By now I’m sure we have all seen the clip of the acclaimed international event rider lashing a grey horse repeatedly to go through an obstacle in a cross country clinic. Although this clip is from a clinic in 2020 it is still relevant and having a massive impact on social media. This professional Olympian that is seen as an equestrian role model the world over, as well as a patron for World Horse Welfare, was seen by many people picking up a branch and repeatedly whipping this animal until he submits, but by force.  Now, I’m not going to say that the animal suffered horrific injuries, which it didn’t.  However, I do think images are videos like this are only ever damaging for our industry whether we agree with the training methods or not. It’s not a good look and the general public don’t think so either. Personally, I do believe that these types of training methods are not needed in the modern world of training horses – surely we have evolved from having to use these sorts of methods? Surely a horse doing something by force is not a long term solution in any training method.  We need to be sending a different message, because it doesn’t represent the training methods of an entire industry.

For me, this incident in itself is not enough to warrant this man becoming public enemy number one, he didn’t do anything we all haven’t seen at some point in our equestrian journey – but that still doesn’t make it ok. Normalising this incident is also not the answer either.  It has to be looked at as a learning tool and a way for us to grow and ensure it doesn’t happen again. However, I still think a trainer and a horseman of this calibre and experience should be more aware of his actions and what a media frenzy this would create among equestrians and the wider public. Mark Todd made the following statement after the clip went viral,

“One of the main things I preach is about establishing mutual respect between horse and rider and that kindness is the best way to get results… I am very disappointed in myself that I did not adhere to that in this case”.

I know everyone has different opinions on this clip with many of the equestrian community seeing no problem with this whatsoever. Yes, the horse was not visibly injured, yes the rider did not object, but surely there were other ways to overcome this obstacle. Look at the bigger picture – what does this incident say to the wider public? How does it portray us as animal-loving equestrians to animal rights activists or everyday animal lovers?

We need to look at the bigger picture here and understand what image that portrays of the everyday equestrian in the media – and let me tell you, it is not a great picture. This clip raised two issues for me and they were:

1. Nobody else seemed to have a problem with this training method that was at the clinic. Not one person intervened. Does this mean that they too are ok with this method of training? Is this method of training normal and in use every day? It must be if so few people were shocked by it or did they say silent because that’s just what we do? Stick your head in the sand and say nothing – it’s much easier than rocking the boat, that’s for sure. I mean we have all done things we probably aren’t proud of in our past because that’s what we saw growing up and it was normal. But as we grow we educate ourselves, adapt our training and learn that things don’t need to be accomplished through force. We also learn that an animal will try a lot more for us if there is an element of mutual respect.

2. And the second issue it raised to me is that we need to look at the standard of training methods and ethics of training methods that are being used if we want our sport to continue. The more equestrians are seen in the media as “abusers of animals” the quicker our sport will be hijacked by animal rights activists and welfare activists and to be honest, I’m not surprised if this does happen. If we as an entire community can’t come together and agree on what are acceptable levels of training and force used on our animals, then I am afraid the sport will suffer. Why? Because it will slowly become an animal welfare issue and calls for the riding of horses to be banned will be echoed through animal rights lobbyists the world over.

I would now like you to think of your own experiences and what do you see when you go to a show?

How many times have you gone to a show and saw abuse happen? I mean actual abuse, something that made you gasp, take a deep breath in or winch for the horse.  I mean excessive overuse of the whip, scissoring the horse in the mouth when it’s not going in the correct outline, severe bits in inexperienced hands, hitting horses with brooms to load them, wrapping horses in the warm-up, limiting food or water to measure in ponies under height, riders that are too heavy for their mounts, lame horses, malnourished horses, running an already depleted pony for the third time, riders digging their spurs so far into the horse’s side that they draw blood, people using waven pipes to make sure “the horse knows who is boss” or “ to get the job done”. Personally, I think if you have to resort to any of these types of tactics you really need to have a hard look at yourself and wonder if this sport really is for you. How many of us have seen things like this? Most of us have seen at least one instance at some point. But how many of us call this behaviour out? How many of these people are ever penalised or reprimanded by officials?   We need to set a new normal and a new level of what is acceptable – but for the entire community and this needs to be the norm at training shows, arena hires, pony clubs, riding clubs all the way up to elite level. It needs to be a blanket approach of what is or is not acceptable.

