CDJ withdrawn from paris

splashgirl45

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Oh dear...

I’ve always hated the way Gal rides but everyone used to say what a great rider he was riding those hot horses . I would question why they are so hot , couldn’t be because they are expecting a thrashing could it? I didn’t like the way Totilas went and couldn’t see how the judges could award him such high marks , let’s hope the judges take notice of the uproar about blue tongues etc and mark accordingly or eliminate ..
 

shortstuff99

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I’ve always hated the way Gal rides but everyone used to say what a great rider he was riding those hot horses . I would question why they are so hot , couldn’t be because they are expecting a thrashing could it? I didn’t like the way Totilas went and couldn’t see how the judges could award him such high marks , let’s hope the judges take notice of the uproar about blue tongues etc and mark accordingly or eliminate ..
I used to get a bit of flack on here for not liking Gal or Totilas so interesting to see the opinion change on him.

What is interesting though is how different (and good) his riding was on Lingh, and then see it change when the old Rolkur trainers start working with him.
 

splashgirl45

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I used to get a bit of flack on here for not liking Gal or Totilas so interesting to see the opinion change on him.

What is interesting though is how different (and good) his riding was on Lingh, and then see it change when the old Rolkur trainers start working with him.
My opinion has never changed I could never understand how everyone (bar you and me) liked the spider legged extended trot , his passage was quite often unlevel but was never marked down , piaffe was generally ok apart from the nose into the chest , again never marked down. I’m a bit of a dressage nerd and often look at the judges scores to see how my marks compare , needless to say I always marked lower than them for the overbent stressed horses but I marked more than them for the correct(IMO) harmonious tests… I really hope it will change for the better but won’t hold my breath
 

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I read this and I have to say I thought it was a bit of a rubbish article!

Especially the bit from the anti racing campaigner who said there was no ethical argument for riding horses, and then proceeds to justify why it was okay that he rides his own horses and that was 100% ethical and fine!

I just skim read it to be honest but I thought they raised some very good points. Probably didn’t read it thoroughly enough to see the contradictions.
 

Chianti

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I’ve always hated the way Gal rides but everyone used to say what a great rider he was riding those hot horses . I would question why they are so hot , couldn’t be because they are expecting a thrashing could it? I didn’t like the way Totilas went and couldn’t see how the judges could award him such high marks , let’s hope the judges take notice of the uproar about blue tongues etc and mark accordingly or eliminate ..
I always thought that Totilas - poor thing -was the beginning of the end for dressage. Once people decided that horses moving their front legs like a daddy long legs was the way forward I gave up watching.
 

Kaylum

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We had a shetland mule at our sanctuary for many years. A trainer wanted to use him in a demo. He went and she ended up with a nice kick in the groin and he then ignored her and rolled, the crowd loved him. He was a character stubborn and did what he wanted.
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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SaddlePsych'D

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https://www.facebook.com/share/v/ng1yPRbjJMjuFxb6/

I know DH not popular but is a source of various goings on I think would otherwise pass me by. Jessica Von BW publicly thanking a trainer who himself has his own hit it with a stick video. Except his is an actual stick, perhaps what was being compared to when CDJ spoke of the lunge whip being rubbish for hitting them hard. It's awful to watch 😔
 

Matafleur

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I know DH not popular but is a source of various goings on I think would otherwise pass me by. Jessica Von BW publicly thanking a trainer who himself has his own hit it with a stick video. Except his is an actual stick, perhaps what was being compared to when CDJ spoke of the lunge whip being rubbish for hitting them hard. It's awful to watch 😔
I couldn't see what was happening in that video, it was so blurry. The sound wasn't the sound I'd expect from someone hitting the legs. I have no idea who the person is (never heard of them) so maybe they are dreadful. But DH is borderline insane and vindictive so I just can't take anything posted by them at face value.
 

SaddlePsych'D

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I couldn't see what was happening in that video, it was so blurry. The sound wasn't the sound I'd expect from someone hitting the legs. I have no idea who the person is (never heard of them) so maybe they are dreadful. But DH is borderline insane and vindictive so I just can't take anything posted by them at face value.
There's a longer version of the video circulating, I thought what was there on DH gives people the gist without putting up another (worse, I think personally) upsetting video of a horse being beaten in the name of 'dressage'. Epona TV have it on their page.
 

