There's a hungarian saying that I saw on a site which brought me a new perspective as a young rider. "Where violence starts, that's where the riders knowledge ends." Every time I see someone do something to an animal that's is not right, this what pops into my head. So true.
I agree with a lot of what you said, but unlike you, I can't bring myself to feel sorry for Charlotte. Domesticated horses are 100% reliant on the humans who are caring for/training them, and the horse she was brutally whipping had no way to escape. She showed no anger, and she acted like whipping the horse was a go-to training method for Charlotte. She was completely unfair to that horse and to the student riding the horse. She made the decision to abuse that horse, and she should face strict consequences. Horse welfare first! 😢
I THINK and I could be wrong, I have no problem admitting that… but I think what Matt might have meant was he felt sorry for whatever happened over the course of her life and career that led her to allowing herself to become “that person” who is completely ok abusing a horse let alone another living being. Allowing herself to be ok living in that mentality. Again I could be wrong and never want to speak for another as well as tried to word as carefully as possible, but that was at least where my heart hoped he was coming from. And I think that’s because I as a former drug and alcohol counselor always want to see the good in people first and I have noticed that Matt and Jesse seem to be that way too. I am just so glad he did decided to speak on this topic. Unfortunately it took this long for her actions to come to light, but given the timing it should also have better chance of change because the whole world is watching the Olympics as to any other time, it would have been a very select demographic of people made aware. And that saddens me in a whole different way because majority of people nowadays only take notice or care to things they have personal interest in…. Ok sorry that was longer than intended but I feel very deeply when it comes to abuse…
My horse is an exceptional jumper but he doesn’t like working. After trying for two years to motivate him using various positive reinforcement methods, I realized that he has talent but he just doesn’t want to work. So, I respected that and I do what he wants to do. We hack, we do a lot of work unridden etc. He’s happy. ❤
I love that!😍Maybe it's easy for these pro riders (who are depending on a paycheck from their horse's performance) to forget that they are in a team with a player who didn't choose to be there. Bred for it or not, not every horse is meant to work.
@@very_jenny Exactly ! My horse is a natural jumper. Bred for it. I bought him at 4. The way he jumps is to die for and when I bought him I had so many show jumping goals (I have been competing for the past 20 years, up to ‘big’ classes 135-140cm with my now deceased horse that you can see in my profile pic…so let’s just say that I am a show jumping rider who has enjoyed it for a long time.) with him. I really thought we would go up to big classes together but nope. He rapidly showed me that he does not like to work. He is very wayward. When he decides that it’s NO, it’s NO. So, as I said in my comment…I tried for two years to get him to enjoy working but alas, to no avail. He does not like it and I respect that. I think that it’s important to respect a horse’s consent. They are living, breathing beings. Professionals tend to forget that in the name of performance and money. Sad.
@@TheBulle What a beautiful grey your horse looked to be 🤍Sounds like you did the right thing with your boy. I'd be happy to have a horse at all lol, one day 😅🎠
@@TheBulle yes there is a difference between your horse and Charlottes. Your horse is your best friend and also a familymember. You see the benefits of spending time with your horse and see your connecteion deepens. You want to see your horse relaxed, healthy and happy. Horses shouldnt really be in sports, not any animal should be aloud under the circumstances the equestrian world exists and function today.
THAT IS SO TRUE why a person would do such a thing is beyond understanding BUT IT SHOWS THE WORLD what kind of people and trainers there are." But for every bad apple, there are hundreds of good apples."
@@karmen181I don’t think it is a a matter of having rubbed off on Matt. I always felt that Matt was already that way, as you can see in older videos like Chasing the dream” and his connection with Chase etc. I personally feel that is why they are so perfect for each other, because they both carry the same morals and values when it comes to there animals.
@@onlinecomment i have owned and been around high class horses for many years. I know that a hunting or a lunge whip is easily cracked and not hitting the horse. However she did strike on a few occasions. We may all have purposely used a whip on the odd occasion when absolutely necessary for disobedience and we are not all under intense scrutiny. I am not a "bunny hugger" but do admire Jesse's progress.
I so admire your comment on this horrific event. Abuse is abuse, no matter the Name you have made for yourself or your station in life. And the person behind the camera laughing at the whipping of this horse. Is equally sick!
That person is the whistleblower according to the lawyer. Yes its a shame. Unfourtantly im not surprised people (and proffesional riders) in the equestrian dressage elite trying to talk out of this. Its such a shame we tolerate abuse in daily settings not just the olympics. But its a hard mentality in equestrian education program and rules that isnt to the horses benefits. This is not something new. We uses horses as a toy to play around with, and they (horses) are acceptable ones.
@@ChloePrice92 i do believe the whistleblower was 19 at the time and the rider 15(some media says older). But anyhow, yes its at shame they didnt stood up then and there. But I dont think it wouldnt have any affect, Charlotte would just blow them off, for her they were just whatever. Hopefully justice will come for the horse and every other horse that gets to experience this.
I honestly was not clear what the person was laughing at, whether something somebody else said or what was going on with the horse or maybe just someone standing near her laughing and being picked up by the camera
Thank you so much Matt for this post. I’m a therapist and a low level dressage rider. I’ve had the thought repeatedly that riders who abuse or come close to abusing a horse, should be in therapy. Also anyone in any kind of power, which includes almost all of us in some way shape or form. It’s not easy having a human experience and we all have some level of trauma, big and or small. We owe it to ourselves, our loved ones and to our animals to be the best version of ourselves that we can be. ❤
I think that you’re right, to an extent. Most of us, have endured trauma; I certainly have, but my response to those traumas ( especially from childhood,) is to protect those that are vulnerable, not exploit their vulnerability. I have doubts that any amount of therapy, can truly change that mindset. People can absolutely improve, but only if it is something that they prioritize; I’m involved with a program, that brings shelter animals to prisons, to be cared for by the prisoners, until they can be adopted; it benefits both to an incredible extent, but these people, despite the horrible hands that they were dealt, do not want to subjugate, nor take their frustrations out on other beings ( none were violent offenders.) These are people who literally don’t have freedom, but comport themselves with more compassion, and restraint than someone, who has attained number one status in the world, in her chosen field. I really feel that empathy, which is in short supply, should be given to those, who prove that they’ll use it to benefit all, not just themself.
As a psychologist most abusers need therapy and/or medical treatment. Actually nope, most of us need therapy, it should be introduced as part of the self care routine in young age. Charlotte missed incredible opportunity to come on top if she admitted any wrong doing, shown understanding that what she did was wrong and after that prove to try to find and promote different training methods, but she made excuses with wrong timeline. I could get behind excuses if it was one of whip in frustrating situation and it wasn’t that. That being said I do feel it’s time to change system in horse sport, the amount of wrong tack, temper tantrums in riders when something goes wrong, not pulling out of the race/ competition when horse is visibly off or exhausted, all that have increased. The best option is stop high level competitions and come back with better plans and rules that actually put every horse interest over human ones. It’s ridiculous that dressage horses have joint problems from young age (just like showjumpers have for years), that incredible amount of horses that retire from racing have kissing spine etc etc, that should be addressed and if that means I won’t be able to ride my 4 horses in the future, I think I’ll be fine, I spend more time with them on the field reading books than riding anyways 🤷♀️
I’m a therapist and have been involved in equine-assisted psychotherapy. Horses are incredibly attuned to humans, sensitive and aware. People who abuse horses are definitely in need of support. Maybe they were abused or grew up around abusive situations, and so lashing out becomes a way of managing frustration and/or anger. If you hurt your horse, you break their trust. That is the beginning of the end for horses, because when humans hurt them they have no options. It sickens me to see the abuse that occurs in the horse world.
Very Well Put Matt.You were Very Honest and chose your words very thoughtfully & very Carefully. Thank you for choosing to Speak up & not putting your head under the sand.Thank you for saying that abuse of horses and animals is Never Ok by anyone including famous riders.
Matt, I watched one of your videos doing groundwork with Emporio where you used the lunge whip correctly. You did a light tap or tickle with the whip which is enough to have a horse lift his foot. A horse can feel a fly land on his skin, there's no need for anything more than a tap to get his attention. I appreciate your taking the time to address this situation in a well-balanced way. Thank you for the love and respect you show your horses.
I just wanted to say thank you for using your platform to engage on this matter in a balanced and considerate manner which allows an outlet for others. Your views have been very helpful in consolidating my own thoughts. Thankfully I too (in 50+ years of horse riding), have not witnessed such behaviour. However, we must, as you say, use this shocking incident as a catalyst for good and turn our reflections to our own actions, however big or small, to ensure it is the horse’s welfare that is always at the forefront of our decisions. Spending time with my horses yesterday I looked at them with even more love and appreciation, they are our absolute world and we must never forget that, even in our most pressing of times. Much love to you and the whole horse community ❤
Horse abuse takes place, this is a fact. Horse people hiding their heads in the sand and waiting out the scandal is not a good sign. If we really want to be fair and stop the animal abuse, then the horse world should be more transparent and accessible, abusive riders banned from competitions and FEI should be strict about their own rules.
Thanks for calling it what it is Matt. And I don’t believe she was just having a bad day like she wants us to believe. If she was doing it then, she probably had done it before and done it after.
Striking a horse one or two times in a moment of extreme passionate frustration, as wrong as disgusting as that would be, could be considered a “mistake”. Hitting a horse over TWENTY TIMES in a seemingly calm and calculated fashion? That is evidence of ongoing abuse. It’s very sad and inexcusable.
I started riding at the beginning of the 80s. Back then, my riding instructor told us that we just had to hit the horse properly so that it would obey us. If he thought we were too soft, he would come with a whip and beat the horse. If it then turned us off, it was still our fault. The worst thing is that if everyone in the stables teaches you this and several riding instructors teach you like this, you will eventually do it as a little girl too. I was just under 6 when I started vaulting and it was very different. The riders made fun of the instructor because she was patient with the horse. She was sacked after there was a serious accident with the vaulting horse where some children were involved. The riders then said she had never had the horse under control because she didn't assert herself. When you get on a horse at the age of 9, you do what you have learnt. For me, it took until I was 15 to realise that I wouldn't let my horse be beaten. I know the realisation came late, but I was disgusted out of the stable with that attitude. The rest of my live I had an other relationship with horses. Nothing but love, patience and time together. That gives me really special relationships with horses.
Yes. I started riding as a child in the 60s, a couple of donkeys in the field up the road. The owner told me I needed to hit them to make them move. In my teens I rode at a local riding school. The instructor insisted the whip was used regularly and hard because the horses were used to it and would ignore any light taps. It was all about hitting the horse to make it do what you want and hitting it harder if it didn't. I stopped riding before I was 20, snapped my riding whip, and haven't ridden since.
Matt, you are spot on about this controversial yet delicate topic. I'm so impressed how you sat there, with minimal video cuts, and beautifully articulated how you feel about the situation, and about the kinds of people who do these things to their horses. Sharing your experiences with your own horses gives us an even better understanding of the compassion you have in your heart for horses and for equestrian sports. Thank you for being a perfect advocate to speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves. The world is a better place with people like you in it.