“To sin by silence when you should protest makes cowards of men”
There are two types of people in this world. The people who commit the acts of abuse, and the people who see it happen and say nothing. But why don’t more people speak up and say,”No that’s not right”.

The Irish mentality 

I think it’s an Irish thing.  We are told from a young age to not interfere with others and how they train their horses, it is after all their animal and they can train it however they see fit. But, is it justified to allow an animal to be beaten or abused in order for us to fulfil a need to accomplish an obstacle we set out for them? I mean abuse went on in this country for years at the hands of the Catholic Church in reform schools and laundries and people turned a blind eye, because it’s “just what went on” and because it was the easier thing to do for a “quiet life”. Thousands of people were affected but nobody objected to the inhumane conditions and treatment a lot of these people faced and everyone knew exactly what went on behind those big iron gates of these institutions.

It’s not your place!
We have been told time and time again, “It’s not your place” when we question something we have seen or felt is wrong or abusive. Why can’t we make it normal for abusive behaviour not to be tolerated in our showgrounds or in our clinics? I mean some abuse will still go on behind closed doors, but surely we need to address the abuse we see every day in our show rings and in our warm-up rings. We need to change the culture of turning a blind eye and pretending it’s not going on. It is most definitely going on and to stand back and say nothing is just as bad as committing the offence.

We need a solution to this problem

We have seen riders being asked to leave an arena for overuse of the whip or riding a lame horse. And then what? The rider then gets his/her next horse and competes in the next class with no repercussions, just the sound of sheep whispering about abuse over the kickboards. He/she leaves the showground and enters another show next weekend and the cycle starts again.

Years ago, if abuse happened in a specific church with a specific priest, what happened to the priest? He was moved to another place to inflict more pain. No penalties, no reprimand – just more opportunities to cause more fear and destruction to whomever they crossed paths with next. How can we change this culture of accepting abuse is all around us and that we just have to live with it? Some people say “ah that’s just how he/she has trained horses for years and he/she always gets good of them in the end”. Sorry now, but what kind of Stone Age mentality is that? If it is abusive and inflicting pain on an animal it should be penalized not swept under the rug.

This country and its people need to start standing up for what they believe in and stop expecting that someone else will, has the impact of the Catholic Church not taught us anything in the last 100 years or more of oppression? Has the 1916 rising taught us nothing? If you see a man out late on the streets being threatening to a woman, what do you do? Walk past and try not to get involved? If you see a dog being kicked in the face by its owner do you walk on past because it’s not your dog therefore not your problem? If we see people bullying another person, do we keep walking because it’s not our problem? Yet jump online to voice outrage at the same kind of situation. This Ostrich mentality in Ireland needs to stop. Keeping your head in the sand and expecting change will not work. Typing behind the keys of a message board does not work unless you back it up with action. People are great at putting these powerful slogans about anti-abuse for all areas of humanity on their Facebook feeds or Instagram stories, anti-war slogans, anti-poverty slogans, and the list goes on –  But how many of you would actually stand up and call someone out for it.

“Speaking up against injustice is not only a personal virtue but also a human obligation”

We need to change now, during our generation so that there is a new normal for our kids and our grandkids.

If you stand by and continue to see abusive things that shouldn’t be going on in this day and age please either report it or say something to the officials in charge. These animals are supposed to be our passion, our loves, and our friends. If this sport is going to continue and survive in the modern world – we need to change this need to stick our head in the sand and say nothing. Speak! Open your mouth and say something! We all need to say something.

“We will rise up and speak out against oppression, injustice and inequality in all of its manifestations, and model the way for others.”

– The ordinary equestrian