When Will Equestrian Federations Take A Stand Against Abusers?

Last year, the equestrian world was rocked when news was leaked regarding the abusive training practices observed at Helgstrand Dressage. A documentary by Operation X, a Danish investigative television show, revealed the pain inflicted on multiple horses, after a reporter went undercover as a groom. Olympic medalist Andreas Helgstrand was removed from the Danish national dressage team as a result of the disturbing news footage.

Months later, there was more troubling news to come forth, this time surrounding the abusive training practices by Cesar Parra, here in the United States.

In both instances, many horsemen and horsewomen reacted as any decent horse person…or human, should. We were disgusted and voiced our concerns on social media. We called for changes to be made, before the non-horse-riding world forces us to make changes. Disgusted by the news, I blogged about Brambells Five Freedoms, how to protect our horses from bad trainers, and I asked if the horse industry could move forward and save itself from a few bad apples.

Like most horrifying news, eventually the dust settles and people forget. We know that Helgstrand held a dressage clinic only a few weeks after the tv expose, and hundreds attended this event in Wellington. If you visit his website, it appears that business is very much as usual, despite Helgstrand being sanctioned by the Danish National Federation.

So imagine my disappointment, when I opened up my Instagram account and I saw a post from a horseman that I follow, who was openly promoting Helgstrand Dressage as the place to go horse shopping. Of the nearly 700 likes, less than 30 comments mentioned what transpired at Helgstrand,. A few comments defended Helgstrand, while the person who made the post, stated repeatedly that things are better now at Helgstrand.

Today, a check of his post shows over 800 “likes” and hmmm….all of the comments have been deleted. Normally this person garners roughly 400ish “likes”, so this post has generated roughly double the “likes” that he normally gets for his posts.

Digging around a bit, I was also disappointed to learn that Helgstrand Dressage has nearly 72,000 followers on their Instagram page, with many posts generating thousands of “likes.” I was also sad to see that we have 11 followers in common. Parra has 171,000 followers on his Instagram account, but we only have 4 followers in common. In researching the results of Parra’s abuse video, there has been no news since February, with USEF promising the “highest degree” of disciplinary action to be taken against Parra. He was temporarily suspended by the FEI while being investigated, but here we are in May, and it appears nothing new has transpired.

Interestingly, the USEF is limited by their own rules as to the power that they can use to investigate horse abuse, unlike how they handle allegations of sexual abuse. How is it that a governing body of equestrian sports has a rule to limit just how much they can do when it comes to the mistreatment of a horse? I am absolutely disgusted by this and I pray that this rule changes when it is reviewed in June.

And it just isn’t Parra and Helgstrand making the news for their abusive practices. At the World Cup final in Riyadh last month, there were numerous photos that clearly showed horses with blue tongues and two horses were eliminated due to the blood rule. Photos also showed hyper-flexion and tight nose bands, not to mention horses who were clearly stressed, as indicated by their facial expressions, including extreme wrinkling above the eyes.

And then of course, there is the news that the FEI has banned riders, trainers, grooms, owners and even the press from capturing video footage at FEI events, going so far as to dictate what videos riders and national federations are allowed to post. Is this because they don’t want the general public to see abusive training practices at the shows, including in the warm-up ring? What exactly is the reason behind this rule? Censorship? Control? Rights?

Clearly, the horse world has forgotten, until the next person is revealed for having abusive training methods, and everyone will once again condemn them on social media, but then, just as quickly, all will be forgotten.

Equestrians, organizations and even companies need to start doing better for our horses, or else PETA and other groups will see to it that we never ride a horse again. let alone compete. Abusers need to be permanently banned (when was the last time a trainer was banned for harming a horse?) from competing, training and teaching. They need to be treated the same way as someone who violates SafeSport.

Companies need to start evaluating who they partner with. Sadly, it does not appear that any of Helgstrand’s sponsors or businesses, including the Chronicle of the Horse, has suffered as a result of his behavior. I for one, am putting my money where my mouth is. I am not renewing my COTH subscription and I will not do business with any company who supports Helgstrand, Parra or any other abusive trainer or rider. Riders and trainers should be recognized for the excellent care that they give to their horses, and businesses and consumers should acknowledge them in every way possible, with consumers seeking their business because of such sponsorships. The Pegasus App is doing exactly this, by partnering with International Show Jumper Gabriela Reutter. Her nearly 80,000 followers on Instagram can clearly see how she puts not only the physical needs of her horses first, but also their mental needs. There should be a standard by which trainers and riders strive to achieve, which acknowledges the level of welfare they provide to their horses. Perhaps if these horsemen were recognized with a blue ribbon or gold star after their name, then media, sponsors and fans could seek them out and know that their horses are receiving the best of care

I will ask it again…what steps are you doing for the physical and mental well-being of your horse? What steps will you take to make sure that a horse never suffers at the hands from the likes of Helgstrand and Parra?