I wish I could “heart” this a whole lot of times.
13 Likes
I’ve seen this IN PERSON at a boarding barn. I was very young and new to horses and was formulating my ideas of WRONG and RIGHT. I left the barn shortly after, things went downhill FAST. I hand walked my horse off the property while the owners were gone because they had locked all the entrances and exits and barricaded the driveway. When I see people recommend that trainer I describe in detail what I saw with my own eyes and they say in a nutshell, “but so and so with more street cred says it’s a nice lesson barn so I chose to believe them” I am a honest person that people seem to like most of the time and I take good care of my horses but for some reason my first hand experiences are not believable. That is why I am not shocked that abuse like Parra has gone on, or why someone might be afraid to come forward.
32 Likes
Is there a link to the Klieber/Sandbrink video that isn’t private facebook? I can’t find it.
Rude, much?
17 Likes
https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=dressuur%20klassiek
Go to the FB page; essentially all videos are there, scroll down until you get the one w/ the guy in shorts and the guy in the pink shirt.
1 Like
It says “page not found”. Perhaps they removed it?
Barricaded the driveway to keep you from leaving?
Just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. I’ve seen a trainer cruelly work a horse to punish it for not wanting to be caught in the pasture (can’t imagine why the horse didn’t want to go with this abusive trainer /s). She thought no one was around, the owner wasn’t around. I was a few paddocks over cleaning up manure, so I saw it and reported her to the barn owner. First she whipped the horse with the lead rope, dragged him to the round pen, ran him until he was exhausted then took him out and lunged him more. The horse was DRENCHED in sweat and terrified. Barn owner did not confront her that day, but eventually this trainer was kicked out for bullying another trainer. Her dad set her up with her own place, her child clients went with her, and she looks all sweet and nice on FB. This is cruelty, and she’s also teaching young kids to be like her. But other than me, there were no witnesses. In front of others, she acted totally different, until her bullying was too hard for her to control and then enough was enough.
7 Likes
Yes. There was a mass exodus and they barricaded the driveway and locked all the gates and padlocked horses in stalls to prevent people from leaving without paying for their notice. There were police. It was fun.
2 Likes
Oh crap…it was there when I posted the link…
1 Like
In most states a barn owner etc cannot stop someone from removing their horse even if money is owed. Just a FYI.
1 Like
They’re reading our posts! 
Thanks for trying though. 
A horse owner at a barn that I had left (because of questionable training and care) asked me if I would help them get their horse out. The barns trainer had put a padlock on their horses stall! We knew she would be at a show so I took my trailer and bolt cutters, he cut the lock and we loaded his horse quickly and were on the road in less than 20 minutes. The trainer called me later and said she knew I was there because the barn help saw my truck and trailer. I just told her what Sgt Schultz always said “I know nothing”. She needed to duke it out with the horse owner. Never heard anything from her again and the horse owner and I stayed friends for years until I moved and lost touch. There are crazy/mean horse people everywhere, I don’t trust anyone anymore.
15 Likes
I saw it a few hours ago but I wish I hadn’t. Abhorrent doesn’t begin to describe it.
Interested to see your responses to this joint statement.
My personal response is:
(1) Isabell’s credibility took a giant hit by her association to AH (and his use of her to whitewash his own name. Not sure that her signature on this letter is helpful at this moment.)
(2) Social media is not your enemy: if you truly care about the horses first and foremost, you will thank social media for bringing to the open what the governing organizations tried to keep behind closed doors. (And yes, at least a few of their representatives have now been quoted as absolutely having first hand, actionable knowledge about the problem, but not dealing with it officially.)
(3) The horse abuse issues are not going to solved and dealt with just by punishing CP. (Yes, he needs to be punished. But the system that created him–or at least enabled him–needs to be addressed as well.)
(4) The FEI cannot solve this problem. (It certainly won’t solve the problems that we have been seeing at international horse shows for decades unless it addresses itself.)
(5) Until we land on clear and specific guidance of what is and what is not abuse in the sport, and how to recognize it, and who are mandatory reporters and what is the penalty for not reporting, we will not be able to make even a small dent in the issue. (As long as everything is vague and ambiguous and subject to interpretation, a failure to take action can be explained away.)
(6) Lots of failures have been exposed but it doesn’t appear that the ones that could be addressed are being addressed. (The system is very much trying to protect it’s status quo.)
18 Likes
Which is why there were police.
4 Likes
A practical problem is you are accused of “trespassing” and the police are not going to get into who has what rights etc… In addition, it maybe a state-to state thing as to agister liens and whether it is automatic or something more formal needs to be done. I think a more formal process requiring notice may be only when a sale is proposed to settle the lien.
I know a trainer that had the practice “practiced”–along with over billing on high end horses. (But) many horses are not worth much and the barn owner only wants them off the property and their “payroll” so to speak.
1 Like
Liens like a stable man’s lien are often done in Small Claims court which requires filing a case. Around me its $15 to $20 but could be double if the stable is considered a commercial entity.
1 Like
