Dressage Trainer Cesar Parra Suspended by FEI for Horse Abuse

[skydy]

This is terrible. Be forewarned the videos are painful to watch if you love horses.

Reports of Cesar Parra Abuse of Horses, Humans Expanding With Law Enforcement Involvement - Dressage-News

Videos posted on the Internet of training by American Cesar Parra has finally blown open one of the worst kept secrets of horse sport--abuse of horses and riders--to prompt "immediate" reaction from the sport's governing bodies after years of inaction. Florida's Palm Beach County Sheriff's...

dressage-news.com

Updated: USEF And FEI Investigating Training Video Of Cesar Parra - The Chronicle of the Horse

www.chronofhorse.com

Hannes Müller: "Where is the Respect for the Animal?"

In the wake of the Cesar Parra alleged animal abuse case, the German Federation of Professional Riders (DRFV - BBR) issued a statement as two German professionals are seemingly involved.

www.eurodressage.com

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=942489840828947

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=718893477050090

 

[cauda equina]

There seems to be plenty of evidence of abuse, of humans as well as horses, going back years
One wonders why it took the authorities so long to act and why he is only suspended and not permanently banned from competition, or prosecuted

 

[Prancerpoos]

Not surprised. I don’t believe the mixture of horses and money / glory is ever likely to work out well for the horse.

 

[MissTyc]

At 21 sec in Skydy's first video, the observers appear to be drinking out of champagne flutes while casual torture is terrorising that horse right in front of them. That normalisation of using sheer force is so far removed from reality I don't even know what to say. That's not training, it's just brutality. Very glad he is suspended, but there are many others.

 

[Quigleyandme]

I can’t really express how I feel after watching these videos. Sick and ashamed doesn’t even come close.

 

[Titchy Reindeer]

It horrifying. I'm really shocked at those videos. Why would anyone do that?! (Yes, I know: money)
I understand that he is suspended while there is an investigation of the "alleged" abuse. I always find it slightly ironic that it's called "alleged abuse" when there are videos attached showing someone doing said abuse. What are they debating? Whether what we see is abuse? Or just checking it's not a deep-faked video?

 

[ycbm]

This deserves a thread of its own. We've been talking about it on a thread about British Rider Lottie Frys recent win at world level on a terribly tense horse. Theres also a thread about Helgstrand, also suspended for systematic horse abuse in Denmark after a whistle blowing documentary. He's a very senior figure in Danish dressage.

And yet top Olympic rider Isabel Werth had him appear at the end of a training day she did last week and praise him, in return receiving some jewellery from his family's company.

Top level dressage is an ongoing daily disaster for the horses. Please boycott these people's sponsors if you can and write and tell them why.
.

 

[photo_jo]

This deserves a thread of its own. We've been talking about it on a thread about British Rider Lottie Frys recent win at world level on a terribly tense horse. Theres also a thread about Helgstrand, also suspended for systematic horse abuse in Belgium after a whistle blowing documentary. He's a very senior figure in Belgian dressage.

And yet top Olympic rider Ingrid Klimke had him appear at the end of a training day she did last week and praise him, in return receiving some jewellery from his family's company.

Top level dressage is an ongoing daily disaster for the horses. Please boycott these people's sponsors if you can and write and tell them why.
.

That was Isabel Werth not.....

 

[ycbm]

That was Isabell Werth you need to alter that

Sorry, stupid of me @photo_jo Can you change your post to take her name out?

 

[Widgeon]

At 21 sec in Skydy's first video, the observers appear to be drinking out of champagne flutes while casual torture is terrorising that horse right in front of them. That normalisation of using sheer force is so far removed from reality I don't even know what to say. That's not training, it's just brutality.

That was exactly what I was going to say. Judging by the behavior and tone of the people in the videos, they've completely lost sight of the fact that this isn't normal.

 

[cauda equina]

Perhaps for them it is normal; it's horrifying if that's the case

 

[photo_jo]

This was his recent reply to the person whose horse went over backwards and suffered neurological damage (15 years ago), when he thought just one video was going to come out

 

[Cortez]

I actually won’t/can’t watch the videos, but know what’s going on and have for more than 25 years. It’s why I left the world of FEI competition dressage, I’ve seen it first hand and left jobs because I couldn’t stomach what was going on. I’m a tough enough person, but how anyone can normalise and condone the systematic abuse of an animal they claim to love, treasure and admire is beyond me. People need to write to the FEI and make their disgust known: I did it decades ago, and have done it more recently with little effect, but there needs to be a groundswell.

 

[Goldenstar]

This is so wrong .
That seems so inadequate but it’s black and white it’s wrong .

 

[splashgirl45]

I won’t watch any more videos of forceful ‘training’ , I can’t forget them and they keep running in my head so I’m better not seeing any more. I’ve been not happy about the way dressage has been going and don’t get enjoyment from watching like I used to with the exception of a few riders who are not winning but riding sympathetically with harmony.

 

[skydy]

The horses are not misbehaving, they are obviously trying, and they have no idea what those people want them to do, or why they are being punished so severely.

It's heartbreaking.

Parra and Helgstrand are of the same ilk. Both are so apologetic in public. "It only happened once" or "it was the riders not obeying our rules".
I wasn't born yesterday nor did I just fall off of the turnip truck. They are sickening human beings, but the FEI and USEF have let this sort of thing go on for so long, that they are complicit in this abuse.

