New Article on Cesar Parra Controversy

[FitzE]

@oldernewbie

The other thing that is so sad to me is that these are beautiful horses that are trying so hard!

@Alterration

That poor horse, who was obviously quite confused.

@skydy

That’s what really gets me. The horses in those videos aren’t misbehaving and they can’t know what those people want from them, or why they are being punished so severely.

It’s heartbreaking.

All of this. The horses are so willing and kind and utterly confused.

People who can do this to a sentient being - and people who can stand around and watch it done - have an actual problem for which they should seek help. I mean that. If you can do this or watch it and do nothing to stop it, your lack of empathy is alarming and something you need to look into.

There is so much I disagree with re: PETA, but if they are unleashed on the sport, that’s what’s deserved b/c of people like CP. Time to clean house and kick trash like him to the kerb for good. Make it so he never earns another thin dime training horses, please.

[Bogey2]

whoa! Someone here was defending the groom who they knew personally…well she may need to rethink this support based on some of the information now coming out. As I said, maybe she was a victim of Stockholm syndrome but this is not looking good for her either and Cesar is one to toss others under the bus just like Helgstrand did.

[Knights_Mom]

@Mersidoats

Daaaaaaang. Now let’s see some follow-through - how about Whitages loses her judging license? And then Parra is charged with animal cruelty? And the FEI and USDF take a LONG , HARD look at the tests and judging that got us into this giant storm and fed this monster?

I’d heard rumors of the running W being used, and I hate to see it confirmed. What a bastardization of dressage training.

If PETA is paying attention, we have some trouble.

PETA has already shared video on X - Twitter

[Knights_Mom]

If we don’t police ourselves someone else will.

[Danvers]

I fear the Parra maelstrom will cover and whitewash Helgstrand

[Salty]

That’s correct.

[Cowgirl]

Yes, I practically could hear AH exhale all the way to the left side of the country. I don’t think this will do it though. I think the onion is being peeled back and there is a lot of layers left to be exposed. Withages is the tip of the iceberg on that side of the house; Parra and Helgstrand on the other. We don’t live in Europe so haven’t been that close to seeing the abject cruelty at some of the top breeding farms either. People are sick of it. Many of us have seen what the focus on gaits has done to our own shows even on the local level and don’t want any part of that. We’ve been bullied when we complain about people buying their way into medals–remember the horrific video of the overmounted movie producer whipping her saintly GP horse in a California show and yet nobody stopped her while she was doing it…AND she was able to earn medals like that because her horse cost as much as a house and had the gaits that the judges want to see. Come on!!! Yes dressage training will improve gaits, but buying 9 gaits and then badly riding the horse so it scores in the 60s is THE OPPOSITE. If the emphasis was on the riding and training and not on the gaits, I doubt this would happen. I doubt that horses would have their front legs pulleyed. I doubt that you would see a horse with a mouth open, tongue occassionally flapping, tense in the back and showing whites of eyes and unable to perform a simple halt earning scores in the upper 80s. It’s piling up. One doesn’t erase the other. It just makes a bigger, stinkier pile.

[CHT]

Agree completely.

[Mander]

The rope contraption is the same as the one used for movies. To prevent the horse from bolting, and I suppose it might encourage some bigger leg action just from whacking around when not engaged.

Someone posted a link above about that running W setup and the comments will make your stomach churn.

[Tha_Ridge]

Yes, I’m aware. He is no longer at the Pittstown facility, either. It was sold in April. I would know—my horses live there at present.

[Cowgirl]

Non-disclosure agreements. Helgstrand had them and Parra has them. Let this be a lesson: never take a riding/training job with someone who wants you to sign an NDA. Never take a horse to a trainer who insists on NDAs.

[Knights_Mom]

Do NDAs cover illegal acts?

Anyone know?

[Rnichols]

I read that about the NDAs and I’m like …. Is this common in the high dollar horse world? Good grief, I would NEVER get myself involved in a horse related activity where I had to sign an NDA. Lord knows I can’t keep my mouth shut on anything. But aside from that it just seems….weird???

ETA - it feels off to me because what would be the purpose of an NDA in the horse world? I work in pharma and totally understand why in my industry those types of documents are needed. But horse training? Definitely screams “red flag” to me personally but I’m still unsure if this is industry standard (and if so why)?

[skydy]

Aren’t, or weren’t, you a person who had a job in the court system, or am I mistaking you with someone else?

Let me Google that for you anyway. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=Can+an+NDA+keep+a+person+from+reporting+illegal+activity

“Illegal”, and against FEI or USEF regulations, are two different things.

[Knights_Mom]

@skydy

Aren’t, or weren’t, you a person who had a job in the court system, or am I mistaking you with someone else?

Let me Google that for you anyway. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=Can+an+NDA+keep+a+person+from+reporting+illegal+activity

“Illegal”, and against FEI or USEF regulations, are two different things.

Yes I had a job in the courts. I am not an attorney. My career didn’t deal with NDAs. I only state facts I know to be true. If unsure, I ask.

[Old_Mac_Donald]

Absolutely. And the FEI will be all surprised Pikachu when the Powers That Be decide: no more horse sport.

[skydy]

@Knights_Mom

@skydy

Aren’t, or weren’t, you a person who had a job in the court system, or am I mistaking you with someone else?

Let me Google that for you anyway. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=Can+an+NDA+keep+a+person+from+reporting+illegal+activity

“Illegal”, and against FEI or USEF regulations, are two different things.

Yes I had a job in the courts. I am not an attorney. My career didn’t deal with NDAs. I only state facts I know to be true. If unsure, I ask.

Did the Google link help you to understand about NDAs, and whether or not they can be used to cover up illegal behavior?

[Knights_Mom]

Olympics would LOVE to get rid of the expense of equestrian. Or so I was told.

[Knights_Mom]

@skydy

Did the Google link help you to understand about NDAs and whether they can be used to cover up illegal behavior?

It said those words but knowing how it’s applied in actual practice in the jurisdiction in question and in those kind of cases would be a far more likely accurate answer.

[Old_Mac_Donald]

I hope they do. Better off having really good World Championships than half assed Olympics