Video - Abuse in the showing world

I was expecting to see worse to be honest, which is really sad. So many professionals who would like us to think they are somehow more talented or experienced or hardworking than the rest of us but in fact they're just prepared to do appalling sh1te to horses. They should be drummed out of the horse world but are supported by way too many people who also don't give a sh1t about horses.
 
That's a terrible video and like others I've tracked down who it is but don't know anything more about them apart from the 'bromide' article in H&H.

To me it's the arrogance, on top of the abuse, that grates. Knowing that nowadays everyone has a video phone to take images of such abuse and he still carries on doing it anyway.

In the early 90s I was a DIY livery with my 3 in a row of 'spare' boxes of a minor showing person. If you met them you'd think they were as nice as pie - very pleasant to talk to and 'loved their horses'. What this guy has done is obvious but other abuse is more 'hidden' when it takes place in stables/fields and I'm sure the ones I list below are still going on to this day.

At the yard I was at it was quite normal for horses to be stood in for a morning in tight roller and side-reins for at least 3 hours - but that was 'ok' as they 'had a haynet' - except they couldn't drink....

Another less obvious was horses grazing in a field in rugs..... except they were turned out in medium/heavyweight turnout rugs - with full neck covers - in the summer in 20 deg plus afternoon temperatures. This was to 'keep their coats fine for longer'.

Needless to say once I'd found somewhere else I left.
 
There are nice show producers honestly. Had my horse with one. Proper horsemanship. No gadgets. Horses turned out Used to go for long hacks. Could turn up any time and really chilled atmosphere with chilled horses. Please don’t write everyone off who shows. Let’s hope proper action is taken by the various societies.
 
humblepie said:
There are nice show producers honestly. Had my horse with one. Proper horsemanship. No gadgets. Horses turned out Used to go for long hacks. Could turn up any time and really chilled atmosphere with chilled horses. Please don’t write everyone off who shows. Let’s hope proper action is taken by the various societies.
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This may well be the case but the dilemma for those outside looking in (anyone who's interested in welfare, that is) is that we can't possibly know who the good ones are and who are not (in any discipline). The musculature of his horses and the fact that all the photos I've seen of him in the show ring show them BTV are suspicious for bad training, but hardly confirmation that this kind of thing, or worse, is definitely going on. Every so often a video will come out and some people will say "I'd never have guessed" and some will say "known for years" [but never said anything, natch] and we just continue on being shocked or resigned or whatever, and nothing much changes.
 
humblepie said:
There are nice show producers honestly. Had my horse with one. Proper horsemanship. No gadgets. Horses turned out Used to go for long hacks. Could turn up any time and really chilled atmosphere with chilled horses. Please don’t write everyone off who shows. Let’s hope proper action is taken by the various societies.
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Absolutely this.

It's a horrible thing, but there are animal abusers across ALL the disciplines, just remember very recent headlines and those of a year or 2 ago.
From Parra to CJD and others in between and before.
 
Oh sweet Lord - these animals go through absolute hell and back for us humans! I can see horse competitions being banned very soon - we have had the dressage scandal with CDJ, another dressage rider has been caught doing damage to their horses (think it is Cesar something or a similar name), now this with the showing world. Honestly - I despair for the human race and its sheer stupidity when it comes to these beautiful animals
 
Burnttoast said:
This may well be the case but the dilemma for those outside looking in (anyone who's interested in welfare, that is) is that we can't possibly know who the good ones are and who are not (in any discipline). The musculature of his horses and the fact that all the photos I've seen of him in the show ring show them BTV are suspicious for bad training, but hardly confirmation that this kind of thing, or worse, is definitely going on. Every so often a video will come out and some people will say "I'd never have guessed" and some will say "known for years" [but never said anything, natch] and we just continue on being shocked or resigned or whatever, and nothing much changes.
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As you say it’s the same for all disciplines and everyone needs to have confidence to challenge those who are on pedestals.
 
Peglo said:
Someone commented that the horse was stuck like that for 2 hours! Surely not?

