irrelevant.
Yes the whipping is the issue but the woman behind the camera is just as guilty. She's a horse "trainer" and horse abuser herself and she should also be held accountable for her actions (again because this isn't the first time she's been in trouble) Alicia Dickinson (formally Fielmich) has a lot to answer for.
More and more abuse soo much goes on behind closed doors as has always been the case i think socal media brings to light the suffering of animals thats been going on for decade's we dont deserve animals 💯💯the amount of abuse horses have endured at the hands of the human race since they were tamed is unforgivable such beautiful noble creatures 😢😢😢
It just really hit me how much she has been playing a role and putting up a persona. Hearing her speak in that video while doing that, truly showed her true colours.
I say send the lawyers after the FEI. People need the example to be set and every equestrian to learn to treat horses properly and be free to voice their concerns without fear. The more accountability, the better.
This situation is shocking to say the least! Kudos to you, Shelby, for explaining all that goes into the FEI (for the most part) and explaining where the horse world should be going in humanely, lovingly treating horses - not all the old ways are that way. It’s a huge job but keep up on spreading your knowledge, learning and disseminating the new knowledge for proper horse care. I love listening to you and learning and hopefully, so do a LOT of other viewers!! 💕💕👏👏🐴🐴❤️❤️
International dressage grooms I have spoken said it is almost ' normal' that only horse, trainer & rider train behind closed doors - many horses emerge from these sessions stressed, foaming that drips down to its chest - tells abuse is widespread at top levels of dressage.
Sounds to me that you have a pretty good grasp of not only this particular incident, but abusive training practices in general. A good reminder for folks that being at the upper level in your particular equine discipline, DOES NOT make you an accomplished horseman/woman. I know very accomplished riders in English discipline with a barn full of ribbons and photos, that I wouldn’t let anywhere near my horses. I also know very accomplished Cowboys with a house full of trophy saddles and buckles, that I wouldn’t let anywhere near my horses.
I had horses at 15 and would never have allowed anyone to whip my horses. I rode lower levels of dressage and had a hot tempered coach. He never ever treated my horses in that abusive manner! Fond memories of a wonderful time. No excuses for abusing any animal.
Honestly that video reminds me of when I was young and my trainer said she was 'tired of seeing that horse not bend' and came up and yanked his bit inward while pushing my leg against his side. She never taught me how to properly bend him. And now years later I've realized that that particular leg is really weak and even horses who are sensitive I have trouble keeping them bent.
Yes. We can’t look at Carl and Charlotte in different lights, considering the fact that he taught her. I sincerely hope that Carl has never done anything like this
I've already seen posts trying to downplay or excuse her behavior even after the video was leaked - from both trainers and riders. It certainly makes it easier to know which trainers I would let near my horse.
It's really sad to see but it's strangely not surprising to me... I see a lot of unethical practices far too normalised in the horse world... A "known" dressage rider in my town uses and TEACHES her students to seesaw the reins to get horses "on the bit" and I'm thinking "gee, no wonder why all your horses are behind the vertical and not using their bodies correctly"... Her students are typically kids too who don't know any better.. There's definitely that power of being "famous" so people see them as knowledgeable so it's hard to push back against something.. A few times I have felt that, I obsessively research horse behaviour and equitation science but because I'm young and suck at communicating due to autism, I get looked down upon like I don't know anything... I end up submitting and thinking "yeah maybe I just don't know anything".. Anyway, I am glad that I do have good role models in the horse world now who may be older but they are still willing to learn new things and new equine science etc.. And happy to listen to me and my concerns. Anyway, I would absolutely LOVE to see a top rider who have gotten to where they are by training with positive reinforcement!! That would help make changes to the industry for sure, well I hope at least. It would be so cool!
The majority of horse owners in the UK are only into it because of the money they get back in insurance claims! Otherwise, my home town or should I say our home town has a tinker problem with horses being bred for meat! Not entirely sure Charlotte stands up for against it! The RSPCA aren't interested at all!
This is not a one off occurrence. Dujardin is trying to manage her PR. It's about time that people in the horse world is held accountable for abuse. Hopefully, this "bombshell" starts changing unethical and abusive practices / training, as the world is watching now.
And BTW ... I was in a similar situation in a clinic with an "international super star" ... I actually disagreed mid lesson, got screamed at and shamed in front of evyone... I stopped, hopped off and bawled crying ... and then was insulted and shamed b y the trainers , the clinician and all others ... flash forward ... I've totally stepped away from this sport, and after my saint dutch warmblood gelding making the cover of the New England Dressage Association ... ironically after I turned away ...
I saw her once on her horse in the warm up arena, with Carl Hester. I didn't see what her horse did 'wrong' but I suddenly heard a loud sound of het whip hitting the horse. Carl was watching and didn't move. This supports your thesis that she was very comfortable/experienced using a whip and Carl saw it but didn't react
To me, it sadly looks like this is also not the first time this has been done to this particular horse. The horse is distressed but not going nearly as crazy as I would have expected, so it feels like the horse is not surprised even though it is distressed.
It's deliberate abuse. Not a spontaneous angry reaction, which is still wrong. The student reacted as I would have as a teen receiving a lesson from an Olympian. I'd have gone with it, given the situation. I'm much older now and would react far differently. It really saddens me that, despite massive gains in understanding equine behaviors and changes in attitudes/better training methods that those upper level riders still resort to barbaric treatment. Instead of advocacy, they keep the cycle going. I hope we get to a better place.✌️
I was waiting for you to speak up about this. I knew you'd be fair to all sides while speaking from the perspective of the horse. The whip is supposed to be an extension of the arm. If that's the case, it shows how abusive she subconsciously wants to be.
