Now This Really Is A Shocking Display.....

[Ambers Echo]

Well it sounds like he is having a break from the sport which is a good thing I am sure.

His behaviour was inexcusable but to me both the behaviour and how he comes across in that H&H article dont sound 'poor me' but a man on the edge of a breakdown. He talk about the pressure he was under, about his fear the horse would be taken away etc.

And knowing how the great British public bay for blood on far smaller transgressions I don't doubt he did receive horrific abuse online.

I can't imagine the stress and pressure of life as a pro rider unless you are born into it and have financial security and some control. Eg your own yard/horses.

Riders have the risk of losing the horses any time. Have to win and win and win to keep the rides and to afford to keep the whole thing going. The risk of horses getting injured or developing behavioural issues that stop you winning. Plus an exhausting, high stress lifestyle and isolation/loneliness as it's not really a team sport.

Then there is the online abuse which must be hard to bear. I am sure rates of depression and anxiety must be sky high in professional riders and I would not be at all surprised if abuse of the horse is a sad side effect of someone who is simply not coping.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Thank you.

I don't agree with being whip happy obviously, but there's a big difference between getting a few taps behind the girth to help keep rider and horse safe, and beating the crap out of your horse because you have anger issues.

Plus, and I am not condoning OT but his case you can in a way understand. He has an immense amount of pressure on him on one of the biggest events in the Equestrian Calendar, he is a household name and was so close to finish. You can see how he would have had 1000 other things to think about and would have thought to give a tap to sharpen up the horse as they were 4 from home, or 6 or whatever.

Whereas this incident was calculated and considered, he had time to think 'right you've stopped so now I want to hurt you'.

Like comparing chalk and cheese really. I hope this is treated as such and he receives severe punishment for it; the loss of his career through sponsor withdrawal and horse withdrawal is looking more likely then a serious FEI sanction

 

[Amirah]

Well it sounds like he is having a break from the sport which is a good thing I am sure.

His behaviour was inexcusable but to me both the behaviour and how he comes across in that H&H article dont sound 'poor me' but a man on the edge of a breakdown. He talk about the pressure he was under, about his fear the horse would be taken away etc.

And knowing how the great British public bay for blood on far smaller transgressions I don't doubt he did receive horrific abuse online.

I can't imagine the stress and pressure of life as a pro rider unless you are born into it and have financial security and some control. Eg your own yard/horses.

Riders have the risk of losing the horses any time. Have to win and win and win to keep the rides and to afford to keep the whole thing going. The risk of horses getting injured or developing behavioural issues that stop you winning. Plus an exhausting, high stress lifestyle and isolation/loneliness as it's not really a team sport.

Then there is the online abuse which must be hard to bear. I am sure rates of depression and anxiety must be sky high in professional riders and I would not be at all surprised if abuse of the horse is a sad side effect of someone who is simply not coping.

Lots of people have hugely stressful jobs which they will lose if they mess up - and which they would also lose if they lost their tempers and abused a co-worker. He's only lost his job for a couple of months.

I would also assume that as he grew up competing that he came from a reasonably comfortable background (and was whip happy back then according to some on here).

 

[Velcrobum]

Lots of people have hugely stressful jobs which they will lose if they mess up - and which they would also lose if they lost their tempers and abused a co-worker. He's only lost his job for a couple of months.

I would also assume that as he grew up competing that he came from a reasonably comfortable background (and was whip happy back then according to some on here).

Apparently he owns Hazelton Farm where he is based so probably not short of a bob or two. The 2 month ban is automatically applied after the receipt of 2 FEI yellow cards it will be interesting to see if they ban him for longer. He seems to have a producing/selling/competition/teaching business. While he cannot compete he has a stable jockey who can although he cannot set foot on a show ground unless purely as a spectator. Will not stop the producing/selling/teaching side of the business.

 

[Ambers Echo]

He may well just be a bad tempered sod with a short fuse! Or he may be suicidally depressed or cracking up. Who knows. I just know that suicide is the leading cause of death in young men and that pro riders are particularly prone to mental health problems. And that very often no-one really knows what is going on in other people's heads. And I always feel uncomfortable with witch hunts and baying for blood. He did totally the wrong thing. As a result he has lost the horse. He has been banned from competing. He has lost sponsors. All of which are appropriate consequences for losing his temper and abusing the horse. But calls to share the post everywhere to make it go viral so he can be abused more make me very uncomfortable.

