Thank you for giving the horse a voice... I really hope that ALL riders dare to see the mirror here, and look at themselves: how am I treating my horse...?
I'm so glad there are people like you out here calling this out for what it is. It's why I hate so much of the competitive horse world; they're only valued for what money they make people. Once that's gone, the horse is probably left for dead. They can doll it up with these "heartfelt" images and snippets but people who know better and pay attention, who've truly been around horses, can see how disgusting and insidious these industries are - innumerable deaths and unmeasurable suffering, all for the almighty dollar.
It’s extremely painful to see what most mainstream equestrian sports are doing to horses. I was one of those people for many years, so I have some empathy for how hard it is to accept and face the consequences of what horses are being forced to do for human entertainment. For me, the biggest tragedy of all is how unnecessary all the force and pain is… because we DO know alternatives where horses can be given a meaningful choice to participate.
Kathy thank you! This has been stuck in our throats, many injustices the horses face for the sake of this "sport", I feel even lighter after you saying it all out loud, this video should blow up, it doesnt only point out the issues but also shows that there IS another way of working with horses. Seeing everyone in the hashtag in the ending was truly emotional, I'd say that im not optimistic things will change for the horses soon, but Im wrong, theyre already changing, by us, maybe not in the 'mainstream', but step by step, we are getting there
Seeing all those pictures from #wedoplay… I pulled that up on my computer as I was finishing the video, and was shocked (in a good way) to see how much the hashtag had grown just since I last checked. I’m still very cynical and skeptical, but there IS some reason to hope.
I am so glad you stepped up Kathy. I think I jumped the gun last week, saw the dressage and I had had enough. But after this week... boy oh boy. There is a lot of work to do. This is the passionate and courageous voice we need right now.
I guess we should have seen it coming, but it still took me by surprise how bad it was. For anyone with even the slightest shred of awareness or concern for horse’s emotional states. I spent many years trying to “find the good”. But at some point, I think that just enables the awful things to keep going, as we “focus on what’s positive.” Like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic…
Thank you so much for making this. Maybe we should all e-mail this to the FEI, they will get hundreds (maybe thousands) of the same e-mails from all different people.
I follow the World Bitless Association and they've mentioned the Moroccan Showjumper who admitted to competing with horses with fevers and the German penthathlete who beat the poor horse who didn't jump. On the upside, the Swedish showjumpers competed barefoot. You are showing the future - which doesn't involve coercion.
I am in tears. Thank you for making this video. I am so overwhelmed with the amount of posts under the #WeDoPlay hashtag. Thank you for giving us all hope.
Thank you for making this video, I was very much disgusted when I read what happened in Tokyo. The horse world needs change, more now than ever. Thank you again, keep it up
I hope this video goes viral. EVERYONE should see it. Children learning to ride should see it and 'experts' who have been competing for years, all of them, everyone needs to see this. Thank you for posting it.
Thank you for this, it really truly needed saying and you did it passionately, eloquently and to the point, I hope they listen, I hope all equestrians listen.
AMEN!! so glad there are equestrians out there who are actually humane instead of just being obsessed with the glory and prizes like the competitive “equestrians”. Every day I’m glad I quit riding at my high level eventing barn where the horses were locked in stalls most of the day, denied contact with other horses, treated unkindly while being ridden, and had harsh bits and whips and spurs and martingales used on them. Sadly most competitive barns are like that... that’s why I love positive reinforcement/clicker training so much more. I may not be able to afford to have my own horse right now but when I am able I’ll never treat them that way. You’re such an inspiration 💜I used to love watching the horse Olympics but now it just makes me sad. The science says that positive reinforcement training works and is humane- zoos, dog trainers, farmers, and everyone else who works with animals use it except for horse people, they insist on living in the past.imagine another sport that involves “partners”, like the Olympic parallel diving. If one of the divers got cold feet or stage fright or had an injury or something and wanted to drop out, and the other diver literally forced them and coerced them into competing, there would be outrage. But equestrians do the exact same thing to their horse “partners” and nobody cares... the hypocrisy
Well said.. I love it when non horse people speak up about about the use of horses in sports. I have not watched any of it.. just couldn’t make myself watch horses being tortured. Also I hope for now we can flood the #wedontplay hashtag with #wedoplay photos. If anything I would love it to stop this stupid campaign by the FEI. Like you said in the beginning of the video, it’s a blatant lie to say there is an equality in dressage.. it’s all about the ego of the rider and how they are able to make the horsespecies to all this.
