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Update (December 7, 2022): Progress! The International Federation for Equestrian Sports has enacted a new rule that will allow officials to eliminate a rider and horse during a show-jumping round if it would be âcontrary to the principles of horse welfareâ to allow the combination to continue. This is a great step forward in protecting horses like Kilkenny, who was forced to complete a course while bleeding from the nose. Now we need to get horses out of the Olympics altogether.
Update (May 4, 2022): Victory! After hearing from PETA and following a complaint from PETA Germany, UIPMâthe international governing body of the modern pentathlonâannounced that horseback riding will be replaced with obstacle course racing. Now take action below to call on the International Olympic Committee to remove all equestrian events immediately.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were unprecedented in many ways, but one thing we all could have predicted was that the suffering of the horses used for the equestrian events would continue. Show jumping, dressage, cross country, and other equine âsportsâ can be extremely cruel. Just take a look at these incidentsâand PETAâs viral video, viewed nearly 1 million timesâfrom this yearâs Olympic Games:
German pentathlon competitor Annika Schleu was riding a horse named Saint Boy when she was filmed whipping and spurring him during the jumping portion of the competition after he refused to enter the course. As the riderâs frustration increased, Schleuâs coach, Kim Raisner, was shown hitting the clearly startled Saint Boy. After the incident, Raisner was rightfully expelled from the Olympics.
This wasnât an anomaly. Earlier this year, show jumper Kevin Lemke aggressively and repeatedly hit Good Luck in California. PETA reported the incident, and Lemke was suspended. But fines and suspensions clearly arenât enough to deter other trainers or riders from similar reckless behavior.
Jet Set, ridden by Swiss competitor Robin Godel, appeared to be injured in the middle of a cross-country course during an Olympic competition. Veterinarians diagnosed the injury as an irreparable ligament rupture in one of his legs, and he was euthanized.
During another show-jumping event, blood poured from Kilkennyâs nose, and although it was clearly visible to those watching, Irish rider Cian OâConnor forced the horse to finish the course. Nothing was done by officials to stop the competition to check on him.
Itâs evident that these arenât isolated incidents and that there appears to be a pattern of abuse throughout the âsport.â The footage of the Olympic coach beating a terrified horse clearly illustrates that horses are not willing participantsâand that many of the riders and trainers who force them to behave in ways that arenât natural to them care little for the physical and psychological welfare of the animals they use.
One thing is clear: Horses donât care about gold medals. And unlike humans, they donât choose to participate in dangerous eventsâtheyâre forced to. Please call on the International Olympic Committee to remove all equestrian events immediately and leave the Olympics to the willing participants.