It’s so disgusting. Why work with animals if you hate them that much!
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Apparently, the person who took the video walked back past the horse an hour and a half later and it was still like that. They didn't see it put in there, so it was there for over one and a half hours, possibly a lot longer. Absolutely vile, poor excuse of a human to do that kind of thing. Needs prosecuting.
 
humblepie said:
As you say it’s the same for all disciplines and everyone needs to have confidence to challenge those who are on pedestals.
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Well yes, perhaps, but it's not the job of the ordinary person who would like to be interested in and even support horse sport to shame those with low standards (and if people do, the cries of 'witch hunt!' are never far away). It's the job of the governing bodies to get rid of these people, to show them how unwelcome their practices are, and they've singularly failed to do anything like that.
 
Having just googled one of the producers concerned at this yard, I am astonished the person is still allowed to be near or have any animals…
I thought I recognised the name…
 
Peglo said:
Someone commented that the horse was stuck like that for 2 hours! Surely not?

It’s so disgusting. Why work with animals if you hate them that much!
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They've tried to excuse it by saying they were watching it on a camera the whole time. 😡. I think that probably makes it worse!
 
Don't want to read it and can't watch it. Too upsetting. I worked with a very well known showing producer of their time. I northern 7 days a week and can hand on heart say I never heard a raised voice, never saw a raised hand. The horses/ ponies had as long as they needed to reach where the owners wanted them to be. It was a fantastically happy relaxed yard.
 
Burnttoast said:
Well yes, perhaps, but it's not the job of the ordinary person who would like to be interested in and even support horse sport to shame those with low standards (and if people do, the cries of 'witch hunt!' are never far away). It's the job of the governing bodies to get rid of these people, to show them how unwelcome their practices are, and they've singularly failed to do anything like that.
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Yes agree governing bodies need to be strong. Ideally there would be yard checks but unless they are unannounced anyone can put on their best behaviour for an inspection.
 
FB went through a phase recently of deciding I wanted to see showing content and I was shocked that the videos it kept promoting to me were UK and not US based. Not that I think it's okay if it's in the US but realised I had somewhat assumed that very overweight horse and rider combos were a US thing. This was from one of the official showing associations. Who also recently posted a reminder to members about social media policy, highlighting that they shouldn't post anything which could damage their reputation. Perhaps some reputational damage is due if they continue to bury their heads in the sand and prioritise image over welfare.

I'm ill today so have time to faff about on SM and the woman involved/connected to this 'producer' posts some just disgusting stuff about horses. Highlights include, if a horse won't let you ride it, tying it to a wall and taking away its 'privileges' (whatever that means) until it will. Wonderful.
 
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meleeka said:
They've tried to excuse it by saying they were watching it on a camera the whole time. 😡. I think that probably makes it worse!
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Did they say what they were hoping to achieve , looks like punishment to me and much worse than CDJ’s behaviour(which doesn’t excuse that) which was put all over the national news, particularly by the BBC. This sort of thing needs to be publicised to the general public not just horse circles
 
splashgirl45 said:
Did they say what they were hoping to achieve , looks like punishment to me and much worse than CDJ’s behaviour(which doesn’t excuse that) which was put all over the national news, particularly by the BBC. This sort of thing needs to be publicised to the general public not just horse circles
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Tbh I get the impression it's not really thought that far through.
 
LEC said:
I have no time for showing. The organisations are slow to do anything, the expectations for welfare are low and they do very little because it's not an FEI governed sport. It's also not helped that they have about 4/5 different bodies rather than just one. Every time I watch professional showing I am sickened. Ponies being warmed up by adults, insanely tight martingales, fat horses, fat riders, rigged judging. Someone recently asked to borrow some regumate off me because they had a riggy colt which kept ruining its showing and they had 'tried' everything else. This is a top level producer. Nothing really happened to Lynn Russell for pretty much the same thing except it was in a stable. It happens day in day out with horses and ponies strapped down on the Walker or in the stable and it's just standard now.

Sure one or two people will be ethical and do the horses well, but I have seen far too many horses at big shows I feel sorry for.
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It’s horrible what happens in equestrian sports not just showing - thinking of dressage and Rollkur and horses visibly in pain during high level competitions but it’s all rewarded with success
 
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