AMEN!!!! This was absolutely incredible and THANK YOU for making this video 😍😍😍😍 SO WELL SAID. Absolutely chills and the love and passion you poured here is so powerful ❤️
I watched this video a lot last year, today I watched it again for probably the 20th time, also cried for the 20th time. Last weekend in Germany another horse died after injury in competition and sometimes I can't stand it anymore, sometimes I want to live in my tiny happy bubble with all the awesome autonomous horses and their sidekicks. Thank you for this video, for sharing your thoughts, for showing a different path, for fighting. All of it means the world ❤
I feel the same in every way 😢. It’s so very hard to watch or even read about what is happening in the equestrian world. But then I remind myself we have this wonderful community of sidekicks, and I’m grateful and hopeful 🙏
It was causing too much drama for me to keep it public 🤷🏼♀️. This way, only people who are sent to it by other people will see it, and it won’t appear - or be recommended - within UA-cam. I had mixed feelings about posting it, and mixed feelings about making it “unlisted”, but the DMs I got on IG over it were too depressing…
@@KathySierraVideo Im sad to hear that. I think it is a brilliant video. When I watched it my husband was listening in, now he is not a real horseperson, but does help with horses and can ride. I could tell from his faceexpressions that it ressonated with him too and I told him "this is why I love Kathy,!"
Thank you! Only the abuse of Saint Boy was in the pentathlon, which has nothing to do with the FEI. So it takes away a little bit of the strength of the video by focusing on that.
Appreciate the comment, but disagree. Most equestrian events (including this portion of pentathlon) still defer to and/or are heavily influenced by standards set by FEI. It is FEI’s influence that can make changes across nearly all equestrian events. It is FEI that most strongly dictates what is culturally acceptable and normalized in competitions. My point was about the massive gap between the words in the FEI video and what actually happens. If my including images of Saint Boy “takes away” some of the strength of the video, well, I did not make this thinking it would have any impact on ANYONE who did not already understand the deeper problem here. It’s not *about* just the explicit abuse… it’s about the fundamental lack of respect for the horse as a “partner.” And that’s a culture problem… and FEI holds the power to change that. But I’m quite cynical and certain they won’t. Even the “blood rules” are heavily debated. Imagine a world where blood rules would not be required.
@@KathySierraVideo I understand you and I absolutely agree with you, but point is that the FEI and equestrians riding FEI competitions are saying that the amount of abuse with Saint Boy would not happen in FEI competitions. And they say they will take measurements if it does like with Kevin Thornton. There were enough images of pain and stress in horses in the other competitions as well, like a horse (again from the Irish team) that was obviously not sound forced to jump and crash. Because you're commenting on a video from the FEI with words from the FEI, I believe it would feel stronger to counter that with images from the FEI competitions. The ones that already understand the deeper problem really do not need this video. It is the ones that don't see it or want to see it that we need to reach. I do think the FEI will need to do something eventually as the outrage is getting louder and louder and if they don't want to see their sport banned completely. But it will be a hard battle as there is so much money involved as well and will take time.
@@jetmeijer5496 I think you make great points on this. I just don’t have any idea how we ever *could* reach the people who need to hear it, and that even if we *did*… how it would actually make a difference. As you said, there’s so much money involved. Of course I was a person who did terrible things to my horses. I try to tell myself that it was because I did not know better… and because all of this IS so normalized. But the reality is I *did* know, on some level, I was not putting the well-being of my horses first. I was doing what was fun, rewarding, convenient for *me.* I’m very skeptical that anyone will change their existing views no matter what they learn. So, as I said, I just made this to make *myself* feel a little better about something I believe is hopeless 😔. That’s my long way of saying that I think you’re *right* about what is needed, but that I gave up on changing the minds of anyone. The best I can hope for is to maybe encourage a few others who already DO feel this way to also speak their opinions.
I noticed that a lot of the examples you used in your video were examples from the modern pentathlon such as Annika Schleu and the example where a horse was punched. I would agree that everything in the modern pentathlon was horrible but I think it is worth noting that FEI is not involved with this sport whatsoever.