This is the best analysis yet! And addresses all the things and angles I’ve wondered about. And I can really relate to the cynical feeling that trainers in pursuit of competition cut corners ethically.
Thank you for doing this video. Imo grand prix level dressage is unethical at the present time because of the methods utilized by riders. Change needs to happen.
Carl Hester trained Lottie Fry and she was done not long ago for abuse as well. She is in the Olympics. Carl Hester was supposed to be a good guy in the sport. I am actually not surprised by this. I saw something in Charlotte's personality at Rio that made me think she was a tough nut. Sad for Team GB. Not how we wanted to go into the Olympics. I am curious how Carl Hester will handle this now.
We have our own problem…maybe there’s more… probably there are more…with the Big Lick situation in Tennessee. It’s so horrifying to watch those horses ‘perform’. Horse Plus Rescue has been fighting them and are currently trying to get a federal law passed to prevent horses from being shipped to slaughter.
The victim blaming is unreal. I remember being told as a young equestrian "they're big animals so you gotta hit them hard" "kick hard" "get after him don't let him get away with being lazy" there is misinformation and abuse even from well meaning horse lovers. But I've never ever seen anyone whip a horse with a lunge whip like that and be that calm about it. Jesus.
She's comfortable in the way she's literally cracking the whip, it requires effort to do that with a schooling or lungeing whip and it can cause injury, She needs to know how that feels and then learn how to use these training tools in the correct and appropriate manner.
Thinking back 35 years, when I was 13 with my pony, I have seen behavior like this and worse. I thought the adults, the skilled ones, knew better and they should be copied. I was greatful, when some of them gave me advice. Sadly there are still lots of professionelle riders, who act like Charlotte. Forget the one who, spoke up, or no give her a medal. She is not the problem, the abuse is the problem😢
Yeah that didn't look like a "one-time" deal. That felt like a move she has pulled before, it's so casual. It's not just anger, it's like she believes that it's necessary in order to train the horse. There are those that lash out in anger a lot and get frustrated with their horses, and there are those that calculate their moves, thinking it's just part of training.
Notice that it took 4 years to come out. Having disclosed an abusive trainer it's a problem that people are intimidated into staying silent. I won't. I threw it all away to report.
I’m sorry but there is no reason to whip the horses hoofs and legs. That’s abuse. It’s as bad as the Big Lic horse riders using 8 pound boots with chains on their hooves to make that prance… which people are now trying to get stopped in Tennessee Legislature and will become law shortly. Horses learn with patience and and respect. Some equines learn faster than others but beating animals into behaving a certain way is abuse. People that do that shouldn’t even handle animals if they only give the animal such fear tactics. Shameful. If more people reported this kind of abuse this kind of treatment would be stopped. You’d would think these riders would appreciate their horse and how well they worked together to achieve that win. Shouldn’t have abuse to get there.
I Love horses but growing up around them I have NEVER EVER USED A WHIP and I wouldn't !!! I think people need to explain to any trainer that we don't use whips ever on our horses so don't ask me to and don't consider that if your going to train whoever it really needs to be said !!! I don't care if they are a gift trainer !! Whati see is she looks to me like she's either having her monthly or she's for some reason in a hostile mood and there for taking it out on the horse!!!???? Truth be told!!!! That's my opinion!!!🍁🇨🇦🍁💔💕🐎💞🐴💘🕊️🛡️✝️🛐😠😠😡😡🤬🤬. 😈👹👿👺🤢🤮🤮🤠
I've not been a part of competitive training for years and years because of behavior like this which was (and perhaps is) completely normalized. And wahr struck me most was the sheer hypocrisy of the horse world being outraged at the behavior in the video - when this was literally just a Tuesday at the training bar, as far as my own experiences go. And because it was just so normalized, it has taken me over 40 years to stand up to trainers who use such methods!
" Zu putzen ist eine Treppe, nur von oben nach unten, doch um sie zu bauen, muß von unten angefangen werden " Danke allen im Namen der Pferde, die sich um beide Wege aufrichtig bemühen. Videobeweis hat sich im Fußball durchgesetzt, also auch eines Tages im Reitsport ! PS Auch Ausbildungsmängel werden dem geschulten Auge so sichtbar, nicht erst wenn Blut fließt.
Anyone concerned about the laughing woman in the clip? That didn't sound like a nervous laugh to me. And clearly was a grown woman, could she not have spoke up? seems she condoned the incident.
She looks pretty casual about how many times she hits that horse. That was hard to watch and very, very brutal. I don't think it looks like a lapse. She isn't even mad or vocally upset, i.e. not like she lost her temper even.
This shit is disturbing. This all sounds so normal for all of them the person who is filming chuckling along saying the horse is bad. This total absence of empathie is just heartbreaking. the horse world is saddly so full of this sh***t
I remember being driven to tears in a lesson with an instructor who kept telling me to use the whip and then started mocking me (in front of a few people who I did not know who were watching) when I became upset and said I didn’t feel comfortable with doing that in the manner she was telling me to do. Afterwards I felt extremely ashamed and stupid and embarrassed. It took me years to be able to look back on that moment and be able to tell myself that I was in the right and what that instructor was teaching me was wrong and that I wasn’t being stupid.
It is deeply disturbing that I keep seeing examples of this type of thing happening with so many other people. The fact that there are still horse riding instructors teaching their students methods like this is insane. There needs to be a fundamental change to the whole system and industry so that instructors stop feeling so comfortable teaching students to ride aggressively and without respect.
