That feels based on the assumption that all adults are child molesters. Sounds like omgitsme had a great relationship with their trainer.
Some parents don’t have time to be at the barn with their children. Some small farms only have one adult on site. Seems like it’s punishment for those kinds of farms.
Im all for policing interactions in theory but the practice gets a little messy. Yes, children need to be protected, no question. But it’s a challenge to find the right balance of policing and having a little faith in people. Just my opinion.
1 Like
The constitutional argument does not hold water whatsoever. You are more then welcome to associate with whomever you wish. You are just not welcome to do that AND be a member of the USEF if you which to associate with members whom the USEF has banned from its club for harming minors.
16 Likes
She might. I am not making any jabs myself, just that I suspect that is who he is referring to (although it isn’t just her, and we have had Olympic Team members who never brought a horse along - and maybe we need to admit, that training a young horse isn’t always a skill needed to present a GP horse well). Let’s face it - you can’t get to where she is without having some skill!
Hahaha, yes, and watch lady, and whatever else she’s selling now. She and her husband have had several successful businesses over the years!
I’m just guessing guys - I have no insider knowledge here 
1 Like
Pedophilia has been protected for ages in all upper sphere of our modern society… Writers, film producers, artists, politicians, priest (of all religions) …
Pedophilia was being normalized, even glorified in some spheres, mostly in the art industry.
Some are starting to come down now mostly because abused people are coming forward.
Same goes for the rape culture.
11 Likes
The shirt/watch lady seems to be an exceptionally nice lady.
As it’s not a requirement to raise your horse from a puppy, it probably makes sense that a wealthy lady who is not young herself avoid spending 10 years cultivating a horse from a seedling.
I dare say many reading this might do the same thing if their age gave them a limited number of years to reach their goal.
I happen to like the shirt/watch lady. She seems kind to her horses. I am not a fan of the previous owner of some of the horses though.
4 Likes
WHOOOOOO IS THE SHIRT LADY???
A hint?
A “rhymes with”?
3 Likes
Charlotte Jorst. As a longtime lurker, I have noticed her name can cause, er, animated discussion about her and her bona fides…so I didn’t mention her name. I have never met her, she has wonderful horses and she can get good scores with them. What I have for personal experience with her is spending a modest fortune on Kastel Denmark shirts. 
Those have been wonderful for my skin cancer-prone skin and SoCal summers.
13 Likes
It’s not a punishment, it’s protection. Not just protection for minors but also protection for the adults from the epidemic of false allegations that the ISWG crowd is so worried about. Honestly it’s just common sense. Literally every other sport has similar rules in place - why is it so hard for equestrians to wrap their heads around it?
12 Likes
Agree 100%. I could buy a GP horse tomorrow and guarantee it would be a Third Level horse within a few months lol. She clearly has the drive, work ethic and ability to successfully ride at this level. If she doesn’t have an interest in training up through the levels, doesn’t seem like a big deal to me. I think I read in an interview somewhere that she’s a cancer survivor and that made her want to take the quickest route to achieve as much as she can while she’s healthy and able. Sounds good to me.
10 Likes
Given how I’ve heard him discuss his opinions on the economics around dressage and the wrong emphasis being put on flash, not concern for correctness, development of riders as horse people, etc., I tend to not think Jeremy was targeting any one person with that comment, but rather the direction dressage has gone. He has commented before other Olympics on the rapid ownership changes of contenders, and how if that is more important than the partnership and stands a chance, there is something wrong with how dressage is being judged.
5 Likes
Now I feel like an idiot that I didn’t realize who the “shirt lady” was. I love my Kastel Denmark shirts.
1 Like
I remember reading Steffen’s article about his depression and being so moved by his willingness to share so personally and be so open in hopes of helping others. Very impressed and gave me even more respect for him.
To read JS criticize Steffen that somehow he doesn’t deserve to feel how he does and then even suggest he should have started a program was a serious turn off.
27 Likes
Again, I understand it’s for protection and I applaud that. Just thinking of small farms and parents who don’t have time to spend at the barn. I know I got dropped off pretty frequently as a kid and would spend a day at the barn with just my instructor. I just wish there was a way to do it with a little less…intrusiveness? Can’t think of the right word.
Absolutely. I was a junior working student in a mostly training barn, with a great and responsible trainer with so much knowledge to give to a poor, hardworking young person. He was always appropriate, a father figure to me, and gave me so many opportunities to ride nice, nice horses. It just wasn’t a busy barn.