The reason there are people like Charlotte, abusing horses for their own agrandisement, is that they were trained that way from a young age. There are many of them, and anyone immersed in the horse world who says they are shocked is either lying or very naive. It is very sad, and I am glad there are people like you and Jesse who are concerned with your horse's well being.
yes. when i was a kid learning in the 90ies, it was common. never liked it and all teachers hurt horses somehow to get them to work. later on i trained with an international competing spring rider. saw his training on a multimillion dollar horse. saw the abuse that came with it. and watched a few training lessons with his mentor, which also told him how to punish amd break horses. and i helped at some smaller national competitions and at all of them i saw panicking horses in the warm-up area and riders that tried to get control back by punishment. it was normal, learned and expected behaviour in the tournament scene. i love that people aren't having it anymore and things finally change for the better. but it's laughable, that so many riders seem to be shocked about this. because almost all of them saw this or once did it themselves because we learned that it was the correct way of working with a horse.
You never cease to amaze me. As I have several yrs on this earth ahead of you I can’t help but make you aware of what a diamond in the rough you truly are of a younger generation. Your morals,values, humility and genuine compassion seem to be missing quite a bit from younger generations. And me living where I do it seems to be the norm here. There are of course a smaller amount that do stand above, but again the norm is scary from what I see daily. So please PLEASE don’t ever be anything other than who you already are because you and Jesse are the type of young men that give me hope for the future.
The horse she whipped was only four years old can you imagine how scared and how much pain he felt he should have only be learning the basics and she was doing that just terrible and shameful . Thank you for talking about this it's really important love from the South Island of New Zealand .
I love how you approached this whole video, especially the part about the cancel culture. I totally agree with you and hope everyone will learn from this incident, no matter where they stand
Learn? Majority of us are horse beaters and whippers. The people who need to learn are the abusers who think they can get away with things then be protected and advocate for sympathy by their friends. It’s giving frat boy energy and the community will never learn nor change unless people stop sympathising with abusers because they met the consequences of their actions???
In my mind, the big problem is the big money behind all of this. If you want a happy horse, you have to learn to listen to your horse. That should tell the riders that 90 % of all of these superathletes have to grow up far too quickly. Most of them are clearly physically and mentally not yet able to perform what is asked of them. Which leads sadly not only to horses aging prematurely, getting sick, but also to horrible attempts at shortcuts to speed up training even more. Just look at your horses. Or even better, Jesse. Jesse does purely classic dressage (if you look closely). This is why what he does is so very enjoyable. But this is so hard to do learn and to apply. I also admire you that you can let go a horse if it is not capable of what you want. You either adapt/learn - or you give the horse to people who can enjoy it for what it is. And yes, I think competitive sports is not good for horses. It has to change from the ground up. For example, Lipizzaners in the Spanish Riding School in Vienna often start performing more seriously when competition sports horses are at the height or even the end of their career. How is this possible? Because Lipizzaners are allowed to develop at their own sweet pace (now you could make the point if it turns out a youngster is not quite up to the game, he gets taken out and is sold for good money). No shortcuts, because otherwise you would never get those fluid, energetic movements. I have never seen such a broken piaffe from a naturally trained horse than I saw on a regular basis at high-level sports dressage.
Seriously Matt, you are such a wonderful and level headed individual that it still surprises me to see in someone so young. I am not a 'horsey' person, I took riding lessons for a couple of years when I was a lot younger, and my late mother and I used to always watch the dressage together when the Olympics was on, though I enjoyed the lessons it never sparked anything to carry on. Watching Jesse and your content has really made me find my enjoyment of watching horse riding that I had lost when my mum passed away a few years ago. You speak with such passion and clarity about horsemanship and what it is to care for horses that I find so refreshing and enjoyable and while we can all accept that there are occasionally 'bad' people in the equestrian world, your views and platform show that it is a very small percentage of the equestrian world who behave like this and the majority of people with horses, riding either for fun or professionally, do, indeed, care and respect these lovely animals. Please keep up the great work both you and Jesse do for the equestrian world and never be afraid of being open to who you are and what you feel in this world.
Thank you Matt for creating the space to have these very necessary conversations. It has been needed for a very long time. As one, who was very involved in the horse world in Wellington, FL., I witnessed practices that were quite abusive with no regard for the horses well being. This was from top riders. Now, to be clear, this is true with all the different disciplines that I was involved with. Because of this, I have done a complete 360 on how I personally interact with my herd. It has been a continued journey of learning from the horse and I am so so grateful for their patience with me!! Btw I am 67, so I began this journey many years ago and will not stop any time soon.
When I first saw 'the footage', I thought of you and Jesse. I thought - if everyone loved and respected their horses like Matt and Jesse, this would never be acceptable. You both listen to your horses and train with love.
In my lifelong journey as a horse owner what I've observed is that competition is what brings out the abuse of horses, whether it is the olimpics, or local, from big lick to (absolutely sadistic) to rodeos, jumping, any discipline, the urge to win so easily overtakes the welfare of the horse. I agree with the comment of one of the viewers, "if we're not part of the solution, we're part of the problem." Matt, you and Jesse are wonderful role models on how to be a loving partner to your horse. 🎉
... and behind that, it becomes about the money. Charlotte clearly had a bad day; it was also an odd situation she may not have been prepared for; I believe she had to give a lesson to some young rider on a horse that was owned by one of her sponsors; so there's the pressure and money situation right there! However, the horse was not through his topline enough or strong enough to collect enough to do what was originally been asked. The horse and rider could/should have done some nice stretching trot and canter with some transitions within gaits to more collected then more stretching again, perhaps. Thus the wrong tactic and the abuse. Did Charlotte have the flu? Was she hungover? I think she was not thinking clearly. However, clearly she had done that type of "training" before, and this time it was extremely abusive and caught on camera. No words. I like how Matt rides and I like what he said.
I appreciate your candor in speaking out on this topic. Horses are commodities to some people and their own personal desire for success and recognition creates a sense of entitlement. I left a career in horses when the abuses I witnessed became intolerable. The rise to the top wasn’t worth it.
What an intelligent and measured and highly articulate response Matt. Especially this early on in the conversation. I hope to hear more from you and Jesse once the initial craziness dies down. Thank you Matt your opinion is valued. I loved hearing you ask ‘ do I feel comfortable with everything that I am asking of my horse?…’. What a wonderful voice you are for the equestrian world.
Yes, Matt did an excellent job of describing the issue. His head is in the right place, he reveals to us that he can use what he has learned in therapy and apply it to all areas of his life. Jesse is also using the benefits of therapy and I am happy to see such a nice partnership of Matt and Jesse in their videos. Have you ever met someone and said to yourself, 'They've got their head on straight' ...then you find out they have taken advantage of Psychotherapy. Thank you Matt.
Dearest Matt, you have so well expressed and articulated the topic and your personal experience and view. It’s valuable and beautiful how you are able to reflect, learn, question yourself to better yourself in terms of responsibility and care and love for your horses and the sport. I would go as far as that it’s not only with dogs or other men ‘owned’ animals but even with having children and how they are mistreated sometimes, sadly enough by their parents/ keepers. Big shout out to your voice and making the difference ❤
From the perspective of someone on the outside of the equestrian community: My background consists of loving horses and working jobs as a stable hand and groom when I was young. I don't own any horses as an adult because I refuse to bring any animal into my care that I'm not 100% sure I can give the best possible care to. I'm not in a position to give that level of care to a horse so, I've never gotten one. Firstly, thank you for your perspective and putting your voice out there. It's no small thing to openly criticize the behavior of someone you've looked up to. For that, you have my admiration. My thoughts: You seem to be in a place where you fear the worst from people outside of the equestrian world demanding extremes such as calling for riding to be outlawed in its entirety. I hope I can give you some comfort in saying that such an extreme measure is absurd and it's a loud minority of people who have even less knowledge than myself that would be calling for this sort of thing. Forming a bond with a horse is one of the most amazing things to experience and being able to ride is good for both the rider and the horse in a domesticated environment as long as the horse is healthy in both body and spirit. I think the biggest concern from the outside prospective is that high level competition demands everything of the competitor and more still. The amount of pressure on riders and as a result, their horses is immense. I'm not saying that's an excuse to abuse a horse. But, that pressure may drive weaker willed competitors into harming their competition partners as they push them for more. It's my opinion that either there need to be independent inspectors from multiple organizations present at all high level competitions with oversight and accountability for all riders and trainers who are under this type of pressure; or they need to consider the thought that this level of competition is not good for the well being of the animals if it means being subjected to such abuse. Removing equestrian sports from the olympics wouldn't snowball into a call for all equestrian sports to be stopped. It would simply remove animals from being pushed into the highest level of competition where the stakes push people into doing extreme things to get the results needed to win. I understand that I could very well be missing some context as an outsider, but I don't believe there is any excuse for abusing an animal in any situation. If this type of behavior is shown to be highly prevalent among top tier riders and / or trainers, then it may time to have that same conversation you had with yourself about the well being of your own horse on a bigger scope for all of the horses that are competing in the olympics. How many riders and trainers do this kind of thing behind closed doors? how many of these horses are being injured either by the people working with them or within the events themselves via accidents? Those questions should be asked in good faith and looked into honestly to find the truth about them and from there, the discussion should move on to "In light of what we found out, is it in the best interest of the animals to continue to make them compete at a level that has such extreme pressure?" Do I know the answer to any of those questions? No. So, I won't say that equestrian events should be eliminated from the olympics. I will say that those questions need to be asked and answered, though and I will also say that whatever oversight that already exists needs to be expanded upon. Clearly some things have been overlooked.
Matt, sincerely thank you for this. As a rider, I’ve followed your journey for years and have always respected your training and care for your horses. Every point you’ve touched on here is so spot on and thoughtfully delivered. From the disappointment and utter heartbreak of this situation to the decisions you’ve made on your horses behalf. We are all bewildered by this incident, but you hit the nail on the head saying it’s an opportunity for our community to make a difference in the way the world sees us. To have these hard conversations and set an extreme standard for what is appropriate and what isn’t when it comes to our horses.
Thank you for taking the time to explain your views on this. I have been around horses most of my life, and have worked at a few large training facilities as a groom. After a few years as a groom, I decided maybe the horse industry wasn't something I wanted to be a part of. Horses were seen as just dollar signs, and some trainers treated both horses and humans like garbage. Unfortunately, it seemed as though the compassionate trainers who put horse before ego, didn't get the accolades they deserved, yet the narcissistic abusers were basking in all of the glory. Both you and Jesse, are "a breathe of fresh air" in the horse world. It truly is amazing to watch the interactions between you and your horses. You've developed such extraordinary bonds with them. Thank you for reminding me that kind hearted souls still exist in the industry.
I forgot to say that I appreciate you sharing your perspective and insight. I enjoy you and Jesse very much. Thank you for loving and respecting your animals.
