https://www.facebook.com/hrichelshagen
Not sure whether the video shows up… in the moment it’s going viral .
The guy leading the horse is German and a friend of CP. not sure whether CP is the one with the whip….
Are you seriously excusing the horrible things that can be seen ON VIDEO (whipping on the head, lunging in terrible tie-down-constructs, etc.) as accidents? This is pure horse abuse that has been going on for a long time and people like you still make excuses… Wow…
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Robert Dover has chimed in on this on his Facebook page. He also took a dig at Heglestrand which is interesting.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/4UEGKxzV3L42XmEd/?mibextid=qi2Omg
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I’m not sure names are okay to mention, if not, let me know I’ll edit my comment. But on the Facebook posts, their names are already being mentioned in full, so I’m posting them here as well to raise awareness.
The guy holding the lunge is S. Sandbrink from https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100063541602209&name=xhp_nt__fb__action__open_user, and the blonde woman standing off to the side is Kerstin Klieber.
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Why hasn’t Helgstrand been suspended? I saw som of the video clips and photos - they are horrible -
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wow, you are part of the problem then. Did you know Parra was the reason they shortened whips a few years back? Seriously, instead of punishing him for his behavior that made a rule change…but then changed it back because it was a stupid move. Do you also hit your horse over the head when you don’t like his piaffe?
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My answer by now would be Omertà …. The code of silence for training……
There is a very very famous article about Omertà the code of silence for dog breeding, IMO you can transfer it 1 to 1 to this situation……
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Probably because there was no video of Helgstrand riding abusively. The video showed his students abusive riding.
Helgstrand has been kicked off the Danish team and won’t be representing his country at the Olympics. How long they will continue the ban after the Olympics will be interesting to see.
The FEI is “investigating”, but if they suspended him, and he appealed to the CAS, it would be hard for them to win since he wasn’t shown abusing a horse. It seems that having his NF take action was the way to go. He can’t lawyer his way out of that.
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Helgstrand aka the Blue Tongue guy.
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That was years 15 ago and it was Patrik Kittel not Helgstrand… They won’t be doing anything about that now.
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It was both…… https://dressage-news.com/2014/04/21/andreas-helgstrand-under-fire-for-alleged-abuse-of-akeem-foldager/
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The Parra videos are heartbreaking. Those poor horses are being severely punished when they’re trying. I hope there’s a special place in hell for people who do that.
William, if I remember correctly, was new to the barn and Parra put him in very tight side reins which the horse was not used to, and he went over.
Apparently Parra still abuses horses with training devices as well as whips. What the hell is that metal contraption? Horrific.
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Oh, jeeze. and that was 4 years after Kittel.
Hmm, he was also accused (and exonerated by a Danish Federation vet) of hiding spur marks in 2014.
That’s very fishy since Helgstrand’s Dad was on the board, and considering the current hiding of spur marks at Helgstrand’s facility.
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Seems like it’s time to update his Wiki page with a new category called “Abuse and Suspension from the Sport.”
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Ew, seriously? I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that maybe you didn’t watch all the horrible footage leaked of this man. I cannot imagine a horse person who actually cares about their animals sees that video and thinks “oh, well, you know, horses. Stuff happens” and then shrugs it off.
Yes, horses are dangerous. Yes, accidents happen. But there are ways to limit accidents. Strapping a horses head between its legs or hobbling its front feet while lunging or tying it to the arena fence while trying to teach it to move its legs in a way you like……those are abuse, and not “accidents” when something bad happens.
It’s like someone who drinks and drives and hits and kills someone. Do car accidents happen? Yes. Would the accident have been avoidable if an intoxicated person hasn’t gotten behind a wheel? Almost 100%.
I just cannot get that video of poor William out of my head. Anyone who looks at that and immediately shrugs and thinks “accidents happen” should not have animals of any kind.
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WOW. I just took an involuntary deep breath after that video. Jesus Christ.
I am from h/j land and oftentimes I feel like quitting competition all together because I just don’t know anymore.
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I can name several professionals (hunter/jumper in the US) who came from riding as juniors at full service barns. They don’t know the first thing about horse care or nutrition, yet they are successful because they have clients with money who can buy nice horses and the trainer can find all the distances. It’s not rocket science.
This is also why the US is kind of a joke - our professional pool is the good/average riding amateur in Europe.
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There is a reason that many horsemen have been engaged in fighting the system.
Hell just this week on another post on COTH I was chastised and demeaned for calling abuse out.
If we don’t change horse sport someone else will.
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There are more photos and videos. They make Helgstrand look like a pony clubber. I’m going to go cry and hug my horses.
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There are over 70.
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