I Never Realised The Olympics Is This Year, Sometime.

They sho

They showed the footage on Good Morning Britain. If anyone wants to see it you can probably find it online.

It's good to read calm, reasoned comments on this from fellow posters who know about horses and dressage. It is not cruel in itself, nor is the proper and correct use of a lunging whip - which should not come into contact with the horse itself.
The clip is now widely available on many news and newspaper websites for anyone who wants to view it for themselves. I don't think anyone is trying to justify whipping a horse - as I've repeatedly stated on here, I would never condone any kind of cruelty to horses, but kneejerk reactions don't do anyone any favours.

They've certainly done Dujardin none.
She has been suspended for six months, and rightly so.

She whacks that horse hard. The poor creature had no escape. It has been said that it's not an isolated incident.

@foxie48

Thank you for your detailed description of dressage and training for those of us who are not so familiar with horses.

Apparently she hits the horse’s legs 24 times in that clip. 😱

It was an accident though...
Merely an error of judgement.

These days everyone has to be a winner no matter who or what gets hurt/walked over to get them there. There are the allegations re Strictly as well. I'm not sure what has happened to people.

MissAdventure

They've certainly done Dujardin none.
She has been suspended for six months, and rightly so.

As I understand it she has been suspended while the incident is being investigated. The FEI will report their findings.

In the meantime the suspension isn't evidence of guilt.

Tried to watch the video- prepared to give Dujardin the benefit of the doubt - but couldn’t . Am I getting soft in my old age? But horses are intelligent as well as noble creatures and this actually sickened me.

The video clearly shows guilt and the accuser said there were other instances.

No, it isn't evidence of guilt.
I wonder then, what she herself was referring to which was an error of judgement?
I expect all will be revealed in due course.

I am not defending Charlotte DuJardin, and will wait for the decision of the enquiry by the FIE.

But, there is a huge difference between whipping a horse with the intention of causing pain and fear, to flicking it on its legs with the end of a lunging whip in training.

Just out of interest I understand that many dressage moves were originally designed to make a horse more manoeuvrable on the battle field thus keeping both horse and cavalryman safe.

Whips shouldn't be used on animals at all.

RosiesMaw2

Just out of interest I understand that many dressage moves were originally designed to make a horse more manoeuvrable on the battle field thus keeping both horse and cavalryman safe.

You are totally correct.

Some horses take to dressage like a duck to water, others it’s just not for them, and no amount of training will transform them into dressage superstars

I have been caught by the end of a lunging whip whilst teaching my daughter how to free lunge a young horse.

I can honestly say that it hurt more when DH flicked me playfully with the end of a tea towel.

RosiesMaw2

Just out of interest I understand that many dressage moves were originally designed to make a horse more manoeuvrable on the battle field thus keeping both horse and cavalryman safe.

You're correct. All the early treatises on horse training (right back to the ancient Greeks) are focussed on training the horse for use in battle.

But please add that the moves are based on a horse's natural movements. A horse can't perform a movement that is physically impossible for it.

youtu.be/3Y8_ROb0ZUk?si=XaNdQaat47C-IfqX

THE ABOVE COMES WITH A WARNING AS IT MAY DISTRESS VIEWERS.

MissAdventure if I witnessed that I would have intervened immediately, CJ used the lunging whip excessively and incorrectly.

The rider, the observers and whoever filmed this are complicit in the horse’s distress.

Yes they are complicit.
It's vile to see someone doing that to an animal.

I’m really shocked by that video, she isn’t using that lunging whip as it should be used, she’s using it to make contact and cause pain. I really thought she was better than this. I wonder what Carl Hester’s view is? I don’t suppose he can comment while an investigation is going on.

And equally shocking, someone is laughing while this is being filmed, so obviously they see it as acceptable as well.