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Olympics: horse racing in the spotlight
Olympics: horse racing in the spotlight
(Eye at 8 p.m.)
It is the only Olympic discipline in tandem with an animal. But during the last Olympics in Tokyo, some images were shocking. Horses are being whipped or with bloody noses to the extent that some associations are now campaigning to cancel equestrian events in the name of animal welfare.
Mechanical doping
The first to denounce cases of ill-treatment was a former champion and Olympic medalist. Frédéric Cottier has been visiting racetracks around the world for 30 years, and what he saw there was undignified. Today, he is not afraid to openly condemn certain practices, such as these gaiters placed on the horse’s hindquarters, which, when tightened to the extreme, are known to increase his performance.
“Pulling the gaiter on his skin will hurt him, and the movement he makes with his hind end will make him jump higher, and everybody knows that.”
Frédéric Cottier. Former world champion in show jumpingAbout 20 hours.
And that’s not the only practice he condemns. In training, there are poles thrown into the horse’s legs, whips on the head, painful and forbidden positions. And what about official competitions?
To find out, we traveled to Belgium to take part in an international dressage competition with the world’s best riders.
Unnecessary and harmful practices
Veterinarian Eva Van Avrmaet, sensitive to animal causes, shows us in the warm-up paddock the practices of some riders, even though they are prohibited by the International Equestrian Federation. He has been prowling the racetracks for several years and when he notices unfair practices, he calls the referee. This is the case, for example, when the horse’s head is turned towards the chest beyond the vertical line.
“There, it becomes difficult for the horse to breathe, the diameter of the pharynx decreases. There are enough scientific studies to prove this.”
Dr Eva Van Avermaet veterinarian and founder of Collective for HorsesSee you at 8 p.m.
No one wants to see it in 2024
During the previous Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, the images transmitted around the world caused a lot of damage to the discipline. In the pentathlon, we remember a rider in tears, whipping grain on a horse that refused to move forward, and her trainer punched her in the side. He is also the horse that spits blood from his nostrils during the obstacle course.
Scenes that were so shocking that a parliamentary report asks the organizing committee of the Olympic Games to mobilize for the welfare of horses. Animal associations go so far as to question the very existence of these tests.
“It’s really an abuse. We’re calling for an end to equestrian events at the Olympics.”
Laora Paoli-Pandolfi activist for PETA FranceSee you at 8 p.m.
On the part of the organizers, the message was received well. Paris 2024 promises a whole list of measures to pamper the horses and for the first time an animal welfare delegate will be present throughout the competition.
AMONG OUR RESOURCES:
Parliamentary report on horse welfare for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Regulations of the International Equestrian Federation