Helgstrand…

Burnttoast

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Cut n paste of the article from Google Translate - it's a bit disjointed as it contains pull quotes, captions etc as running text. But the sense is there.

Operation X reveals violent treatment of horses by a billionaire: - It's violence, not riding
Today at 06.00
Upd. Today at 12.19
For a month, 'Operation X' has had a journalist employed as a horse groomer at Helgstrand Dressage in North Jutland. Meanwhile, she filmed with a hidden camera. Photo: TV 2
by Laura Kongsmark Schuldt, Anne-Katrine Bondo, Ketil Alstrup Johansen & Rebekka Amalie Klubien

Experts and professionals are shocked by the treatment of the horses, but according to Andreas Helgstrand, a horse must be "reprimanded a little".

The article has been updated with additional information about why Andreas Helgstrand did not want to be interviewed in the Operation X documentary.

The Danish dressage rider Andreas Helgstrand has earned over a billion kroner by building up a business on training and selling exclusive dressage horses.

According to himself, his training and sales center, Helgstrand Dressage, sets "international standards" for equestrian sports.

But now TV 2's hidden recordings in the program 'Operation X: The secrets of the horse billionaire' show another side of the success story of the Danish horse billionaire.

I see horses suffering. This is animal cruelty of the worst kind
Heidi Nielsen, equine veterinarian

According to several professionals and experts, mistreatment and violence against the horses takes place in connection with the training at Helgstrand's training center in North Jutland.

Andreas Helgstrand did not want the hidden recordings to see the light of day, so he tried to stop the documentary by filing a lawsuit against TV 2.
Tv2 play
Operation X: Secrets of the Horse Billionaire - Part 1

Only after two court cases can TV 2 now – in the words of the court – show what the horse billionaire does not want to appear. It involves whip marks, spur wounds and controversial training methods.

- I see horses that suffer. It is animal abuse of the worst kind, says Heidi Nielsen, who is a horse veterinarian, after seeing a large number of hidden recordings of the training.
The training method rollkur, as shown in the footage, faces harsh criticism from both Danish and international experts. Photo: TV 2
A money machine

For a month, 'Operation X' has had a journalist employed as a horse groomer at Helgstrand Dressage in North Jutland. Meanwhile, she filmed with a hidden camera.

On the spot, they train and sell, according to Helgstrand himself, some of the best and finest horses for dressage. And the market is not just Denmark – it is the whole world. 90 percent of Helgstrand's horses go abroad, he says himself.

Andreas Helgstrand also has equestrian students. On Helgstrand Dressage's website it appears that "Andreas is a role model for many young and ambitious riders".

But the question is whether the horses pay a price for the success.

It really is a money machine
John Randskov, dressage rider and honorary member of the Danish Riding Instructor Association

All the experts who have seen TV 2's hidden recordings believe that Helgstrand Dressage compromises with animal welfare in order to achieve quick results.

Among other things, the riders use the spurs, the whip and the sliding reins too hard and too much, so that the horses are left with wounds and whip marks.

- You have to hit pretty hard to do this. It is violent, states Heidi Nielsen after seeing pictures of the marks on the horses, which according to her originate from whipping.
Pictures taken by TV 2's journalist at Helgstrand Dressage. The wounds have come from the use of whips and spurs. Photo: TV 2

'Operation X' has shown the recordings to a number of experts and professionals, who among other things have seen several unedited clips – including a 25-minute long clip of the training. They find that there is a harsh and unethical treatment of the horses, which are subjected to continuous pressure.

- It really is a money machine. It is not on the horse's terms. It is absolutely clear, says John Randskov, who is a dressage rider and honorary member of the Danish Riding Instructor Association.
Violence, not riding

TV 2's journalist doesn't manage to stay long at Helgstrand Dressage before she hears that several horses have wounds and marks.

Already on the second day of his employment, TV 2's journalist has a conversation with a horse keeper who tells about a rider who is so diligent with the whip that the horse often gets streak marks.

Other horse keepers also talk about harsh treatment of the horses.

- There is someone like Dafetti, he gets smacked - he gets beaten, says a horse keeper on the hidden recordings.

A horse keeper shows a picture of stripe marks, and TV 2's journalist also films similar marks on a horse himself. The experts believe that the marks originate from excessive use of the whip.

TV 2's journalist also discovers spur wounds, which, according to the employees, occur when the horses are rescued harshly with spurs.