SaddlePsych'D

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It's like a web - everyone is connected to everyone else so even the 'clean' riders are tainted by association
Yup. Quoted myself below from the post I made about EG. Obviously I have no idea what goes on behind the scenes for that particular horse, but the movements it was producing conjured up images in my mind not unlike the video on Epona TV of Mr big stick man.
Aside from the horrid, hard-handed riding there, I dread to think what that horse could have been subjected to in order to produce movement like that :(
 

onemoretime

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I wonder what has happened to the horses that Charlotte rode. Have the owners moved them to other riders yards, I cant see Carl riding all of them, he is winding down a bit as far as competition goes.
 

Cortez

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Yes, Bonfire for sure was the mainstream-ing of that sort of training
Her husband and coach is really the source I believe. Although this sort of dominating training was around before, he and Anky are the ones who made it popular by being successful, so you can lay that burden at the door of the trainer, the rider, the judges, and the governing body in nearly equal measure.
 

ThreeFurs

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Yes, agreed, but in 48 pages of commentary, no one yet knows the name of this horse, or if he's ok. So that, my friends, is the nub of the issue. ie How is he going? does he have a new owner, how is he with whips [dodgy I would imagine]. Does he have someone who cares enough to turn him out with horse friends, take him for a hack? give him the right food? These are horse centred questions.
No one knows his name, his age, his parentage, how he got to be in this situation, what happened to him since the video, how he's doing now ...
Apparently the horse at the centre of it all is actually warmblood mare called Gretchen, imported from Australia, owned by the whistleblower and a Qld based youtuber behind Your Riding Success. Its all in the link cauda equina posted above.

ps: wow. Whistleblower defended by Dressage Hub? Is that just like apex predators teaming up to feast on high net worth individuals with dressage dreams? xx
 

Observer

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I think it's all about this.
The lady who studies equine hooves has formal qualifications in forensics, which is a great asset in her work. On the other hand, Becks Nairn, often considered a con artist, has no formal qualifications of any kind, and her work has never been peer-reviewed. Nairn has a large following of people easily swayed by her unsubstantiated assertions.

With such a large and not so educated following, one would expect her to have anatomy and veterinary sciences qualifications, but she does not. Instead, she extracts information from textbooks and veterinary reports without following proper protocols. These internet gurus pose a danger to equine owners and horses. Nairn seems more concerned about her online image and cash flow than the well-being of the horses. She learns as she goes and charges people a huge fee to watch her work on horses without formal qualifications. It seems that in the online world, anyone can become an expert if they know how to market themselves, just like Becks Nairn.
 
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Petalpoos

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Interesting article

The Charlotte Dujardin scandal and a sport in crisis

 

eahotson

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Interesting article

The Charlotte Dujardin scandal and a sport in crisis

A very interesting article indeed.One quote stood out for me."The FEI fiddles while the sport burns".
 

ihatework

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I never liked gals riding, but loved totilas as a horse, what he could have been with a different rider who could have equaled his spirit

That was just how I felt about it.
Completely torn!
I cared little for the training or the (in)correctness in way of going, but when I saw him live at Windsor there was just something inexplicable about the horse himself - just this beautiful soul - so difficult to explain.
 

daffy44

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Thank you for posting, its a very interesting and well balanced article, the sport is in crisis and the FEI seem to act reluctantly and even then they seem to want to be seen to be doing something, rather than actually acting in the interests of the horse.

I also agree about Totilas, hate the training, but there was just something about him, so much charisma, you couldnt not watch him, but also such a heartbreaking end. That Europeans in Aachen nearly finished me off in terms of the sport, awful.
 

Peglo

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I thought the quote from a dressage rider saying that dressage horses loved to be ridden was reaching.
A horse isn’t hard wired to be ridden like a collie is to herd. A horse doesn’t know anything about being ridden until it’s been backed. A collies urge to herd is complete instinct that you see in unworking dogs too. It just isn’t the same.

But an interesting and well written article.
 

daffy44

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I thought the quote from a dressage rider saying that dressage horses loved to be ridden was reaching.
A horse isn’t hard wired to be ridden like a collie is to herd. A horse doesn’t know anything about being ridden until it’s been backed. A collies urge to herd is complete instinct that you see in unworking dogs too. It just isn’t the same.

But an interesting and well written article.

