This brief German documentary is worth a watch – last about 30 minutes. Interviews with Ludger Beerbaum, Princess Haya, Gerd Heuschmann.
What are your thoughts on doping, bending the rules using Rollkur and the stress of always winning in competition?
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I've been riding since I was 9, and in love with horses from the day I was born. Living in Washington with my horse and 5 dogs.
Horse ads are everywhere online from dedicated horse classified websites to horse forums and social groups, and it’s hard not to notice the large number of downright bad horse ads. These aren’t just Craigslist ads…
You can find it in jumpers, hunters, western riders, english riders, saddleseat, hunt, etc. While it is more prevalent in some disciplines over others the truth of the matter is that the majority of equestrians believe that control of the horse is gained largely by manipulating the neck. Yes, control can be had in this way but it is also mistakenly referred to as building a relationship, communication, a partnership, etc. Plain and simple it is a physical way to control the horse and avoiding communication and removing choice from the horse’s options.
This still happens? I imagine the result of this training to be a horse who is unattached to humans, works based off repetitive cues rather than the conversation with the rider, and that avoids being caught to go for a ride. And I’m not certain the purpose of having her jump over a barrel when first being started under a rider, is it the prevention of bucking?
No one knows ourselves so well as we do – absolutely NO ONE. Not our parents, siblings, best friends. So why would those against us – our enemies – know us any better?
Popularity is a fleeting experience, just as being the enemy is. Our only endeavor of any value is not to gain the high opinion of those horse riders around us and across the globe. The only opinion that has merit is that of the horse we are working with in that very moment. That split second we have a choice – to be popular to the horse, or popular to the crowd. Usually it is the latter that wins out in public forums, unfortunately.
Dressage is experiencing a major crisis. This is not new, there has been a Dressage crisis happening for more than a decade. Competitive Dressage has been actively rewarding individuals who abuse their horses in the…
From time to time (sometimes more often than others) I receive comments or remarks along the lines of, “how dare you to criticize person-x for abusing their horse, if you’re so great then post a…
wow….. even though I already knew most of the things in the documentary it still shocks me! When I saw the footage from the auction where they sold a foal after Totilas, I started crying. It is horrible to watch such a delicate, innocent creature, when you know what his future awaits him….
The idea that horses are merely commodities to be bought, sold, traded, turned over; it really touches on the emotional aspect if you’re so connected to the horse. Of course many just see them like a vehicle. 🙁
“In fact, if one person is unkind to an animal it is considered to be cruelty, but where a lot of people are unkind to animals, especially in the name of commerce, the cruelty is condoned and, once large sums of money are at stake, will be defended to the last by otherwise intelligent people.” Harrison, Ruth
wow….. even though I already knew most of the things in the documentary it still shocks me! When I saw the footage from the auction where they sold a foal after Totilas, I started crying. It is horrible to watch such a delicate, innocent creature, when you know what his future awaits him….
The idea that horses are merely commodities to be bought, sold, traded, turned over; it really touches on the emotional aspect if you’re so connected to the horse. Of course many just see them like a vehicle. 🙁
“In fact, if one person is unkind to an animal it is considered to be cruelty, but where a lot of people are unkind to animals, especially in the name of commerce, the cruelty is condoned and, once large sums of money are at stake, will be defended to the last by otherwise intelligent people.” Harrison, Ruth