This is regards to my post and counterpoint.
You raise valid counterpoints and the line I quote is undeniable. Where I was going is that as this sport evolves into a more public/professional sport, less equine aware people are going to talk/ask/comment and unless we are talking about hiding actual horse abuse, being upfront in regards to a show stopping injury, for professionals, is the better way to limit the naysayers and provide enough information to the majority that support, the issue becomes moot.
We can trust a owner/rider as an individual, but the general public may not know. PETA will always be PETA and find something to complain about so better to be open than not. Gossip and rumor cause way more harm. Someone commented on how putting this information out could impact a future sale of a top level horse. Consider that just by even announcing something as generic as “acute minor injury” already throws up a flag.
In your example it could be said “Dobbin’s not going to the Big Game, because he got a stone bruise and it will not heal in time”. Acute? Minor? and no big deal. Knowledgeable people (us) go “Ah, I understand that”. People who don’t go “What’s a stone bruise?” and we get to explain and teach. We all also know that a stone bruise today could have only been something even less and if I saw Dobbin at some regional thing and it was not limping I doubt I or most would say “rushed back in”. I like to think better of people.
Clearly disclosure is not required, but to discount the importance of transparency at the professional level is missing the bigger picture, visibility carries responsibility. You want fans, you want sponsors, you eventually need to satisfy their desire for information.
With that, back to the Olympics.
) Should point out that the horse was eliminated at the 6 yo Le Lion, but came 4th under Jung the next year (7 yo). Whereas PD and BM are riding horses who were produced to the 3* level by other riders. They took them straight to 4*.
