If they don’t tell
He can’t be dug up for a necropsy
6 Likes
Why would a trainer switch a horse from jumping to barrel racing???
20 Likes
She is no longer employed by the university and no longer associated with the IHSA team in anyway.
18 Likes
Yeah… I’m sorry, but no. The horse was tied to the top of the stall. I’m sure it got some slack when it was thrashing about given all the gore in those photos, but I would be willing to bet it was even tighter. I believe accounts that the horse could barely touch the ground. Those photos are heinous, which is an understatement. What a sorry excuse for a horse trainer. She doesn’t deserve to have these animals in her life. I hope the horse/owner get the justice they deserve.
ETA: There are literal chunks of wood taken out of the wall on the sides of the stall. To me, that checks out that the horse was hanging and thrashing against the wall.
ETA again… in the photo (from inside the stall), there is a very large loop that in theory would have been head level with the horse’s horses head had he been standing. The knot is located closer to the chin of the horse. This makes me believe even more that in all of his struggling, he managed to work the lead to the position we see in the photo. Idiot or not, I don’t know anyone who ties a lead with the knot at the chin, with a huge loop for the horse to sick their head through to get into trouble. To me, it was tied much higher/tighter than the photo makes it appear.
8 Likes
Right? My reaction ran the spectrum from “whut” to “WTAF.”
3 Likes
He was the one insulting the entire h/j world and the way “we” train our horses. I did not say a word as he mostly just talked over me anyway. I just wanted the shoe on, and to leave.
As someone who has worked at the top level in both showjumping and western, I can without a doubt say I saw some of the most horrific treatment of (especially young) horses in the latter world.
Also a great way to limit your business as a person who depends on word of mouth (and quality work, of course).
Rtrd was the word he used. First time meeting him. Incredibly charming /s
3 Likes
I am confused. If the trainer “hide” the manner of death, where did the photo included in the complaint come from?
I was sweeping the barn after turning everyone out and saw a flash in the pasture out of the corner of my eye. I turned and it was a bear running up the hill with my gelding gaining on him.
The bear made it out. 
10 Likes
Can anyone “print” the filing + photos as a pdf and email or attach in a PM?
The court system blocks my IP address (being overseas) and my VPN’s proxy as well. Boo.
1 Like
I understand the why, I still find it to be so repulsive.
2 Likes
Go look at the pictures and see if I am wrong.
FWIW, I’m a pretty fair and accurate poster. I mean, I used to be an academic, ferchrissakes, so I’m not the type to make a claim I can’t substantiate. I don’t post things that I don’t think are true. I will always be clear about the basis for my claims. I will also let everyone know my degree of certainty about something I say.
The person who saw the pictures and described them to me is a knowledgeable horsewoman. I asked pointed questions about the horse was tied. She was the one who offered that he looked like he might not have been able to rest all his weight on his front legs. Knowing that this kind of tying is A Thing in some Western Pleasure circles, and knowing the purpose of tying a horse with his head up high, for a long time, it seemed strange to me that this horse would be tied quite as high as described. I mean, if one meant to tie up this horse’s head high enough and long enough to make it hard from him to lift it later (as is the purpose for the WP people), this scenario wasn’t even doing that right. So while I’m willing to doubt that anyone threw a rope over the top bar of a stall (standard height for those the pre-made grilles is 7’; I know that because i am building), and pulled hard enough to lift him up by the chin, I don’t doubt the rest of what cause this to go bad: The horse’s being snubbed up tight AND being left unsupervised.
8 Likes
Whoever came and found the horse took pictures.
I infer that from details listed in the complaint: I believe a friend of an employee showed up early to find the employee there and found no one. Either he/she or the employee did find the horse and snapped some pics.
When the complaint claims the horse had broken cervical vertebrae, I assume they came to that conclusion by looking at the pictures.
Other parts of the complain lists the trainer’s efforts to mislead the owner as to the cause of death and dispose of the horse’s body before a necropsy could be done.
1 Like
It took a few people to move that poor horse. And someone with a backhoe. Are they all staying quiet? I would think knowing where he was, would help the owner have some closure.
On a different note, I think this trainer exhibits some sociopathic tendencies on her open Facebook page. So many of her posts are about horse welfare. 
8 Likes
I do not see this in those photos at all.
The photos are easily seen in the link provided above.
And no, I am not saying this horse was tied comfortably and what this trainer did was anywhere near right.
I am simply saying that I think this trainer did enough wrong to stand on its own, no reason to add extra drama to it.
Yes, it is obvious that the horse fought hard, the blood everywhere and the scrape marks on the wall prove that.
8 Likes
I’m quite surprised at the number of people jumping to her defense in the FB post that included the pictures. I’m shocked that people would write this off as a one-off and say that she’s still a good horsewoman and to not write off her business based on these accounts. Accidents happen with horses, I understand that, but this was a preventable situation.
12 Likes
Let’s pretend it was a horrific freak thing that happens with horses, we all know that horses are more than willing to kill themselves. (Not saying I believe that is the case here.)
Her actions after it happened say a ton about the situation.
Not being honest about the horse being tied, saying it was cast. Not being willing to tell the owner of the horse where the body is, etc.
All despicable.
In other words, I am with you on this, I don’t get why people are willing to forgive her for those things even if they pretend the horse dying was just one of those things.
21 Likes
Exactly! And there is so much evidence to the contrary of all of her statements! I can’t see why people would look at these photos and think she still did everything right and this was out of the ordinary on her part.
You’re right. To try to cover this up after the fact despite the evidence is even more horrific.
It also seems as though everyone in the comments thinks this was her horse?
4 Likes
There’s a local around me that’s the same. Non stop touts on about saving horses and animal welfare yet found with dead horses, fatally injured horses, starved horses on her property and currently facing animal cruelty charges. But ya know, anyone who speaks up is just jealous 
. Master scammers online.
2 Likes
Where are the FB posts? Don’t want to see the photos but would be interested in the comments supporting the trainer.
I searched Hat Trick Sporthorses and the post is by the Aiken Standard.