This means that the piece of metal that the riders have on the back of their boots has been kicked so hard into the horse that it has torn a hole in the horse's skin.

This is violence. It's not riding
John Randskov, rider and riding instructor

Susan Kjærgaard, a riding instructor and former show jumper on the national team, calls it a "completely unreasonable and unfair" treatment of the horses.

- Ulcers rarely occur because there is a quick cut. This happens through systematic and repeated scratching, pressure and pain, until eventually a hole appears in the skin, she says.
The riders pound the spurs violently into the horse
Yesterday at 10.39
0:29

Video: TV 2 NEWS

Heidi Nielsen is shocked that the riders continue to pound the spurs into the horse, even though it is clear that it is reacting restlessly and showing signs of pain.

- It's unpleasant to look at. Unfortunately, horses have no sound. If it had been dogs we did this to, it would have sounded terrible in that riding hall, says the equine vet.
The horse shows signs of conflict behaviour, and then the rider kicks the spur towards the horse.
Yesterday at 10.43
0:10

Video: TV 2 NEWS

John Randskov, who is a rider and long-time riding instructor, is also shocked by the way the riders treat the horses.

- This is violence. It's not riding, he notes.
Being instructed to hide wounds

At one point, TV 2's journalist points out to a horse keeper that the horse she is walking with has a wound.

- We know that well. We have that under control, comes the answer
We know that well. We have that under control, is the answer from the horse keeper to the hidden recordings.

Another employee says that it is not the first time that one of the horses has track marks. She has seen the horse's wounds soften and says that she puts some cream on so that the wound can heal.

But in addition to the fact that the employees are knowledgeable about how the horses are treated, they also tell us that the wounds must be hidden.
Several horses are ridden too hard with spurs, horse groomers say
Yesterday at 09.59
0:38

Video: TV 2 NEWS

When there are customers visiting, a horse groomer says that they are instructed to cover the wounds with brown shoe polish.

- They put shoe polish on. They do it when customers come, says a horse keeper about the spurs, which she calls really bad.
Marks from a whip on the horse's back are hidden with a blanket.
Yesterday at 10.41
0:25

Video: TV 2 NEWS

The same applies when the horses have received marks from whipping. Here, a horse keeper explains that the marks must be hidden by the employees placing a blanket over the horse's back.

The experts note that virtually all horses are trained with sliding reins. Sliding reins are controversial because they make it easier for the rider to pull the horse's head in towards the body.

And that's another item on the list of things that the employees have to keep hidden.

One day the employees are told that they must remind their riders that they must not use the sliding reins between 1pm and 2pm. This is because customers come here to look at the horses.
The employees are told that they must not use sliding reins during special periods of time
Yesterday at 09.58
0:30

Video: TV 2 NEWS

The recordings make a deep impression on Bengt Holst, chairman of the Animal Ethics Council.

- Welts and whiplash are completely unacceptable. It must stop immediately. That you then try to hide it because you know you shouldn't, only makes it even more criminal, says Bengt Holst.
Not allowed to film or take pictures

'Operation X' has spoken to former employees at Helgstrand Dressage, who confirm that the excessive use of whips and spurs that were covered with shoe polish also took place when they were employed.

They also say that you must not take pictures or film while you are employed at Helgstrand Dressage.

Are you recording what we are talking about?
Andreas Helgstrand in a hidden conversation with TV 2's journalist

Cont...
 
Burnttoast

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... cont from above
The footage does not show Andreas Helgstrand himself riding the horses. But several employees tell how the rough treatment is everyday.

A rider at Helgstrand Dressage tells TV 2's journalist herself that she knows it is "a shame for the animals".

- But it is a factory. Some horses have to be produced, so there is also a lot of pressure as a rider, it is said on the recordings.

And according to all professionals and experts, TV 2's hidden recordings testify that it is not just a matter of individual episodes.
According to one rider, there are many of the horses that do not fit in at Helgstrand Dressage
Yesterday at 11.53
0:29

Video: TV 2 NEWS

Susan Kjærgård wonders why the way the horses are treated is not questioned.

- That is why I am so affected by it. It shows that it is a culture, and that this is how you do it at the place, which everyone else who wants to be something in the sport, in principle, looks up to, says Susan Kjærgård.

According to veterinary consultant at the Danish Riding Association Mette Uldahl, the hidden recordings show serious breaches of the association's ethical guidelines. She also assesses that the rough handling of the horses takes place systematically.

- The conclusion is that there are serious cases where the horses are treated in a way that is not acceptable at all, and where they show a serious degree of damage, says Mette Uldahl.

But how much does Andreas Helgstrand know about how the horses are treated?

On his last working day, TV 2's journalist gets the opportunity to ask the main character himself.
According to Andreas Helgstrand, Helgstrand Dressage supplies horses all over the world. Photo: TV 2
- A horse needs to be reprimanded a bit

While recording with a hidden camera, TV 2's mole Andreas Helgstrand points out that she has seen riders riding in a violent manner and that she has seen horses with spur marks.

During the conversation, she also says that she has seen the horse's head being forced down and that she has taken a picture of it.

That prompts Andreas Helgstrand to answer:

- If you are here because you want to make trouble and go out and say that we ride badly and do this and that, then we have to go out and find a solution to it, because we are not interested in having one or the other up here, there ... Can I see your picture?

I just think it doesn't look very comfortable.

- No, no, and again, what is the situation, and no, it doesn't look good, but it doesn't look good either, if you just look there - when she steps there, it also looks miserable. A horse needs to be reprimanded a bit (...), because if you just ride around with a long rein and are nice to it, they won't understand that.

But it is there that I see some restraining them and forcing their heads down for a long time at a time
But it is there that I see some restraining them and forcing their heads down for a long time at a time. I just want to know if you are aware of this happening?

- Yes, we are.
TV 2's journalist Andreas Helgstrand tells what she has seen at Helgstrand Dressage
Yesterday at 10.17
2:14

Video: TV 2 NEWS

So do you accept that too?

- No I do not. It is not the same as saying that you accept it, because I do not accept at all. But I don't know what is going on here at the place.

But isn't it your responsibility to know?

- Of course it is. Are you recording what we are talking about now? Can I see your pocket? I get a little nervous, because I don't want to be in the media about something, says Andreas Helgstrand.
Helgstrand: Can't reject mistakes

Despite several offers, Andreas Helgstrand did not want to be interviewed in the 'Operation X' documentary.

He was offered to see the hidden recordings, which the experts had also seen and assessed. He rejected this, and instead demanded to see all the recordings the mole had made during his employment, which TV 2 rejected.

Therefore, Andreas Helgstrand has not seen the hidden recordings before publication, but has been sent a written presentation of the content and criticism.

But he has sent an SMS to TV 2 in which he writes:

- We ride 10,000 rides in a month, and unfortunately mistakes can happen. Nor can we deny that this has happened here. And if we see that a mistake has been made, we must of course correct it.

In the text message, he also emphasizes that Helgstrand Dressage is focused on developing, so that they ensure that equestrian sport is always based on the well-being of the horse.
Read Andreas Helgstrand's full answer here:

It is central to our work that the welfare of our horses is put above everything else. We train some of the world's best elite horses that participate in the Olympics and the biggest competitions in dressage. We can only do that if there is trust between horse and rider.

We ride 10,000 rides in a month, and unfortunately mistakes can happen. Nor can we deny that this has happened here. And if we see that a mistake has been made, we must of course correct it. If we see violations of the law, we must of course act on it.

We must learn from the criticism that is presented to us and we must continue to evolve. We have also done that in this case.

The filming is from January 2023, but we haven't stood still since then. Among other things, we have carried out an external legal investigation and thoroughly reviewed our guidelines. Against this background, we have strengthened our horse welfare and riding policies, our business conduct and our employee conditions.

That doesn't mean we're done learning. This means that we are constantly focused on developing ourselves, so that we ensure that elite equestrian sport always takes place with the horse's well-being as a starting point.

- We must learn from the criticism that is presented to us, and we must continue to develop. We have also done that in this case.

- Against this background, we have strengthened our horse welfare and riding policies, our business practices and our employee conditions, writes Andreas Helgstrand.
 
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Burnttoast said:
... cont from above
The footage does not show Andreas Helgstrand himself riding the horses. But several employees tell how the rough treatment is everyday.

A rider at Helgstrand Dressage tells TV 2's journalist herself that she knows it is "a shame for the animals".

- But it is a factory. Some horses have to be produced, so there is also a lot of pressure as a rider, it is said on the recordings.

And according to all professionals and experts, TV 2's hidden recordings testify that it is not just a matter of individual episodes.
According to one rider, there are many of the horses that do not fit in at Helgstrand Dressage
Yesterday at 11.53
0:29

Video: TV 2 NEWS

Susan Kjærgård wonders why the way the horses are treated is not questioned.

- That is why I am so affected by it. It shows that it is a culture, and that this is how you do it at the place, which everyone else who wants to be something in the sport, in principle, looks up to, says Susan Kjærgård.

According to veterinary consultant at the Danish Riding Association Mette Uldahl, the hidden recordings show serious breaches of the association's ethical guidelines. She also assesses that the rough handling of the horses takes place systematically.

- The conclusion is that there are serious cases where the horses are treated in a way that is not acceptable at all, and where they show a serious degree of damage, says Mette Uldahl.

But how much does Andreas Helgstrand know about how the horses are treated?

On his last working day, TV 2's journalist gets the opportunity to ask the main character himself.
According to Andreas Helgstrand, Helgstrand Dressage supplies horses all over the world. Photo: TV 2
- A horse needs to be reprimanded a bit

While recording with a hidden camera, TV 2's mole Andreas Helgstrand points out that she has seen riders riding in a violent manner and that she has seen horses with spur marks.

During the conversation, she also says that she has seen the horse's head being forced down and that she has taken a picture of it.

That prompts Andreas Helgstrand to answer:

- If you are here because you want to make trouble and go out and say that we ride badly and do this and that, then we have to go out and find a solution to it, because we are not interested in having one or the other up here, there ... Can I see your picture?

I just think it doesn't look very comfortable.

- No, no, and again, what is the situation, and no, it doesn't look good, but it doesn't look good either, if you just look there - when she steps there, it also looks miserable. A horse needs to be reprimanded a bit (...), because if you just ride around with a long rein and are nice to it, they won't understand that.

But it is there that I see some restraining them and forcing their heads down for a long time at a time
But it is there that I see some restraining them and forcing their heads down for a long time at a time. I just want to know if you are aware of this happening?

- Yes, we are.
TV 2's journalist Andreas Helgstrand tells what she has seen at Helgstrand Dressage
Yesterday at 10.17
2:14

Video: TV 2 NEWS

So do you accept that too?

- No I do not. It is not the same as saying that you accept it, because I do not accept at all. But I don't know what is going on here at the place.

But isn't it your responsibility to know?

- Of course it is. Are you recording what we are talking about now? Can I see your pocket? I get a little nervous, because I don't want to be in the media about something, says Andreas Helgstrand.
Helgstrand: Can't reject mistakes

Despite several offers, Andreas Helgstrand did not want to be interviewed in the 'Operation X' documentary.

He was offered to see the hidden recordings, which the experts had also seen and assessed. He rejected this, and instead demanded to see all the recordings the mole had made during his employment, which TV 2 rejected.

Therefore, Andreas Helgstrand has not seen the hidden recordings before publication, but has been sent a written presentation of the content and criticism.

But he has sent an SMS to TV 2 in which he writes:

- We ride 10,000 rides in a month, and unfortunately mistakes can happen. Nor can we deny that this has happened here. And if we see that a mistake has been made, we must of course correct it.

In the text message, he also emphasizes that Helgstrand Dressage is focused on developing, so that they ensure that equestrian sport is always based on the well-being of the horse.
Read Andreas Helgstrand's full answer here:

It is central to our work that the welfare of our horses is put above everything else. We train some of the world's best elite horses that participate in the Olympics and the biggest competitions in dressage. We can only do that if there is trust between horse and rider.

We ride 10,000 rides in a month, and unfortunately mistakes can happen. Nor can we deny that this has happened here. And if we see that a mistake has been made, we must of course correct it. If we see violations of the law, we must of course act on it.

We must learn from the criticism that is presented to us and we must continue to evolve. We have also done that in this case.

The filming is from January 2023, but we haven't stood still since then. Among other things, we have carried out an external legal investigation and thoroughly reviewed our guidelines. Against this background, we have strengthened our horse welfare and riding policies, our business conduct and our employee conditions.

That doesn't mean we're done learning. This means that we are constantly focused on developing ourselves, so that we ensure that elite equestrian sport always takes place with the horse's well-being as a starting point.

- We must learn from the criticism that is presented to us, and we must continue to develop. We have also done that in this case.

- Against this background, we have strengthened our horse welfare and riding policies, our business practices and our employee conditions, writes Andreas Helgstrand.
Click to expand...
Thank you.Horrific.
 