Apparently FEI standards are used for this part, and while they don’t not have technical jurisdiction, they are involved. I agree the pentathlon is the worst, but ALL the equestrian Olympic events are violating the FEI ideals of that #wedontplay video. You don’t use Spurs and whips on your “best friend”, “equal team member”, and one for whom you have “complete trust”. No progress will be made if they won’t own the most basic truth that the horses are not there by choice.
the Olympic committe refers to the FEI for setting all guidelines for all equestrian elements of the Games. The FEI is responsible for making sure the Olympic committee follows through on those guidelines.
They don’t need technical jurisdiction. They are the leading standard setter for both technical and cultural standards, and the strongest influence on most other disciplines. I’m not hoping for rule changes or better enforcement. I’m looking for wide *cultural* shifts, and it’s here where FEI holds the most power. What they do impacts what so many others do. Or, sadly, what others do NOT do. I’ve been in sport org meetings for non-FEI sport that literally said, “FEI thinks this is ok, so… 👍🏻”
The FEI also has power to have an impact on jumping portion of the pentathlon and they have stepped in (they made a public statement stating that they are getting involved)
@@whisperinghorsetraining that’s part of my fear actually… that all the OTHER abuse including in dressage looks “good” compared to such blatant violence against the Pentathlon horse. I stopped watching after just a few dressage programs because some of the riders (not all) were digging into horse with spurs. It’s harder to *see* this in dressage - if you aren’t looking - but it made me feel sick to hear commentators express it as “the horse is fatigued” as if the rider spurring him was somehow a necessary “help” for the horse. I was in a world-ranking show once where half-way through my program, I knew I had a choice… either stop or pressure my horse with leg and whip. I knew he would complete it, but I could not do that to him. I stopped, dismounted, walked off, disqualifying myself. Everyone freaked out as if something awful must have happened to make me do that. When the reality was something awful would have happened (to my horse) if I’d continued. - Yes, I paid a ton of money to be there… travel, transport, hotels, all the show fees, etc. Which means nothing when compared to my horse’s well-being. If people are not willing to sacrifice for the horse, they have no business riding let alone competing.
There’s a new book out from an international journalist titled, “I can’t watch anymore: an open letter to the IOC”. It’s meticulously researched with citations, and focused on the policies, politics, rules, doping issues, etc. related to equine r Syrian events in the Olympics. I might have “no idea”, but people far smarter than me with a much deeper knowledge of the issues *do*. I strongly suggest that we *all* - you and me included - take the time to learn more about the issues. I do NOT want to see all forms of equestrian competitions be eliminated because we lost the “social license.” I compete in Icelandic sport, and developed the proposal that changed FEIF international rules to use alternative hoof protection. Not only do I participate in events (I was 10th in the US at one time), I also participate in helping push policies to benefit horse welfare in the context of competitions. It’s am more than willing to engage in constructive dialogue on these issues, and I assume anyone who cares about horses would do the same. Referring to horse welfare as “woke” is not helpful, though I accept that you feel differently.
Elizabeth Innes - "Go get 'woke' somewhere else"?!? Soooo she can't talk about her message on her own UA-cam channel?!? YOU, Elizabeth, have the right and option / ability / choice to move on to another video. Which is a lot more choice than a lot of horses will ever have. 🐴
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. and yes, all caps. I could feel the passion here, and it's needed! Shout it from the roof tops!
And thank-YOU from the deepest of my heart Adele, because you HAVE helped (and are still helping) change the world for horses.
Thank you for giving the horse a voice... I really hope that ALL riders dare to see the mirror here, and look at themselves: how am I treating my horse...?
I'm so glad there are people like you out here calling this out for what it is.
It's why I hate so much of the competitive horse world; they're only valued for what money they make people. Once that's gone, the horse is probably left for dead.
They can doll it up with these "heartfelt" images and snippets but people who know better and pay attention, who've truly been around horses, can see how disgusting and insidious these industries are - innumerable deaths and unmeasurable suffering, all for the almighty dollar.
It’s extremely painful to see what most mainstream equestrian sports are doing to horses. I was one of those people for many years, so I have some empathy for how hard it is to accept and face the consequences of what horses are being forced to do for human entertainment. For me, the biggest tragedy of all is how unnecessary all the force and pain is… because we DO know alternatives where horses can be given a meaningful choice to participate.