Thanks for speaking out and sharing your thoughts and beliefs against the mistreatment and abuse of horses. Self-preservation is no excuse not to bring attention to these horrendous acts. It is time for people within the horse world to stop and expose abusers
Some degrees of abuse and force are so commonplace that people just overlook them and don't know any different/better, leading to the good people doing bad things problem. Things will only change when people humble themselves, take a step back, and really look at their practices and what they do to the horse. You put it so well ❤️
I find myself taking a step back and reflecting on methods I have been taught over the years. I have changed my riding so much the more I learn. Took me too long to understand these beautiful animals are never to be treated this way period. I aim to do better for them and encourage others around me to follow
She whipped a horse 24 times! I don’t care how she feels but you are so much sweeter and empathetic than I. Her connection with her horse is one of power and control, it’s all about her and nothing to do about the horse. There’s nothing nuanced about beating your horse. This type of behaviour and training need to stop and change immediately. If you see abuse call it out!! If you don’t you’re part of the problem. You can’t tell me Matt that you’ve never saw someone mistreated/abuse their horse. Did you call it out? Please start now and encourage all to call it out. Nothing will change until everyone who doesn’t abuse stand up and speak.
I agree! Because ALL horse riding will be canceled if abuse is not rooted out. Horses love working with humans and there are so many magical bonds between humans and horses.
Abuse is abuse no matter how often you do it. Whipping a horse once is abusive. the whip isn't meant to be used for punishment or with the intent to hurt the horse
Exactly change only takes place when people are brave enough to speak up. There is absolutely no place for people be allowed to abuse their horse. Anyone who is seen abusing a horse should never be allowed to compete in any capacity. If someone abuses their horse in public one can only imagine what goes on out of the public eye
Thank you for addressing this. Charlotte was one of my idols; I invoked her name in conversation as a demonstration to non-horse people what my goals looked like. Like a child, I hope that magic would help me get there. If a 50+ year old, such as myself, can look up to her, how might she affect a teenager with their first horse? Little girls everywhere aspire to be her. Cancelling her is not the answer; she is a human being who deserves to live another day, to atone and help make the changes needed in the industry. Radical change is needed from the ground up. Charlotte didn’t invent the misuse of the lunge whip and the subsequent abuse, she was taught it. When we put our idols up on a pedestal, when we give them power like that, we end up with riders (as in this video), who allow the abuse, either too fearful to speak up or too unsure of right and wrong. The rider, the videographer, the audience were all complicit, and they can all share in what happens next. Im ashamed to say I was instructed by my first dressage coach to hit my horse on the haunches in warm up, whack! whack! whack!, taking care to do it away from the judges eyes, as a way to wake her up. The violence and abuse has filtered down to the lowest levels of schooling shows, and for what? Follow the money to weed out the people who need to change.
Jesse has said on the podcast that one of the things he admires about Matt is that he never hesitates to call out abuse if he sees it occurring & will address it openly & straight away. We need the whole horse riding community to do this.
Matt, thank you for this. I watched your videos about taking Chase to Netherlands and always came away with the same thought: Chase is so well taken care of. One thing you maybe didn't take into account was that maybe all Chase wanted was to stay with you. ♥
The love and respect you and Jesse show your horses is a joy to watch. You’ve shown me a world I never knew existed with horses. I feel one of the laws of nature is “Do No Harm “ but sadly some humans lack the ability to discern that.
Not only did Charlotte needlessly abuse that horse because she couldn't get from that horse what she wanted, but she put the rider in danger as the horse's reaction could have been extreme. I'm frankly surprised given the age of the horse and the number of lashings he took that he didn't overreact and throw the rider. Her only hope now is to turn her efforts toward doing everything she can to change this kind of behavior, which is rife throughout the sport, and not only at grand prix level dressage or other equestrian sports at the highest levels. Her choice now, but she better make it a good one if she wants to atone to all those who once looked up to her.
Well said. I'm very much an amateur rider, and have owned horses for almost 50 years. Some have been a great success, others not so much. The latter have always been found a good new home and thrived. This responsible ownership, being aware of what the horse needs.
Thank you so much for your addressing this issue. That is what I love about your presence on UA-cam.. HONESTY ....and your EXAMPLE of how you always think about what your horse wants.
I have watched more videos and it seems the rider is 15 years old, so I would not expect her to challenge the adult's behavior. This situation reflects not only on Charlotte but on the problems associated with competitive riding and dominance style training techniques. Just because someone says, "it's always done this way" does not mean a more humane way will not work. I hope the fallout and bad publicity from this incident will motivate the equestrian community to improve the way their treat their horses.
THANK YOU for speaking up Matt 🙏🏽With your influence and your community I'm proud to be part of, you are most certainly one of those who can spread awareness on such a crucial topic.
Thank you Matt for such a balanced, fair and calm appraisal of this deeply shocking and wholly unnecessary incident. You're absolutely the voice of reason, thoughtfully going straight to the heart of the matter without overreaction. ❤❤
I find many horses come with issues from being abused at a young age. It is wrong and pushing any horse by whipping, tie down, Sharp bits, ropes, etc. is abuse. It takes years to rid these memories and obtain trust back. I appreciate how you guys care for your animals and think of their needs before your pleasure. We must push for ethical treatment for all. When we see it, we call it out. Laws to protect must be tightened.
Matt I am so glad you did not in any way excuse what Charlotte did. She seemed quite comfortable beating that horse about the legs and the rider didn't seem upset or surprised therefore I must assume this was not a lapse or a mistake but a regular occurrence. And 2 more dressage 'professionals' were found to utilize some practices that were harmful to their horses just this week. I honestly think it is much more prevalent and ignored than you think. I will say however that seeing you with your horses and Jesser (spelling?) too I believe wholeheartedly that you love them completely and would never harm them for your own purposes or gain or for any reason... it is quite lovely to see. And so, thank you for your honest and thoughtful response to this abuse by Charlotte and others ... ❤
Matt, appreciate your thoughtful perspective. Amidst all the chaos your comments are fair and kind. The disappointment is real, but it has also opened up a dialogue that can, hopefully, improve horse welfare, whether at the upper levels of sport, or just for amateur horse lovers/owners.
You are speaking tears to my eyes, Matt … You are so wise, sensible, intelligent and warm hearted that there is no doubt that the shift in horse care you are talking about is actually here!! And you, and Jesse, are an important part of it. We are a lot of horse people out here that just want someone to be our voice in this tragic (or necessary) time of revealing every kind of horse abuse. So keep on talking! We and every horse on this earth needs you! All my love to you both 🍏🍀💚
Well done! I have witnessed so much blind hatred along with so many self righteous attitudes simply wanting to punish the “bad guys” in order to feel better about themselves and their own methods. It’s so very good to hear you speak about this tragic situation in a manner that emphasizes both accountability all around and profound self reflection! None of us are perfect and if any good can come out these very sad situations, it begins with looking inward and taking inventory of our own methodologies and critiquing our own practices, using the mistakes and misguided actions another as a tool for growth and change.
We have all done things we should be ashamed of. I agree with Matt that the way to deal with it is to discuss it and learn from it, not heap hatred upon the person who got caught doing it. Hatred will never help with rehabilitation. You only have to look inside of America’s prison population to realize that.
Very well said. It's like parenting. Every parent of a child that's adult can tell you of days they failed, were unfair of grumpy and yelled, spanked or did something negative. We're just human and you learn as you go, and making mistakes is part of learning. When you throw in immaturity, personal behaviors stemming from hardship, lack of knowledge of child development and more, then mistakes will be made. I love that you call for people to learn from these mistakes instead of vicious attacks on the person. I would bet, many who are upset, have themselves failed at times with horses, dogs, children, other animals, friends, family, etc. No one is perfect. This woman paid a high price for her mistake. I've seen much worse in all the categories I mentioned, which doesn't excuse it, but doesn't mean it should ruin her whole life and negate the good things to a point of destruction. I've seen people who have done something abusive work to change, and we need to give that opportunity while continuing to hold them accountable.
She will learn from her mistakes when the consequences come into play. She didn’t take accountability she called it “error is judgement” she is literally whipping a horse lol. So many weaklings in the horse community. If someone was whipping my horse no matter if it was a fkin celebritity I will defend and protect my horse I don’t idolise people you gotta be pretty pathetic to do that. They are just any other human who sh!ts and farts and we are all equal they ain’t God to be idolising them that you let them hurt your horse
I agree that people have a basic humanity that should be respected (& honestly in these situations I wonder what extremes of mental health responses someone in Charlotte’s position might reach, which I would not want) but in my country her actions would be legally prosecuted & she would potentially be heavily fined, placed on probation or in more severe circumstances even jailed (which I would not view as unjust for perpetrators of animal abuse). It wasn’t a “mistake” (mistakes are unintentional acts)- in my country it would have been viewed as a criminal act. I wouldn’t want “her whole life ruined” but I would want a strong legal deterrent & for her to pay a debt legally.
Being someone who runs a animal refuge in Jamaica this is something I see and deal with on a daily basis. Everything I have I give to my animals. It is really a basic narcissist personality that is displayed. Empathy and sympathy are to completely different things. I have also worked and lived on a professional horse farm in Maine which was owned by a woman who has trained an Olympic gold medal winner... I watched her ride her horses till there was blood in their mouths, and such a sick foamy lather on them. I have cried while cooling down these horses. She told me she had to be the stallion in her barn. I am here to say abuse only teaches an animal, any animal, to fear a shituation instead of being safe sane and calm. We all make mistakes, but some things need therapy. Not even Dr Phil will work with narcissists. Just realize if it was recorded once... how many times has she lost her cool when not being recorded. There is NO JUSTIFICATION!!! 🙏🏽🦄🇯🇲
Matt, thank you for speaking out. I know you feel like you’re taking a risk in doing so but you did it anyway. Martin Luther King said “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.” Thank you for standing up for what is right!
Such a mature and balanced assessment of a horrible situation. Well done! I can’t begin to comprehend why someone would behave that way. My boy comes first in everything.
Of all the horse you tubes I watch, Free Spirit Equestrian's Shae is such a terrific, kind, and resourceful trainer/owner. She starts by getting close to her horses and understanding their needs and skills. She has a lot of videos lunging her horses with a long whip. She states repeatedly that the long whip is an extension of her arm. It gives a visual cue to the horse and is NEVER used as punishment or in anger. A scared horse, or any animal, is dangerous and unpredictable. If fear and pain is used in training, it only teaches the animal that you are cruel and mean. Shae doesn't push a horse beyond what the horse is confident and able to do. She states repeatedly that knowing your horse is most important.
She's only pushing to do basic stuff and that's great there is an absolute market and need for balanced trail horses. I don't know if she would know how truly ask for more.
@@jrmints80 I think you're underestimating Shae's abilities. She chooses not to get involved in more than the basic shows.For the sake of the horses. She does low key jumping with some if the horses, does liberty and has participated in endurance with her Appaloosa. She's found a way to work her dreams into a successful, multi faceted business.
It must almost feel like a betrayal when you see someone you look up to doing something like this. Even in the US there are horse owners who are extremely abusive to the horses in their care, and others who treat their horses with respect. There is no good answer to combat the abuse that takes place. But, thank you Matt for talking out and addressing what has taken place. Unfortunately Charlotte may only be apologetic for what was seen on camera. who knows how she will treat her horses in private.
I am NOT a horse person, I am a horse lover and admirer. I so enjoy horse content from farrier to shows and competitions, a new foal making it's first steps in the world. That said, having watched this content for so long it all comes with comments that are positive negative and sometimes just hateful. I so enjoy Jesse's and your content and appreciate you starting a conversation! That starts not only finding solutions but also an opportunity to educate. Throwing hate without a conversation fixes nothing. Then your just on to the next shocking thing. Respect you sir for having a conversation!!