As someone who has admittedly had these sorts of episodes with horses in the past (and has since gone to therapy, uses R+ almost exclusively, will never forgive themselves, and tries to speak out/up on the matter of horses being punished for rider/trainer mistakes)...this was not a lapse in judgement. This was casual premiditation that has been engrained into her from some source or another. Not necessarily even a past trainer but just something that she has found to 'work' (for her, not the horse) that she has undoubtedly done before...it's despicable but honestly only made worse by people trying to shift blame onto the rider or blame the 'leaker' for ruining her Olympics return...I hate horse people, lmao
Same. I've been out of the horse world forever now, but I still won't forgive myself for what I was told I "had to" do to my horses as a kid. It was abusive, it was horrible, and it shouldn't have been taught to a child as the proper way to do things. I'm really glad that before my girl was sold without my knowledge/consent when I was 20 that I had figured out on my own that it was wrong and started to change my methods with her.
Same. I can't stand the horsey set they're so full of themselves. The equestrian world is total BS and it's all about showing off and has very little to do with the welfare of the horses.
Thank you for bringing up the lack of motivation for the whipping. There appears to be no known goal, the lashings are indiscriminate. No one, especially the horse, has a clue why the whippings are taking place. To calmly but forcefully lash an animal over and over again for no apparent reason is sociopathic.
Totally agree!!
I spoke with a professional show jumper in his 40's once about his job. He admitted he hated horses after so many years of trying to make money out of them, but he said it was the only thing he knew. I suspect this may be secretly happening to all professionals. It must remain secret at all cost for the public sake, but the video shows the true state of their minds. Horses become a fodder for their livelihood.
Totally agree. Can’t for the life of me figure what they were trying to achieve. Just very cruel.
The head neck positon is much too narrow. I suspect that the horse steppen on the brake when that position was asked and then it was forced to perform.
The person chuckling in the background of the Charlotte Dujardin video is pretty disturbing. 🥺
Agreed.
Very.
How must your brain work to chuckle at a horse being abused?
@@valerysaunders238exactly. Bad wiring? No soul?
Maybe the person is forcing a laugh but when Dujardin is no longer within hearing distance she says "so bad"
The victims here are the horse AND the rider. Charlotte is a bullying force here.
As an adult, i would stop, dismount , and end the session with the first whip motion. Nobody , i mean nobody would strike my mount with me on it, near it, in my presence. But likely this is a young rider who was intimidated. Ms Djardin should be given a lifetime ban from owning/ working with horses. Animal abuse charges should be filed. Set the precedent! Put a stop to this behavior permanently
I would have got off my horse too but being 15 years old the rider probably felt intimidated. My mum always came with me to horse events and she said after watching the video of Charlotte 'if that had been you at 15, I would have gone into the arena and stopped the lesson', and she would have too!. The horse looks knackered to me and needs a rest.
I HATE victim blaming, and while the horse is definitely the victim, the rider is also a victim. The whole argument of "why didn't she speak up sooner" has the same energy as "what was she wearing?" Because it Does. Not. Matter. Whether she reported the same day or 4 years later, or 10 years later, CHARLOTTE is the one in the wrong, not the person reporting.
The counter argument to that is we are talking about the welfare of horses and she could have put a stop to this abuse sooner not 4 years later., The timing is cynical but Charlotte is guilty in this video. Will she just get a slap on the wrist or is this the end of her career?
Yes it DOES matter that there was a 4 year gap. How many other horses have been abused in that time?
@@fusspot57and how many more will be abused if we make people worried about being blamed, criticized or questioned about their reporting?? How many people are watching this and going “oh man, I don’t want to get yelled at because I didn’t report sooner so I guess I just won’t report at all.” Put the blame where it belongs, on Charlotte. Would you also blame a child who doesn’t report their abuse until years later? Or would you understand that people are complex emotional creatures and a power imbalance is nothing to scoff at.
@@caitlynv1167 Well said!
How is the rider a victim? The rider is a participant. A bystander, if I’m generous. She should accept her part in this. Which I hope she’s done, by finally allowing this video to come out.
even if she was just lightly tapping the horse with the whip as an aid, her timing is incredibly off. She’s casually, mindlessly, abusing this horse and it’s very clear it’s not the first time
@@pacificshannon No way was she lightly tapping. You can clearly hear the crack of the whip..
I said even if, not that she was
Charlotte Dujardin’s own words: ‘Short reins wins gold medals.’ If you look at her riding this past few years she only gives the horse the absolute minimum of freedom to be able to perform the really demanding dressage movements. She is so controlling with her hands that I find it impossible to enjoy her riding. It is very clear to me that this woman has no empathy for the horses she rides and teaches. I have seen her ride Valegro and enjoyed it, but now wonder what she did to him behind the scenes. Valegro was for some reason given more freedom to move than her new horses, perhaps because he was such an athlete. As a rider myself I do not understand how she is able to enjoy riding when she is constricting the free movement of the horse to that extent. But after seeing this video it is clear that it is all about the result and not about the horses, unfortunately. Very sad. I feel very sorry for all the dressage horses that are being treated this way.
I always felt that Valegro won the medals, NOT Charlotte. I really didn't think she would win medals on any other horse. Many (if not all) of her positive quotes came from when she was riding Valegro, a horse that could make a potato sack look like a top rider!
Valegro was a unicorn.
@@xrx191 Thought rollcur was banned but sadly it's alive and well The FEI better step up. The world is watching now
Ditto the assessment. She reminds me the time when Totillas received a record marks inder Gall and the public was salivating over it, yet the horse could not bend on corners, was sweating excessively, trotting was out of 2-beat and the whole performance screamed rollkur. It took years to gather the evidence of abuse which included later health issues of the poor horse. Dujardin is a slice from the same bread. The emperor has no cloth. The dressage has no survivability as long as these horse consumers with deep pockets and iron hands are setting the standards.
