Whomever wanted to push that horse is wrong. Humans are nasty greedy.
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Did you read the article? Don’t blame the owners or the trainer. The trainer made the decision the horse would not be ready for Paris and the owners made the decision to bring the horse home rather than leaving the horse with her through 2028. IMO, there was some push from the dressage Olympic group because the horse is very talented. But in the end the horse belongs to the owners and if I weee in their shoes I would bring the horse home.
I understand that you are rightfully disillusioned with the dressage showing scene but it’s unfair to tar everyone with the same brush. I have a horse with upper level potential but we are proceeding slowly.
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Bingo! That’s what I am referring to… They are the cause. They need to stop ignoring the tongue waiving, the BTV, the dropped backs, and the tension/worry/anxiety, the blood, the marks, the excessive foaming (indicating an inability to swallow) etc. etc. etc. Maybe we need independent referrees at all vantage points in the ring that can blow whistles and stop tests. We also need some pretty stringent gift policies that PROHIBIT judges, officials and show managers from accepting gifts from wealthy owners and competitors. Every other industry has it.
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I think it’s this way more often:: “Because trainers want immediate results. They don’t want to wait.”
(not referring to Laura Graves/Sensation)
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I find it reprehensible that anyone went to the clinic with Isabell. If she is going to align herself with AH and come out publicly saying “his training is my training and I find nothing wrong with it” boycott BOTH of them, don’t say “Oh, it’s Isabell, what a great opportunity to see her.” We as trainers need to do better than to align ourselves with him and endorse his practices. Horse’s are incredibly willing and kind. We as horse lovers need to honor their efforts and teach them to be happy and relaxed athletes. Abuse no matter who by, needs to not be tolerated.
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Along these lines: I’m extremely disappointed that I’ve seen more top riders and judges circling the wagons and talking about internet warriors and keyboard bullies after the recent criticism of Everdale’s win, than I ever saw actually speak out about Helgstrand. It’s honestly souring me a lot on dressage right now to see so many people making excuses and “these riders are just doing the best they can!”
It’s obvious from watching videos of Everdale as a young horse that shortening the neck to evade throughness and expressing tension through a busy mouth have been constant challenges with him, but because of his reach and his movement, no one would ever have allowed his riders/trainers the time to take him back to basics and actually work on it in a way that emphasized his welfare and comfort.
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Right. It is not social media ruining the sport: it is elitism, the lack of boundaries between those wealthy owners/trainers and the show officials, and the refusal to take hard lines against abuse–including in the way the test system is designed and the rules.
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That is why I did not go – even though I am just 15 minutes away.
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Everdale belongs to a group of horses who perform with dropped backs.
I was killed here when I mentioned that Carl Hester’s horse wasn’t really going over his back. Exact same thing. and I was impressed that Natalie Lamping cited Carl Hester’s ride 3 days ago and I was also impressed that she mentioned him posting before entering the ring. IMO he tried to make the horse go over his back before starting the test. So he knew the potential problem.
And just saying I love his way of riding and he got the ride only a couple of months before the competition so he did everything right!!
You see horses not going over the back more often than you would think. And my experience is that judges don’t care for the dropped backs…as long as the movement is done according to the rules, judges don’t care about backs. my trainer told me that it is difficult for a judge to include that in their score…
I have seen it on the lower levels and on the higher levels and I agree with my trainer.
I am horrible about recognizing it and I wish I wouldn’t….i look at the horse and if the movement is not floaty I look for the reach and the dynamic of the hind leg. And of course I look at the back behind the saddle…
And a good professional should recognize that and go back to the basics to reinstall lifting of the back 
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Yea, you mean this guy?
Yea, no thanks. He got a slap on the wrist by being only temporary removed from the Danish team. Why we as equestrians are supporting this person is beyond me. PETA and animals rights activists may not know a great deal about the sport but we do and this should not be acceptable. But here we are.
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In this case I actually agree with them. I’m all for calling out abuse, but that ride in particular, he actually looked pretty good until the extended canter, and then he got strong and tight and some of his canter work was not great. It looked to me (though this is of course just my opinion) like she was just getting him through and showing his good qualities the best she could, which is kind of what you do at a show. I have more criticism for the judges scoring some movements much higher than they really should have been, though even then i recignize judging without bias is extremeky difficult.
Now if video comes out showing Lottie training like Helgstrand, then yes, all the criticism. I just didn’t think the ride was as awful as people made it out to be. Not a great test, probably not deserving of that score, but I’m sure she is aware of every single mistake and bad moment. I’m sure there is pressure from owners, etc too. It’s gotta be really hard to be a pro rider, balancing what’s best for the horse with still getting the results so you can keep the ride, knowing the world is watching and judging every less than perfect moment.
I also wonder about a lot of the “armchair warriors” and if some of them expect every horse to always be perfectly relaxed and in perfect form at every single moment during a test, regardless of atmosphere, but that’s a totally different discussion.
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I think there would be less hullabaloo about this if she hadn’t won on an 88% above other tests that were more harmonious (supposedly–I have not watched anything but her test). I don’t agree with the folks who are tarring and feathering Lottie because all signs indicate that she is a fairly empathetic rider and trainer. But this ride should not have scored an 88%, and if it is what we put forth as the best of the best, there is a problem.
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I adore the idea of independent referees!!
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Fact is an overwhelming majority of riders in top sport aren’t riding as they are supposed to according to guidelines. So they keep trying to sneak in changes to the guidelines.
Why such talented people would choose to ride sucky is beyond me. Bur they suck. Most of them Werth sucks. Hester sucks, but less. Helgstrand, Kittel majorly suck. Like 95% of them.
Brilliant riders who CHOOSE to ride like suckiness.
When the sport is no more it will be THEIR fault.
I’m Team Horse Welfare all the way. Even if it means no sport.
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out of curiosity - watched Fry/Everdale test. Did not watch the other tests.
I am not a judge
I am not an upper-level anything
What did little ol’ me see? a blown first halt, pretty bad - horse backed up. I saw getting stuck in at least 1 canter pirouette. A neck “too short” in the trot work. The neck was more open in the canter work. Pretty damn steady otherwise; pretty damn good transitions. the horse does appear to be “more curvy” in the back and maybe the horse could step more forward w/ the hind legs… but it was very active and energetic. Should have the test scored the way it did? don’t know. Should the pair won? Have no idea - would need to watch everyone else to even start that conversation. Did I see any sign of horrific abuse, scared or uncooperative horse beaten into submission. Nope. Not at all. The horse looked pretty into prancing around and being a partner w/ his rider.
You can tell me that i just can’t see. Fine. That i just don’t know. Fine. BUT if you hold this particular performance as something that was abusive or an example of horrible training, than we ALL are in big trouble.
**no I am not excusing the helgstrand video at all - just that the Fry/Everdale is not a good example of horrible riding…
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That’s why I described one of the riders as “less bad”. But its still bad. The type of riding not conducive to long term health.
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I don’t think it’s about horrific abuse. And your observation of the test was very correct. I believe the spectator judging was even higher than the judges.
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I don’t know if the outcry about Lottie’s rides are so much about abuse as I’m not seeing that, as about overscoring. Also it comes on the heels of Glamourdale’s test a few weeks before with the tongue waiving out of the side of his mouth in the half pass and signs of distress on his face. Maybe if a little less is asked, then the horse won’t be so stressed? However, the overscoring seems to cause a situation where the rider doesn’t have to pay attention to these things.
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IMO your post nailed it!
Judges (and Spectators) reward extremly expressive movements. So riders go for it
Well everything will be good now 