AShetlandBitMeOnce

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I hope that not only Helgstrand goes down for this, but every rider at that place. They are all as guilty as each other, yes it's not easy to be the one that stands up to the 'best of the best' and questions his methods, whilst risking your whole career, but you do have the option of not actively partaking. Utterly heartbreaking all round.
 
Burnttoast

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eahotson said:
Thank you.Horrific.
Click to expand...

ester said:
Thanks BT
Click to expand...
I feel I should have commented more on this thread because I find it a bit sad that it's had relatively little interest when really basic questions of welfare and how we choose to deal with horses in our care/captivity are at stake. Obviously there wasn't much to comment on before, so I hope now there will be more interactions here from people who have an interest in horse sport continuing. For myself I'm not at all shocked by the footage and the descriptions of it. Wherever the modern human goes a culture of abuse is never far behind and sadly it's up to the good guys to discover and root them out.
 
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This level of abuse should have been stamped out a long time ago, I think the bar should be higher than just going after obviously cruelty like this. The Sue Dyson work, what was the ethogram, really does help us sort the wood from the chaff, and too much of what is in the show ring is chaff. We have young riders coming through who have only ever been taught by competition riders, and they too have only ever been taught by competition riders, the days of a true dressage education is LONG ago. We lose sight of correct balance, of long term soundness, and obviously equine discomfort and lack of provision of friends, freedom, forage etc.
 
Burnttoast

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And just as bad at the lower levels, where ego and the stress of barely making a living from the thing you (once?) loved just lead to everything being taken out on horses and staff.
 
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Partly in jest because I can't see any government doing it, but a licensing system for yards in all disciplines that want to either sell or compete or both, in which cameras can be installed and spot checks made, would suit me fine. Abattoirs have monitoring and regulation, and for the animals this is quite possibly worse than being slaughtered, because it goes on and on with no respite. Apparently people just can't be trusted to be humane.
 
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Cortez said:
This sort of treatments goes on in a lot of other "top" establishments. It has to stop.
Click to expand...

I saw some very harsh riding at a well regarded dressage establishment in this country when I was there for a lesson. More happily, the two professional yards I have had a lengthy connection with (one working at and one as a client) treated horses well in all regards including turn out and good riding.
 
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Burnttoast said:
I feel I should have commented more on this thread because I find it a bit sad that it's had relatively little interest when really basic questions of welfare and how we choose to deal with horses in our care/captivity are at stake. Obviously there wasn't much to comment on before, so I hope now there will be more interactions here from people who have an interest in horse sport continuing. For myself I'm not at all shocked by the footage and the descriptions of it. Wherever the modern human goes a culture of abuse is never far behind and sadly it's up to the good guys to discover and root them out.
Click to expand...
I think it's hard to have much of a discussion about it because what is alleged is so horrific and is both massively removed from the horse owning experiences of most of us on here, and confirms the worst fears of a lot of us about parts of the elite dressage scene. It's hard to know what to say other than that it is appalling, absolutely appalling. 😔
 
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DabDab said:
I think it's hard to have much of a discussion about it because what is alleged is so horrific and is both massively removed from the horse owning experiences of most of us on here, and confirms the worst fears of a lot of us about parts of the elite dressage scene. It's hard to know what to say other than that it is appalling, absolutely appalling. 😔
Click to expand...
In a sense that's true, there's not much more to say perhaps, but it's worth people saying it (and I need to do so more often, not just think 'what a surprise') because if that's the message that's coming out of threads like this and other SM, more people might have the courage to call it out in real life, knowing that there are people out there who agree with them. It's a very difficult thing to do faced with this kind of abuse in the flesh - as I know (and am ashamed by my own lack of action).

Also definitely not just at the elite level, or confined to dressage :(
 
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As regards the lower levels - there is nothing like watching someone do the rounds of the local (and well respected) dressage trainers with an obviously (and I do mean obviously) broken horse to make you realise that a significant number of professional horse people are more interested in making a living than horse welfare; more interested in their egos and status in their world than horse welfare; and much less knowledgeable in some crucial areas of horsemanship than they'd like you to imagine.
 
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Burnttoast said:
In a sense that's true, there's not much more to say perhaps, but it's worth people saying it (and I need to do so more often, not just think 'what a surprise') because if that's the message that's coming out of threads like this and other SM, more people might have the courage to call it out in real life, knowing that there are people out there who agree with them. It's a very difficult thing to do faced with this kind of abuse in the flesh - as I know (and am ashamed by my own lack of action).