@@ezire I totally agree with you, modern dressage has no future if the trend we are seeing continues. I have stopped watching Grand Prix dressage for one reason, it is agony seeing all the pain in the horses eyes and all the stress they exhibit. I prefer to watch videos from the past on TH-cam. It is so nice to see horses being able to hold their head in their normal position and horses that look relaxed and flexible.
To be fair, I do not believe Charlotte Dujardin is the worst of the worst, on the contrary I belive she is in the lower/medium end of the spectrum, even though her riding has gotten much worse after Valegro and the abuse shown in video. I wish an undercover journalist would infiltrate some of the most successful Belgian, Dutch and German stables and expose what is going on there, like one brave girl did in Denmark at Andreas Helgestrand’s stable.
Totilas suffered so much, and his story is heartbreaking. I never liked the way Gall rides his horses, but as you wrote, so many did worship him back in the days.
A previous trainer of mine competed in Grand Prix in Europe for a while, and she told me about what she had observed. She would not treat her horses like the top riders did in order to be the best, and this was in the nineties. Imagine how it is today. It makes me so sad for the horses….
she is not that sad that it happened - more sad that she got caught...
You are right
I'm so glad the video got leaked cause I was giving her the benefit of the doubt since she said it was out of character but after watching the video, it clearly wasn't
Thank you for sharing the video. I feel similarly.
This is not an ‘angry moment’ but a routine training ‘aid’ and the FEI is covering their own hind end. The timing is perfectly planned.
Same could be said for soring Tennessee Walking Horses. It is ABUSE. Bet you wouldn't let someone whip your dog like that!
@@morganlafae1882not all of it. The problem is the bad apples in this business!
Thank you for cautioning everyone about the girl who came forward. Between the age and power imbalance, of course she would be afraid to come forward. The FEI has known about this for a long time and rewards these perps by giving them medals and encouraging so they are not only complicit but an accessory to abuse.
For those victim blaming,let me remind you that if she is treating her horses horribly on camera, don't think she wasn't treating her students in the same way.
The only one to blame here is Charlotte.
I can well imagine that as a 15yr old, getting a gift of training with a world leading dressage personality from your sponsor, it's going to be difficult to turn round and say 'don't do that'! I know I wouldn't have been able to.
I'm glad you mentioned also the danger Dujardin was putting the rider in by whipping the horse.
Absolutely
I presumed she had lost her temper and striked out. Then when I watched the full video I realised that she acted very normal. There’s no high emotion or shouting just very blasé about it like it’s normal😭
This is disturbing on so many levels. The whipping, the laughing, a student on the horse. I have no idea what she was trying to teach either. It’s disgusting.
Listen to what she says. “I’m so shit at hitting them hard!”
Horrific
Is that what she said? Wow. I was trying to listen but couldn't decipher it.
Also she said 'come on you old bitch, get going!'
Yes it’s exactly what she said, I used headphones to double check when I first heard that she mentioned hitting.
She needs to be prosecuted for animal abuse and all her medals ripped off.
@@MsJustice4ever for sure. Shameful.
i heard “this is so shit at hitting them hard”… as in this whip is so shit …
She did this knowing she was being filmed, that tells you everything
It also tells you that despite the picture Alicia Dickinson (the lady behind the camera that is talking about the outside rein and the second person who giggles) is just as guilty because Charlotte is comfortable with them filming as she knows Alicia is just as bad. Charlotte would never have imagined that this video would see the light of day because of the company she was keeping....
What really concerns me about this revelation, is how much abuse goes on in equestrian sports that never comes to light. I suspect it is a lot. Shameful
Thank you so much for being a calm voice of reason in the chaos. "Out of character" like Ellen DeGeneres playing a kind persona
So true
I am gutted to see this. I idolised her but now all I can think is how much Vallegro went through 😢
How can you ever defend striking an animal in this way ? Barbaric behavior.
FINALLY some of the abuse is being exposed!!!!! FINALLY !!!
The ease for her when whipping that horse was not ok. You can tell she has done this a lot, just by how shes doing it.
Im someone who has been trained proper whip use around equines and large animals, and the main thing is you never let the whip touch the horse unless it is the only way to keep YOU safe. I no longer use whips as a regular training tool since i started training with R+, but even i wouldnt have been that ok with hitting a horse that many times, or even hitting it at all back before R+.
This is a prime example of why i hate "upper level "riders"". They all think as long as they are reaching a desired move, how you get there doesnt matter. Gross. I hope she is no longer allowed to own horses, or animals for that matter.
Wow! This is hard to watch.
I fear she is not the only one….
She's definitely not the only one.
She most definitely is far from being the only one unfortunately
Of course she is'nt.What world are you in?
This is opening Pandora's box. There are many others that haven't been caught yet sadly
I find this video doubly awful. That poor young rider! That poor distressed horse! And, selfishly, I’m distressed to lose my IDEA of Charlotte as a horsewoman. You are right on, Shelby, that Charlotte’s demeanor is much too composed for a “one-off,” and the repetition is chronic in feel and just plain damning. How disappointing all around. I don’t blame the person for feeling too intimidated and conflicted to come forward sooner. It is truly brave at any time! 🇺🇸
If you're being selfish, then I'm with you. I couldn't take it in that this was Charlotte, the girl whose career has given me such pleasure to watch. And to hear that many people in the dressage community were well aware of her methods just makes me sick. There are no words to cover the depth of my disappointment and disillusionment. Shelby is right to say that the only possible positive outcome is that this leads to a massive change in the world of equine sport.