 

[Velcrobum]

He may well just be a bad tempered sod with a short fuse! Or he may be suicidally depressed or cracking up. Who knows. I just know that suicide is the leading cause of death in young men and that pro riders are particularly prone to mental health problems. And that very often no-one really knows what is going on in other people's heads. And I always feel uncomfortable with witch hunts and baying for blood. He did totally the wrong thing. As a result he has lost the horse. He has been banned from competing. He has lost sponsors. All of which are appropriate consequences for losing his temper and abusing the horse. But calls to share the post everywhere to make it go viral so he can be abused more make me very uncomfortable.

I am afraid this is all over Europe and has made it to Canada as well. It is in the news section of this website. He has previously been banned by what was BSJA for misuse of the whip in 2007 so not the first time he has done it. There was a post that stated he was whip happy as a young person at local shows. The horses reaction after it stopped was that of a horse that has been thrashed before and it was expecting a beating which it got. The ban was automatic after 2 yellow cards. This particular horse had some fairly good results with its previous rider, the results plummeted when he took over the ride which IMHO screams rider issue. A brief review of his FEI record shows that particular scenario has happened to other horses he took over the ride on.

 

[Sandstone1]

He may well just be a bad tempered sod with a short fuse! Or he may be suicidally depressed or cracking up. Who knows. I just know that suicide is the leading cause of death in young men and that pro riders are particularly prone to mental health problems. And that very often no-one really knows what is going on in other people's heads. And I always feel uncomfortable with witch hunts and baying for blood. He did totally the wrong thing. As a result he has lost the horse. He has been banned from competing. He has lost sponsors. All of which are appropriate consequences for losing his temper and abusing the horse. But calls to share the post everywhere to make it go viral so he can be abused more make me very uncomfortable.

The thing is he can get help for himself either with mental health issues or anger issues whichever is appropriate, however the horses who are unlucky enough to be in his care cant get help. They have to suffer from his short fuse.

 

[Ambers Echo]

I am glad the horse has been taken off him. And I agree people need to be held accountable for how they behave. Mental health is not an excuse. And he may not have any problems anyway. I accept all that. I just don't like social media hounding of people - any people - in general and I think everyone is very quickj to judge when we don't really know what someone might be going through. Judging the behaviour is fine but the commentary goes well beyond that with a total character annihilation. Not on here but in general.

 

[blitznbobs]

It doesn’t matter if what the cause is he is still responsible for his actions - of he is so depressed that he feels the need to batter his horse then he shouldn’t be anywhere near horses ...

 

[Cecile]

I personally hope he never works with anything with a heart beat again,
I wonder how the owner must of felt watching that happening to their horse
I quite liked the judges comments on H&H - they were calm, refrained but to the point

 

[Goldenstar]

Well it sounds like he is having a break from the sport which is a good thing I am sure.

His behaviour was inexcusable but to me both the behaviour and how he comes across in that H&H article dont sound 'poor me' but a man on the edge of a breakdown. He talk about the pressure he was under, about his fear the horse would be taken away etc.

And knowing how the great British public bay for blood on far smaller transgressions I don't doubt he did receive horrific abuse online.

I can't imagine the stress and pressure of life as a pro rider unless you are born into it and have financial security and some control. Eg your own yard/horses.

Riders have the risk of losing the horses any time. Have to win and win and win to keep the rides and to afford to keep the whole thing going. The risk of horses getting injured or developing behavioural issues that stop you winning. Plus an exhausting, high stress lifestyle and isolation/loneliness as it's not really a team sport.

Then there is the online abuse which must be hard to bear. I am sure rates of depression and anxiety must be sky high in professional riders and I would not be at all surprised if abuse of the horse is a sad side effect of someone who is simply not coping.

To ride for a living is a choice and a huge priviledge , I never subscribe to this poor stressed professional rider thing ,loads of ways of earning a living are stressful , my experiance of professional competitors is they are working hard but they have a whale of time .
It’s a poor excuse for behaving like that .

