Another Olympic Rider Abuses a Horse

​Yet another video emerges of an Olympic dressage rider beating a horse (Nico) into submission. (The BBC article can be read here https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/articles/c991zle4r0loAustralia Ryan Heath ).
 
Nico had been sent to Australian Ryan Heath as unrideable. With a history of being a difficult horse, things had culminated in an accident resulting in his rider being hospitalised. Heath's solution was to whip Nico repeatedly, claiming to have acted in the best interest of the horse, that this was the only solution, and his method has made Nico rideable again.
 
These actions are inexcusable. There is absolutely no reason for beating a horse. Many riders and trainers believe that the horse should do exactly as they demand. Any behaviours that deviate from this are seen as the horse being difficult or wilful. This view is far from the truth. Unrideable and difficult horses are created by riders and trainers who lack the skills and knowledge needed to train horses correctly.
 
In my equestrian life I have met many horses labelled difficult. Taking time to find out about the horse invariably reveals an earlier training issue that was resolved by force. When this continues through the training, the horse becomes more difficult and the solutions more brutal until you arrive in the situation that Nico found himself in.
 
Correct training does not create problem horses and transforms those that have been made difficult to ride. With methods that do not need horses to be forced or beaten into submission, they become calm and a pleasure to ride, horses who look forward to coming into the school and to working with the rider. Surely this is what we all aspire to achieve with our horses?
 
I sincerely hope that the riders and trainers who abuse their horses will continue to be called out and that the ruling bodies will finally take responsible action to prevent this abuse from continuing.

For some of my thoughs on why horses may refuse to perform a movement see my previous blog - No is a Perfectly Acceptable Answer

​​© Diane Followell
© Training Riders, Transforming Horses

Training Riders, Transforming Horses
© Diane Followell