A Voice for the horses
With steady regularity after major shows—and the All Nations Cup is no exception—videos surface on social media channels showing the dark side of “show glamour.” For instance, there is a yearling colt in the entrance area of Aachen’s Albert-Vahle-Halle, hyped up into the air by an assistant with wild lashes of a whip—allegedly, he needs this to show himself properly! In reality, however, he is completely frantic and terrified; one could also say he is “intimidated.”
And that is exactly what actually constitutes a rule violation. Because the show rules (Rules for Conduct of Shows) state regarding animal cruelty (§ 33): “Excessive whipping, excessive noise, excessive circling of the horse, intimidation, the use of electric shock devices, and the infliction of pain of any kind are … prohibited. Abusive ‘shanking’ (i.e., jerking the lead chain acting on the noseband) is not permitted.” To me, the “threat” of whip strikes, even if they do not directly hit the horse, as happened with the young yearling colt, clearly falls under “intimidation.”
Change of scene—the stallions are lined up for the championship in the not exactly spacious main ring. Only one steps out of line and rears up, eager to bicker with his neighbor. The handler lets him be, because in this situation, he looks so beautifully “masculine”—and the crowd cheers with delight. Even if the stallion does not seem aggressive, we all know how quickly that can turn. Or how quickly he can catch his leg in the lead line, or how the halter might break, or, or, or … “Nip it in the bud …” should be the ultimate principle to prevent dangerous situations from arising in the first place. Here, too, I see a clear rule violation, because § 20 of the show rules states: “The Judges may request that the Ringmaster order that any horse which is not under control and/or shows dangerous behaviour be withdrawn and that the horse be disqualified.” Could it really be that none of the judges noticed this incident in the main ring? Or do they just not want to make themselves unpopular? I suspect the latter.
Last but not least, a note on how an outsider can intervene here: you can’t. Because these shows are a “closed system” in which only participants can lodge complaints, even in matters concerning animal welfare! And of course, dog does not eat dog. Because if I file a complaint against my competitor today, they will do the exact same to me tomorrow. Section 9 of the Rules for Disciplinary Committees states: “The DC shall investigate any violation of EAHSC Rules observed by itself or any alleged violation reported to it before the end of the Show by: a) the Show Organiser, b) an appointed Judge or Ringmaster; c) an exhibitor, owner or handler of a horse entered in a class at the same event.”
It is clear to see that these rules are not made “for the horse,” but rather follow the motto “The Show must go on.” And the losers are the horses. Once again.
Gudrun Waiditschka