She doesn't even seem to know what she's doing. I've seen a former olympic rider and several trainers use a long dressage whip gently to train piaffe from the ground with the horse in hand. Nothing like this. No chasing after the horse cracking a lunge whip and striking the horse repeatedly. She also hits the horse waving the whip from the front and from the back. It's not only abusive, it's bizarre. So sad.
I agree. We can all react in anger/frustration and do things we aren't proud of and know better than. Hopefully we learn from these moments and become better. She doesn't seem angry or upset, it just seems like standard practice for her. I can't figure out at all what she is wanting that horse to do and what the constant clucking and whipping are supposed to accomplish. That poor horse. :(
If I cluck once at my horse, she responds.
It takes a lot of courage to speak out about people who could be considered "mentors", it also, like you said, can take time to learn that certain things are not okay, especially when they are being taught by people who are idolized by so many. I was lucky enough to find a great mentor early in my horse life, it definitely opened my eyes to some of the bad, useless, incorrect, and abusive training methods out there.
Also, the boldness of doing this when she knows people always film their rides? Like, she must have felt so secure that no one would ever dare post anything about her. Why would she risk it? It’s disturbing on so many levels.
Carl Hester used to talk about the benefits of LDR(Rollkur) before the backlash against it got big and the practice became done off camera.
I've been saying for years Charlotte isn't the golden rider everyone thinks she is. Most of the horses she rides display signs of hyperflexion training, including Valegro, who constantly dipped behind the vertical, broke at the third at times, and in a halt brought his nose to his chest thinking that's what was being asked. I've seen too many horses flinch in her presence, and if this was a one off video from her being angry and losing her cool, she wouldn't have been that calm and collected about it. This is her norm.
The only reason why she was put on a pedestal was because of Edward Gal's use of Rollkur on Totilas, and them winning the Olympics before. Too many riders and trainers were being outed during that time for hyperflexion, so they put the spot light on her because "Look heres someone who rose who hasnt openly embraced hyperflexion, so stop looking and asking us to do something about the people who are still doing hyperflexion, because we wont."
if I remember corectly what he ment by ldr was like very low stretch, when the horse kind of falls on its forehead if it makes sense. but still, he was weirdly indecisive when the whole rollkur situation started to get some coverage. I remember him saying something along the lines of "the rollkur training is something new, we shouldn't be so quick to judge," which felt weird considering that the wellbeing and health of the horses were being put on the risk by this "new" method, and he parades himself as the rational horse loving oldhead
I will say this, Carl and Charlotte work off the same yard but he has very little control of what she does now.
In the sport, I never hear anyone who has seen Carl ride personally or train with him say a bad word about him. My own coach is trained by him, I am never encouraged to use these methods.
Charlotte isn’t well liked amongst many people in BD. Plenty of people who know her or have warmed up with her at competitions have attested to her brutal training tactics and poor attitude. For that reason I’ve been disenfranchised with her for many years now.
couldn’t have said it better myself
Dujardin is only suspended from competing. This was a training lesson. She must be suspended from teaching although. Young riders look up to their role models and in a young age you trust the olympian hero.
I doubt anyone will want to train with her after watching this video. I think her sponsors will dry up too. At least I hope.
One of the ladies giggling in the background that goes on to explain something about the outside rein is ALICIA DICKINSON (FORMALLY ALICIA FIELMICH) from YOUR RIDING SUCCESS. She herself is a known scammer and horse abuser. She's also very well known to bully and belittle her students and any horse person she comes across. She has been involved in multiple incidents herself over the years. Alicia has her own motivations for trying to bring down Charlotte. Her own personal vendetta. But she is just as guilty as Charlotte. It is evident that Charlotte is comfortable in her actions in this clip. She is also comfortable with the company of the people standing by as Alicia is just as abusive herself and I bet Charlotte thought Alicia would never use this against her. Now it is very possible that it was only released by the young rider however YRS released a video a couple of days ago before this went public where Alicia went on for a good hour about how she has had lessons with gold medalists previously that have whipped the crap out of her horses and she just let it happen as they were her idols too so she thought it was the way to go. Alicia tried to paint herself as a different horse person these days to get ahead of the narrative however the chances of that being true is minimal with this person.
That TH-cam video has since been taken down. Now you might want to believe what Alicia has tried to do. But I would like to add that Alicia was an adult at the time of the incident with her own business, horses and students both in the UK and AUS. She knew better. We all do. I don't know how zookeepers train their animals but I can sure as hell pick what is abusive and what is justified. Alicia cannot claim that she didn't know better.
It takes some practice to make a longe whip crack like that… I agree that this is not a one-of thing.
If this kind of “training” is what it takes to get horses to perform these movements, maybe we need to re-evaluate whether or not we should be asking horses to do these movements. Reminds me of that video with Katie Prudent saying “sometimes the horse just needs a going licking”. No. That is not a thing a horse EVER needs. Friends, forage, freedom… those are needs. A beating is just something you do to a horse to force it to comply with your demands.
I will admit I have hit horses in the past. Hard. But that was part of the culture where I was working (trail riding place…) Now, the memory of it haunts me.
We can do better.
I too have in anger smacked a horse. I will never do it again, it was all about how I was. And it haunts me today. I pray Lena has forgiven me.
The horse looks tired to me. It wants to trot rather than canter and she is pushing it to canter and lift its hind legs off the ground. It needs a break and a long rein. TRT method and Featherlight Horsman ship get their horses going well with no bridle because the horse WANTS to do it, not because ut is being forced and whipped into doing it.
