Horses for LIFE Publications

May 2008 • VOLUME 33 • © HORSES For LIFE™ Magazine

Heidi White and Northern Spy

Please join us with Your Voice and together we can make a difference.

The furore over safety started when veteran event rider Darren Chiacchia was nearly killed at a fence at a Florida three-day event. An April 9 front page article in the New York Times highlighted 12 deaths worldwide in the sport last year, igniting an online debate.

Then came the Rolex and the death of Frodo Baggins, which caught international attention. The topic is one that many seem to have an opinion on. Those who participate in the sport saying 'there will always be risks but these are risks we accept as being part of the sport'. However hose outside of the sport are having quite a different reaction.

It seems somewhat ironic that we see a debate between those that are outside of the sport and those that participate in the sport. Many of those on the outside calling for a complete moratorium on a sport that takes both human and equine lives. Ironic because two, three years ago, we were warning that this was going to happen. That if we as equestrians didn't step forward and police our own sport then sooner or later this was going to be done from the outside. We had no idea at the time that it would happen this quickly.

This is such a hot topic of debate among the general public that even Gallup has become involved, and a recent Gallup poll showed that 38% of those surveyed were in favor of not changing but actually abolishing sports that involve competition where one animal was competing against another. If you don't find that statistic worrisome, perhaps you should.

One cannot fault the quick response of the United States Equestrian Federation. If only the international equestrian federation had been as quick to respond to concerns of training with rollkur.

But some might say that quick as the United States Equestrian Federation have been to respond, it might already be too late. The attention of the public has been captured by this topic, and not in a favorable light.

There are those who are competing in three-day-eventing who suggest that we can't blame the sport, but rather blame the individuals, saying it isn't the sport that needs to change, or be made safer, it is the way this sport is being played. That this isn't about rule changes, it is about personal responsibility. Even those that have lost loved ones to the sport suggest that it is the riders that must become more aware in making better decisions.

One rider who had lost his wife to the sport, talked about personal responsibility; he even went so far as to say that if you have not trained a horse that had not flipped or had an aneurism, then you really couldn’t judge because you were never truly that advanced. They had made bad decisions and he encourages others to make better decisions.

Adults and history for years have tried to get those that are younger to take account of the experiences of others in order to make wiser decisions. It hasn’t worked for society at large, so how is it about to work in the equestrian world?

Some suggest the problem is with more aggresive riders, some say bad judgement, some say riders are going too fast, some say riders do not have the same experience that they had in the past, others say they need better training, new rules, longer eliminations in the case of a fall.

Mistakes will be made, and until we change the jumps themselves this will never be a safe sport. We cannot guarantee that every horse and every rider will ride mistake free, ever.

Better helmets or vests might protect riders, but they don’t protect the horses. In this scientific age where movie magic can create windows made of sugar that bodies are hurled through, chairs and tables that break over people’s heads and with a single super human touch an entire wall collapses, I find it difficult to believe that today, if there was the collective will, we could not design a safer cross country course.

Again heed the warning, if we don’t take care of it, someone else will.

Add your voice to others and together we all get heard.

Comments

3-day evet suggestions
Written by lani george on 2008-06-02 20:36:24

In addition to safer obstacle design, it occurs to me that most of the injuries occur because of riding too hard and too fast.

As I recall, there is a time limit to complete the cross-country. If you are at or faster than this limit, you do not receive penalty points. (In addition, I think there are penalty points given for refusals, maybe knock downs, etc.)

Perhaps this time limit should be more generous? If there is an advantage to being the fastest rider, maybe this should be eliminated, too. In other words, a time limit that would allow a rider to complete the course at an easy canter -- vs a dead run -- with NO additional benefit for being the fastest, would be a big help as riders would not feel pressured to take risks in their approach to the fences.

Having safer obstacles would also be a good idea.

Another thought, perhaps there could be an alternate two-day event, with just dressage and stadium jumping. I have never been very keen on risking a horse in 3-day eventing, but would enjoy a 2-day event. (Maybe there already is such an event -- it's been a while since I competed at shows!)

Anyway, these are just some thoughts.

Lani

Written by redpathranch on 2008-06-03 08:42:24

Definately lower, narrower jumps, slower times and closer monitoring of horses that are simply bolting through the course with the riders unable to rate them would help. Perhaps exercises such as having to stop their horses for three seconds several times throughout the cross-country. (THAT I would like to see.) As for the racing industry, NO horse should be raced before their 5-year-old year! NEVER! But due to the dollars involved that will probably never happen.

elena aner danmark
Written by temp2007 on 2008-06-03 11:30:17

I belive that equistrian should be cold as total and unekceptional animal abuse.This so calld "sport" should be prohibitet complitely,in all "sport disciplins" og in all countres.
Elena Aner

Why take it so far?
Written by Linda kaye on 2008-06-03 18:38:19

Why take the cross country to the extremes that they do today? What are we proving? That our horses are willing and our riders are fearless? Or that our horses are at risk and our riders are crazy? If people want a rush, jump out of a plane...
There's got to be a better way to TEST the abilities of these horses and riders without DESTROYING horses and riders! After watching horses collapse after the cross country at the Atlanta Olympics I have been turned off by the sport. It's just too extreme in its current form. One suggestion: give greater credit to completing the course closest to a more realistic "ideal time" (and with less insane jumps.) Perhaps designing the courses with more controlled execution in mind instead of speed and size of jumps. There are brilliant minds out there; let's come up with solutions before they're imposed upon the horse community at large!

