According to the governing body of the Olympics, the games aspire to “unite the world in peaceful competition and foster an atmosphere of peace, development, resilience, tolerance and understanding.” The 2024 games have had some problems with those goals. For example, the equestrian events have been besieged by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), calling for the events to be banned.
If you are involved with horses in any way, whether it’s rodeo, driving a carriage, horse racing, pony rides, or even trail riding, you probably know that PETA wants to eliminate horse activities altogether. They see riding horses as a form of slavery for animals. If you think that events such as dressage with top level riders competing on elite horses has been spared PETA’s wrath, think again.
The equestrian events at the games were under fire even before the opening ceremony thanks to the suspiciously timed release of a video (2-4 years old, depending on the source) showing British rider Charlotte Dujardin, one of the premier dressage riders in the world and a multiple world and Olympic champion, hitting a horse repeatedly with a whip during a coaching session. The video appeared just days before the Olympics began. Dujardin subsequently withdrew from the games and requested a provisional suspension by the governing body for equestrian sports, pending an investigation.
Many who know Dujardin were shocked by the video. The behavior depicted was reprehensible. Nowhere in dressage training or any kind of horse training are these methods acceptable. There were, however, many who came to the rider’s defense. They raised questions about the timing of the release of the video, which could obviously hurt Great Britain’s chances for medals at the Olympics. The timing also guaranteed maximum attention for any groups who wished to disparage equestrian sports in general, such as PETA. Others said that the video didn’t represent Dujardin’s overall conduct with horses. It was not her normal behavior. Still others questioned whether there shouldn’t be some kind of statute of limitations for bad behavior since the video was several years old. Don’t people grow and learn from their mistakes?
Whatever the situation may be with Charlotte Dujardin (her case is pending with the International Equestrian Federation – FEI), PETA seized the bull by the horns, so to speak. They were off and running. Their attendees were seemingly lurking behind every fence and stall at the Versailles show grounds outside Paris. The vociferous group, which claims to be media sluts at the best of times, put out frequent news releases, posts on X, and Instagram videos, criticizing the games and the riders. PETA has called for all equestrian sports to be banned at the Olympics.
The judges overseeing the games were so hypersensitized to any appearance of harm to a horse that some horse and rider duos were eliminated for the most minuscule of reasons. Perhaps most glaring was the elimination of Marcus Orlob and his mare Jane from the United States in the team phase of dressage. Jane reacted to the large crowd and was antsy and nervous before going into the ring to compete. While acting up, the mare apparently scratched her right rear fetlock. No one noticed and Orlob proceeded into the ring to begin their dressage routine. The horse settled nicely and relaxed once she was in the ring. Then the bell rang, indicating a problem. A judge told Orlob he had been dismissed because of the fresh blood on his mare’s leg. Here are Orlob’s words describing his experience:
“I guess at the end of the day, that’s the most important thing–that the horse really wants to do the job and tries as hard as she can. It’s not her fault. She’s young and inexperienced. So with this crowd, it’s just a little bit hard for her at the moment.
“It’s very painful you know that I finally had this chance. I was dreaming and hoping for this opportunity my whole life and then it gets destroyed in a second. I try to see the positive. At the end of the day, yes, I’m heartbroken, but I try to see the positive that I hope I can continue with Jane and show that we are capable of doing more and better.
“I’m really sad because this I feel like was maybe a moment for me to show also the potential of Jane and this was clearly not really possible.” Dressage-News
It’s normal for all of the horses competing to undergo vet checks before they are allowed to compete. A few horses may fail the vet checks and be eliminated. In some cases, horses are held back and allowed to go through the check again to see if they can pass. If not, they are eliminated from the competition. Horse welfare is already a major concern at equestrian events. Riders and trainers are not perfect, of course, but that’s why they have these checks. But to eliminate a horse for a tiny fetlock scratch that had absolutely no bearing on the horse’s work – a scratch that was obviously caused by the horse herself just minutes earlier – that seems to be taking things too far. As many people have mentioned, if the mare didn’t have white socks, no one would have even seen the scratch.
It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that the equestrian sports at the Olympics originally depended heavily on commissioned military officers and their mounts up until the 1950s. They would hardly have excused a horse for a scratch.
No one familiar with PETA and other animal rights groups will be surprised by their calls to ban equestrian events from the Olympics. PETA never met an animal sport it liked. To paraphrase the group, horses don’t have a chance to choose to compete. That only shows how little they really know about animals. They see nothing glorious in the teamwork it takes to complete a cross-country course. They can’t enjoy the beauty and technical achievement of a dressage test. They don’t understand the excitement and thrill of showjumping as the horse and rider unite to put in a clear round.
McLain Ward, part of the Silver Medal Showjumping team for the United States in Paris, may have put it best:
“Almost everyday the horses look at me … and … I well up, and something stirs up inside me … and I think to myself … “you … the horse are beyond magnificent … you give glory to God.
“I believe horses and humans have a connection that draws us to each other. I believe in their own way they know we need them and they are pleased to be our partner whether it be in work or sport. We need to remember to never take this privilege of working and living with horses for granted. To never lose our appreciation for what they have given us throughout the history of time and to be sure that their relevance in our society does not fade away. This is our greatest responsibility as equestrians.”
We know that these equestrian events at the Olympics are under attack now but every single day those of us who love horses face the same attacks from PETA and other animal rights groups. Carriage rides in San Antonio and other cities, pony rides, rodeos, horse racing, Tennessee Walking Horses, and more have all been attacked. Every one of these horse activities has been smeared by animal rights groups that are trying to put an end to the horse-human bond. Don’t let that happen. Stand up and fight for our horses. If we don’t fight to protect our horses and our horse sports, no one else will. PETA and other animal rights groups are unrelenting. It’s up to us.
About the author: Carlotta Cooper is a freelance journalist and contributing editor for Dog News magazine. Carlotta is a Dog Writers’ Association of America award winner for her writing about shelter dogs and other matters of the canine and animal ownership. She also writes for The Cavalry Group about legislative issues.