Thank you for responding here. I have been avoiding looking at all the extremes posted. I am a retired dog trainer. Professionally I rarely trained dogs, I trained people. And teaching people to control their emotions, and to understand that the dog simply doesn't understand their expectations was the hard part. I had to carefully watch the humans and teach them to break things down to achieve success in small increments. And to understand getting angry does nothing but break the dog's trust. My own dogs, some loved working, some were very blah about it. When I saw the blah after lots of motivating and training, I retired them to house pets who had incredible manners. My opinion on the vivid reality of animal abuse is so loud that those actually rare occasions that they can make it so much more difficult for those of us who manage it in the correct and honorable way.
I think casual cruelty happens in human relationships with their animals quite a lot. I think humans frequently don’t understand many aspects of their animal’s behaviour & obliviously cause their animals distress. All of us amateur animal owners need to be constantly vigilant & open to questioning how we approach our animals. I believe animal care should always be evolving & improving. I completely agree that it is the human that requires training.
Well explained, Matt embarrassment, guilt, and reputation loss is something she alone has to face. She may come back from it down the road, she may not. But to punish or take away from those that are always trying to do whats best for our equine companions and learning and listening to theirs wants and needs would be overall devastating. Bless you and Jesse for all that you do and for showing us how we can accomplish so much more by doing whats right ❤
Matt, this was a diplomatic, important, strong and very clear speech to everyone that are dealing with horses. They do not have a voice or a instiution to call and complain and speak up about the bad treatment and get help. Bad training hurt them emotionally and physically. They actually have feelings and they can think. As you said the silence is so strange around this incident... I get sick when I hear such things. Poor sweet horses! Thank you for standning up!
I grew up being coached by a very “old fashioned” instructor. I felt the way she taught things was wrong but also felt that I must have been very arrogant to think I knew better than someone with such great experience. When I turned about 14 or 15 years old, I finally decided I needed to branch out m and follow my instincts which transformed my relationship and life with my horses. I continue to learn everyday and love my horses very much. That being said g said, even my quite harsh (in my opinion) “old fashioned” instructor NEVER even came CLOSE to the behavior Charlotte demonstrated in that one video. I’m horrified and I do not feel bad for what she is going through. Very real horses lives have been abused for years by this person. I hope and pray she genuinely learns and that her horses welfare will only improve for the foreseeable future. So I am grateful she’s being held accountable for the sake of the horses.
Matt you gave her too much grace. There should be consequences coming to her. No matter the animal they rely on us humans to take care of them. I couldn't watch what she did. I didn't want that vision in my head. My heart is for the horses she has whipped. Good job Matt you're a tender soul.
My daughter was a groom for an American woman short listed for the Olympics, years ago. She said here in the US this is typical for horses to be treated like that here. She was 17 then, now looks back on it with horror for the horses.
You are so articulate and thoughtful in your remarks here. Words in a sad, delicate situation such as this can be used either as weapons or as mirrors. Thank you for not picking up the club.
A difficult multi layered moment but I learned alot today, especially about thinking about what is in the horse, or your pet’s best interest. A better approach than forcing your own desires and will upon your horse or pets. Or on people for that matter- very helpful, Thank you
You are doing a great job of using examples and modeling self review of your own behavior. The people who follow you are seeing mature thinking. Then you apply mature thinking to this issue and you set up for your viewers where this issue will be going and this process may become difficult. In the learning process (am a retired teacher) it is called an advance organizer. You are gifting your audience a way of processing what happened and how this may evolve.
Matt, you have taken a very diplomatic, well thought out and balanced look at this very difficult subject. Just like any sport - animal partnered - or otherwise there are behaviors that cause pain , or violate the rules, or are unethical. That doesn't mean that everyone involved in the sport arel bad or that the sport needs to be stopped. I'm so glad you called out cancel culture and feel that you are very brave to take on this subject.
I think that it is such a show of love and respect to acknowledge what a horse does or doesn't like, and decide to put that over your own wants. I love drill. I did one season of drill with my gelding because I wanted to see if we could do this together. He didn't love it. I'm not sure he even mildly liked it. He did it like he does everything I ask, but it felt like such an effort to get it done. I finished the season so as not to leave my team hanging but we will not do it again because it wasn't his thing. We are doing dressage now and he is a different horse entirely. Ultimately, he would love to jump but I am no good at it. So I let others jump him when they're available because he absolutely loves it. I want him to be happy, no matter my own wants and goals. I don't own him to accomplish something for myself. I own him because I love who he is and our relationship. With that comes having enough respect for him to do what makes him happy, in a way that is fair and kind to him.
If you intend to have a high stakes eventing career and invest thousands upon thousands into performance horses, there isn't much room to consider what the horse might want. Forcing them into your agenda by hook or crook, using proven abuses, gets you the optimum return on investment. How many retired Chases would there actually be room for? I think this scandal should buzzsaw the community into some major reforms- including the cruel plight of used up and injured performers via neglect and the slaughter pipeline. If everyone was like Matt and Jesse, this would not even be a discussion.
I'm so glad you have spoken about this because i feel the exact same!!! After the incident, I'd been quite stressed about the future of the horse world as everyone just jumps to conclusions. I have spemt the past week assessing how I manage and ride my horse as someone starting out eventing
Well done Matt Thank you for no crickets and saying something I do not feel bad for her situation because I feel this isn't the first time she has done this, I feel it's the first time somebody caught it on a video. I too hope people do not put every horse rider in this category of abusive tactics to get a training result. Thank you for being you and listening to your horses and never engaging in improper ways to get your training point across to the horse.
Your treatment of horses has been so educational for me (non equestrian here). I appreciate you speaking out on this and putting yourself out there. Your voice and opinions on this are speaking to truth and not in an effort to elevate yourself atop another persons downfall. Please continue sharing how you treat your horses. I think it is so needed right now.
There is a great lesson to be learned, always treat an animal the way you would to be treated and if you don’t, be aware there is always someone with a camera nearby. Makes you wonder if someone in her background used the same methods. Thank you Matt for addressing this HUGE issue for all horse lovers.
@@loekecavietMe too, absolutely. I don’t care about any excuses, abusing horses or any animal is absolutely unacceptable. They trust us, love us, depend on us. We are their entire world, there is just no excuse.
Thank You for your honest,clear,opinion on the awful allegations against Charlotte. I agree with 100%. ABUSE is ABUSE,and this was clearly the case. I surely hope it is taken to heart,and this and ALL ANIMAL ABUSE is STOPPED! from the USA.
13:30+- You hit on it almost spot on. Not only is there no excuse for what Charlotte did, but the *selfishness* of her actions, knowing that she represents some of the "best" dressage riders out there and the damage she's done to the sport and the people in it, is absolutely the worst! Thanks for your opinions/input, you are not the only one to have tackled this, but i'm very glad to see that you did and to see you expressing your opinions and feelings. I hope you (and some of the others that have tackled this) don't get too much negative backlash/arguing!
Beautifully said. As Oprah said,"When we know better, we do better." And I'll add to that, If we have a conscience and a heart, and we listen to them. I think back to a choice of equipment I made, on someone else's advice, when I was young, and didn't know better, and I cringe thinking I might have caused my horse discomfort. I didn't know any better. Now that I have learned more, and know better, I would not make the same choice. But that was a very long time ago, and what we knew about horses then is so minimal compared with what been discovered between then and now.
Thank you SO MUCH for finally but some perspective on this! Also addressing cancel and hate culture…and what you said about do what the horse finds easy and likes to do is so on point! I bought a horse for jumping once, he was 4 years old and turned out to have no talent thou his full brother did. So I started doing dressage with him and that was his thing so he went all the way to GP. Had a black beauty who couldn’t be bothered and so I did not want to push him, so sold him to a girl who had lost confidence and he gave her that back because he was so safe and never afraid, so he was a lifesaver for her❤. What is your ambition and what is your horses talent- be honest- and either find the right home or chance your ambition… But some people will not do that and then too much pressure starts or it has to go too fast.. I’m all for chance but in the positive way and NOT the hate🦄
Wow thanks for this, it really touches me and is one of the best statements on this topics that I have heard until now. I think using this topic to reflect on oneself is the best we can do.
What has happened to critical thinking.. and not just in this arena but everywhere. Thinking in extreme scenarios doesn't solve anything and requires no intelligence. Thank you Matt for offering a balanced and reflective opinion.. abuse of any kind must not be tolerated.. however kindness and empathy are forgotten whenever money and prestige are at stake.. only the horse world itself can root out abusers.. but it won't happen until many more people speak up as you have just done Matt.. Bravo..
Matt, I appreciate your mature and empathetic handling of this topic. There is an old expression that might apply to one of the points you were making and it’s “ don’t throw the baby out with the bath water” meaning you lose the good parts of something as well as the bad parts, because you reject it as a whole instead of just removing what is bad. Also, generally speaking, IMO, cancel culture or public shaming denies ostracized individuals little chance for meaningful dialogue, education and rehabilitation. It’s about punishing. Enjoy your time at the 2024 Olympic m
Very well said, Matt. Props to you for having the courage to talk about this, it is certainly scary to talk about such controversial topics, but you did a brilliant job! You talked in a very open minded, empathetic and responsible way. Bravo!
Thoughtful and well articulated vlog. Cancelling equestrian sports at elite levels is not going to stop horse abuse. The worst abuse happens in places where no one sees it is happening. Education can over time improve the situation and high profile events like the Olympics can play a role in making that happen. Negativities hurt the good as well as the bad.
I don't comment often on any of the YT channels I watch but I do give thumbs up and subscribe. I love you and Jesse. I found this video and subject speaks to a lot of the world of entertainment/sports in the world right now. People, through their talents have been given elite status through winning competitions, Grammy's, Oscars, etc. Social media now plays a part and sky rockets them to stratospheric proportions. This is where it can go horribly wrong as pressure to perform, keep winning, keep the status they now find themselves part of. Ethics, empathy, rationale, common sense, everything out the window as they must maintain the level at all costs. Put on a great face in front of the video/camera but if you are doing horrific things in your life it will come out. Horse abusers, child abusers, human traffickers, so many other evil people. There are cameras everywhere and it will be just a matter of time. and these people with bad intentions will get their karma. I say don't put people on a pedestal unless they are solving world peace.
Matt thank you so much for your words. You have said exactly what I have been feeling since I saw what my dressage hero had done. I have been so sad, confused, angry and disappointed. There is no excuse for what Charlotte did. The welfare of our horses must always come first in all that we do. We must always do the best we can by our horses at all times. Learning and evolving with them. Listening to them and understanding their limits and not pushing them too far or too fast Charlotte is a professional who has been in the industry long enough to know that this is not the way to train a horse. She has lost everything and it was her own doing. It is just a very very sad situation. Thank you Matt this has helped me process the situation. ❤
I can relate. I remember as a child getting to go to Olympia, Horse of the Year Show, and being thrilled to see these amazing show jumpers etc. And yes I had a clear favourite because he was unique in his approach to producing top show jumpers. Well, we got to watch him warm up just before his round. To say he viciously beat his horse up was an understatement. I ceased to follow him,I just couldn’t watch him. But did I stop riding. Nope. I just changed my view about that person.