 

[meleeka]

I don’t think this sort of thing can ever be excused . Being mentally ill isn’t an excuse or even a reason. If he had any respect for that horse at all then he wouldn’t have done it, no matter what was wrong mentally. That’s not just a lack of control, it’s a total lack of empathy and abuse and nobody has the right to do that. I think his ‘apology’ says it all really. He says it’s inexcusable, then gives an excuse!

I think the ‘witch hunt’ is more to do with making sure the punishment fits the crime and it isn’t just brushed under the carpet. So far it seems just that.

 

[Amirah]

I don’t think this sort of thing can ever be excused . Being mentally ill isn’t an excuse or even a reason. If he had any respect for that horse at all then he wouldn’t have done it, no matter what was wrong mentally. That’s not just a lack of control, it’s a total lack of empathy and abuse and nobody has the right to do that. I think his ‘apology’ says it all really. He says it’s inexcusable, then gives an excuse!

I think the ‘witch hunt’ is more to do with making sure the punishment fits the crime and it isn’t just brushed under the carpet. So far it seems just that.

I totally agree it's not so much of a witch hunt as trying to get the FEI to care more about animal abuse than money and give him a lifetime ban. I'm sure there's plenty more like him that abuse their animals privately that should also be banned - but it's not possible without the evidence.

The evidence has vanished from the net however, wonder how he's managed that?

 

[antigone]

If there is one thing I have learned it is that you are what you do. And so is he.

 

[MagicMelon]

To ride for a living is a choice and a huge priviledge , I never subscribe to this poor stressed professional rider thing ,loads of ways of earning a living are stressful , my experiance of professional competitors is they are working hard but they have a whale of time .
It’s a poor excuse for behaving like that .

Exactly. It is never EVER an excuse that he might not have been "coping" or he was worried about losing a ride which makes it even remotely acceptable what he did. I think you're either a person who loses their temper and merrily takes it out on whoever or whatever OR you are simply not that type of person. Sadly he is the former and therefore anyone with such a temper should be kept far far away from animals.

 

[tankgirl1]

For some reason I can find the video??

https://www.facebook.com/amy.ives.3/videos/10216245942485038/

 

[AandK]

To ride for a living is a choice and a huge priviledge , I never subscribe to this poor stressed professional rider thing ,loads of ways of earning a living are stressful , my experiance of professional competitors is they are working hard but they have a whale of time .
It’s a poor excuse for behaving like that .

Exactly. It is never EVER an excuse that he might not have been "coping" or he was worried about losing a ride which makes it even remotely acceptable what he did. I think you're either a person who loses their temper and merrily takes it out on whoever or whatever OR you are simply not that type of person. Sadly he is the former and therefore anyone with such a temper should be kept far far away from animals.

100% agree.

 

[Velcrobum]

A scathing report

http://www.grandprix-replay.com/uk/...-fei-speaks-talbot-attempts-to-defend-himself

 

[junglefairy]

The man should have a lifetime ban. We need to have a zero tolerance approach to blatant abuse and aggression towards horses such as this.

The pathetic response from the FEI to abuse in general makes my blood boil.

 

[Velcrobum]

All gone very quiet on this. I do hope the FEI actually do something to punish him further than the automatic ban for 2 yellow cards.

 

[Amirah]

All gone very quiet on this. I do hope the FEI actually do something to punish him further than the automatic ban for 2 yellow cards.

Surely blatant animal cruelty deserves more than a two month ban? Kepitalia have dropped him now.

https://www.kepitalia.com/eng/keplife/news/kep-italia-official-press-release-ben-talbot-eng

Sad thing is that there's plenty more suffering just the same out of sight. Really not sure animals and big money competitiveness go together.

 

[waggit]

Surely blatant animal cruelty deserves more than a two month ban? Kepitalia have dropped him now.

https://www.kepitalia.com/eng/keplife/news/kep-italia-official-press-release-ben-talbot-eng

Sad thing is that there's plenty more suffering just the same out of sight. Really not sure animals and big money competitiveness go together.

I would like to see a three stage system that sees a first hint of abuse getting a severe talking to and warning. A second occurrence with a 6 month ban and a third occurrence with a lifetime ban. We don't need these people in the sport we love. It's meant to be about the horses something I think Mr Townsend has lost sight of ! Watching someone actually turn in the saddle to administer hard repeated thwacks is stomach turning and unnecessary. Watching Talbot do what he did makes you worry about any children he might have in the future. If he thinks that is acceptable at a horse show pity the poor child who gets handy with a crayon on the paintwork.

