‘The entire world has witnessed horrible cruelty’: open letter to the FEI describes abuse in dressage as ‘a wake-up’ name

Dressage stakeholders have described current instances of horse abuse within the sport as “a wake-up name for the vulnerability” the self-discipline faces – as a gathering is about to debate easy methods to tackle the challenges.

On 14 February the Worldwide Dressage Riders Membership (IDRC) printed an open letter on its web site to the FEI written collectively by the IDRC, Worldwide Dressage Trainers Membership (IDTC), and Worldwide Dressage Officers Membership (IDOC) elevating issues about the way forward for the game.

The letter acknowledged that the “complete world has now witnessed problems with welfare and horrible cruelty inside our great sport”.

“It’s right that merciless apply is uncovered, and the affect of social media makes this speedy. By the identical token, social media exacerbates adverse affect, and it must be turned to a constructive,” it learn.

“The fact is that our sport has now been put at severe threat; the behaviour of the minority has been a present to the critics of our sport. It has offended any first rate human being with love and respect for animals as dwelling creatures. They arrive first; not the ego of people or cash. The notion of the game has been broken and we have to make a joined-up concerted effort to treatment it.”

The letter provides that “the chance is so vital that it might jeopardise the notion of dressage and para dressage as an Olympic self-discipline”.

“It’s one factor to be thrown out of the Olympics to make room for brand spanking new sports activities to be included; however fairly one other to be thrown out for perceived cruelty and inappropriate conduct,” it reads.

The IDRC, IDTC and IDOC are calling for the FEI to “treatment the present scenario”, and to push for “measured and applicable legislation enforcement at nation degree the place jurisdiction exists and authorized motion could be introduced”.

IDTC president David Hunt informed H&H that the letter was triggered by footage of former Olympic rider Cesar Parra coaching horses, which has been described by US Equestrian and the FEI as “abhorrent” and “disturbing”. The FEI is investigating Cesar and he has been provisionally suspended.

“We get criticised for issues like a barely brief neck or a horse sporting a double bridle, after which there’s issues like this occurring. There was additionally the Helgstrand factor as nicely,” stated Mr Hunt, who’s referring to Danish broadcaster TV2’s Operation X documentary, which confirmed abusive coaching strategies filmed undercover at Helgstrand Dressage (information, 30 November).

“All of us want to drag collectively and get this sorted. We’re going to have a gathering with the FEI on the World Cup Last (16-20 April) and actually focus on issues. I believe the FEI is in a tough place, however we’ve to discover a means spherical it. The primary level is that we’re all a part of the game, and we’re all accountable, so we have to discover a means that we will all be efficient.”

Mr Hunt added that dressage shouldn’t be a “dictatorship” when it comes to the rider’s relationship with the horse.

“Riders all have a accountability,” he stated. “It’s a couple of horse and a rider having a tremendous relationship. We’d like concord between horse and rider, the horse wants to purchase into what we’re doing. Some jockeys can maintain a horse in a form and it’ll do the actions, but when a horse doesn’t purchase into it, it’s not the identical sport.”

An FEI spokesman informed H&H it welcomes the letter, and confirmed it had invited the IDRC, IDTC and IDOC to a gathering on the World Cup Last in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to “overtly focus on the challenges going through the game, and the collective options the neighborhood has at its disposal”.

“This was one of many causes the FEI established the equine ethics and wellbeing fee, with an goal to evaluate equestrian sport’s social licence, and thru intensive analysis, neighborhood surveys and data-based suggestions, we’ve already made some vital modifications inside guidelines and are dedicated to persevering with this strategy of self-evaluation and demanding evaluation,” stated the spokesman.

“Collaboration is vital to this course of and the FEI is worked up to work carefully and along with its stakeholder teams to determine a unified technique and drive significant change – from each a legislative and cultural perspective – that may assure horse welfare is prioritised in all decision-making and sports-related initiatives, with an surroundings conducive to reporting and sanctioning abuse.”

The spokesman added that, as a governing physique, the FEI has the “accountability to make sure there are methods in place to uphold these values”.

“We are going to proceed to work carefully with our stakeholders to additional strengthen the processes in place and guarantee horse welfare is rarely compromised or neglected within the title of sporting ambition or prowess,” he stated.

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H&H senior information author

Since becoming a member of H&H in 2018, Becky has coated a broad vary of equestrian information together with welfare issues, veterinary research, FEI Tribunal hearings and street security campaigns. She has additionally interviewed high riders together with Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to call only a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, in addition to the Royal Highland and Blair Fort Worldwide Horse Trials nearer to residence. She was additionally a key a part of the distant reporting group for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.