Evi and Tanya Strasser provisionally suspended by Canada due to allegations of "misconduct" in alleged horse abuse

According to websites Eurodressage and Dressage-News the suspension dates to the posting of photos of horse abuse…the photos were taken down after a cease and desist order

3 Likes

Not surprising that different leading organizations are now acting on complaints of abuse.

4 Likes

Last year, a dressage-y friend and I went out to some local shows just to enjoy and spectate. I expressed my hopes that we’d both get back in the ring this year or so with our young horses!

I’ve never felt this totally disillusioned with modern dressage. I look at any given Eurodressage photo now or similar, and think “has this horse ever had a blue tongue? Has he worn “stretchies” to condition that incredible movement? How many times in his lifetime has he been worked into an utter lather in the pursuit of a couple imaginary points?”

Very disappointed to learn of further abuse at the height of our sport. I hope they get the book thrown at them.

19 Likes

EC released an official statement apparently, although I can’t find it on the EC website or social media pages. It’s summarized here:

4 Likes

Can’t open - can you summarize? TIA

1 Like

Thank you!

What was the nature of the photos that prompted the suspension but were seemingly wiped from the internet years ago at her lawyer’s request? It sounds like it’s some sort of alleged horse abuse, but what did they actually show? I would think it would have to be pretty extreme, not just an isolated ugly moment, to prompt a suspension based on still photos.

2 Likes

What is shocking for me is the fact that this happened 2018 and now something is happening……:flushed::flushed::flushed:

13 Likes

Weird…maybe she updated and changed the link because now I can’t open it either. Try this:

Apparently EC had no mechanism to deal with this before :open_mouth:

"McLearon also addressed questions about why EC can take action now when welfare allegations are made, but could not in 2021 when a report of this alleged misconduct was first made. Though not permitted to speak about an open case, she noted that EC’s new Horse Welfare Code of Conduct has only been in place since 2022.

“The Horse Welfare Code of Conduct that was implemented in 2022 was not previously part of the Discipline, Complaints and Appeals Process, which it became once the new code was approved. It is my understanding that horse welfare concerns prior to that time were referred to the SPCA as EC did not have a mechanism for active equines with a relationship to EC or a sport licence holder.”"

4 Likes

They are VERY extreme. Horse covered in bleeding wounds all over body, ventral edema, eyes all swollen shut from whip abuse. That’s what I’ve seen. And I haven’t been able to unsee it.

3 Likes

Yikes. Of course there are reasons other than abuse a horse can have injuries, but if they were due to, say, getting cast in the stall or something and NOT abuse … having their lawyer demand from the photos to be removed from the internet makes them look guilty, as if there is something to hide.

Edited to add: if the photos in the Dressage Hub video posted below is all there is, there is nothing particularly incriminating in them… while injuries are shown they all are the sort of thing that could also occur by horses doing what horses do, and there is nothing that looks like obvious whip welts to me. That doesn’t mean it’s not abuse but it’s far from conclusive that it was the cause of the injuries shown. It should definitely be investigated, but I’ll reserve judgment until we know more.

2 Likes

What type of evil person does this? What is wrong with either of them?

If this is proven to be true, not one person better come to their defense and if they do they are just as guilty. But as we have seen in the past people do come to the abusers defense. Those at the top all stick together. Not a rhetorical question but have any of the big names spoken out against CP, AH…or now Evi and her daughter? Or are they keeping quiet in case their dirty little secrets get out?

8 Likes

I sincerely hope these ‘allegations’ (please remember that is what they are at this time) are proven false. I had so much respect for this mother/daughter duo, I thought they represented Canada so well! I guess I won’t be shocked if they turn out to be true, but will be so utterly disappointed in them, and crushed for the poor horses. It feels like every time we turn around, there is another story of horse abuse at the upper levels (not that it doesn’t happen at lower levels, too). For some reason, though, at the upper levels, it seems so much worse to me. I don’t know why, that really isn’t very logical, is it?

6 Likes

These threads make me so grateful for my dressage trainer. I have never seen her do anything to a horse I would consider rough, and she runs her program on my farm so I see everything.

18 Likes

My heart breaks for these horses. What is wrong with people? :frowning: :frowning:

4 Likes

There are a lot of top trainers supporting them on Facebook. We’ll see if the roaches scatter when charges are made.

4 Likes

I have seen them and agree with Donella that that is exactly what they show. I would be a bit concerned that the photographs have focussed in so close to the injuries that horse ID may be difficult down the line, and there is no clear proof of whose barn it is. I pray this does not enable the offender to escape disciplinary proceedings on this technicality.

1 Like

I’m going to assume that nothing will change and they’ll keep doing what they are doing. They all believe they are entitled and that rules don’t apply to them.

2 Likes