Kathy thank you! This has been stuck in our throats, many injustices the horses face for the sake of this "sport", I feel even lighter after you saying it all out loud, this video should blow up, it doesnt only point out the issues but also shows that there IS another way of working with horses.
Seeing everyone in the hashtag in the ending was truly emotional, I'd say that im not optimistic things will change for the horses soon, but Im wrong, theyre already changing, by us, maybe not in the 'mainstream', but step by step, we are getting there
Seeing all those pictures from #wedoplay… I pulled that up on my computer as I was finishing the video, and was shocked (in a good way) to see how much the hashtag had grown just since I last checked. I’m still very cynical and skeptical, but there IS some reason to hope.
Everyone, especially everyone in the horse world, needs to see this video.
I am so glad you stepped up Kathy. I think I jumped the gun last week, saw the dressage and I had had enough. But after this week... boy oh boy. There is a lot of work to do. This is the passionate and courageous voice we need right now.
I guess we should have seen it coming, but it still took me by surprise how bad it was. For anyone with even the slightest shred of awareness or concern for horse’s emotional states. I spent many years trying to “find the good”. But at some point, I think that just enables the awful things to keep going, as we “focus on what’s positive.” Like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic…
Thank you so much for making this. Maybe we should all e-mail this to the FEI, they will get hundreds (maybe thousands) of the same e-mails from all different people.
I follow the World Bitless Association and they've mentioned the Moroccan Showjumper who admitted to competing with horses with fevers and the German penthathlete who beat the poor horse who didn't jump. On the upside, the Swedish showjumpers competed barefoot. You are showing the future - which doesn't involve coercion.
The barefoot jumpers is something to celebrate 🎉
These are babysteps in the right direction..
I am in tears. Thank you for making this video. I am so overwhelmed with the amount of posts under the #WeDoPlay hashtag. Thank you for giving us all hope.
Thank you for making this video, I was very much disgusted when I read what happened in Tokyo. The horse world needs change, more now than ever. Thank you again, keep it up
I hope this video goes viral. EVERYONE should see it. Children learning to ride should see it and 'experts' who have been competing for years, all of them, everyone needs to see this. Thank you for posting it.
Thank you for this, it really truly needed saying and you did it passionately, eloquently and to the point, I hope they listen, I hope all equestrians listen.
AMEN!! so glad there are equestrians out there who are actually humane instead of just being obsessed with the glory and prizes like the competitive “equestrians”. Every day I’m glad I quit riding at my high level eventing barn where the horses were locked in stalls most of the day, denied contact with other horses, treated unkindly while being ridden, and had harsh bits and whips and spurs and martingales used on them. Sadly most competitive barns are like that... that’s why I love positive reinforcement/clicker training so much more. I may not be able to afford to have my own horse right now but when I am able I’ll never treat them that way. You’re such an inspiration 💜I used to love watching the horse Olympics but now it just makes me sad. The science says that positive reinforcement training works and is humane- zoos, dog trainers, farmers, and everyone else who works with animals use it except for horse people, they insist on living in the past.imagine another sport that involves “partners”, like the Olympic parallel diving. If one of the divers got cold feet or stage fright or had an injury or something and wanted to drop out, and the other diver literally forced them and coerced them into competing, there would be outrage. But equestrians do the exact same thing to their horse “partners” and nobody cares... the hypocrisy
well said, advocate for the horse!! because we have that responsibility.
Well said.. I love it when non horse people speak up about about the use of horses in sports. I have not watched any of it.. just couldn’t make myself watch horses being tortured.
Also I hope for now we can flood the #wedontplay hashtag with #wedoplay photos. If anything I would love it to stop this stupid campaign by the FEI. Like you said in the beginning of the video, it’s a blatant lie to say there is an equality in dressage.. it’s all about the ego of the rider and how they are able to make the horsespecies to all this.
YES! I can’t add anything that could express how absolutely right this is. It’s perfect. I hope someday it’s just a memory and not living nightmare.
AMEN!!!! This was absolutely incredible and THANK YOU for making this video 😍😍😍😍 SO WELL SAID. Absolutely chills and the love and passion you poured here is so powerful ❤️
Thank you very much for this words!! It's absolutely 💯 true!