@@lilacdratini The point of my mentioning it was to say “don’t let one bad apple ruin the barrel”. Not everybody is equal and to seek the path that suits your own intentions.
@@Golden1989-daysI applaud you for keeping to your point and not making it about that person, even more so when specifically asked. Truly commendable!👏🏻
You have a very lucid way of explaining this issue. I often wonder whether people who abuse horses don't understand the importance of spending time with their horses, bonding with them, and treating them with the respect they deserve as another being. It delivers a different kind of joy than technical achievement.
ANY training that abuses horses IN ANY WAY is unacceptable. They are reliant on our welfare and if abuse is used, the human should not be allowed to own horses. This of course goes for all animals. The skill that should be rewarded is horsemanship where horse and rider have mutual respect for each other and show it in their performance. Also she could have "avoided going through this" by being a better person with her horses. She only has herself to blame. We all have to be accountable for our own actions.
I love your thoughts on this. Be proud of who you are and thanks for your intelligence. Ive been there where you look up to someone and its a huge disappointment. All we can do is try ourselves to make the world a better place for animals. ❤
Thank you for this. You are such a wise and beautiful person. It seems that when money and fame come into play things can become excessive and the pressure to remain on top becomes the driving force. People can sometimes lose touch with the joy in and love for what they are doing. This is when good, talented people do very bad things. It is so senseless and sad.
There's a hungarian saying that I saw on a site which brought me a new perspective as a young rider.
"Where violence starts, that's where the riders knowledge ends."
Every time I see someone do something to an animal that's is not right, this what pops into my head. So true.
I agree with a lot of what you said, but unlike you, I can't bring myself to feel sorry for Charlotte. Domesticated horses are 100% reliant on the humans who are caring for/training them, and the horse she was brutally whipping had no way to escape. She showed no anger, and she acted like whipping the horse was a go-to training method for Charlotte. She was completely unfair to that horse and to the student riding the horse. She made the decision to abuse that horse, and she should face strict consequences. Horse welfare first! 😢
Not too many people feel sorry for her, they feel sorry for the horse.
she is one person and she has abused many many horses, so yes I don't feel for her.
@@treelore5100 Proof?
I THINK and I could be wrong, I have no problem admitting that… but I think what Matt might have meant was he felt sorry for whatever happened over the course of her life and career that led her to allowing herself to become “that person” who is completely ok abusing a horse let alone another living being. Allowing herself to be ok living in that mentality. Again I could be wrong and never want to speak for another as well as tried to word as carefully as possible, but that was at least where my heart hoped he was coming from. And I think that’s because I as a former drug and alcohol counselor always want to see the good in people first and I have noticed that Matt and Jesse seem to be that way too. I am just so glad he did decided to speak on this topic. Unfortunately it took this long for her actions to come to light, but given the timing it should also have better chance of change because the whole world is watching the Olympics as to any other time, it would have been a very select demographic of people made aware. And that saddens me in a whole different way because majority of people nowadays only take notice or care to things they have personal interest in…. Ok sorry that was longer than intended but I feel very deeply when it comes to abuse…
@@mariamatheson5300 I've seen a LOT of people come to Charlotte's defense, saying "oh poor Charlotte, her career is over!"
My horse is an exceptional jumper but he doesn’t like working. After trying for two years to motivate him using various positive reinforcement methods, I realized that he has talent but he just doesn’t want to work. So, I respected that and I do what he wants to do. We hack, we do a lot of work unridden etc. He’s happy. ❤
So nice to hear stories like that!
I love that!😍Maybe it's easy for these pro riders (who are depending on a paycheck from their horse's performance) to forget that they are in a team with a player who didn't choose to be there. Bred for it or not, not every horse is meant to work.
@@very_jenny Exactly ! My horse is a natural jumper. Bred for it. I bought him at 4. The way he jumps is to die for and when I bought him I had so many show jumping goals (I have been competing for the past 20 years, up to ‘big’ classes 135-140cm with my now deceased horse that you can see in my profile pic…so let’s just say that I am a show jumping rider who has enjoyed it for a long time.) with him. I really thought we would go up to big classes together but nope. He rapidly showed me that he does not like to work. He is very wayward. When he decides that it’s NO, it’s NO. So, as I said in my comment…I tried for two years to get him to enjoy working but alas, to no avail. He does not like it and I respect that. I think that it’s important to respect a horse’s consent. They are living, breathing beings. Professionals tend to forget that in the name of performance and money. Sad.
@@TheBulle What a beautiful grey your horse looked to be 🤍Sounds like you did the right thing with your boy. I'd be happy to have a horse at all lol, one day 😅🎠
@@TheBulle yes there is a difference between your horse and Charlottes. Your horse is your best friend and also a familymember. You see the benefits of spending time with your horse and see your connecteion deepens. You want to see your horse relaxed, healthy and happy. Horses shouldnt really be in sports, not any animal should be aloud under the circumstances the equestrian world exists and function today.
Jesse has 100% proved that a happy relationship with horses is to treasure.
And it rubbed off on Matt and it’s so cool to see the respect they have for each others equine work ethic.
@@karmen181 absolutely💗
THAT IS SO TRUE why a person would do such a thing is beyond understanding BUT IT SHOWS THE WORLD what kind of people and trainers there are." But for every bad apple, there are hundreds of good apples."
@@karmen181I don’t think it is a a matter of having rubbed off on Matt. I always felt that Matt was already that way, as you can see in older videos like Chasing the dream” and his connection with Chase etc. I personally feel that is why they are so perfect for each other, because they both carry the same morals and values when it comes to there animals.
@@onlinecomment i have owned and been around high class horses for many years. I know that a hunting or a lunge whip is easily cracked and not hitting the horse. However she did strike on a few occasions. We may all have purposely used a whip on the odd occasion when absolutely necessary for disobedience and we are not all under intense scrutiny. I am not a "bunny hugger" but do admire Jesse's progress.
I so admire your comment on this horrific event. Abuse is abuse, no matter the Name you have made for yourself or your station in life. And the person behind the camera laughing at the whipping of this horse. Is equally sick!
And horses are super sensitive so that horse would have felt the humiliation of being laughed at on top of the abuse.
That person is the whistleblower according to the lawyer. Yes its a shame. Unfourtantly im not surprised people (and proffesional riders) in the equestrian dressage elite trying to talk out of this. Its such a shame we tolerate abuse in daily settings not just the olympics. But its a hard mentality in equestrian education program and rules that isnt to the horses benefits. This is not something new. We uses horses as a toy to play around with, and they (horses) are acceptable ones.
@@TPWK216 The whistleblower and also the owner of the horse, who clearly had no problem with the treatment of the horse at the time. Just shocking.
@@ChloePrice92 i do believe the whistleblower was 19 at the time and the rider 15(some media says older). But anyhow, yes its at shame they didnt stood up then and there. But I dont think it wouldnt have any affect, Charlotte would just blow them off, for her they were just whatever. Hopefully justice will come for the horse and every other horse that gets to experience this.
I honestly was not clear what the person was laughing at, whether something somebody else said or what was going on with the horse or maybe just someone standing near her laughing and being picked up by the camera
Thank you so much Matt for this post. I’m a therapist and a low level dressage rider. I’ve had the thought repeatedly that riders who abuse or come close to abusing a horse, should be in therapy. Also anyone in any kind of power, which includes almost all of us in some way shape or form. It’s not easy having a human experience and we all have some level of trauma, big and or small. We owe it to ourselves, our loved ones and to our animals to be the best version of ourselves that we can be. ❤
I think that you’re right, to an extent. Most of us, have endured trauma; I certainly have, but my response to those traumas ( especially from childhood,) is to protect those that are vulnerable, not exploit their vulnerability. I have doubts that any amount of therapy, can truly change that mindset. People can absolutely improve, but only if it is something that they prioritize; I’m involved with a program, that brings shelter animals to prisons, to be cared for by the prisoners, until they can be adopted; it benefits both to an incredible extent, but these people, despite the horrible hands that they were dealt, do not want to subjugate, nor take their frustrations out on other beings ( none were violent offenders.) These are people who literally don’t have freedom, but comport themselves with more compassion, and restraint than someone, who has attained number one status in the world, in her chosen field. I really feel that empathy, which is in short supply, should be given to those, who prove that they’ll use it to benefit all, not just themself.
As a psychologist most abusers need therapy and/or medical treatment. Actually nope, most of us need therapy, it should be introduced as part of the self care routine in young age.
Charlotte missed incredible opportunity to come on top if she admitted any wrong doing, shown understanding that what she did was wrong and after that prove to try to find and promote different training methods, but she made excuses with wrong timeline. I could get behind excuses if it was one of whip in frustrating situation and it wasn’t that.
That being said I do feel it’s time to change system in horse sport, the amount of wrong tack, temper tantrums in riders when something goes wrong, not pulling out of the race/ competition when horse is visibly off or exhausted, all that have increased. The best option is stop high level competitions and come back with better plans and rules that actually put every horse interest over human ones. It’s ridiculous that dressage horses have joint problems from young age (just like showjumpers have for years), that incredible amount of horses that retire from racing have kissing spine etc etc, that should be addressed and if that means I won’t be able to ride my 4 horses in the future, I think I’ll be fine, I spend more time with them on the field reading books than riding anyways 🤷♀️
I’m a therapist and have been involved in equine-assisted psychotherapy.
Horses are incredibly attuned to humans, sensitive and aware.
People who abuse horses are definitely in need of support.
Maybe they were abused or grew up around abusive situations, and so lashing out becomes a way of managing frustration and/or anger.
If you hurt your horse, you break their trust.
That is the beginning of the end for horses, because when humans hurt them they have no options.
It sickens me to see the abuse that occurs in the horse world.
Very Well Put Matt.You were Very Honest and chose your words very thoughtfully & very Carefully. Thank you for choosing to Speak up & not putting your head under the sand.Thank you for saying that abuse of horses and animals is Never Ok by anyone including famous riders.
I've trained and work with horses for many years...whips are for directions, not hitting or scaring
How do you use them for directions? Isn't a whip a whip?
@carolineramage7480 touching, teaching them to follow directions...but not for hitting.
@@claudiabranham8426💯 it’s a tool and an extension of your arm - not a weapon 🌟
Matt, I watched one of your videos doing groundwork with Emporio where you used the lunge whip correctly. You did a light tap or tickle with the whip which is enough to have a horse lift his foot. A horse can feel a fly land on his skin, there's no need for anything more than a tap to get his attention. I appreciate your taking the time to address this situation in a well-balanced way. Thank you for the love and respect you show your horses.
I didn’t expect this. Your perspective on life is graciously nuanced, deeply empathetic, and healing. We’re a better world with you in it.
I just wanted to say thank you for using your platform to engage on this matter in a balanced and considerate manner which allows an outlet for others. Your views have been very helpful in consolidating my own thoughts. Thankfully I too (in 50+ years of horse riding), have not witnessed such behaviour. However, we must, as you say, use this shocking incident as a catalyst for good and turn our reflections to our own actions, however big or small, to ensure it is the horse’s welfare that is always at the forefront of our decisions. Spending time with my horses yesterday I looked at them with even more love and appreciation, they are our absolute world and we must never forget that, even in our most pressing of times. Much love to you and the whole horse community ❤
Horse abuse takes place, this is a fact. Horse people hiding their heads in the sand and waiting out the scandal is not a good sign. If we really want to be fair and stop the animal abuse, then the horse world should be more transparent and accessible, abusive riders banned from competitions and FEI should be strict about their own rules.
