Some of these posts have really made me laugh. I am a Chat GPbiyaTch. Anyway, I do not expect any parent or bystander to be the lameness Po Po. The point of the “lameness training” is just to make them a little bit aware of some horse welfare issues. Why?
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It will compel at least some of them, who don’t already to think of the horses as living things with feelings and not as vehicles for status or a pile of bills or whatever they think of the horses as of now, to consider the comfort and welfare of the horses. (This is not a blanket statement. This is not every horse show parent).
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If will at least partially undermine the culture as it is now where many trainers don’t want knowledgeable parents (and often clients) but expect (some demand) to make all the decisions about the horse. I know several trainers who don’t want or even allow the owner or parent to be there to talk to the vet or to ask questions. One trainer told me, “I just want their credit card, not their input.” Another told me, “I want to get rid of that client. Her mom rode as a kid and she is too involved.” As many (not all) of these trainers are doing things that are against horse welfare like giving all the horses in the barn several drugs each night and sending their clients (often many who are minors) in on lame horses, arming the parents (and all riders) with a little information is not a bad thing.
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People are now required to do this to protect riders, especially kids through SafeSport, but there is no equivalent to promote horse welfare. This is off balance and gives an impression that the organization is more concerned about the people than the horses. This is not a good optic and does not support horse welfare. Parents (and riders and owners) are forced to think about child molestation and sexual harassment, but do not have to take into consideration the welfare of the sentient being they technically own or have leased.
This phenomenon is uncommon in the dressage world because 1) there are hardly any kids and 2) a large percentage of dressage riders are older type A women who are super involved in their horses care and accustomed to making horse welfare decisions, such as vet care, either alone or in concert with their trainer. Most dressage people would not tolerate being kept in the dark.
It is also important to keep in mind that as the average owner does not make $ off of their horse(s), they do not have the same incentive that some more unscrupulous trainers do to make decisions which are counter to horse welfare. Of course some owners and riders don’t give a crap about their horses and/or make bad decisions regularly, but it is not so systemic. Likewise, some trainers make decisions that always take into consideration horse welfare, but many do not. As long as people are making money off of animals who cannot speak for themselves, there is a significant risk of abuse. As the system is now, many trainers are abusing horses by either giving them cocktails of drugs for off-label use, and/or either with or without the rider, client, parent’s knowledge showing lame horses. There are arguably many other potential abuses and these are across other disciplines as well, but the purpose of this post is to focus on the drug use and lame horses.
The actual determinations of whether or not a horse is fit to show (which would be at all USEF shows not just HJ because all show lame horses) would be made by lameness specialists who would have a fair amount of training but not need to be a graduate of vet school. They would need to demonstrate their competency through a fairly rigorous training program and exam. The USEF show agreement would require that exhibitors accept the determination of these lameness specialists. The USEF would protect and pay for the defense of any lameness specialist who was sued. Anyone who did sue would get a lifetime ban from USEF shows. There may be a vet waiver for some conditions which cause gait abnormalities without a pain component, such as stringhalt, but these horses would still be subjected to a lameness check for other potential issues like a lameness on a front limb.
Yes, this would likely cause some attrition of some (more unscrupulous) trainers and clients. Perhaps they could go off and start their own organization more like Big Lick. Overall, it would be good for horse sports because the arguably most prestigious and powerful horse organization and the one that houses the Olympic disciplines would have a higher standard of horse welfare and not be complicit in the types of abuses I am talking about.
Presently, I resent that I need to be a member of USEF to compete in dressage when I feel like being a member of this organization is not in accordance with the basic standards of horse welfare that I believe should be required.
What prompted this post? It was the Stomatitis checks that I have to get a vet out for before each show. Why? Because as has repeatedly been the case, this outbreak was at a HJ show, Thermal, where I know (because I have been there and know a lot of people) that many of the horses, especially the hunters in certain barns are on multiple drugs including steroids that lower their immune system. The following statement I can not prove (so call it cray cray or a conspiracy theory if you like), but I highly suspect there is a correlation between drug use and these outbreaks. Moreover, these poor horses, who are shown for weeks at a time, are already under undo stress even without the use of drugs. The lifestyle many of them endure is counter to horse welfare.
In addition, I have followed the drug violations and seen (as any of you can look up on your own, so not hearsay) that the vast, vast majority of these violations are in the HJ crowd. It is true that a lot of the trainers are not breaking any rules because quite frankly the USEF rules allow for the use of several drugs regularly within the the letter of their law. Again, I will reiterate that very often, commonly in fact, HJ barns are giving a concoction of drugs on an off-label manner to affect not only the soundness but the overall demeanor of the horses.
Furthermore, many horses even with these concoctions of drugs and I am sure some who do not receive any drugs are competing while exhibiting marked lameness ( 3 out of 5, so not subtle). This has been a part of horse sports forever, and yes it happens in other disciplines including those like WP that are not under the USEF umbrella. USEF, as the organization responsible for arguably the highest level (Olympic) of equestrian sports in this country, needs to have much higher standards.
I put this on this forum to spark discussion and get at least some people thinking about this. Maybe when I am retired, I will have the time that would be required to really take on this fight with USEF and an industry that is very protective of maintaining the culture that allows for abuse.
Ok that sums it up. Signing off.
Be the change you wish to see in the world:sparkles: