Horses are not sports equipment
Equestrian sport has been controversial for years, and the accusation of animal cruelty against athletes seems omnipresent.
At the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, the whole world was once again able to witness animal cruelty in equestrian sport.
At a water obstacle during a cross-country test in eventing, for example, the 14-year-old gelding “Jet Set” belonging to the then 22-year-old athlete from Fribourg, Robin Godel, sustained an injury at the Olympic Games in Tokyo on 1 August 2021.
The gelding Jet Set belonging to the Swiss rider had to be euthanised at the veterinary clinic in Tokyo after sustaining a severe and inoperable ligament injury during the cross-country course.
Professional competitive sport, as seen at the Olympics, degrades these sensitive animals to pieces of sports equipment and means of transport, forced to perform under mortal fear. In recreational sport, too, things can turn cruel. Horses are often exploited for human entertainment with no regard for their musculature, age, or health. This is justified on the grounds that people wish to form a friendship with the horse. Naturally, training methods in competitive sport are even harsher, and the conditions in which horses are kept even more restrictive.
A few days later, on 6 August 2021, pentathlete Annika Schleu, together with her coach Kim Raisner, mistreated a horse in front of a running camera. According to video footage, the coach had also punched the horse that had been assigned to rider Schleu by draw, and which refused on the course, reports UIPM. Where knowledge ends, violence often begins.
The horses are merely a means to an end
The IG Wild beim Wild accuses the Olympic Committee of having actively violated animal welfare laws for years by demanding performances from horses that they are not capable of as organizers. The IG sharply criticizes the organizers and participants, as the systematic overexertion and chasing of horses is an integral part of such tournaments. In recent years, fatal falls and aortic ruptures have repeatedly occurred at obstacle competitions. The animal rights organization calls on the International Olympic Committee to immediately remove equestrian disciplines from the list of sports!
It is solely about prestige, and for this the horses are forcibly exposed to high risks. In order to claim titles and prize money, the horses are tormented and abused by ambitious riders and owners – without any empathy. Dismissing the repeated deaths and injuries as ‘accidents’ has by now become the standard excuse of unscrupulous organizers. One can barely imagine what treatment these living beings are subjected to away from the public eye. The undignified transport of animals to the venues alone is a harrowing thought.
“The happiness of the earth lies on the back of horses.” At least, that is how many horse enthusiasts see it. But for horses, being chased over rough terrain in equestrian sport with sharp bits, spurs, and whips brings no happiness whatsoever. Unfortunately, these methods of subjugation are widespread not only among professionals but also in amateur equestrian sport.
On Sunday, 25 July 2021, a horse also died in a tragic manner at an eventing tournament in Hamm. According to the organizers’ assessment, the horse died from an aortic rupture. Its rider was airlifted to a clinic and had to be placed in a medically induced coma due to her severe injuries.
Background information
In «show jumping», riders chase horses through a course in which the horses are forced — often beaten — under duress to jump over various obstacles.
In nature, horses only jump over obstacles in desperate situations — show jumping in no way corresponds to the animals' natural movement patterns. In competitive sports, horses are often required to clear high obstacles at a young age. Since the animals' musculoskeletal systems are not yet fully developed at this stage, health problems are common. The IG points out that horses in show jumping are structurally overburdened by the nature of the sport. In some cases, riders use cruel methods to make horses jump farther and higher.
The animal rights organization is considering filing a criminal complaint against the organizers. Animal cruelty cannot be a sporting discipline.
Only when equestrian competitions are finally banned will the suffering of horses come to an end.
Unlike humans, horses have no choice in the matter. A discipline in which living beings are forced by violence through a life-threatening course dishonors the Olympic spirit. We call on the International Olympic Committee to immediately remove equestrian disciplines from the list of sports!