YES!
Thanks for calling it what it is Matt. And I don’t believe she was just having a bad day like she wants us to believe. If she was doing it then, she probably had done it before and done it after.
Striking a horse one or two times in a moment of extreme passionate frustration, as wrong as disgusting as that would be, could be considered a “mistake”. Hitting a horse over TWENTY TIMES in a seemingly calm and calculated fashion? That is evidence of ongoing abuse. It’s very sad and inexcusable.
I started riding at the beginning of the 80s. Back then, my riding instructor told us that we just had to hit the horse properly so that it would obey us. If he thought we were too soft, he would come with a whip and beat the horse. If it then turned us off, it was still our fault.
The worst thing is that if everyone in the stables teaches you this and several riding instructors teach you like this, you will eventually do it as a little girl too. I was just under 6 when I started vaulting and it was very different. The riders made fun of the instructor because she was patient with the horse. She was sacked after there was a serious accident with the vaulting horse where some children were involved. The riders then said she had never had the horse under control because she didn't assert herself. When you get on a horse at the age of 9, you do what you have learnt. For me, it took until I was 15 to realise that I wouldn't let my horse be beaten. I know the realisation came late, but I was disgusted out of the stable with that attitude.
The rest of my live I had an other relationship with horses. Nothing but love, patience and time together. That gives me really special relationships with horses.
your comment probably echoes the experience of many..
Im sorry that must have been traumatic process to realize and admit
Yes. I started riding as a child in the 60s, a couple of donkeys in the field up the road. The owner told me I needed to hit them to make them move. In my teens I rode at a local riding school. The instructor insisted the whip was used regularly and hard because the horses were used to it and would ignore any light taps. It was all about hitting the horse to make it do what you want and hitting it harder if it didn't. I stopped riding before I was 20, snapped my riding whip, and haven't ridden since.
So true, mirrors my own experience
Matt, you are spot on about this controversial yet delicate topic. I'm so impressed how you sat there, with minimal video cuts, and beautifully articulated how you feel about the situation, and about the kinds of people who do these things to their horses. Sharing your experiences with your own horses gives us an even better understanding of the compassion you have in your heart for horses and for equestrian sports. Thank you for being a perfect advocate to speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves. The world is a better place with people like you in it.
The reason there are people like Charlotte, abusing horses for their own agrandisement, is that they were trained that way from a young age. There are many of them, and anyone immersed in the horse world who says they are shocked is either lying or very naive. It is very sad, and I am glad there are people like you and Jesse who are concerned with your horse's well being.
yes. when i was a kid learning in the 90ies, it was common. never liked it and all teachers hurt horses somehow to get them to work.
later on i trained with an international competing spring rider. saw his training on a multimillion dollar horse. saw the abuse that came with it. and watched a few training lessons with his mentor, which also told him how to punish amd break horses.
and i helped at some smaller national competitions and at all of them i saw panicking horses in the warm-up area and riders that tried to get control back by punishment. it was normal, learned and expected behaviour in the tournament scene.
i love that people aren't having it anymore and things finally change for the better. but it's laughable, that so many riders seem to be shocked about this. because almost all of them saw this or once did it themselves because we learned that it was the correct way of working with a horse.
Thanks for discussing the topic so maturely. You're wise beyond your years and you talk sense about the cancel culture. ❤️
You never cease to amaze me. As I have several yrs on this earth ahead of you I can’t help but make you aware of what a diamond in the rough you truly are of a younger generation. Your morals,values, humility and genuine compassion seem to be missing quite a bit from younger generations. And me living where I do it seems to be the norm here. There are of course a smaller amount that do stand above, but again the norm is scary from what I see daily. So please PLEASE don’t ever be anything other than who you already are because you and Jesse are the type of young men that give me hope for the future.
The horse she whipped was only four years old can you imagine how scared and how much pain he felt he should have only be learning the basics and she was doing that just terrible and shameful . Thank you for talking about this it's really important love from the South Island of New Zealand .
Not 4 yrs old .
No way that horse was 4. He was wearing a double bridle and far too developed in build and training. He likely was 10+ years old.
I love how you approached this whole video, especially the part about the cancel culture. I totally agree with you and hope everyone will learn from this incident, no matter where they stand
Learn? Majority of us are horse beaters and whippers. The people who need to learn are the abusers who think they can get away with things then be protected and advocate for sympathy by their friends. It’s giving frat boy energy and the community will never learn nor change unless people stop sympathising with abusers because they met the consequences of their actions???
I am crying, your parents must bei so proud of you
In my mind, the big problem is the big money behind all of this. If you want a happy horse, you have to learn to listen to your horse. That should tell the riders that 90 % of all of these superathletes have to grow up far too quickly. Most of them are clearly physically and mentally not yet able to perform what is asked of them. Which leads sadly not only to horses aging prematurely, getting sick, but also to horrible attempts at shortcuts to speed up training even more.
Just look at your horses. Or even better, Jesse. Jesse does purely classic dressage (if you look closely). This is why what he does is so very enjoyable. But this is so hard to do learn and to apply. I also admire you that you can let go a horse if it is not capable of what you want. You either adapt/learn - or you give the horse to people who can enjoy it for what it is.
And yes, I think competitive sports is not good for horses. It has to change from the ground up. For example, Lipizzaners in the Spanish Riding School in Vienna often start performing more seriously when competition sports horses are at the height or even the end of their career. How is this possible? Because Lipizzaners are allowed to develop at their own sweet pace (now you could make the point if it turns out a youngster is not quite up to the game, he gets taken out and is sold for good money). No shortcuts, because otherwise you would never get those fluid, energetic movements. I have never seen such a broken piaffe from a naturally trained horse than I saw on a regular basis at high-level sports dressage.
Wonderful views!
Seriously Matt, you are such a wonderful and level headed individual that it still surprises me to see in someone so young.
I am not a 'horsey' person, I took riding lessons for a couple of years when I was a lot younger, and my late mother and I used to always watch the dressage together when the Olympics was on, though I enjoyed the lessons it never sparked anything to carry on. Watching Jesse and your content has really made me find my enjoyment of watching horse riding that I had lost when my mum passed away a few years ago.
You speak with such passion and clarity about horsemanship and what it is to care for horses that I find so refreshing and enjoyable and while we can all accept that there are occasionally 'bad' people in the equestrian world, your views and platform show that it is a very small percentage of the equestrian world who behave like this and the majority of people with horses, riding either for fun or professionally, do, indeed, care and respect these lovely animals.
Please keep up the great work both you and Jesse do for the equestrian world and never be afraid of being open to who you are and what you feel in this world.
Thank you Matt for creating the space to have these very necessary conversations. It has been needed for a very long time. As one, who was very involved in the horse world in Wellington, FL., I witnessed practices that were quite abusive with no regard for the horses well being. This was from top riders. Now, to be clear, this is true with all the different disciplines that I was involved with. Because of this, I have done a complete 360 on how I personally interact with my herd. It has been a continued journey of learning from the horse and I am so so grateful for their patience with me!! Btw I am 67, so I began this journey many years ago and will not stop any time soon.
When I first saw 'the footage', I thought of you and Jesse. I thought - if everyone loved and respected their horses like Matt and Jesse, this would never be acceptable. You both listen to your horses and train with love.
In my lifelong journey as a horse owner what I've observed is that competition is what brings out the abuse of horses, whether it is the olimpics, or local, from big lick to (absolutely sadistic) to rodeos, jumping, any discipline, the urge to win so easily overtakes the welfare of the horse. I agree with the comment of one of the viewers, "if we're not part of the solution, we're part of the problem." Matt, you and Jesse are wonderful role models on how to be a loving partner to your horse. 🎉
Big Lick is Illegal now or in a few short months. 👏
... and behind that, it becomes about the money. Charlotte clearly had a bad day; it was also an odd situation she may not have been prepared for; I believe she had to give a lesson to some young rider on a horse that was owned by one of her sponsors; so there's the pressure and money situation right there! However, the horse was not through his topline enough or strong enough to collect enough to do what was originally been asked. The horse and rider could/should have done some nice stretching trot and canter with some transitions within gaits to more collected then more stretching again, perhaps. Thus the wrong tactic and the abuse. Did Charlotte have the flu? Was she hungover? I think she was not thinking clearly. However, clearly she had done that type of "training" before, and this time it was extremely abusive and caught on camera. No words. I like how Matt rides and I like what he said.
I appreciate your candor in speaking out on this topic. Horses are commodities to some people and their own personal desire for success and recognition creates a sense of entitlement. I left a career in horses when the abuses I witnessed became intolerable. The rise to the top wasn’t worth it.
What an intelligent and measured and highly articulate response Matt. Especially this early on in the conversation. I hope to hear more from you and Jesse once the initial craziness dies down. Thank you Matt your opinion is valued.
I loved hearing you ask ‘ do I feel comfortable with everything that I am asking of my horse?…’.
What a wonderful voice you are for the equestrian world.
Yes, Matt did an excellent job of describing the issue. His head is in the right place, he reveals to us that he can use what he has learned in therapy and apply it to all areas of his life. Jesse is also using the benefits of therapy and I am happy to see such a nice partnership of Matt and Jesse in their videos.
Have you ever met someone and said to yourself, 'They've got their head on straight' ...then you find out they have taken advantage of Psychotherapy. Thank you Matt.
Dearest Matt, you have so well expressed and articulated the topic and your personal experience and view. It’s valuable and beautiful how you are able to reflect, learn, question yourself to better yourself in terms of responsibility and care and love for your horses and the sport.
I would go as far as that it’s not only with dogs or other men ‘owned’ animals but even with having children and how they are mistreated sometimes, sadly enough by their parents/ keepers.
Big shout out to your voice and making the difference ❤
Thank you for being a wonderful role model for young people just starting out with horses. Your care and respect for them is a positive example.
From the perspective of someone on the outside of the equestrian community: My background consists of loving horses and working jobs as a stable hand and groom when I was young. I don't own any horses as an adult because I refuse to bring any animal into my care that I'm not 100% sure I can give the best possible care to. I'm not in a position to give that level of care to a horse so, I've never gotten one.
Firstly, thank you for your perspective and putting your voice out there. It's no small thing to openly criticize the behavior of someone you've looked up to. For that, you have my admiration.
My thoughts: You seem to be in a place where you fear the worst from people outside of the equestrian world demanding extremes such as calling for riding to be outlawed in its entirety. I hope I can give you some comfort in saying that such an extreme measure is absurd and it's a loud minority of people who have even less knowledge than myself that would be calling for this sort of thing. Forming a bond with a horse is one of the most amazing things to experience and being able to ride is good for both the rider and the horse in a domesticated environment as long as the horse is healthy in both body and spirit.
