Apparently the Operation X documentary about Helgstrand can be viewed with a paid subscription. I have no idea how it works and I won’t be doing it, but the link is here for anyone who’s interested:
One takeaway from the article for me, was that nothing will change for the riders in Denmark at the FEI level, since FEI rules have not changed. Sort of the opposite of the FEI rule regarding noseband tightness, which USEF has no intention of adopting.
I find these actions just lip service. They appeal to those mostly who either aren’t actually in the horse world or the very few who want to compete in non-traditional tack. It doesn’t do anything about the actual offenders and actual abuse. I highly doubt top level Danish riders with abusive practices are going to start taking off nose bands, riding bitless, or changing riding/training methods. I’m not saying the rule change is a bad thing but until the national governing bodies actually start punishing offenders where it hurts and not turning a blind eye at horse shows, nothing will change.
Now is the time for those keyboard warriors to get out there and show bitless.
Can’t wait to see it. (Maybe they’ll surprise us all.)
I’m surprised at the negative comments here. Change has to start somewhere and the Danish NF is trying to make things better for horse welfare, for the participants in the sport and for the public perception of the sport. It is offering options for riders to make decisions. Not every horse, for example, is happy with a double.
In the USA? There are currently three long threads about horse abuse on COTH. What stands out to me, as an outsider, is that a) people push back because it appears abusing horses is their right and nothing to do with the Government (Off Course: “What the Revised Horse Protection Act Will Mean”) and the total abomination of The Big Lick still continues and b) the USEF will apparently only take action after the FEI steps in (Eventing: “Andrew McConnon”. Also Andy Kocher comes to mind, outed to the FEI by a French magazine). Even more distressing, there is no agreement that suspending a horse by its neck or preventing it from drinking water to make it quiet enough for a show round is even “abusive” (Hunter/Jumper: “Diann Langer’s abuse article”).
So, in my view, well done Denmark.
While I agree it has to start somewhere, I just don’t think the small steps are enough. I think you have to hit the big fish first. Allowing bitless bridles and banning the shaving of whiskers etc. won’t do anything to start slowing down the abuse. Hit them where it’s most painful- their money and their livelihoods. I’m not above naming and shaming either! It’s just come to my head a picture of the abusers with a giant A around their necks paraded around the GP field with us little folk chanting shame, shame, shame!!
We removed the random political commentary and responses to it.
My issue is that it appears they are bending to the random will of internet critiques where nothing is really ever good enough. I have seen people riding without any tack at all and people still comment that it’s abusive. There are plenty of keyboard warriors who claim they would be showing X level if only X was legal. Now’s the time for them to do that. I feel we are moving toward a world were a few abusers are going to make it so we eventually don’t ride horses period.
Are you aware that outside of FEI international competition the only classes that don’t allow the snaffle are these (in the U.S.):
and the double is never required in British Dressage (from the British Dressage rules):
So, I don’t understand why a horse not being happy in a double bridle would ever be a problem for 99% of horses.