I was an ignorant person and a novice and did not have the courage to say No! It was my fault and I take full responsibility. I'm ashamed that I was did not listen to my heart 😢
I believe we have all had situations where we feel too intimidated to speak out and too scared to follow our heart. All we can do is learn from it and do better next time ❤
The power dynamic in this kind of situation is never with the rider, especially a younger less experienced rider. Trainers need to understand that, but sadly they are trained in an apprenticeship style system where these horrible abusive methods toward both horses and riders are passed down as normal. Certainly they don’t reflect on the ethics of the power dynamic. Sadly, this means that pretty much all of us have learned at our horses’ expense. Hopefully, we now know better and do better!
As a dressage rider myself, I too am very disappointed to see her beating this poor horse who is obviously being hurt and quite confused as to what he was doing to deserve this continuing abuse! The giggling from the observer is appalling as well. I’m surprised the rider didn’t get bucked off! Glad she was finally caught on tape as obviously the other Olympic riders probably do similar abuses and are some times reported, but nothing ever happens as a consequence!
She literally says something along the lines of 'this is so $hite at hitting them hard' as the whip is cracking against the horse... One off my backside!
I'm just as disgusted by the people laughing at the abuse as I am CDJ.
I've said it before & I'll say it again- there are too many tools & too much tack which has become normalised abuse with-in the equine community/industry these days.
Judging needs to change, competitions need to change, riders need to change, training needs to change, what is considered acceptable tools & tack needs to change.
I am also totally disgused with the videographer "giggling" while she, Charlotte, was doing this abuse!!! This totally disgusts me. Agaun, another reason why I let my credentials lapse as an FEI Judge. Your friend, the Retired Paramedic and Horse Trainer in Ontario, Canada, Jenn 💖 🇨🇦
Thank you for such eloquent coverage of such a tragic and sad sad sad sad reality.... we all are now responsible to turn this into a long overtime call for action and change... for us all to step up.. no more normalizing, accepting, turning blind eyes... we all see, and know... we can no longer unsee and unknown and un act ... we need to stop this abuse and honor our collective majestic horses ... time to put them first and stop this !!
Someone like her should know that beating a horse is not a training method. Period. Also, everyone seems to have forgotten the time when she got eliminated for blood on her horse from her spurs. She's obviously a rider who uses pain as a motivator/punishment. No way in hell, that this is a "one off". She got caught, and she's trying to dig herself out of the hole. Carl Hester needs to distance himself from her.
He is most likely the one who taught her this method.
@@dancingfilly7355 you're probably right. I thought about that. Very sad.
@@dancingfilly7355it’s not a method though is it. It’s purely someone losing their temper because theyre trying to do something and it isn’t working. There’s no method, it’s just laziness and downright unprofessional behaviour.
I’d be fuming if this was the sort of training I received considering how much I imagine she charges for lessons
@@GrangeFarmAntics 100%. That rider is definitely not receiving 1st class training from an Olympic icon.
Carl Hester probably trained her in this method, her coach!!!
This does not seem to be a sudden loss of temper, having multiple gaps in action when she could have reconsidered, nor is it at all connected to the light tapping in classical methods with the horse on long lines with the handler close to the horse. As someone with both Valegro Breyer models, though I do not follow FEI competition closely, this is appalling.
So nice to see someone evaluate this calmly and concisely.
I am one of the millions who did idolise CDJ… watching her and Valegro always brought me to tears… but now I’ve been brought to much different tears by watching her with a horse. I can’t help but wonder how much Valegro must’ve gone through… and any other horse at the top of their game. You like to think ALL equestrians love horses. End of. And they want the best for them… this is so far from true and it’s terrifying. I’m scared for the future of our sport, upper level athletes don’t put the horse first. wherever horses are a means of income there will be abuse. So so sad. Have to feel for the rider too, being a young person you’d be 99% likely to not say a word when you’ve got this powerful and influential dressage rider “teaching” you.
What in the world did she think she was accomplishing by whipping that horse that was being ridden????
My thoughts exactly. Nothing is ever achieved in equestrianism through coercion and force
I read comments in The Chronicle of the Horse and too many people are focused on the timing of the release of the video and the laughing in the background (saying it was the person recording). They are losing focus of the point-horse abuse!!!! Too many people are getting away with this and it needs to stop. And as you mentioned clients are intimidated and afraid to speak out. I see it in all disciplines. And so many people think this stuff is ok. They still feel certain training methods are acceptable all in the name of a win. However if they saw someone whipping a dog in the same manner they would scream bloody hell!
Timing is not the issue, the whipping is the issue, it's disappointing that the timing is discussed, it is not changing the abuse and tehrefore irrelevant.
Yes the whipping is the issue but the woman behind the camera is just as guilty. She's a horse "trainer" and horse abuser herself and she should also be held accountable for her actions (again because this isn't the first time she's been in trouble)
Alicia Dickinson (formally Fielmich) has a lot to answer for.
@@arachmakalk exactly my point
@@HorseFirst3 this is the first I am hearing this part of the story
Problem is by releasing the video later she was allowing the abuse to continue. No one believes that this is a one-off.
I absolutely cannot believe this! What an awful thing to do to the poor horse, and the rider for that matter 😡😡
I wonder if the camera person's chuckle is a nervous response... Are they are uncomfortable watching this as we are?!
