Andrew McConnon horse abuse

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

I totally appreciate with where you are coming from and hear you. Loud and clear.

I agree - Matt seems exceptionally thoughtful and is trying to be a constructive voice, and that’s admirable…

But yeah. I’m most concerned about the abused animals involved, damage to the sport, and negligence/willful ambivalence of officials with governing bodies right now.

The mental health angle of this with respect to social media? I feel like this gets very skewed. Plenty of upper level professionals use social media every day in an effort to promote their business, tout their successes, burnish their public images, and essentially to act as “influencers” when it comes to promoting “sponsors” products.

And that’s fine. It’s part of the sport and business landscape now.

Some go beyond that, and regularly do interviews with widely read sport related blogs or popular publications like Eventing Nation, or popular podcasts. And again, it’s fine. It’s part of how things work, from a modern marketing perspective. And helps promote their programs, and potentially bring in new clients and owners or get them new sponsors.

So they spend all this time building larger and larger public profiles… and generally professionally and financially benefiting from social media…

And then the worm turns. A curtain is lifted, and rotten stuff that was going on behind the scenes is revealed, and that large following audience they spent years cultivating and financially benefiting from turns in a different direction.

It is what it is. The flip side of the social media coin.

Just calling this like I see it.

[HoolieB]

Plus witches love and revere animals. This AM creature really tests the whole “harm none” mindset. Must…not…cast…in…anger.

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

@equestrian_101

Inaccurate

Well hello. Not sure who you are, but I went back and edited to add your claim that the horse was incorrectly identified.

[Blugal]

For the record, I tried to PM FitzE so that this could be done off the thread, but their PMs are closed.

I did not report any of their posts, nor do I know who did. I will not engage further on this thread about this.

For different reporting on the McConnon abuse investigation, Pippa Cuckson reports: https://horsesport.com/horse-news/leaked-videos-force-usef-reveal-rider-already-under-investigation/

Pippa is the equestrian journalist whose protests to the FEI resulted in penalties by the FEI in two cases of horse abuse in endurance: https://horsesport.com/horse-news/fei-tribunal-sets-a-landmark-precedent-in-endurance-horse-abuse/

[trubandloki]

I actually think this post you shared is amazing and thoughtful.

Some of the posting here and on other platforms is just as bad towards people as the abuse shown to have happened was.

We (general) have to remember that to some people just riding your horse is considered abuse, if you dare to use a chain you are horribly abusive, and don’t even think about putting shoes on them, gasp.

It sounds like M/CB are walking the walk, not just talking the talk and their caring and compassion extends not only to horses but to humans too.
You (general) can proclaim something wrong and still not want that horrible person to also be wronged.

I do not know M/CB, but they sound like wonderful people.

Hopefully the system steps up soon and handles the McConnon situation.

[FitzE]

I think this case has parallels to the Cesar Parra case in that I’ve read many comments under people’s real names stating that Andrew McConnon was aggressive to people, including those who worked for him, and threatened more than one with legal action if they exposed his abuse. This is just one example. This kind of behaviour must be dealt with as well as the animal abuse. The governing bodies must deal with people in the sport ‘ruining’ other people’s careers/opportunities. Another reason it is vital for the BNTs and BNRs to speak out.

[wanderlust]

@equestrian_101

I haven’t heard a single male voice in any of the videos. If you have other videos that haven’t been shared online in which you can hear a male voice then share. A vet works a normal 9-5, many times past 5pm. Who is to say he knew about any of this when he’s not even around during the day.

Ahhh the houseguests have arrived to defend… the partner/vet.

[trubandloki]

@equestrian_101

I haven’t heard a single male voice in any of the videos. If you have other videos that haven’t been shared online in which you can hear a male voice then share. A vet works a normal 9-5, many times past 5pm. Who is to say he knew about any of this when he’s not even around during the day.

I will take your word for it that there are no male voices on any of the available videos while admitting that I have not listened to any of the videos (I watched those that I saw with no sound on).

I am going to assume that the poster who posted that has access to some other video with a voice they heard. You are free to assume that they are making it all up.

I will say, you lose quite a bit of credibility by proclaiming that vets work normal 9-5.

I am a poster that is still willing to believe that the partner vet person is clueless and does not know that they are repairing a horse that was injured because it was improperly handled. Maybe Mr. McConnon is able to put a good front on for his partner/vet. Seems unlikely, but heck, lots of evil people are good at conning their partners.

[Old_Mac_Donald]

@Ghazzu

No one is owed forgiveness.

This is a theme of BoJack - some sins are not forgiven

[TXnGA]

**[quote=“AskMyAccountant.17, post:668, topic:798895, full:true”]
Question, just of thought. At least previously when other professionals, or, really now it’s become common in any case for the individual to release a public statement of apology and admission. Not just in regards to horse abuse, but I think of other instances in media/pop-culture, the guilty party releases a statement/video of apology (in many cases written by a PR team)

In this case, my question. Does AM owe “us,” those who are dissapointed and maddened by his abuse a statement. Let’s say for example, AM reached out personally to the parties involved like AC, PDF, USEF, Broussards… Ok, while owed, maybe not what will happen. But, let’s just say he did reach out privately to those he directly affected.

