ONLY IN HORSE & HOUND
Anna Ross on social licence and the need for constructive dialogue
OPINION
THE dressage world is reeling from footage of recent horse abuse but the industry has been caught on the back foot.
Condemnation and clarity are needed from the top of the sport but why are so few speaking up?
The uncomfortable truth is that for years the subjective nature of dressage has resulted in a culture of silence. Some competitors believe that if they upset the wrong people their scores may be affected. Therefore, they only voice their opinions once their sporting careers are over.
Others stay below the radar afraid of the vicious online trolling that has become so prevalent. The result is a deafening silence, which is in danger of being interpreted by the outside world as acceptance.
I can attest that the top riders and judges are not all best friends who sit holding hands and singing Kumbaya at shows. There are many spirited discussions but as in any workplace, it would be unprofessional –especially of judges – to air their differences of opinion in public apart from via their scores, however this does leave them open to online criticism.
Systems should be visibly in place for those who wish to raise concerns, and they need to be heard.
The issue is that abuse looks very different to various groups of people, who can be concerned about:
● Blatant abuse
● Rough riding with intentional or unintentional in-the-moment responses a rider or handler may regret
● Anything that doesn’t look like the fabulous Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Dalera, regardless of a horse’s conformation or age
● Any dressage that doesn’t look like the old masters
● Using horses for sport without modifications, perhaps bitless, spurless or whipless
● Using horses for sport at all, though they think it’s OK to ride them
● Riding horses at all
While blatant animal abuse should, rightly, be met with heavy sanctions, any meaningful discussions around changing rules or practices lie somewhere in the middle groups all swallowing a chunk of humble pie, interacting constructively and being prepared to learn from one another.
But how do we know if a horse is happy? Who decides what constitutes abuse? For example, I know when I go to the gym