The Nature of the Horse/The Nature of (M
Written by normafaith on 2008-06-04 03:45:01

I am stunned at how generous and gracious horses are. The give their souls to us. We don't necessarily give that back. We should be respectful to and of the horse, feeling his needs and emotions. Most or many are too narcissistic, intent on looking good, at the expense of the horse. We should be bowing down to the horse in thanks for being allowed to get upon their backs, to work with them on the ground. Grateful, respectful, we should be. So we must put the horse first. We must change regulations, laws, rules - because of the nature of man.

Written by zippy_k on 2008-06-04 03:46:45

Lower and slower and not so wide. I think many riders ride for the sport (and competitive glory) and actually dont LOVE the horse but love the image that comes with it. Also, so often you see poor riding being compensated by highly talented horses managing as best they can with less than talented (but often wealthy, ruthless and/or inexperienced) riders. I also see this in modern dressage all the time - where the natural ability and extraordinary genorosity of the horse covers the bad riding. It is tragic

Resposibility
Written by TJMoon on 2008-06-09 20:16:34

As a lower level eventer and competent horseman, I believe the responsibility rests equally on the rider and the governing body of the sport. First, as riders, we should never ask our horses to do more than we believe them to be able to do. I've read comments from upper level riders who do not like the courses, but continue to ride them. STOP! Vote with your choice of venue. Can't do it? Too much money at stake? Sorry, a horseman puts the HORSE first. This will have to be the case in the upper levels. The riders MUST accept the responsibility for their horses' well being. Secondly, at the lower levels, I think to safe guard against those who are not true horsemen and those who truly do not know any better, a system of proving your riding (individually as well as with an equine partner) should be mandatory. No horse or rider allowed to move up until clear cross-country rounds have been recorded. Horses must start at a level lower than the rider's experience and in any case never starting above Training.
If riders truly want (listen up advanced group) a return to the open galloping, hit your stride and ride type of cross country courses that aren't so technical as to be dangerous, then STOP RIDING the ones that are!
For me, my preference would be to leave the dressage about where it is, make xc more like a true hunt xc ride, and make the show jumping more technical. This is for the upper levels mainly, of course, but I believe it would have a trickle down effect as well.
In any event, I fear if we as a group do not take the sport back from the direction it has headed, with terrible accident happening over and over, those from without as well as a disintegration from within will take it FROM us.

Written by charge on 2008-06-24 18:45:26

Quite unbelievable that this sport has reached the level of fatal danger to the horses. Where are the folks worrying about the trees and the spotted owls?? The FEI apparently is not capable of considering the value of the horse as a living thing.(And this would include the Dressage fiasco.) Here we are dealing with a captive animal that is truly at the mercy of the human and so amazingly generous. Put a minimum time on the course such as Competitive Trail Rides do.

What big changes
Written by littlemagic on 2008-07-10 22:59:12

Horses have been fatally injured competing in horse trials and eventing since it's inception. I have personally seen event organizers hassleing people with video/photos of wrecks on cross country. I've had my own camera nearly pushed into my face when an organizer or TD thought I was with the "wrong" people. Worrying about animal rights agencies coming to see horses being rehydrated via IV or icing down strained, bowed or torn tissues by loyal grooms while riders accustomed to abundance drank wine and socialized at the competitors party. Perhaps lamenting having to find a new horse.

Top level riders and course designers often claim it is inexperienced riders moving up the levels too fast make me sad as they likely have seen their share of dead horses. I've seen personally 2 horses die related to cross country injuries. Dr. Peaches, Woodland Venture, there were scores more that I can't remember the name of because the horror did not happen right under my nose.

There are likely many more that went home and after more evaluation went on to be euthanized. As a young girl I had aspired to become an eventer. After working in the industry for 8 years I am ashamed to say I turned my back and hid in my backyard loving my horses and not competing. I stopped jumping all together and focused on finding lightness in dressage. My conscience is clear for my actions but I do believe that the horseworld must shake a finger at eventing. It is harsh and too unforgiving of mistakes or small amounts of misfortune such as a slick spot in the grass.

The glory of the win for these athletes is typically very short lived - most eventually come to a sad ending, it is a matter of beating the odds.

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