Hmm I wonder this too. And how would it differ from, say, jumping a plank in that regard?
There no longer appears to be any video in that article. I have found clips from it online and it appears that yes, the horses are being polled. Whether or not it is in within the bounds specified by the FEI is not clear.
I don’t mean to minimize the report, but if that “intern” spent two years at his barn and that’s all he/she saw, that’s pretty mild. “Back in the day,” polling was pretty common. George Morris, in particular, used it for many years and talked about it in his autobiography.
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Does it actually say that the intern was there for two years? Or just that they spent two years trying to get the information out to the public?
I have a little trouble believing that anybody could or would stay undercover as an intern for that long at a barn like that. I’m guessing that the people who are actually there to work or intern probably work pretty hard.
I can easily imagine the person spent a week or two there, got a few snippets of video, and then spent another two years trying to get it picked up by the media, since it sounds like that was a pretty involved process.
Needless to say, that’s all conjecture on my part.
Oops, sorry. Didn’t know that was what you referred to. No clue.
Yeah we were talking about the white styrofoam square not the liverpool
My jumper coach growing up had poles like that and the big heavy square ones. Wish I knew then what I know now.
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My old eventing coach did too. She would put those spiky carpet covers on the rails as well.
My Dad has always said, it’s a different game when there is high-stakes &/or money. Show jumpers are earning a living, a very good living if you get to the top. Eventers may be even hungrier given the lack of prize money and earning potential. They all usually have horses with wealthy owners who expect results. You aren’t always going to know what goes on behind the scenes.
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That’s exactly what mine had. Ugh. Still get shudders thinking about it lol
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I also rode with a “trainer” (many years ago) that used the spikey computer carpet wrapped around poles. One of many red flags…We all wish we would have spoken up, left, done some heroic action in response, or likely feel some form of guilt (or at least I do…). It’s sad that so many of us have these experiences and emotions, but all we can do is be better and advocate for better!
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I was thinking about the polling in the 1990s. I am not sure it was totally ubiquitous, but as a kid I remember my trainers polling the 3’6’’ and 4ft hunters before most classes. This wasn’t in the little ring back by the barns, but in the warmup for the main hunter ring!
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It was not uncommon to see it done in the warm-up ring at horse shows before the USEF had a rule on the subject.
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It’s still not uncommon to have horses go to a nearby stable to have it done before arriving at the show grounds.
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Latest FN statement below. I ran it through Google translate because lazy and I think it still makes enough sense that you get the idea of what was said.
Information on how the FN dealt with the RTL contribution from January 11, 2022
First result of internal review of video sequences and further steps
Warendorf (fn-press). Following the broadcast of a television report about alleged events at Ludger Beerbaum’s riding facility, the TV broadcaster RTL has now made a multi-minute compilation of various video sequences available to the FN. So far, the FN had only been shown a few seconds of short and pixelated scenes on one occasion. The location and people involved could not be identified. The FN has now checked the longer, non-pixelated compilation to see whether the scenes shown correspond to the description of touching that is formulated in the Guidelines for Riding and Driving Volume 2. "In an initial evaluation of the scenes, we come to the conclusion that parts of the documented events clearly do not correspond to our description of the touching. For example, a backswing can be seen,
With regard to association regulatory procedures, the FN is now further examining whether the allegations of a violation of the Performance Examination Regulations (LPO) result from the images. Concrete actions are described in the LPO ( §920 LPO ) and only these can be substantiated by the FN with a disciplinary measure. In addition to the question of whether such actions exist, it is also examined who the acting persons are.
The Disciplinary Commission of the FN is responsible for regulatory procedures. The Disciplinary Commission is an honorary body made up of independent legal experts. At the end of a disciplinary procedure, the Disciplinary Commission decides whether a violation has been proven and whether a disciplinary measure is imposed. A disciplinary measure can be, for example, a fine or an exclusion from participation in tournaments, i.e. a ban.
State proceedings by the public prosecutor’s office or veterinary authorities for a possible violation of the Animal Welfare Act are independent of the association’s regulatory proceedings. The FN drew the public prosecutor’s attention to the television report last week.
The video material provided by RTL also shows scenes from a rural horse show. These are also currently being reviewed to determine whether regulatory procedures need to be initiated.
Link: https://www.pferd-aktuell.de/news/a…er-fn-mit-dem-rtl-beitrag-vom-11.-januar-2022
Am I reading correctly that they can’t even tell who is in the video?
I think the attic shot is worthless. It could be anyone’s attic.
I thought you were saying the “effin” when you said FN 
As someone who deals with the FN website to sign up for shows I don’t think you got it wrong
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The intern spent a few weeks at Ludger Beerbaum’s barn. Prior to that, the TV station had been given different footage from a longer employee.
It’s unacceptable, simple as that. Techniques like that are circus tricks, no different from the saddlebred/TNwalker industries. Unacceptable.
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Except that Ludger has already admitted it’s him in the video and that it’s his attic. He was not able to explain why the “never used” spiked poles are not dusty like the other things on the attic.
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