Helgstrand…

[ester]

Im curious what the position of the treating vet was, given the keeness to opt for off label treatments. Was he their personal vet?

 

[daffy44]

Another bizarre Helgstrand story....

More holes than a string vest. As a starting point I'm afraid I cannot believe that an International competition groom notices a horse in their care is unwell, and is then treated by a vet, but the groom doesnt tell the rider instantly, or if this is impossible for whatever reason, they then dont even tell the rider before the next days competition.

 

[Caol Ila]

Nothing about it passes the sniff test.

Except for the vet's hat. That is a pretty great hat.

 

[Goldenstar]

It gets weirder and weirder ... the guy can't seem to do anything with integrity, honesty and the horse at the front of his mind
Are we meant to believe noone told him the horse had colic?
Who would ride a Grand Prix on a horse who had colic the previous night?

Helgstrand Loses 2023 Danish Championship Bronze Medal

Andreas Helgstrand has lost the bronze medal he won at the 2023 Danish Dressage Championship following a decision of the Danish Equestrian Federation's appeal committee.

eurodressage.com

The horse is a stallion is he not ,this is more common than you think .

 

[ycbm]

You put it into a vein & it attracts water to itself therefore increasing blood volume.

I wonder ..... if you put it into the gut and it attracts water to itself ... allowing you to dehydrate the horse overnight to calm it down for the competition, without risking colic from dehydrating the gut ....?

Although I can also see the reasoning, if the horse genuinely had a bit of colic, to use a drug that will keep water in the gut to keep it moving.

But it's really bizarre to do what they did at a high level competition.
.

 

[SO1]

They said in the article the horse was eating normally an hour after being treated for colic. Normally food is withheld for a few hours at least following treatment for colic. Not only non standard medicine but also unusual to allow food again so soon after a colic attack.

 

[Nicnac]

Curiouser and curiouser said Alice as Helgstrand disappeared down the rabbit hole.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

It has a Bradley Wiggins Jiffy Bag feel about it. Does not add up at all.

 

[SEL]

Its bizarre - for a horse of this quality and price tag I just cannot imagine a vet treating colic with anything other than the standard protocol. Muscle relaxants as a starter, water if its blocked, perhaps sedation. Obviously will rule it out of competing but the colic would have to be pretty minor for it to be business as usual the following day anyway.

 

[shortstuff99]

This is a long read but worth it, includes a very interesting statement from Helgstrand at the end.....

Wow is it cold..

Danish Equestrian World in Turmoil as Ethics of National Federation Are Questioned

The Danish equestrian world is in a turmoil and in the last few days the chess board is being repositioned following an open letter by the former Danish Equestrian Federation's elite sport chef and team captain Kimi Nielsen.

eurodressage.com

 

[SEL]

This is a long read but worth it, includes a very interesting statement from Helgstrand at the end.....

Wow is it cold..

Danish Equestrian World in Turmoil as Ethics of National Federation Are Questioned

The Danish equestrian world is in a turmoil and in the last few days the chess board is being repositioned following an open letter by the former Danish Equestrian Federation's elite sport chef and team captain Kimi Nielsen.

eurodressage.com

Very cold.

I know many people who have horses on full livery who cannot see them daily and they would still want to know immediately if the horse had colic. He really doesn't see horses as anything other than a tool / commodity

 

[millitiger]

In his own words, he is too busy to be informed about his horse having colic... the mind boggles.
I am pleased reading that article that there does seem movement to stop covering for him and people and federations etc. are creating a little distance between themselves and Helgstrand.

 

[ycbm]

He's implying that if the drug had been given into the mouth instead of the stomach direct then it would have been legal. My understanding from posts above is that the only licensed use of the drug is into the bloodstream.

You don't get to be a multi millionaire at anything by being nice and you certainly don't get to be a multi millionaire from horses by being nice to horses.
.

 

[ycbm]

Pointer from the article above, oh this man is a total joy! Google should offer you the translation.

Mystik i Helgstrand-handel: - Jeg købte ikke en hest. Jeg gjorde bare en tjeneste

Andreas Helgstrand solgte to nordjyske avleres hest i USA bag om ryggen på dem. Mystik om køber

nordjyske.dk

 

[Cragrat]

This is a long read but worth it, includes a very interesting statement from Helgstrand at the end.....

