The UAE (and the FEI) want shooting - PLEASE help

[JanetGeorge]

Toughen up your heart (it WILL be necessary) and check out the latest UAE 'endurance' scandal. https://twitter.com/yassportsTV/status/698479556286554112


And even if you're only a bit shocked, PLEASE sign the petition! https://www.change.org/p/ingmar-de-...source=share_for_starters&utm_medium=copyLink...

Pippa Cuckson deserves a medal for the work she is doing on this disgrace!

 

[Cinnamontoast]

The tweet is in Arabic, so I have no idea what it's about. You might want to tell people to click on the hyperlink for a video and explain what is concerning you.

I saw knackered looking horses, one of whom was disgracefully docked to a stump, in searing heat. I imagine these conditions lead to death through sheer exhaustion/heatstroke?

 

[eahotson]

Signed

 

[JanetGeorge]

The tweet is in Arabic, so I have no idea what it's about. You might want to tell people to click on the hyperlink for a video and explain what is concerning you.

If you wait a couple of seconds the video comes on. And - what it's about - I quote Pippa Cuckson:

Finishing stages of today’s President’s Cup. Out of 200 starters, again a major race is won by a member of a ruling family, Sh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum. Ok, he’s made it home on four legs and is far enough ahead to take a pull, but does his horse look “fit to continue” after 160Km, which is the core premise of the classic sport? Notice also the frantic finishing tactics of the second-placed horse, even though YAS, the broadcaster, has got a bit more cute nowadays about cutting away from scenes of bullying of spent horses. Our gallant winner leaps off his steed and immediately throws the reins to someone else.
Other points of interest for those still getting their heads round this most curious of FEI sports:
• The winning horse is French-bred and has had two previous name-changes before it became one of the 4 Shaddads registered in endurance (3 x UAE), 1 x Bahrain). Happily, the horse does appear to be who he claims to be.
• Sh Rashid had only ridden him once before, in a 120km race last month, which they won. The FEI description of endurance flags up the longevity of the bond between horse and rider, yet the rules continue to work in favour of the Middle East preference to jump on random horses on the day. Sh Rashid won the European Open (in 2013), the last time it was open to non-European countries, riding Yamamah (originally Australian-produced) . The following year his brother Hamdan hopped on board Yamamah and won the WEG endurance. Both of them had ridden Yamamah just once before. To me this insults the definition of horsemanship, and all riders who spend a lifetime striving to prepare a horse to this level.
• Whips are forbidden in FEI endurance, as is the use of extra-long reins or anything else as whips. Doesn’t seem to stop them.
• The heart recovery rates across the range of available results for all participants are, according to expert friends, “insane - galloping a horse in the heat at nearly 30 kph and seeing its HR lower to less than 64 within a minute or two?” There remain huge question marks over the tactics used to achieve incredible metabolic recoveries loop after loop.
• At the time of writing, 20 have completed, another 20 odd still straggling along (out of 200-ish starters).

 

[twiggy2]

I cant see the video

 

[Doris68]

Have signed. Unfortunately, I'm too pathetic to watch the video, although I've seen others in the past. Far, far too distressing for me to watch.

 

[ycbm]

They certainly do Janet.

Not only for stuff like on that video.

And add EGB who recently closed their online forum because of racist posts. They did not answer my query whether these 'racist' posts referred to the appalling abuse of amputating broken legs instead of putting the horses down. Apparently this is 'cultural differences' because it's for Allah to decide whether the house loves our dies, and not a disgusting way to treat a horse.

I've already signed the petition.

 

[ester]

It's better than last weeks video at least (of the young riders), not so many grooms on the track and the horses don't look quite so likely to just collapse in the run in. The number of following vehicles is still :eek3:

 

[ester]

Do we know what the bangs going off are?

 

[tiggs]

Signed, thank you for telling us about this

 

[ponydi]

Makes a nonsense of any sort of partnership between horse and rider. Already signed - thanks for bringing it up here

 

[Flame_]

I don't think that video highlights problems at all. The horse finishes well and the rider and crew do nothing untoward. Its interesting to find out the loop speeds, for me how bad it is mostly comes down to how long they're maintaining those speeds for. I was quite disgusted by the treatment of the exhausted horses last week but, to me, this video is a vast improvement. Of course that could just be because this one focuses on one horse. It looks hard on the horse, but so do many horse races. I didn't see any abuse in this video and as for not liking the crowding and congratulating the rider at the end - that's just a question of taste, not welfare if the horse is being attended to.