So good to hear you feel this way 🙏❤️
Thank you! Wonderful words
Well said. FEI step up.
Thank you for creating this. It NEEDED saying ❤
Thank you so much for this video Kathy, hoping this gets to as many people as possible and that our voices are heard, #WEDOPLAY 🤍
Thank youuuuu !!! Someone finally said it !!! Well said Kathy 👏
Thank you for having so much bravery and sharing your voice. 💗
Thank-YOU 🙏❤️
THIS 🙌 Thank you so much for saying what the world needs to hear
#wedoplay - thank you for this Video Kathy 🙏
I watched this video a lot last year, today I watched it again for probably the 20th time, also cried for the 20th time.
Last weekend in Germany another horse died after injury in competition and sometimes I can't stand it anymore, sometimes I want to live in my tiny happy bubble with all the awesome autonomous horses and their sidekicks.
Thank you for this video, for sharing your thoughts, for showing a different path, for fighting. All of it means the world ❤
I feel the same in every way 😢. It’s so very hard to watch or even read about what is happening in the equestrian world.
But then I remind myself we have this wonderful community of sidekicks, and I’m grateful and hopeful 🙏
Wow! I am crying…thank you for your voice!❤️🐴
And back at you for using *your* voice 👏🙏
Thank you for speaking (the thruth) up Kathy! Lots of love!
YES THANK YOU. Very well said, and so much needed.
honor to you speaking truth with deep compassion, you are a worthy heroine and mentor for us all, and I champion your honesty and heart full values...
So true 👍🏻 thank you
Awesome. Thanks for this!
❤️❤️
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this video! Why did you make this hidden? Everyone needs to see this!
It was causing too much drama for me to keep it public 🤷🏼♀️. This way, only people who are sent to it by other people will see it, and it won’t appear - or be recommended - within UA-cam. I had mixed feelings about posting it, and mixed feelings about making it “unlisted”, but the DMs I got on IG over it were too depressing…
@@KathySierraVideo Im sad to hear that. I think it is a brilliant video. When I watched it my husband was listening in, now he is not a real horseperson, but does help with horses and can ride. I could tell from his faceexpressions that it ressonated with him too and I told him "this is why I love Kathy,!"
Well 👏Said 👏
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you! Only the abuse of Saint Boy was in the pentathlon, which has nothing to do with the FEI. So it takes away a little bit of the strength of the video by focusing on that.
Appreciate the comment, but disagree. Most equestrian events (including this portion of pentathlon) still defer to and/or are heavily influenced by standards set by FEI. It is FEI’s influence that can make changes across nearly all equestrian events. It is FEI that most strongly dictates what is culturally acceptable and normalized in competitions.
My point was about the massive gap between the words in the FEI video and what actually happens. If my including images of Saint Boy “takes away” some of the strength of the video, well, I did not make this thinking it would have any impact on ANYONE who did not already understand the deeper problem here. It’s not *about* just the explicit abuse… it’s about the fundamental lack of respect for the horse as a “partner.” And that’s a culture problem… and FEI holds the power to change that.
But I’m quite cynical and certain they won’t. Even the “blood rules” are heavily debated. Imagine a world where blood rules would not be required.
@@KathySierraVideo I understand you and I absolutely agree with you, but point is that the FEI and equestrians riding FEI competitions are saying that the amount of abuse with Saint Boy would not happen in FEI competitions. And they say they will take measurements if it does like with Kevin Thornton. There were enough images of pain and stress in horses in the other competitions as well, like a horse (again from the Irish team) that was obviously not sound forced to jump and crash. Because you're commenting on a video from the FEI with words from the FEI, I believe it would feel stronger to counter that with images from the FEI competitions. The ones that already understand the deeper problem really do not need this video. It is the ones that don't see it or want to see it that we need to reach. I do think the FEI will need to do something eventually as the outrage is getting louder and louder and if they don't want to see their sport banned completely. But it will be a hard battle as there is so much money involved as well and will take time.
@@jetmeijer5496 I think you make great points on this. I just don’t have any idea how we ever *could* reach the people who need to hear it, and that even if we *did*… how it would actually make a difference. As you said, there’s so much money involved.