 

[antigone]

I would like to see a three stage system that sees a first hint of abuse getting a severe talking to and warning. A second occurrence with a 6 month ban and a third occurrence with a lifetime ban. We don't need these people in the sport we love. It's meant to be about the horses something I think Mr Townsend has lost sight of ! Watching someone actually turn in the saddle to administer hard repeated thwacks is stomach turning and unnecessary. Watching Talbot do what he did makes you worry about any children he might have in the future. If he thinks that is acceptable at a horse show pity the poor child who gets handy with a crayon on the paintwork.

The link between animal and child abuse is well recognised - to the extent that many RSPCA branches have strong links with Social Services Child Protection teams.

 

[Mule]

Surely blatant animal cruelty deserves more than a two month ban? Kepitalia have dropped him now.

https://www.kepitalia.com/eng/keplife/news/kep-italia-official-press-release-ben-talbot-eng

Sad thing is that there's plenty more suffering just the same out of sight. Really not sure animals and big money competitiveness go together.

I agree about animals and competitivess being a bad mix. I think the problem isn't just money, it's the human ego.

 

[Mule]

The link between animal and child abuse is well recognised - to the extent that many RSPCA branches have strong links with Social Services Child Protection teams.

I recently read that the law in America has been changed to make animal abuse a federal crime.
The police already know that cruelty to animals is a predictor of violence towards people. By making it a federal crime the FBI will get involved to gather data about the people who commit these types of crimes. The idea is to find out how strong the correlation is. Identifying these people could lead to interventions before they become dangerous to society. (I'm not talking about horse riders but people in general)

 

[fburton]

I recently read that the law in America has been changed to make animal abuse a federal crime.

I wonder how they define "abuse". I would consider some of what is done in some rodeos abusive, but I definitely can't see legal action being taken to curb them.

 

[Mule]

I wonder how they define "abuse". I would consider some of what is done in some rodeos abusive, but I definitely can't see legal action being taken to curb them.

I'd imagine they mean people who break the law by inflicting cruelty on animals. They have to go by what's legally defined as cruelty, not just because they're the police but because what's considered to be animal cruelty varies according to cultural norms.

 

[Rowreach]

I would like to see a three stage system that sees a first hint of abuse getting a severe talking to and warning. A second occurrence with a 6 month ban and a third occurrence with a lifetime ban. We don't need these people in the sport we love. It's meant to be about the horses something I think Mr Townsend has lost sight of ! Watching someone actually turn in the saddle to administer hard repeated thwacks is stomach turning and unnecessary. Watching Talbot do what he did makes you worry about any children he might have in the future. If he thinks that is acceptable at a horse show pity the poor child who gets handy with a crayon on the paintwork.

Careful, that is the sort of personal remark that will get this thread removed.

 

[waggit]

Careful, that is the sort of personal remark that will get this thread removed.

It wasn't meant to be personnel but as the link between animal and human abuse is established a comment. It seems to be more rife nowadays with amateur and professionals having shorter fuses, dishing out punishment and blaming the horse instead of their own judgement. We look at NH and flat racing and criticise the whip use but to me it seems to be eventing is creeping up there with it but with the whip administered through anger and frustration. It seems the more sponsorship, money and prestige is put in the more displays of temper and frustration we see. It seems sad that we start out with the horse being a willing and happy partner in whichever sporting arena you compete in just becoming a tool to achieving fame and glory.

 

[Amirah]

I actually feel a bit sorry for him that he is the way he is; and that he has spent years around horses but still doesn't "get" them. (Naturally I reserve the bulk of my pity for the animals that have to put up with him).

Perhaps H&H online could club together and get him a Mark Rashid boxset or similar? Although having seen online pics of that backfeifengesicht a few times now I should say that he thinks he knows it all already.

I'm for a zero tolerance policy of a lifetime ban for first sign of clear abuse. Even if they get a stern warning etc those sorts of people will continue to administer private beatings because it's part of their training methods, they shouldn't be competing at all.