My understanding is that the horse was underwater and panicked, so they couldn’t actually see what was wrong until he was sedated and they could get in there more safely. I’m sure they did cut it. The water wasn’t that deep, but it was deep enough and murky enough that you couldn’t see much.
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FWIW, horses will graze as a calming signal. It looked like the shaking was pure adrenaline and she was grazing to help herself regulate. She was likely concerned, as it can be worrisome for a horse to lose a rider. I doubt it was unfitness. Doug is a very conscientious rider and prepares his horses well for fitness tasks.
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I did not see this, but I wonder if Doug got hit with a super size shot of adrenaline when the bridle came off and may have transmitted that to the horse. I mean, she’s used to her partner being all calm and cool and then she can sense that suddenly he’s not.
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I also doubt it was unfitness, for the reasons you named not to mention that the jump was pretty early in the course. I assumed adrenaline or just nerves at finding herself in the bizarre situation of being loose with crowds on two sides, no bridle, and a hole in the ground on the other.
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Horse was clearly shaking even before Doug got to her (he approached a little slowly until he got a hand on her, clearly trying not to spook her). I could imagine they both just on a bit of an adrenaline high/shock to the system for sure though. It happened very quick.
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I’ve had a very spooked/panicky horse snatch at grass before (in hand) and that was my first thought too… that she was on an adrenaline high and a bit shocked from losing her rider and was grazing to regulate her nervous system.
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Can someone please explain this to my horse?
Please, dear pony, if your human ends up on the ground, and there is lots of nice grass, do not run away and put yourself into a dangerous situation.
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I was sitting on the ground at the rope when Doug fell right to the side of the fence. They were definitely surrounded on all sides by masses of people because by that point everyone knew it was a problem jump. The crowd did a great job of staying really quiet and his horse looked around…saw the masses and then ate. To me the muscles were quivering like with adrenaline. As someone who witnessed a bad car crash adrenaline will absolutely make you shake for a few minutes. It was a slow motion fall she backed off the first fence but cleared it and just said nope to the big ditch like a lot of horses did. He slowly slid down her neck and in trying to stop himself took the bridle off with him…oops
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It is adrenaline. I’ve had moments on much lower courses (Training) where I have unceremoniously parted ways with a horse - ironically, at a not dissimilar question (coffin combo into the woods). I landed on my feet but pulled the bridle off with me. My hands were shaking so badly it was hard to fasten the buckles. Horse and I were fine. There is a very strong adrenaline rush on XC - there is truly nothing like it but when you are in the ‘moment’ it’s useful - but when things go pear shaped you get an extra dose of it.
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Here’s a screen recording of the fall from the USEF replay. You can see the muscles quivering even from a distance on this view. Looks like it was adrenaline for sure.
FullSizeRender
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At the risk of being that annoying person, again, back when EN and others shared the dressage work video of her at home in February, I couldn’t help but think that the horse didn’t looked thrilled. It was a weird timing thing in that a video of Charlotte Dujardin had been on my Fb feed not far above it and the horse she was riding was clearly happy as all get out. And then there was the video of Doug. And the mare just didn’t transmit to me the signs of happy in it’s work. And for sure, it’s a chestnut mare. I have owned one, they have different ways of going, being content etc and I do allow that could be what I am seeing.
TO BE CLEAR
I do not think that Doug is in anyway an incapable rider, that he in anyway does anything wrong to his horses. But I for sure would not have made the choice to share a similar video of my horses if they were showing that kind of reactions to the task. I would likely share with close friends, but that’s it. And this is just my opinion.
Here’s the video I am referring to.
And in contrast here’s the video Charlotte had posted.
Em
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Aw, I’d hate to follow after Charlotte in any sort of video 
I can’t faithfully draw a comparison since one is schooling difficult upper level movements and transitions within the movement while the other is "just’ showing a clip at a show of collected to lengthened canter. Charlotte is pure perfection, as usual. DP’s clip looks like a horse who is still green/not confident to the movements.
I’m willing to give Starr Witness and DP a pass – they are not anywhere near Charlotte’s caliber in terms of dressage education or resources/coaches, and Starr Witness is still relatively new to the sport of dressage. If anything, I was impressed to see she knew those movements considering.
One of my favorite quotes that I try to remember any time I am struggling at something:
“Sucking at something is the first step to being sort of good at something.”
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Those horses are being asked to do two very different things! A horse learning piaffe/passage who isn’t strong enough to really hold it long often looks the way Starr Witness does, IME (and I see a lot of very happy dressage horses!) It’s part of the development of the horse.
Charlotte’s horse is doing a First Level movement, not a GP movement. I start lengthenings pretty much as soon as they can canter in a reasonable balance.
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I’m learning that I have pretty low standards for what I think professional riders should post on social media.
Edited because I hit “send” too quickly … But I was going to add, I’m fine with seeing imperfections, horses that are still weak at something or even rider/horse mistakes, as long as there is no sign the horse is actually being treated poorly. I don’t care for posts that air dirty laundry or question the decisions of officials, but otherwise I’m fine with posts that reveal they’re in fact just human and their horses are just horses.
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YES! And the mare immediately says oh wow and lets down and relaxes at the end of the ask…she trusts him. She’s not freaked out, rushing away, none of that. There is nothing wrong with the video of Starr Witness.
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This exactly. Doug is asking her to work HARD and while she’s expressive with her tail (hello chestnut mare) her ears are the real tell, they are mostly forward or to the side, and even floppy for a moment. They only swing back to listen to him, not to express displeasure.
Also that’s one hell of a good piaffe for a horse just learning it.
Charlotte’s horse also flicks it’s tail the couple times she puts the leg on.
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I was going to mention the ears too. And, she’s not behind the vertical, which is lovely to see in these upper level movements.
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I liked the video.
He’s schooling, the mare is learning. Yes, her tail is busy, but as others have pointed out, she’s remarkably supple; there are not other indicators of tension.
And her immediate relaxation after the work indicates, to me, that she was working hard at the piaffe/passage but is happy to have the break. A tense, unhappy horse doesn’t immediately relax and trustingly take the break that’s offered.
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I honestly see nothing in Doug’s video that indicates an unhappy horse. Nothing. She looks relaxed. And look at her expression the moment he gives her a break.
I have a now retired chestnut gelding that was very expressive with his tail. But completely relaxed when you rode him. I think the tail was just a weird habit.
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The heat coming at Doug is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve seen in a long time. People have either lost their minds or truly don’t have a clue.
Just mindboggling…
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