Of course I was a person who did terrible things to my horses. I try to tell myself that it was because I did not know better… and because all of this IS so normalized. But the reality is I *did* know, on some level, I was not putting the well-being of my horses first. I was doing what was fun, rewarding, convenient for *me.*
I’m very skeptical that anyone will change their existing views no matter what they learn. So, as I said, I just made this to make *myself* feel a little better about something I believe is hopeless 😔.
That’s my long way of saying that I think you’re *right* about what is needed, but that I gave up on changing the minds of anyone. The best I can hope for is to maybe encourage a few others who already DO feel this way to also speak their opinions.
I noticed that a lot of the examples you used in your video were examples from the modern pentathlon such as Annika Schleu and the example where a horse was punched. I would agree that everything in the modern pentathlon was horrible but I think it is worth noting that FEI is not involved with this sport whatsoever.
Apparently FEI standards are used for this part, and while they don’t not have technical jurisdiction, they are involved. I agree the pentathlon is the worst, but ALL the equestrian Olympic events are violating the FEI ideals of that #wedontplay video. You don’t use Spurs and whips on your “best friend”, “equal team member”, and one for whom you have “complete trust”. No progress will be made if they won’t own the most basic truth that the horses are not there by choice.
The FEI doesn’t have any jurisdiction over the Pentathlon
the Olympic committe refers to the FEI for setting all guidelines for all equestrian elements of the Games. The FEI is responsible for making sure the Olympic committee follows through on those guidelines.
They don’t need technical jurisdiction. They are the leading standard setter for both technical and cultural standards, and the strongest influence on most other disciplines. I’m not hoping for rule changes or better enforcement. I’m looking for wide *cultural* shifts, and it’s here where FEI holds the most power. What they do impacts what so many others do. Or, sadly, what others do NOT do. I’ve been in sport org meetings for non-FEI sport that literally said, “FEI thinks this is ok, so… 👍🏻”
The FEI also has power to have an impact on jumping portion of the pentathlon and they have stepped in (they made a public statement stating that they are getting involved)
It wasn't just the pentathlon that was horrific to watch.
@@whisperinghorsetraining that’s part of my fear actually… that all the OTHER abuse including in dressage looks “good” compared to such blatant violence against the Pentathlon horse. I stopped watching after just a few dressage programs because some of the riders (not all) were digging into horse with spurs. It’s harder to *see* this in dressage - if you aren’t looking - but it made me feel sick to hear commentators express it as “the horse is fatigued” as if the rider spurring him was somehow a necessary “help” for the horse. I was in a world-ranking show once where half-way through my program, I knew I had a choice… either stop or pressure my horse with leg and whip. I knew he would complete it, but I could not do that to him. I stopped, dismounted, walked off, disqualifying myself. Everyone freaked out as if something awful must have happened to make me do that. When the reality was something awful would have happened (to my horse) if I’d continued.
-
Yes, I paid a ton of money to be there… travel, transport, hotels, all the show fees, etc. Which means nothing when compared to my horse’s well-being. If people are not willing to sacrifice for the horse, they have no business riding let alone competing.
You lost me at the first swear word. You have no idea of what you are speaking. Go get woke somewhere else.
There’s a new book out from an international journalist titled, “I can’t watch anymore: an open letter to the IOC”. It’s meticulously researched with citations, and focused on the policies, politics, rules, doping issues, etc. related to equine r Syrian events in the Olympics. I might have “no idea”, but people far smarter than me with a much deeper knowledge of the issues *do*.
I strongly suggest that we *all* - you and me included - take the time to learn more about the issues.
I do NOT want to see all forms of equestrian competitions be eliminated because we lost the “social license.”
I compete in Icelandic sport, and developed the proposal that changed FEIF international rules to use alternative hoof protection. Not only do I participate in events (I was 10th in the US at one time), I also participate in helping push policies to benefit horse welfare in the context of competitions.
It’s am more than willing to engage in constructive dialogue on these issues, and I assume anyone who cares about horses would do the same.
Referring to horse welfare as “woke” is not helpful, though I accept that you feel differently.
Elizabeth Innes - "Go get 'woke' somewhere else"?!? Soooo she can't talk about her message on her own UA-cam channel?!?
YOU, Elizabeth, have the right and option / ability / choice to move on to another video.
Which is a lot more choice than a lot of horses will ever have. 🐴