Does he owe the public a statement?

IMO, for his image it seems like that might be beneficial. But also IMO, I never know how to feel about public statements. Are they genuine? I don’t know. It seems like overall thats what is now expected to happen. But, in the terms or right and wrong, is it morally one way or the other if a statement is never released to the public.

** I personally detest and hope this human never touches/interacts with a horse again. I want our organizations to do the right things.
[/quote]

**

He may not owe the public an apology but he is a public figure ( not to mention US athlete on the world stage) and his likability is at an all time low.

If he has any hope of salvation for his reputation, image or humanity, he has to show remorse, regret, and apologize for his behavior, and acceptance of the consequences . Whether or not he is lying is irrelevant. At this point, his silence is deafening.

[Edit]

[TXnGA]

@equestrian_101

I haven’t heard a single male voice in any of the videos. If you have other videos that haven’t been shared online in which you can hear a male voice then share. A vet works a normal 9-5, many times past 5pm. Who is to say he knew about any of this when he’s not even around during the day.

His vet is heard on other videos ( that haven’t been released to the public but have been submitted to the PTB) saying after a horse flipped over, we need to untie them and sew them up. Regarding a horse that flipped over and cracked open its head.

I knew this was going to come out months before it did. A lot of people did and we were waiting for the PTB to do what it’s supposed to do.

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

If evidence like that documenting equine abuse is submitted to USEF, and it involves the participation of a veterinarian, does USEF or FEI have any sort of codified obligation to share the evidence with an applicable state veterinarian agency that has authority/oversight of these sorts of issues?

Just curious if anyone knows if there is anything in the USEF rules that speak to that issue.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

Honestly, as soon as anyone posts a multi-paragraph wall of text on FB, I know there’s going to be a lot of ass-covering and bullshit and defensiveness. He could have led off with an unequivocal condemnation of the behavior, then engaged in soul-searching, and concluded that what’s in the videos is not normal “bad judgements” but instead there’s all this weird stuff about a witch hunt. I’m tired of people calling basic information-searching and fact-finding to root out bad actors witch hunts.

[Jackie_Cochran]

I agree with using this technique for dangerous behavior.

I had just gotten an Arabian weanling stud colt. We were in his stall. He reached over with ill intent in his eyes and nipped me. I immediately bit his neck.

He rocketed around the stall a little and went into his paddock.

He listened to me thereafter, most of the time.

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

I hear where you are coming from.

Sometimes, when it comes to long statements on Facebook from people who work with horses for a living, I try and recalibrate my expectations a bit… because these are not people who work in an office environment and prepare concise and pointed presentations or executive summaries for a living.

So I will cut some slack for that factor.

But I am a bit tired of people who seem to want to enjoy all the benefits of social media in terms of networking and leveling up their businesses and professional profiles, and then the instant there is a negative situation like this that goes viral, they immediately cry, “Oh no! Social media is so toxic! People are so mean! Please don’t add any fuel to the fire, the court of public opinion is unfair, and just withhold judgement and wait for official information following an investigation.”

Honestly… if they want privacy, then be private. If they want the benefits of a more public profile… then they need to accept the risks that come with that too. And that’s probably no big deal for the vast majority of people who are running good programs and don’t engage in crazy behavior behind closed doors.

[Jealoushe]

Exactly.

He’s a criminal, animal abuser. Period. It’s been proven beyond doubt.

But because he’s a 5* rider people think it’s not as bad for some reason. Really hard to understand.

If it was some rando seen in a video online there would be no apologists.

[AMWookey]

I guess I don’t see where people are saying it’s not as bad?

[JER]

I don’t care if Andrew McConnon makes a public statement or not. Quite frankly, I never want to hear from him again. He doesn’t deserve a voice.

I just care that he’s banned from the sport. So now it’s on the sport orgs to actually live their mission statements.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

Same. I assume he hasn’t made a public statement because his lawyer has advised him otherwise. Or maybe he’s hoping to retain some loyal clients as a trainer, even if he can’t compete himself, like some other disgraced trainers.

Very anecdotally, but I’m especially eye-rolly about the mental health bullshit because in my experience, abusers who defend themselves via that route are usually the least compassionate to students (and horses) with issues–timid amateurs, riders who have stressful lives who can’t train as much as they’d like, horses who are a little quirky or not typical breeds.

[FitzE]

Whoever is advising him should consider that he has taken enormous amounts of resources in the form of grant money, sponsorship, and promotion that could have gone to some of his fellow competitors who were more deserving. It is a zero sum situation: if AM gets $50k, that is not available for a developing rider who is doing it all correctly, following the rules including the code of conduct. He took those resources out of the available pool when he accepted them.

He owes a public statement b/c, when he took all that help, especially the grant money, he took on a responsibility to the sport and his fellow competitors. If he was fully self-funded, perhaps not. But he has received a lot from the sport and the governing bodies and sponsors and he needs to man up a face the music and apologise and take responsibility.

And he needs to be banned. Period. People can have compassion for him all they want while he is pursuing an alternative career.

Honestly, could you ever trust him with your horse again? I know I couldn’t.