I also thought it was a nervous and perhaps naive response. Watching an Olympic rider doing that to a horse 🐎, I would be in shocked
More and more abuse soo much goes on behind closed doors as has always been the case i think socal media brings to light the suffering of animals thats been going on for decade's we dont deserve animals 💯💯the amount of abuse horses have endured at the hands of the human race since they were tamed is unforgivable such beautiful noble creatures 😢😢😢
honestly this really disappoints me, used to watch her a lot. can't trust anyone anymore.
It just really hit me how much she has been playing a role and putting up a persona. Hearing her speak in that video while doing that, truly showed her true colours.
Excellent & encouraging analysis
Thank you for always calling them out ;)
I say send the lawyers after the FEI. People need the example to be set and every equestrian to learn to treat horses properly and be free to voice their concerns without fear. The more accountability, the better.
The fact i actually idolised her- im so mad at myself (as a dressage rider that strives for connection between horse and rider and balance)
This situation is shocking to say the least! Kudos to you, Shelby, for explaining all that goes into the FEI (for the most part) and explaining where the horse world should be going in humanely, lovingly treating horses - not all the old ways are that way. It’s a huge job but keep up on spreading your knowledge, learning and disseminating the new knowledge for proper horse care. I love listening to you
and learning and hopefully, so do a LOT of other viewers!! 💕💕👏👏🐴🐴❤️❤️
International dressage grooms I have spoken said it is almost ' normal' that only horse, trainer & rider train behind closed doors - many horses emerge from these sessions stressed, foaming that drips down to its chest - tells abuse is widespread at top levels of dressage.
Finally you brought up Carl Hester.
Sounds to me that you have a pretty good grasp of not only this particular incident, but abusive training practices in general. A good reminder for folks that being at the upper level in your particular equine discipline, DOES NOT make you an accomplished horseman/woman. I know very accomplished riders in English discipline with a barn full of ribbons and photos, that I wouldn’t let anywhere near my horses. I also know very accomplished Cowboys with a house full of trophy saddles and buckles, that I wouldn’t let anywhere near my horses.
I had horses at 15 and would never have allowed anyone to whip my horses. I rode lower levels of dressage and had a hot tempered coach. He never ever treated my horses in that abusive manner! Fond memories of a wonderful time. No excuses for abusing any animal.
Honestly that video reminds me of when I was young and my trainer said she was 'tired of seeing that horse not bend' and came up and yanked his bit inward while pushing my leg against his side.
She never taught me how to properly bend him.
And now years later I've realized that that particular leg is really weak and even horses who are sensitive I have trouble keeping them bent.
Yes. We can’t look at Carl and Charlotte in different lights, considering the fact that he taught her. I sincerely hope that Carl has never done anything like this
We can't blame Carl at this moment. She has to be responsible for her actions.
Totally agree with you! Sorry state of training for sure.
I've already seen posts trying to downplay or excuse her behavior even after the video was leaked - from both trainers and riders. It certainly makes it easier to know which trainers I would let near my horse.
Her horses look dispirited.
It's really sad to see but it's strangely not surprising to me... I see a lot of unethical practices far too normalised in the horse world... A "known" dressage rider in my town uses and TEACHES her students to seesaw the reins to get horses "on the bit" and I'm thinking "gee, no wonder why all your horses are behind the vertical and not using their bodies correctly"... Her students are typically kids too who don't know any better..
There's definitely that power of being "famous" so people see them as knowledgeable so it's hard to push back against something.. A few times I have felt that, I obsessively research horse behaviour and equitation science but because I'm young and suck at communicating due to autism, I get looked down upon like I don't know anything... I end up submitting and thinking "yeah maybe I just don't know anything".. Anyway, I am glad that I do have good role models in the horse world now who may be older but they are still willing to learn new things and new equine science etc.. And happy to listen to me and my concerns.
Anyway, I would absolutely LOVE to see a top rider who have gotten to where they are by training with positive reinforcement!! That would help make changes to the industry for sure, well I hope at least. It would be so cool!
I’m autistic as well and can fully understand where you’re coming from. I am happy that you were able to me to find good role models.
Good job with your commentary
This certainly does not appear to be a one off "training method" . How many others kept quiet without having taken a video?
You are so pretty without makeup! Your curly hair is beautiful too. Keep up the good work pointing out the abuse in the equestrian world!
What was Charlotte attempting to get from the horse?
I doubt she even knew. The horse certainly did not!
The majority of horse owners in the UK are only into it because of the money they get back in insurance claims! Otherwise, my home town or should I say our home town has a tinker problem with horses being bred for meat! Not entirely sure Charlotte stands up for against it! The RSPCA aren't interested at all!
This is not a one off occurrence. Dujardin is trying to manage her PR. It's about time that people in the horse world is held accountable for abuse. Hopefully, this "bombshell" starts changing unethical and abusive practices / training, as the world is watching now.
And BTW ... I was in a similar situation in a clinic with an "international super star" ... I actually disagreed mid lesson, got screamed at and shamed in front of evyone... I stopped, hopped off and bawled crying ... and then was insulted and shamed b y the trainers , the clinician and all others ...
flash forward ... I've totally stepped away from this sport, and after my saint dutch warmblood gelding making the cover of the New England Dressage Association ... ironically after I turned away ...
I saw her once on her horse in the warm up arena, with Carl Hester. I didn't see what her horse did 'wrong' but I suddenly heard a loud sound of het whip hitting the horse. Carl was watching and didn't move. This supports your thesis that she was very comfortable/experienced using a whip and Carl saw it but didn't react
To me, it sadly looks like this is also not the first time this has been done to this particular horse. The horse is distressed but not going nearly as crazy as I would have expected, so it feels like the horse is not surprised even though it is distressed.