Wow is it cold..

Danish Equestrian World in Turmoil as Ethics of National Federation Are Questioned

The Danish equestrian world is in a turmoil and in the last few days the chess board is being repositioned following an open letter by the former Danish Equestrian Federation's elite sport chef and team captain Kimi Nielsen.

eurodressage.com

crikey!

So Helgstrands lawyer was also teh Animal Welfare group lawyer, and his dad was chairman of the DRF! No wonder he felt untouchable!

 

[tristar]

its enough shzte to put you off kissing your own horse

who said you can fool some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time

why it those who should be monitoring animal welfare at that level are the last to speak out, or so it appears

 

[shortstuff99]

Announced today that they have lost all their legal cases and the documentary will be aired next week in 2 parts.

 

[shortstuff99]

If you want a sneak peek

https://fb.watch/onxULshOFp/

 

[Maddie Moo]

Awful Do we know whether the full documentary will have English subtitles?

 

[SEL]

That made grim watching

 

[reynold]

Undercover TV documentary on Helgstrand Dressage to air this week

A television documentary filmed undercover at Helgstrand Dressage will air this week after attempts to stop the broadcast were dismissed by a court

www.horseandhound.co.uk

Report above states program airs today in Denmark and has a statement from the stud about measures they have put in place to address 'improvements' they have made.

The article links to the Helgstrand website where the full list of their 'improvements' can be found, as per the link below

Helgstrand Dressage - Welfare

helgstranddressage.com

 

[shortstuff99]

It is also already on their app so people have watched it. Seen some clips and it is pretty upsetting TBH.

 

[eahotson]

Undercover TV documentary on Helgstrand Dressage to air this week

A television documentary filmed undercover at Helgstrand Dressage will air this week after attempts to stop the broadcast were dismissed by a court

www.horseandhound.co.uk

Report above states program airs today in Denmark and has a statement from the stud about measures they have put in place to address 'improvements' they have made.

The article links to the Helgstrand website where the full list of their 'improvements' can be found, as per the link below

Helgstrand Dressage - Welfare

helgstranddressage.com

Hands up who believes a word of it.

 

[ester]

Blimey hh actually reporting something.

 

[eahotson]

Blimey hh actually reporting something.

I know.Normally if you suggest any horse sportsperson (well known) is rather less than saint like you get rapped over the knuckles.

 

[ihatework]

Hands up who believes a word of it.

Oh I believe what they say for the most part of the statement. It’s on the whole clear demonstrable things. Nice box ticking exercise for them.

The issue primarily is around training methodology for me which is far too grey and that is primary where the abuse is.

 

[eahotson]

Reading about the "improvements".I do think from the physical point of view i.e feed, vets,farrier etc. their horses are probably well looked after.Its not that that is raising the complaints but their incorrect and abhorent training practices.As for the in house complaints procedure!!! The mind boggles and not in a nice way.

 

[eahotson]

Oh I believe what they say for the most part of the statement. It’s on the whole clear demonstrable things. Nice box ticking exercise for them.

The issue primarily is around training methodology for me which is far too grey and that is primary where the abuse is.

Sorry didn't see that before I posted again.

 

[sbloom]

Reading about the "improvements".I do think from the physical point of view i.e feed, vets,farrier etc. their horses are probably well looked after.Its not that that is raising the complaints but their incorrect and abhorent training practices.As for the in house complaints procedure!!! The mind boggles and not in a nice way.

I think the vast majority of competitors would tick those boxes, but the horses get little chance to exhibit natural behaviours, show lots of signs from the Sue Dyson pain ethogram AND are using training methods that would be outlawed in the warmup (or rather are outlawed but so often a blind eye is turned anyway).

 

[Blanche]

Awful man. Between him and the likes of the teacher who punched her horse, are the general public ever going to believe the majority of horse people that this is not normal practice. I worked with horses for nearly forty years and never once has it been acceptable to punch, kick, gouge with spurs, yank their mouths etc. I worked for people who I considered hard but never once saw behaviour like this from them nor would it have been accepted behaviour from me. I had a dressage friend whose horses I hacked out and she never did anything of this ilk. She wasn’t at the very top but she did compete on our stressage teams. I despair, I really do. I know I won’t be able to watch the documentary.