I'm afraid I will disagree with you there, certainly not all horses love to be ridden, but some absolutely do love it.
I have always thought my GP enjoyed being ridden, he does little whickers under his breath when he sees his tack approaching, and hes always been positive and forward, and just felt happy under saddle. A few years ago he injured his ddft being a buffoon in the field, he had treatment, some box rest etc, and in the end I gave him a year off in the field to see if that would do the job. For this year he was out all day, in at night, which was his routine when in work, so his routine didnt change, he was still treated as king of the yard, still saw the farrier, physio etc as he always has done, the only change was no riding. The horse lost his spark, his personality, which has always been big, shrunk, he interacted with the world less, his coat never looked quite the same, he really was a shadow of himself.

After a year he looked sound, so I started riding him again, the first day he saw me coming to him with tack his head came up, he whickered, and his eyes changed, I tacked up and got straight on, and it was as if I'd ridden him the day before, he was immaculately behaved, we only walked for 15mins but that was enough to bring him back to old self, everything changed in that horse, it was like flicking a switch. He is still sound and back in work and loves every minute of it, he is bred to be a dressage horse, GP horses all over both sides of his pedigree, and for him, being in work makes him happy.

I know this is not the case for all horses, but some horses absolutely do love being ridden.
 

KC31

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I'm afraid I will disagree with you there, certainly not all horses love to be ridden, but some absolutely do love it.
I have always thought my GP enjoyed being ridden, he does little whickers under his breath when he sees his tack approaching, and hes always been positive and forward, and just felt happy under saddle. A few years ago he injured his ddft being a buffoon in the field, he had treatment, some box rest etc, and in the end I gave him a year off in the field to see if that would do the job. For this year he was out all day, in at night, which was his routine when in work, so his routine didnt change, he was still treated as king of the yard, still saw the farrier, physio etc as he always has done, the only change was no riding. The horse lost his spark, his personality, which has always been big, shrunk, he interacted with the world less, his coat never looked quite the same, he really was a shadow of himself.

After a year he looked sound, so I started riding him again, the first day he saw me coming to him with tack his head came up, he whickered, and his eyes changed, I tacked up and got straight on, and it was as if I'd ridden him the day before, he was immaculately behaved, we only walked for 15mins but that was enough to bring him back to old self, everything changed in that horse, it was like flicking a switch. He is still sound and back in work and loves every minute of it, he is bred to be a dressage horse, GP horses all over both sides of his pedigree, and for him, being in work makes him happy.

I know this is not the case for all horses, but some horses absolutely do love being ridden.
I'm afraid I will disagree with you there, certainly not all horses love to be ridden, but some absolutely do love it.
I have always thought my GP enjoyed being ridden, he does little whickers under his breath when he sees his tack approaching, and hes always been positive and forward, and just felt happy under saddle. A few years ago he injured his ddft being a buffoon in the field, he had treatment, some box rest etc, and in the end I gave him a year off in the field to see if that would do the job. For this year he was out all day, in at night, which was his routine when in work, so his routine didnt change, he was still treated as king of the yard, still saw the farrier, physio etc as he always has done, the only change was no riding. The horse lost his spark, his personality, which has always been big, shrunk, he interacted with the world less, his coat never looked quite the same, he really was a shadow of himself.

After a year he looked sound, so I started riding him again, the first day he saw me coming to him with tack his head came up, he whickered, and his eyes changed, I tacked up and got straight on, and it was as if I'd ridden him the day before, he was immaculately behaved, we only walked for 15mins but that was enough to bring him back to old self, everything changed in that horse, it was like flicking a switch. He is still sound and back in work and loves every minute of it, he is bred to be a dressage horse, GP horses all over both sides of his pedigree, and for him, being in work makes him happy.

I know this is not the case for all horses, but some horses absolutely do love being ridden.
I totally agree. My old boy is now 24, has competed all over the world. He is my horse of a lifetime, he is now semi retired, as yours does, he still lives the same life, with 5/6 weekly farrier visits, physio, vet but his work has changed, he does some hacking, bit of Working EQ and is about to embark on some veteran showing, he adores to be ridden and his whole demeanour changes. He is a creature of habit and woe betide you if that changes. I agree not all are the same, but he is was born to be a top competition horse, sire Olympic gold medallist and dam a 160 showjumper. It's in his DNA.
 
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