I don’t know anything about the sport, so thank you for the insight
It's deliberate abuse. Not a spontaneous angry reaction, which is still wrong. The student reacted as I would have as a teen receiving a lesson from an Olympian. I'd have gone with it, given the situation. I'm much older now and would react far differently. It really saddens me that, despite massive gains in understanding equine behaviors and changes in attitudes/better training methods that those upper level riders still resort to barbaric treatment. Instead of advocacy, they keep the cycle going. I hope we get to a better place.✌️
I was waiting for you to speak up about this. I knew you'd be fair to all sides while speaking from the perspective of the horse.
The whip is supposed to be an extension of the arm. If that's the case, it shows how abusive she subconsciously wants to be.
This is the best analysis yet! And addresses all the things and angles I’ve wondered about.
And I can really relate to the cynical feeling that trainers in pursuit of competition cut corners ethically.
Just commenting for this video to get more traction
Thank you for doing this video. Imo grand prix level dressage is unethical at the present time because of the methods utilized by riders. Change needs to happen.
Carl Hester trained Lottie Fry and she was done not long ago for abuse as well. She is in the Olympics. Carl Hester was supposed to be a good guy in the sport. I am actually not surprised by this. I saw something in Charlotte's personality at Rio that made me think she was a tough nut. Sad for Team GB. Not how we wanted to go into the Olympics. I am curious how Carl Hester will handle this now.
Thank you for covering this
We have our own problem…maybe there’s more… probably there are more…with the Big Lick situation in Tennessee. It’s so horrifying to watch those horses ‘perform’. Horse Plus Rescue has been fighting them and are currently trying to get a federal law passed to prevent horses from being shipped to slaughter.
The victim blaming is unreal. I remember being told as a young equestrian "they're big animals so you gotta hit them hard" "kick hard" "get after him don't let him get away with being lazy" there is misinformation and abuse even from well meaning horse lovers. But I've never ever seen anyone whip a horse with a lunge whip like that and be that calm about it. Jesus.
I believe this is behavior is common to her.
She's comfortable in the way she's literally cracking the whip, it requires effort to do that with a schooling or lungeing whip and it can cause injury, She needs to know how that feels and then learn how to use these training tools in the correct and appropriate manner.
Every point you made is spot on. Hankyou
Thinking back 35 years, when I was 13 with my pony, I have seen behavior like this and worse. I thought the adults, the skilled ones, knew better and they should be copied. I was greatful, when some of them gave me advice. Sadly there are still lots of professionelle riders, who act like Charlotte. Forget the one who, spoke up, or no give her a medal. She is not the problem, the abuse is the problem😢
Yeah that didn't look like a "one-time" deal. That felt like a move she has pulled before, it's so casual. It's not just anger, it's like she believes that it's necessary in order to train the horse. There are those that lash out in anger a lot and get frustrated with their horses, and there are those that calculate their moves, thinking it's just part of training.
Omg she looked so bad can’t believe she used her lung whip like that I’m truly shocked 😳 that’s her career over in my opinion. Tfs 🏇
I hope her career is over. I really do.
Notice that it took 4 years to come out. Having disclosed an abusive trainer it's a problem that people are intimidated into staying silent. I won't. I threw it all away to report.
I’m sorry but there is no reason to whip the horses hoofs and legs. That’s abuse. It’s as bad as the Big Lic horse riders using 8 pound boots with chains on their hooves to make that prance… which people are now trying to get stopped in Tennessee Legislature and will become law shortly. Horses learn with patience and and respect. Some equines learn faster than others but beating animals into behaving a certain way is abuse. People that do that shouldn’t even handle animals if they only give the animal such fear tactics. Shameful. If more people reported this kind of abuse this kind of treatment would be stopped. You’d would think these riders would appreciate their horse and how well they worked together to achieve that win. Shouldn’t have abuse to get there.
I’m glad people are trying to stop the Big Lick abuse!
I Love horses but growing up around them I have NEVER EVER USED A WHIP and I wouldn't !!! I think people need to explain to any trainer that we don't use whips ever on our horses so don't ask me to and don't consider that if your going to train whoever it really needs to be said !!! I don't care if they are a gift trainer !! Whati see is she looks to me like she's either having her monthly or she's for some reason in a hostile mood and there for taking it out on the horse!!!???? Truth be told!!!! That's my opinion!!!🍁🇨🇦🍁💔💕🐎💞🐴💘🕊️🛡️✝️🛐😠😠😡😡🤬🤬. 😈👹👿👺🤢🤮🤮🤠
I've not been a part of competitive training for years and years because of behavior like this which was (and perhaps is) completely normalized. And wahr struck me most was the sheer hypocrisy of the horse world being outraged at the behavior in the video - when this was literally just a Tuesday at the training bar, as far as my own experiences go. And because it was just so normalized, it has taken me over 40 years to stand up to trainers who use such methods!
" Zu putzen ist eine Treppe, nur von oben nach unten,
doch um sie zu bauen, muß von unten angefangen werden "
Danke allen im Namen der Pferde, die sich um beide Wege aufrichtig bemühen.
Videobeweis hat sich im Fußball durchgesetzt, also auch eines Tages im Reitsport !
PS
Auch Ausbildungsmängel werden dem geschulten Auge so sichtbar, nicht erst wenn Blut fließt.
Anyone concerned about the laughing woman in the clip? That didn't sound like a nervous laugh to me. And clearly was a grown woman, could she not have spoke up? seems she condoned the incident.
Thank you for making this excellent video on the Charlotte Dujardin case😉
Well said. Thank you for making this post!