I’m not sure what to think….
- Thread starter Mistletoeandawine
- Start date
Red-1
I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
The version I saw was a lot longer. Again, I don't know who the man is, who the rider is, who filmed it or when/where it was filmed.
teddypops
Well-Known Member
That makes it worse as the horse was gradually getting more confident.
AFB
Well-Known Member
Thanks - I’m confused by that if I’m honest, while it’s not a technique I’d want used, I don’t think he’s actually hitting the horse with it, just scaring it fwds? My eyes are pretty crap and I’m watching on a phone screen so prepared to be shot down…
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the original was taken off tiktok because it violated their rules on violence apparently.
stangs
Well-Known Member
Look at the clip starting 1:25. You can pretty much see the muscle rippling in response to being hit.
Red-1
I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
If you watch to the end of the video I linked, you can hear the blows land!
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no he did make contact
Horses_Rule
Well-Known Member
Disgrace. But unfortunately a lot of people think the only way is to beat them into doing things…. And ALOT of professionals do it as well as normal horse folk.
AFB
Well-Known Member
Bugger absolutely!! Serves me right for not watching properly - and yes absolutely worse when the poor thing was gaining in confidence beforehand.
Sandstone1
Well-Known Member
Thats not good.
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
Oh dear ?. The bloke does look and sound like Sir Mark Todd...
The horse was going nicely enough before this, and should have had a pat and finished off on a good note earlier.
The bloke with the whip/stick was also standing idiotically well within kicking range of the grey as he whacked it. So poor decisions added to poor decisions.
He's struck right off my list of equestrian heroes.
The horse was going nicely enough before this, and should have had a pat and finished off on a good note earlier.
The bloke with the whip/stick was also standing idiotically well within kicking range of the grey as he whacked it. So poor decisions added to poor decisions.
He's struck right off my list of equestrian heroes.
Lammy
Well-Known Member
At the start he’s just smacking the branch against the ground and making a noise, not a training technique I would use but fine whatever.
The last time, the horse refuses and he is hitting it, 10 times I counted. Poor horse.
Really used to like Mark Todd but he’s lost all my respect for that. Sad.
Cortez
Tough but Fair
OK, here's what I see: a very weak rider not riding her horse forwards enough into the water - I presume that Mark Todd (hard to positively identify in the video, but doesn't really matter who it is) has been telling her to ride it more positively, but he obviously has a twig ready to provide some "encouragement". The first few times he's just swishing the twig; the horse is coming in with less, and less power each time - rider's doing nothing. The final time he whacks the horse a few times (not 10) after it has ground to the inevitable and entirely predictable, halt. Would I do this? No. Is it "horse abuse"? No, it's weak rider plus frustrated trainer = stupid thing to do.
P.S. I don't see the horse "gaining in confidence" at all - quite the opposite, it's coming in with less and less power each time, which is why trainer guy is preparing to "help".
PPS. You lads may not like it, but there is a fair amount of "positive encouragement"/stick involved in professional riding and training. Waaay more than you'd like, actually.
P.S. I don't see the horse "gaining in confidence" at all - quite the opposite, it's coming in with less and less power each time, which is why trainer guy is preparing to "help".
PPS. You lads may not like it, but there is a fair amount of "positive encouragement"/stick involved in professional riding and training. Waaay more than you'd like, actually.
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Sandstone1
Well-Known Member
The fact that people think its not abuse speaks volumes.
chocolategirl
Well-Known Member
Can I ask what you mean by, ‘I know it’s the DM’ but……………..
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
Looks like the horse will go in where it doesn't have to jump down but doesn't want to jump down the place with the small step into the water.
Cortez
Tough but Fair
Depends on how you classify abuse though, doesn't it? I have dealt with abused horses for much of my professional life: this is not an abused horse.
Sandstone1
Well-Known Member
Disappointed in Mark Todd.
Sandstone1
Well-Known Member
Just because you say so does not make it true. Times are changing and that is classed as abuse these days.
Cortez
Tough but Fair
By whom?
Sandstone1
Well-Known Member
Well most people on here for a start. Tik tok as they have taken the video down and quite possibly the rspca once they get to see it.
chocolategirl
Well-Known Member
There’s just different levels of abuse imo, just because you don’t see this as abuse, doesn’t mean it isn’t, it’s maybe just ‘low level’ abuse, but abuse all the same, and I would have expected better from someone with his experience tbh?
Edited to add, I can’t bring myself to watch the video, so I’m not in a position to say if it’s abusive or not, but I get the gist from everyone else’s reactions?
Horses_Rule
Well-Known Member
There’s positive encouragement with a stick and there’s beating a horse into submission. I don’t think many people would like a schooling stick whipped across their a*se like that! If there was a video of him doing it to a dog people would have plenty to say so why is a horse any different? So to deal with a fearful and unconfident horse you should beat it? Shambles.
Cortez
Tough but Fair
I agree, there are indeed levels of abuse, from very poor riders jagging at their horse's mouths - wittingly or not - to overweight riders, poorly fitting tack, nagging legs, heavy "pony club" kicks, riding sore horses, etc., etc.
The RSPCA, in my experience, have very poor knowledge of horses indeed and certainly wouldn't be an arbiter of what constitutes abuse in training.
If, as you say, times they are a' changing, then you can kiss goodbye to most professional equestrian sport. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily.
The RSPCA, in my experience, have very poor knowledge of horses indeed and certainly wouldn't be an arbiter of what constitutes abuse in training.
If, as you say, times they are a' changing, then you can kiss goodbye to most professional equestrian sport. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily.
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It's not an abused horse, but it is being abused in this video.
On the subject of how you classify abuse:
abuse
VERB
- use (something) to bad effect or for a bad purpose; misuse.
"the judge abused his power by imposing the fines"
synonyms:
misuse · misapply · misemploy · mishandle · exploit · pervert · take advantage of
- treat with cruelty or violence, especially regularly or repeatedly.
"riders who abuse their horses should be prosecuted"
synonyms:
mistreat · maltreat · ill-treat · treat badly · ill-use · misuse ·
[More]
DabDab
Ah mud, splendid
Fair play to you for the honesty. I agree
Billyandme
Well-Known Member
Watched this a couple of times and I stand to be corrected, but I don't think that is Mark todd. The leg length and actual bidy shape does not resemble him at all. Mark Todd is very tall and almost slender in body shape. Also very tall.
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He really needs to release a statement I think. I'm quite surprised he hasn't already.