There are many problems in UAE endurance but moaning about the bits that really aren't all that awful weakens not strengthens the cause IMO. I've already signed the petition, but there are more worrying videos to illustrate why people are so outraged.

 

[ester]

I tend to agree Flame

 

[splashgirl45]

signed, don't watch any of these videos as I am a wimp and then keep thinking about them all of the time....however I am disgusted with the recent reports and its about time something was done.... its much more cruel than foxhunting so I wonder what the general public would think if it was in the papers,

 

[popsdosh]

signed, don't watch any of these videos as I am a wimp and then keep thinking about them all of the time....however I am disgusted with the recent reports and its about time something was done.... its much more cruel than foxhunting so I wonder what the general public would think if it was in the papers,

Not a lot I suspect as its not the english upper classes .

All the time endurance relies on the Arab money this will not change. If the FEI tries to stop it they will just set up their own series and thats what the FEI are frightened of.
The same happened over doping in racing they were caught with their trousers down and still got away with it because they are deemed to powerful,if it was anybody else all the owners horses would have been banned rather than a minion put forward as a trainer. Any way I had better shut up as I live to close to Newmarket!!!

Nearly forgot it will be an honour to sign it!

 

[JanetGeorge]

I don't think that video highlights problems at all. The horse finishes well

I don't - and the one coming up behind was far worse!

That this happened at all after they were put on a warning tells us a lot!

 

[Feival]

Signed.

 

[YasandCrystal]

Signed

 

[JanetGeorge]

Thanks to those who have signed - but only abot 50 since 6.15 last night - and that includes FB. We HAVE to bet some muscle behind this!

 

[rachk89]

The horse that won didn't look in a bad way like flame said. It still looked pretty perky really although sweaty but after 160 km I think any horse would be. And to be fair him jumping off and handing the horse over happens in the UK too. The riders jump off and the groom takes the horse away while the rider is pulled aside for questioning by the media. The rider will I assume go and check the horse after but it is the groom that comes along and takes it away.

The second horse however is bad. It's obviously knackered and yet the rider is acting like a child on a pony trying to win an egg and spoon race.

The lack of bond between horse and rider is bad too but again that kind of thing happens here too if you want to be realistic. I mean just at the beginning of the year horses were being sold left right and centre to different countries with the aim for that country to be to qualify for the Olympics. Yes they will be riding them between now and then but it's still only a few months. You don't sometimes get a bond with a horse for years. I am sure everyone on here as well knows that any horse competing at a high level generally has a better bond with its groom/main handler/rider than they do with their competition rider. They see that person more often simple as that.

I will still sign as i don't like mistreatment of horses and it's clearly still happening. I just see similarities between us and them as it were and don't think some arguments are relevant. If it is allowed to happen here it can happen anywhere.

 

[MagicMelon]

Signed. I can't watch the video because I just hate to see it but read what's going on there. Awful. Off to Dubai next month, won't be going near the endurance scene!

 

[ester]

I don't - and the one coming up behind was far worse!

That this happened at all after they were put on a warning tells us a lot!

I think it is comparing it to last weeks video, that was so much worse that this seems a positive improvement!

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Signed.

Not because of that video to be honest, but because I am all too aware of other video evidence that has truly shocked me.

 

[PorkChop]

Signed

 

[zaminda]

Signed. Allowing these people to be linked with endurance is damaging for those of us who compete elsewhere in the world, and for whom horse welfare is paramount.

 

[silv]

Have already signed, I do not have the stomach to watch the videos, but have read aplenty about the horrors these poor horses put up with. What makes me really sad is that there are endurance people over here who frequently sell horses to this country, of course they command very high prices. Personally I don't know how they can sleep at night.

 

[HashRouge]

I've signed the petition, but not because of this video. While the horse looks tired, I actually don't think he looks any more tired than many steeplechasers when they finish and he still looks to be fairly perky as they're finishing. He's also nicely ridden - I can't see any real sign of him being pushed at all, and the rider keeps giving him encouraging pats. The only thing I don't like is the way his tail is docked. I have far more of an issue with the way the second placed horse was being ridden, now that one did look to be struggling
I know there are major welfare issues in the sport, but I'm not sure this video illustrates it that well, unless you are focusing on the second placed horse?

 

[ester]

For those that didn't see it the other video I have mentioned, which IMO is much, much worse is here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-tkhQvquUQ

 

[SusieT]

Have to say it looked to me like that horse finished quite well considering distance/heat
jockeys also dismount and dump their reins and their horses are also a bit tired - number 17 looks quite perky to me... hard to see the ones behind.

 

[FlaxenPony05]

I don't see how this is any worse than some flat/NH racing over here?