Also definitely not just at the elite level, or confined to dressage :(
Click to expand...

The thing is most of us do try and do the best for our animals and put them first. That means continually learning, reassessing and adjusting.

The people at grassroots that should be targeted have cloth ears. You don't have to look hard on here to find horses of various ages kept isolated in far from ideal situations as one example. Yet those people bellow from the rooftops that what they do is fine and shout down anyone who points out the obvious.

[Some] people are happy to compromise their horses because that's the only way, or most convenient way, for them to have a horse. To them, having a horse for their sake is the only priority.

They'll make all the right noises about cases like this then go straight back to their own form of neglect/abuse/mental torture.

I saw this video on fb the other day and it pretty much nails it

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1206343366990769
 
DabDab

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Burnttoast said:
In a sense that's true, there's not much more to say perhaps, but it's worth people saying it (and I need to do so more often, not just think 'what a surprise') because if that's the message that's coming out of threads like this and other SM, more people might have the courage to call it out in real life, knowing that there are people out there who agree with them. It's a very difficult thing to do faced with this kind of abuse in the flesh - as I know (and am ashamed by my own lack of action).

Also definitely not just at the elite level, or confined to dressage :(
Click to expand...


Totally agree, it's just a job to know what to say.

And no, not just elite level, but most of what I personally have seen in the more 'normal' parts of the horse owning population would fall into the ugly outburst category, but this is something else, this is a systematic abuse-based training system being used on an industrial level to produce horses at the top end of the sport.

And quite frankly I'm sort of falling into the opinion that if people training in this way can do well in dressage then the whole sport is defunct. Throw it in the bin.
 
Burnttoast

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TPO said:
The thing is most of us do try and do the best for our animals and put them first. That means continually learning, reassessing and adjusting.

The people at grassroots that should be targeted have cloth ears. You don't have to look hard on here to find horses of various ages kept isolated in far from ideal situations as one example. Yet those people bellow from the rooftops that what they do is fine and shout down anyone who points out the obvious.

[Some] people are happy to compromise their horses because that's the only way, or most convenient way, for them to have a horse. To them, having a horse for their sake is the only priority.

They'll make all the right noises about cases like this then go straight back to their own form of neglect/abuse/mental torture.

I saw this video on fb the other day and it pretty much nails it

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1206343366990769
Click to expand...
Agree completely, and all this makes me want to be more vocal, because as you say that kind of mistreatment is absolutely rife. Unfortunately my skillset doesn't lie in opening closed ears but I will support all those who have those skills.
 
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nor is it just confined to horses. Abuse is sadly common to lots of animals, including dogs.

I do think that social media, whilst not necessarily being something I particularly like overall, especially in it's many poor impacts on children, will increasingly lead to exposure of this sort of stuff in both amateur and professional settings.

The downside, as we are all well aware, is that the good will be tarnished along with the bad.

There is a recent (in the last week) report of an assistant trainer in racing being banned for 12 weeks for gobbing a horse from the ground so severely that it was cut down to the jawbone. (can't remember who it was).

I do think though that the threat of litigation, as with both Ludger and Helgstrand, where the perpetrators have seemingly unlimited financial resources, does keep a lot of what goes on in professional stables unreported.

Alongside this is the fact that there is only media interest in reporting about the 'famous' or situations where multiple animals are involved, such as puppy farms. One local incident might make the local online paper or facebook but is unlikely to reach mainstream media unless it is the much maligned Daily Mail.
 
Burnttoast

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Cortez said:
The fact is that most horse abuse at lower levels is caused by ignorance. This, this is a whole other level: they know what they're doing is abusive, and they don't care, because money and success trumps everything.
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Yes, plenty of abuse/neglect caused by ignorance/apathy at the lower levels but also people who know precisely what they're doing. The local rider/trainer I saw (from a distance and given his reputation I would never have approached him as the lone female on the yard at the time) beating his GP horse to a paste in the lunge pen with a schooling whip was not acting out of ignorance, it was sheer temper and an 'I don't care, who's going to stop me' attitude. He had young staff who were supposed to be learning under him. It's everywhere.
 
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Burnttoast said:
And just as bad at the lower levels, where ego and the stress of barely making a living from the thing you (once?) loved just lead to everything being taken out on horses and staff.
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In an industry where its seen as a bit annoying but mainly excusable for a senior member of staff to headbutt a junior member of staff there are huge issues
 
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