 

[skydy]

This was his reply to the person whose horse went over backwards and suffered neurological damageView attachment 133500

I wonder which of the many moments he is referring to, and who cares who posted it? What sorry excuse for a human being.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

This deserves a thread of its own. We've been talking about it on a thread about British Rider Lottie Frys recent win at world level on a terribly tense horse. Theres also a thread about Helgstrand, also suspended for systematic horse abuse in Belgium after a whistle blowing documentary. He's a very senior figure in Belgian dressage.

And yet top Olympic rider Isabel Werth had him appear at the end of a training day she did last week and praise him, in return receiving some jewellery from his family's company.

Top level dressage is an ongoing daily disaster for the horses. Please boycott these people's sponsors if you can and write and tell them why.
.

Isn't it Denmark, not Belgium?

 

[CanteringCarrot]

It's so saddening that Parra has been able to carry on like this for so long (this isn't new for him). Then can't even own it and claims that many of the videos are faked or otherwise doctored with AI. What a spineless piece of...


He should be banned. A lifetime ban from the FEI and everything Equestrian. Then banned from owning animals. He's trash as far as I'm concerned. So the trash needs to be taken out, as one does with trash.

 

[Caol Ila]

If I was still in the US and still involved with dressage, I would cancel my USDF membership and no longer attend recognised shows. They turned a blind eye to Cesar Parra for years. Nothing happened to him after Wiliam. I read on COTH that William's owner sued him, but he won the case. At which point, the powers-that-be at USDF and the FEI said, "There's no problem here."

USDF can't survive without grassroots punters, the thousands of people who pay their dues and putz along at Training and First level.

The judging criteria needs to be changed. If spidery movement didn't win, then people wouldn't abuse horses to get it. They'd probably do something else, but they wouldn't do that.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

If I was still in the US and still involved with dressage, I would cancel my USDF membership and no longer attend recognised shows. They turned a blind eye to Cesar Parra for years. Nothing happened to him after Wiliam. I read on COTH that William's owner sued him, but he won the case. At which point, the powers-that-be at USDF and the FEI said, "There's no problem here."

USDF can't survive without grassroots punters, the thousands of people who pay their dues and putz along at Training and First level.

The judging criteria needs to be changed. If spidery movement didn't win, then people wouldn't abuse horses to get it. They'd probably do something else, but they wouldn't do that.

I cannot begin to tell you how reluctant I am to give my money to the USDF. In fact, I am not, and will not.

I honestly do not know if I'll ever compete again. No matter how capable my horse may be.

 

[Michen]

I cannot believe what I just watched. How, just how can anyone do that to a horse.

 

[Sandstone1]

The different ways in which humans come up with to use and abuse animals for their own gain never ceases to amaze and disgust me. Sadly I would not be surprised if worse does not go on. How can people like this call themselves horsemen. Disgusting.

 

[ycbm]

Isn't it Denmark, not Belgium?

Damn, do you know I actually checked it too, but you're right it's Denmark, sorry. I've edited it. I did that twice in that post yesterday, Werth as well, where was my brain?
.

 

[photo_jo]

I wonder which of the many moments he is referring to, and who cares who posted it? What sorry excuse for a human being.

I've edited that to explain the timeline. This was to show how long it has been going on and that he was still pretending nothing was wrong last week when it all came out, this reply I assume was to the first video with the ridden horse piaffing and him with the whip, he'd no idea his worst was still to come. This is the horse, not shown on any of these videos, that suffered massive neurological damage, back in 2012 whilst in the care of Parra. There was a court case where he was actually exonerated but the horse's owner heard him admit it at the time. I posted this because this was his reply to that owner on the first of the current set of videos saying it was a small moment in time when it patently wasn't. It gave a timeline for how long it's been going on albeit Dressage-News have been trying to get it in the open for years.
This is the aftermath of this horse's 'correction', yes that is a huge smear of blood on the wall and it is hard to watch

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Can someone more knowledgable than me write an open letter to the FEI we can all post on various sites, share and reference? And another to major sponors, chiefly Longines?

There is traction here - I am seeing post after post by fairly influential equestrian pages (well in terms of followers anyway) wanting to act/ change things. It feels like something might shift if momentum can be maintained.

 

[ycbm]

Can someone more knowledgable than me write an open letter to the FEI we can all post on various sites, share and reference? And another to major sponors, chiefly Longines?

There is traction here - I am seeing post after post by fairly influential equestrian pages (well in terms of followers anyway) wanting to act/ change things. It feels like something might shift if momentum can be maintained.

@Cortez ?


.

 

[Cortez]

@Cortez ?


.

……..thinking……

 

[tristars]

what amazes me is these, parra types have good horses sent to them, to ruin.

quite frankly he and helgstrand and the others have no real clue how to train a horse, they are nothing, they are ignorant bullies, thugs and sadists

the FEI etc are actively promoting and supporting animal abuse, cruelty and in fact destroying dressage competitions, the enjoyment of watching has gone for many people so has the learning and example that should be there to encourage and promote what it is riders should be aiming for, not to mention the inspiration, aspiration that should be generated by watching ,`the best in the world`

instead it is showing a warped version of something that should showcase the beauty of the horse

at the lower levels its poss to see some lovely riding, yet the top level which should be better than the lower level is causing so much distress to those viewing

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I can't even figure out what is really happening in those videos, but it's just abhorrent, the whole landscape that is 'emerging' read: finally being publicised. I agree with AE that an open letter is a great idea and this momentum should be capitalised on. I can tell you one thing, I will not watch another moments professional dressage, on TV, at a big show or otherwise.