I think the biggest concern from the outside prospective is that high level competition demands everything of the competitor and more still. The amount of pressure on riders and as a result, their horses is immense. I'm not saying that's an excuse to abuse a horse. But, that pressure may drive weaker willed competitors into harming their competition partners as they push them for more. It's my opinion that either there need to be independent inspectors from multiple organizations present at all high level competitions with oversight and accountability for all riders and trainers who are under this type of pressure; or they need to consider the thought that this level of competition is not good for the well being of the animals if it means being subjected to such abuse. Removing equestrian sports from the olympics wouldn't snowball into a call for all equestrian sports to be stopped. It would simply remove animals from being pushed into the highest level of competition where the stakes push people into doing extreme things to get the results needed to win.
I understand that I could very well be missing some context as an outsider, but I don't believe there is any excuse for abusing an animal in any situation. If this type of behavior is shown to be highly prevalent among top tier riders and / or trainers, then it may time to have that same conversation you had with yourself about the well being of your own horse on a bigger scope for all of the horses that are competing in the olympics. How many riders and trainers do this kind of thing behind closed doors? how many of these horses are being injured either by the people working with them or within the events themselves via accidents? Those questions should be asked in good faith and looked into honestly to find the truth about them and from there, the discussion should move on to "In light of what we found out, is it in the best interest of the animals to continue to make them compete at a level that has such extreme pressure?" Do I know the answer to any of those questions? No. So, I won't say that equestrian events should be eliminated from the olympics. I will say that those questions need to be asked and answered, though and I will also say that whatever oversight that already exists needs to be expanded upon. Clearly some things have been overlooked.
Matt, sincerely thank you for this. As a rider, I’ve followed your journey for years and have always respected your training and care for your horses. Every point you’ve touched on here is so spot on and thoughtfully delivered. From the disappointment and utter heartbreak of this situation to the decisions you’ve made on your horses behalf. We are all bewildered by this incident, but you hit the nail on the head saying it’s an opportunity for our community to make a difference in the way the world sees us. To have these hard conversations and set an extreme standard for what is appropriate and what isn’t when it comes to our horses.
Thank you for taking the time to explain your views on this. I have been around horses most of my life, and have worked at a few large training facilities as a groom. After a few years as a groom, I decided maybe the horse industry wasn't something I wanted to be a part of. Horses were seen as just dollar signs, and some trainers treated both horses and humans like garbage. Unfortunately, it seemed as though the compassionate trainers who put horse before ego, didn't get the accolades they deserved, yet the narcissistic abusers were basking in all of the glory. Both you and Jesse, are "a breathe of fresh air" in the horse world. It truly is amazing to watch the interactions between you and your horses. You've developed such extraordinary bonds with them. Thank you for reminding me that kind hearted souls still exist in the industry.
I forgot to say that I appreciate you sharing your perspective and insight. I enjoy you and Jesse very much. Thank you for loving and respecting your animals.
Thanks for speaking out and sharing your thoughts and beliefs against the mistreatment and abuse of horses. Self-preservation is no excuse not to bring attention to these horrendous acts. It is time for people within the horse world to stop and expose abusers
Some degrees of abuse and force are so commonplace that people just overlook them and don't know any different/better, leading to the good people doing bad things problem. Things will only change when people humble themselves, take a step back, and really look at their practices and what they do to the horse. You put it so well ❤️
I find myself taking a step back and reflecting on methods I have been taught over the years. I have changed my riding so much the more I learn. Took me too long to understand these beautiful animals are never to be treated this way period. I aim to do better for them and encourage others around me to follow
She whipped a horse 24 times! I don’t care how she feels but you are so much sweeter and empathetic than I. Her connection with her horse is one of power and control, it’s all about her and nothing to do about the horse. There’s nothing nuanced about beating your horse. This type of behaviour and training need to stop and change immediately. If you see abuse call it out!! If you don’t you’re part of the problem. You can’t tell me Matt that you’ve never saw someone mistreated/abuse their horse. Did you call it out? Please start now and encourage all to call it out. Nothing will change until everyone who doesn’t abuse stand up and speak.
I agree! Because ALL horse riding will be canceled if abuse is not rooted out. Horses love working with humans and there are so many magical bonds between humans and horses.
Abuse is abuse no matter how often you do it. Whipping a horse once is abusive. the whip isn't meant to be used for punishment or with the intent to hurt the horse
Exactly change only takes place when people are brave enough to speak up. There is absolutely no place for people be allowed to abuse their horse. Anyone who is seen abusing a horse should never be allowed to compete in any capacity. If someone abuses their horse in public one can only imagine what goes on out of the public eye
Thank you for addressing this. Charlotte was one of my idols; I invoked her name in conversation as a demonstration to non-horse people what my goals looked like. Like a child, I hope that magic would help me get there. If a 50+ year old, such as myself, can look up to her, how might she affect a teenager with their first horse? Little girls everywhere aspire to be her.
Cancelling her is not the answer; she is a human being who deserves to live another day, to atone and help make the changes needed in the industry. Radical change is needed from the ground up. Charlotte didn’t invent the misuse of the lunge whip and the subsequent abuse, she was taught it.
When we put our idols up on a pedestal, when we give them power like that, we end up with riders (as in this video), who allow the abuse, either too fearful to speak up or too unsure of right and wrong. The rider, the videographer, the audience were all complicit, and they can all share in what happens next.
Im ashamed to say I was instructed by my first dressage coach to hit my horse on the haunches in warm up, whack! whack! whack!, taking care to do it away from the judges eyes, as a way to wake her up. The violence and abuse has filtered down to the lowest levels of schooling shows, and for what? Follow the money to weed out the people who need to change.
Jesse has said on the podcast that one of the things he admires about Matt is that he never hesitates to call out abuse if he sees it occurring & will address it openly & straight away. We need the whole horse riding community to do this.
Matt, thank you for this.
I watched your videos about taking Chase to Netherlands and always came away with the same thought: Chase is so well taken care of. One thing you maybe didn't take into account was that maybe all Chase wanted was to stay with you. ♥
The love and respect you and Jesse show your horses is a joy to watch. You’ve shown me a world I never knew existed with horses. I feel one of the laws of nature is “Do No Harm “ but sadly some humans lack the ability to discern that.
Not only did Charlotte needlessly abuse that horse because she couldn't get from that horse what she wanted, but she put the rider in danger as the horse's reaction could have been extreme. I'm frankly surprised given the age of the horse and the number of lashings he took that he didn't overreact and throw the rider. Her only hope now is to turn her efforts toward doing everything she can to change this kind of behavior, which is rife throughout the sport, and not only at grand prix level dressage or other equestrian sports at the highest levels. Her choice now, but she better make it a good one if she wants to atone to all those who once looked up to her.
Thank you Matt for this conversation. You have demonstrated such maturity and integrity. Humanity needs to strive for these attitudes. ❤️
Well said. I'm very much an amateur rider, and have owned horses for almost 50 years. Some have been a great success, others not so much. The latter have always been found a good new home and thrived. This responsible ownership, being aware of what the horse needs.
Thank you so much for your addressing this issue. That is what I love about your presence on UA-cam.. HONESTY ....and your EXAMPLE of how you always think about what your horse wants.
Appreciate your sincerity, advocacy for animal welfare, and candidness
I have watched more videos and it seems the rider is 15 years old, so I would not expect her to challenge the adult's behavior. This situation reflects not only on Charlotte but on the problems associated with competitive riding and dominance style training techniques. Just because someone says, "it's always done this way" does not mean a more humane way will not work. I hope the fallout and bad publicity from this incident will motivate the equestrian community to improve the way their treat their horses.
THANK YOU for speaking up Matt 🙏🏽With your influence and your community I'm proud to be part of, you are most certainly one of those who can spread awareness on such a crucial topic.
Thank you Matt for such a balanced, fair and calm appraisal of this deeply shocking and wholly unnecessary incident. You're absolutely the voice of reason, thoughtfully going straight to the heart of the matter without overreaction. ❤❤
I find many horses come with issues from being abused at a young age. It is wrong and pushing any horse by whipping, tie down, Sharp bits, ropes, etc. is abuse. It takes years to rid these memories and obtain trust back. I appreciate how you guys care for your animals and think of their needs before your pleasure. We must push for ethical treatment for all. When we see it, we call it out. Laws to protect must be tightened.
Matt I am so glad you did not in any way excuse what Charlotte did. She seemed quite comfortable beating that horse about the legs and the rider didn't seem upset or surprised therefore I must assume this was not a lapse or a mistake but a regular occurrence. And 2 more dressage 'professionals' were found to utilize some practices that were harmful to their horses just this week. I honestly think it is much more prevalent and ignored than you think. I will say however that seeing you with your horses and Jesser (spelling?) too I believe wholeheartedly that you love them completely and would never harm them for your own purposes or gain or for any reason... it is quite lovely to see. And so, thank you for your honest and thoughtful response to this abuse by Charlotte and others ... ❤
Matt, appreciate your thoughtful perspective. Amidst all the chaos your comments are fair and kind. The disappointment is real, but it has also opened up a dialogue that can, hopefully, improve horse welfare, whether at the upper levels of sport, or just for amateur horse lovers/owners.
You are speaking tears to my eyes, Matt … You are so wise, sensible, intelligent and warm hearted that there is no doubt that the shift in horse care you are talking about is actually here!! And you, and Jesse, are an important part of it. We are a lot of horse people out here that just want someone to be our voice in this tragic (or necessary) time of revealing every kind of horse abuse. So keep on talking! We and every horse on this earth needs you! All my love to you both 🍏🍀💚
Well done! I have witnessed so much blind hatred along with so many self righteous attitudes simply wanting to punish the “bad guys” in order to feel better about themselves and their own methods. It’s so very good to hear you speak about this tragic situation in a manner that emphasizes both accountability all around and profound self reflection! None of us are perfect and if any good can come out these very sad situations, it begins with looking inward and taking inventory of our own methodologies and critiquing our own practices, using the mistakes and misguided actions another as a tool for growth and change.
We have all done things we should be ashamed of. I agree with Matt that the way to deal with it is to discuss it and learn from it, not heap hatred upon the person who got caught doing it. Hatred will never help with rehabilitation. You only have to look inside of America’s prison population to realize that.
Very well said. It's like parenting. Every parent of a child that's adult can tell you of days they failed, were unfair of grumpy and yelled, spanked or did something negative. We're just human and you learn as you go, and making mistakes is part of learning. When you throw in immaturity, personal behaviors stemming from hardship, lack of knowledge of child development and more, then mistakes will be made. I love that you call for people to learn from these mistakes instead of vicious attacks on the person. I would bet, many who are upset, have themselves failed at times with horses, dogs, children, other animals, friends, family, etc. No one is perfect. This woman paid a high price for her mistake. I've seen much worse in all the categories I mentioned, which doesn't excuse it, but doesn't mean it should ruin her whole life and negate the good things to a point of destruction. I've seen people who have done something abusive work to change, and we need to give that opportunity while continuing to hold them accountable.
She will learn from her mistakes when the consequences come into play. She didn’t take accountability she called it “error is judgement” she is literally whipping a horse lol. So many weaklings in the horse community. If someone was whipping my horse no matter if it was a fkin celebritity I will defend and protect my horse I don’t idolise people you gotta be pretty pathetic to do that. They are just any other human who sh!ts and farts and we are all equal they ain’t God to be idolising them that you let them hurt your horse
well said.
