http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/unsportsmanlike-conduct-caught-on-video-at-hampton-classic
What a disgrace. I hope she gets suspended for a few years. It’s not the horse’s fault she’s clueless.
What a shame, it totally looks like the rider’s error in falling off. If she does that at shows in front of cameras one can only image what goes on at home 
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There is a thread on the H/J forum regarding this topic. Doesn’t matter why she fell, you should never kick an animal.
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Does anyone but me think that the extremely widespread public shaming of this person is a little over the top? I’m not excusing what she did, far from it, but the TD was informed, everyone at the show saw it and now that video is all over the internet (not just here, believe me). So she had a fit of pique and childishly took it out on her horse, so what? If you watch the video, she got ahead of him, then hit him in the mouth as he landed, which caused him to lose his balance, ergo she came off. If she had been a better rider, the whole thing could have been avoided. But back to my point - we have a system in place where this kind of thing can be dealt with via the show and the show’s governing body. I think making this girl a pariah because of a momentary lapse in judgement is pretty harsh. That response should be reserved for the kind of day-to-day horrors that go on in TWH barns and elsewhere. Just MHO, YMMV.
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Perhaps but in this day and age of social media, “everyone” should, IMO, keep in the back of their mind that anything that might appear ‘out of line’ might be captured on the ever present cell phones and shared on social media.
This incident might be over the top sharing, but social media sharing isn’t going to go away. Neither is the desire to capture “bad” behavior and share it.
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A person above the age of maybe 5 shouldn’t be throwing this type of temper tantrum. It’s disgraceful and unhorsemanlike (if that’s a word). However, the punishment should be left for USEF (or some governing body). This lady has just tainted her own equestrian career for life and it is completely her fault, so I can only pity her to an extent. I guess fines won’t do anything for her, she is the heiress for Johnson & Johnson.
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What she did was crappy, but seriously? No one else has ever done something stupid like this? It didn’t permanently hurt the horse, she looks like an idiot, and its done. You’ve never been mad enough at your horse that you’ve done anything similiar?? Its not good horsemanship by any means, but sometimes we are all human!
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kicking things in the guts is obviously just what your ordinary, everyday billion dollar empire heiress does when they don’t get their own way. (H’mm… what’s the name of the potus again?)
this moron may as well just advertise her horses/tack/property/stables and sell the lot, coz she’s pretty much done as far as ever being taken seriously as a horse person ever again.
the trainer too.
yeah, just what does she do to her horses at home away from the public gaze???
dread to think.
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No, normal people don’t go around taking their frustration on others and kicking horses in the belly?
That is past being stupid to down right being worrisome out of hand ugly behavior. Speaks very poorly of the person there.
That is what a two year old toddler does when it hits it’s mother when crossed and hopefully is taught that is not acceptable behavior.
Not acceptable then, definitely not in an adult, what an idea!
I expect that was not the only time she lost it, just this time it was in front of a world audience once the video was made public.
I agree, what first comes to mind, where else and how common is that behavior for people that do such?
They need to be explained, carefully, why that is so very wrong.
The old, "when someone shows you who they are … ".
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I don’t think we should be having pity on her. She is threw a temper tantrum that was totally out of line.
She is also a heiress, so I doubt any fines or punishment will faze her that much.
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That horse really tried to get out of her way, he seemed to know she was going to kick him. He really works hard over the fence, I wonder if he’s too much horse for her to ride? It’s easy to over-mount yourself when you have too much money to spend.
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Is there another angle that shows the contact? It clearly appears to be be an attempt to kick the horse. It’s not quite a “smoking gun”, however. If you’re going to shame a person in front of billions of viewers it would be nice to have the reason clear.
G.
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You mean, she was not trying to kick him, that is just the way she walks, jerking her leg up here and there?
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the steward’s filed report could not verify contact was made, and they were actually there.
t
he steward’s report filed from the Hampton Classic (which is publicly available on USEF.org), the questions “Were there any instances of equine cruelty or abuse reported or made known to you?” and “Were any USEF yellow warning cards issued?” were both answered “no.”
Was her behavior a shining star of sportsmanship, no
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Is not about contact or not, is the idea of someone hauling off to kick a horse that I don’t think should be in question here, for us.
That is different if the exact rule of if contact should be made counts for fines, expulsions, etc.
So, if she made contact, maybe that is how she mounts a horse?
Maybe she kicks at it first, so it stands there?
It is ok to do that, or some such other excuse?
All of us know we can misinterpret so much others do, with their kids, horses, dogs, other people.
I don’t think this video and interpreting it as someone having an unwarranted temper tantrum is any kind of misinterpretation.
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Um,yeah, I don’t think,“Well, she tried to kick her horse, but she missed,” excuses the conduct. From the horse’s general reaction, methinks there are times she hasn’t missed.
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I’ve commented plenty on the HJ thread. Just to G- the judge reported the kick so it made contact. It was also noted the judge watched the rider specifically remount in the warm up area and no further shennanigans ensued- judge was watching it.
Apologize already. It goes a long way.
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I read the piece but the video was unclear. It surely did look that way. If the judge had a better angle then I understand that.
The conduct was inexcusable and was not excused. But maybe a rider who acts in an unprofessional manner and then immediately returns to normal behavior should get at least as much consideration as, say, the Menendez brothers.
G.
To me, irrelevant if she actually connected or not. She tried to kick him in the belly… it was the intent.
I might (I have no remembrance one way or the other) done this 40+ years ago when I was a teenage and didn’t have a good example of horsemanship to follow.
Once I got back into horses, the thought of kicking one in the belly never even crossed my mind.
I gotta wonder if she tries this away from the shows, where is the trainer?
PS - G, the Melendez brothers had only one set of parents… sure appears to me that she’s tried this before with this horse based on the horse’s reaction. I wouldn’t be surprised if she tries it again and maybe has just learned her lesson to self-edit when in the public eye
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It is a stupid moment, and that is being kind. It took off so much due to her social status and I don’t think it is a bad thing that kind of behavior is called out. It is certainly too bad that other bad behaviors (drugging etc) are not as high profile.
I think it is terrible, but not irrecoverable.
I think an apology would go a long way, as many other riders have apologized for their behavior (a recent eventer comes to mind).
She had a hissy fit. I don’t think it makes her a chronic animal abuser but it certainly calls her judgement and empathy in to question.
Outing myself- years ago my then 5 year old human child spit cough medicine right into my face and eye. I gave her a hard pop on the bottom- so loud my husband was like “Whoa”. Not quite the same as mine was literally an instinctual reaction to having coediene spit in my eye.
Does that make me an abuser? To some perhaps. The kid was never spanked or paddled before or since (she’s a good kid). My point is one action is pretty embarrassing and hopefully is not repeat behavior.
Pennywell Bay- one time administer of corporal punishment in a WTF moment
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