July 25th 2024.
Peta strongly believes that this recent incident involving equestrian athlete Charlotte Dujardin is not an isolated one, and unfortunately will not be the last of its kind. The anticipation for the Paris Olympics was overshadowed by disappointment and disgust as news broke of Dujardin's withdrawal due to an "error of judgement," which was later revealed to be a video of her whipping a horse during a private session four years ago.
Despite being provisionally suspended for six months and removed from the Paris Games by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, Peta believes that this is just one example of the systemic abuse that takes place in equestrian events. The drastic action needed now is for the International Olympic Committee to completely remove equestrian events from the Olympic Games.
It is expected that almost 200 competitors from 49 nations will participate in seven equestrian events in Paris. However, unlike human athletes who voluntarily train and compete for glory, horses do not have a choice. As prey animals, they have no option but to submit to violence and coercion, often resulting in injury or even death.
The term "breaking in" for training a horse should raise concerns for any animal lover, as it often involves breaking their spirit to force them to obey the rider. This is not just an extreme case like Dujardin's, but rather a common practice in equestrian events. The desire for glory often leads to egregious abuse of these delicate animals.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, there were multiple instances of horse abuse caught on camera. German pentathlon competitor Annika Schleu was seen repeatedly whipping her horse, while her coach was also caught striking the animal and was expelled from the Games. Another horse, Jet Set, was injured so severely during a cross-country gallop that it had to be euthanized. And during the show jumping individual final, Irish horse Kilkenny began bleeding from its nostrils.
This pattern of abuse is not limited to the Olympics. In the Beijing 2008 Games, six equestrian competitors were banned after their horses tested positive for drugs. Unlike mechanical sports, horses are living beings that cannot be pushed beyond their limits and discarded when they break down.
Even the term "breaking in" is a reflection of the disregard for these animals' well-being. Horses are intelligent beings whose resistance to exploitation is often ignored by those seeking to gain from their use. Aside from excessive whipping, other forms of abuse include tying their tongues down, administering drugs for enhanced performance, and forcing them to perform unnatural movements in events such as dressage.
Peta receives more complaints about dressage than any other Olympic event, which shows that people are starting to notice and speak out against this cruel practice. The Olympics are constantly evolving, with new sports being added, such as breakdancing in Paris and skateboarding, climbing, and surfing in Tokyo. It is high time that events involving horses, who have no interest in winning gold, are removed.
The distressing actions of Charlotte Dujardin cannot be undone, but the next steps are clear. The IOC must remove equestrian events from the Olympic Games. In the meantime, concerned individuals can sign Peta's petition to ensure that events that exploit horses become a thing of the past, just like other outdated Olympic practices.
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