No way he could do that now, for his sake. That is sad because less wealthy people have it hard enough in this sport. Of course, I understand it, but it is still an overinclusive rule.
The gym and skating rink my kids use are incredibly busy, like dozens of kids all the time, so it is easy to never be alone with a minor. Barns are not like that. There are few “factory” barns around here.
no one wants kids in a vulnerable position and I am careful not to permit my boys to be left alone with adults, so I get the purpose of the rule. It is just one more reason why hunter/jumpers are for the .5% only now.
3 Likes
Starting a mental health related foundation for equestrians is a great idea. Jeremy should do it if it’s important to him. No idea why he would suggest that anyone else should just because they happen to be among the 1 in 5 people who live with a mental health issue.
Im guessing with the Olympics around the corner Steffan has more than enough on his plate at the moment.
15 Likes
I don’t know of very many lesson barns where one adult does 100% of the teaching and barn work and there’s no other adult on the property. I’m sure they exist, it just hadn’t been my experience. In those cases the coach would need to have a family member or friend on site, schedule a couple of adult working students for barn work during lesson times, or ask a parent to stay I guess. If I were that coach it would be worth it to me to prevent lawsuits. If I were the parent I would appreciate the coach’s care and concern. But honestly as a parent I wouldn’t choose a barn where there was only one adult on site anyway. What happens if there is an accident or an emergency? We have a two-adult rule at all our youth group activities for exactly that reason. One adult may need to take a child to the hospital while the other stays behind to supervise the other kids.
7 Likes
As I said, this was a training barn. It was not a lesson barn — trainer (European) didn’t take on many students, usually just importing horses. Often, I was the only “student” and I worked off my “lessons.” Which usually consisted of me riding young horses and him giving me tips, with the occasional jump school. I would trailer my horses there once a month or so. Some of our horses went to top programs like the O’Connors, etc. — great eye and program.
growing up in a rural area, options are limited. I am forever grateful my trainer fostered my career. I also learned the skills there that allow me to run a top notch boarding facility where I live now.
But I definitely don’t allow kids here unattended. The risks are too great, as you say. It is kind of sad I can’t help kids the way I was helped. I have a real job and had to even decline a pregnant boarder’s request to longe her horse when I kept them in. I won’t risk my amateur status, but sometimes the rules don’t make sense. I won’t even take lessons on my trainer’s horses boarded with me, for $$, for that reason, and because of liability stuff. But if that wasn’t my concern, SafeSport rules would seem equally weird here.
i don’t think having another adult on property doing chores or whatever satisfies the rules. You can’t be alone with a junior. If your employee is off cleaning stalls, that doesn’t count. The rules don’t talk about being “on site.” Also in your scenario, the person left behind if a person took a child to the ER would be in violation. You would need 3 adults constantly if worried about injury.
1 Like
My trainer rides at his barn. He used to have a teenaged working student who would help and ride all day. Because it’s a private barn with training and his personal horses, he was usually the only adult with her as his clients have day jobs. He would not do that not, a few years later, because of safe sport.
So yes, I could see it easily affecting small barns everywhere. I do NOT see it as a strong enough argument to oppose safe sport, as it is a small inconvenience compared to protecting children from less scrupulous individuals. But I’m on the side of thinking safe sport doesn’t protect victims well enough.
2 Likes
Is it a “violation” ie a hard and fast rule that you can never be alone with a minor in any circumstance? Or a suggestion for best practices to avoid problematic situations? My understanding was that the MAAP policy applies to adults and minors at USEF sanctioned events and travel to and from those events.
1 Like
First of all, the MAAP policy has an exception for emergency situations, which I assume taking a child to the ER would fall under. Secondly, I believe the policies are only requirements at USEF facilities, competitions, and sponsored training events, otherwise they are recommended best practices.
There was a lot of confusion about this at first, but I think USEF has clarified it: https://www.usef.org/media/press-releases/usef-minor-athlete-abuse-prevention-maap. "USEF recommends that Applicable Adults refrain from interacting one-on-one with unrelated minor athletes in settings outside of the program that are not observable and interruptible (including, but not limited to, one’s home and individual transportation), unless parent/legal guardian consent is provided for each out-of-program contact. Such arrangements are strongly discouraged."
3 Likes