100%
I agree that people have a basic humanity that should be respected (& honestly in these situations I wonder what extremes of mental health responses someone in Charlotte’s position might reach, which I would not want) but in my country her actions would be legally prosecuted & she would potentially be heavily fined, placed on probation or in more severe circumstances even jailed (which I would not view as unjust for perpetrators of animal abuse). It wasn’t a “mistake” (mistakes are unintentional acts)- in my country it would have been viewed as a criminal act. I wouldn’t want “her whole life ruined” but I would want a strong legal deterrent & for her to pay a debt legally.
Being someone who runs a animal refuge in Jamaica this is something I see and deal with on a daily basis. Everything I have I give to my animals. It is really a basic narcissist personality that is displayed. Empathy and sympathy are to completely different things. I have also worked and lived on a professional horse farm in Maine which was owned by a woman who has trained an Olympic gold medal winner... I watched her ride her horses till there was blood in their mouths, and such a sick foamy lather on them. I have cried while cooling down these horses. She told me she had to be the stallion in her barn. I am here to say abuse only teaches an animal, any animal, to fear a shituation instead of being safe sane and calm. We all make mistakes, but some things need therapy. Not even Dr Phil will work with narcissists. Just realize if it was recorded once... how many times has she lost her cool when not being recorded. There is NO JUSTIFICATION!!! 🙏🏽🦄🇯🇲
Matt, thank you for speaking out. I know you feel like you’re taking a risk in doing so but you did it anyway. Martin Luther King said “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.” Thank you for standing up for what is right!
Thank you for standing up for a loving relationship with the equine
Such a mature and balanced assessment of a horrible situation. Well done! I can’t begin to comprehend why someone would behave that way. My boy comes first in everything.
This is the best response I’ve seen so far. Excellent perspective.
Of all the horse you tubes I watch, Free Spirit Equestrian's Shae is such a terrific, kind, and resourceful trainer/owner. She starts by getting close to her horses and understanding their needs and skills. She has a lot of videos lunging her horses with a long whip. She states repeatedly that the long whip is an extension of her arm. It gives a visual cue to the horse and is NEVER used as punishment or in anger. A scared horse, or any animal, is dangerous and unpredictable. If fear and pain is used in training, it only teaches the animal that you are cruel and mean.
Shae doesn't push a horse beyond what the horse is confident and able to do. She states repeatedly that knowing your horse is most important.
She's only pushing to do basic stuff and that's great there is an absolute market and need for balanced trail horses. I don't know if she would know how truly ask for more.
Love FSE! cannot wait to see Kyle continue to bond with Price...He's Def 💯 Kyle's heart horse! 🙏🏻🐴
same collage I love FSE and Shae. My other favorite is Emotional Horsemanship. Lockie Phillips.
@@mollyragdollfan1917 I also love Lockie! He has not only helped with my horse but my dog training as well.
@@jrmints80 I think you're underestimating Shae's abilities. She chooses not to get involved in more than the basic shows.For the sake of the horses. She does low key jumping with some if the horses, does liberty and has participated in endurance with her Appaloosa. She's found a way to work her dreams into a successful, multi faceted business.
It must almost feel like a betrayal when you see someone you look up to doing something like this. Even in the US there are horse owners who are extremely abusive to the horses in their care, and others who treat their horses with respect. There is no good answer to combat the abuse that takes place. But, thank you Matt for talking out and addressing what has taken place. Unfortunately Charlotte may only be apologetic for what was seen on camera. who knows how she will treat her horses in private.
I am NOT a horse person, I am a horse lover and admirer. I so enjoy horse content from farrier to shows and competitions, a new foal making it's first steps in the world. That said, having watched this content for so long it all comes with comments that are positive negative and sometimes just hateful. I so enjoy Jesse's and your content and appreciate you starting a conversation! That starts not only finding solutions but also an opportunity to educate. Throwing hate without a conversation fixes nothing. Then your just on to the next shocking thing. Respect you sir for having a conversation!!
Thank you for responding here. I have been avoiding looking at all the extremes posted. I am a retired dog trainer. Professionally I rarely trained dogs, I trained people. And teaching people to control their emotions, and to understand that the dog simply doesn't understand their expectations was the hard part. I had to carefully watch the humans and teach them to break things down to achieve success in small increments. And to understand getting angry does nothing but break the dog's trust. My own dogs, some loved working, some were very blah about it. When I saw the blah after lots of motivating and training, I retired them to house pets who had incredible manners. My opinion on the vivid reality of animal abuse is so loud that those actually rare occasions that they can make it so much more difficult for those of us who manage it in the correct and honorable way.
I think casual cruelty happens in human relationships with their animals quite a lot. I think humans frequently don’t understand many aspects of their animal’s behaviour & obliviously cause their animals distress. All of us amateur animal owners need to be constantly vigilant & open to questioning how we approach our animals. I believe animal care should always be evolving & improving. I completely agree that it is the human that requires training.
Well explained, Matt embarrassment, guilt, and reputation loss is something she alone has to face. She may come back from it down the road, she may not. But to punish or take away from those that are always trying to do whats best for our equine companions and learning and listening to theirs wants and needs would be overall devastating. Bless you and Jesse for all that you do and for showing us how we can accomplish so much more by doing whats right ❤
Matt, this was a diplomatic, important, strong and very clear speech to everyone that are dealing with horses. They do not have a voice or a instiution to call and complain and speak up about the bad treatment and get help. Bad training hurt them emotionally and physically. They actually have feelings and they can think.
As you said the silence is so strange around this incident...
I get sick when I hear such things. Poor sweet horses!
Thank you for standning up!
Very good that you talk about this, I’ve been waiting for a comment by you.
Thank you Matt for being so brave and wise. You are a fantastic spokesperson for our horses.
I grew up being coached by a very “old fashioned” instructor. I felt the way she taught things was wrong but also felt that I must have been very arrogant to think I knew better than someone with such great experience. When I turned about 14 or 15 years old, I finally decided I needed to branch out m and follow my instincts which transformed my relationship and life with my horses. I continue to learn everyday and love my horses very much. That being said g said, even my quite harsh (in my opinion) “old fashioned” instructor NEVER even came CLOSE to the behavior Charlotte demonstrated in that one video. I’m horrified and I do not feel bad for what she is going through. Very real horses lives have been abused for years by this person. I hope and pray she genuinely learns and that her horses welfare will only improve for the foreseeable future. So I am grateful she’s being held accountable for the sake of the horses.
Thank you for making this video. We need more equestrians like you and Jesse. Your horses are very lucky.
Matt you gave her too much grace. There should be consequences coming to her. No matter the animal they rely on us humans to take care of them. I couldn't watch what she did. I didn't want that vision in my head. My heart is for the horses she has whipped. Good job Matt you're a tender soul.
My daughter was a groom for an American woman short listed for the Olympics, years ago.
She said here in the US this is typical for horses to be treated like that here.
She was 17 then, now looks back on it with horror for the horses.
You are so articulate and thoughtful in your remarks here. Words in a sad, delicate situation such as this can be used either as weapons or as mirrors. Thank you for not picking up the club.
A difficult multi layered moment but I learned alot today, especially about thinking about what is in the horse, or your pet’s best interest. A better approach than forcing your own desires and will upon your horse or pets. Or on people for that matter- very helpful, Thank you
You are doing a great job of using examples and modeling self review of your own behavior. The people who follow you are seeing mature thinking. Then you apply mature thinking to this issue and you set up for your viewers where this issue will be going and this process may become difficult. In the learning process (am a retired teacher) it is called an advance organizer. You are gifting your audience a way of processing what happened and how this may evolve.
Good on you for addressing the situation. Disappointed in so many other equestrian influencers who have said absolutely nothing.
Matt, you have taken a very diplomatic, well thought out and balanced look at this very difficult subject. Just like any sport - animal partnered - or otherwise there are behaviors that cause pain , or violate the rules, or are unethical. That doesn't mean that everyone involved in the sport arel bad or that the sport needs to be stopped. I'm so glad you called out cancel culture and feel that you are very brave to take on this subject.
I think that it is such a show of love and respect to acknowledge what a horse does or doesn't like, and decide to put that over your own wants. I love drill. I did one season of drill with my gelding because I wanted to see if we could do this together. He didn't love it. I'm not sure he even mildly liked it. He did it like he does everything I ask, but it felt like such an effort to get it done. I finished the season so as not to leave my team hanging but we will not do it again because it wasn't his thing. We are doing dressage now and he is a different horse entirely. Ultimately, he would love to jump but I am no good at it. So I let others jump him when they're available because he absolutely loves it. I want him to be happy, no matter my own wants and goals. I don't own him to accomplish something for myself. I own him because I love who he is and our relationship. With that comes having enough respect for him to do what makes him happy, in a way that is fair and kind to him.
If you intend to have a high stakes eventing career and invest thousands upon thousands into performance horses, there isn't much room to consider what the horse might want. Forcing them into your agenda by hook or crook, using proven abuses, gets you the optimum return on investment. How many retired Chases would there actually be room for? I think this scandal should buzzsaw the community into some major reforms- including the cruel plight of used up and injured performers via neglect and the slaughter pipeline. If everyone was like Matt and Jesse, this would not even be a discussion.
I'm so glad you have spoken about this because i feel the exact same!!! After the incident, I'd been quite stressed about the future of the horse world as everyone just jumps to conclusions. I have spemt the past week assessing how I manage and ride my horse as someone starting out eventing
Well done Matt
Thank you for no crickets and saying something
I do not feel bad for her situation because I feel this isn't the first time she has done this, I feel it's the first time somebody caught it on a video. I too hope people do not put every horse rider in this category of abusive tactics to get a training result. Thank you for being you and listening to your horses and never engaging in improper ways to get your training point across to the horse.
Your treatment of horses has been so educational for me (non equestrian here). I appreciate you speaking out on this and putting yourself out there. Your voice and opinions on this are speaking to truth and not in an effort to elevate yourself atop another persons downfall. Please continue sharing how you treat your horses. I think it is so needed right now.
There is a great lesson to be learned, always treat an animal the way you would to be treated and if you don’t, be aware there is always someone with a camera nearby. Makes you wonder if someone in her background used the same methods. Thank you Matt for addressing this HUGE issue for all horse lovers.
I’m about halfway through this video. Thank you for speaking out. Your position is so much more reasonable and human than others like Raleigh.
Omggg i was just about to say this. I thought Raleigh's response was rather horrible tbh.
I actually very much agree with raleigh
Raleigh had the exact same point. The only difference was the delivery.
@@emmamastersparrow3315Horrible?? Really? A softer kinder app to abuse would be better?
@@loekecavietMe too, absolutely. I don’t care about any excuses, abusing horses or any animal is absolutely unacceptable. They trust us, love us, depend on us. We are their entire world, there is just no excuse.
Thank You for your honest,clear,opinion on the awful allegations against Charlotte. I agree with 100%. ABUSE is ABUSE,and this was clearly the case. I surely hope it is taken to heart,and this and ALL ANIMAL ABUSE is STOPPED! from the USA.
They are not allegations!
I'm so glad you are vegan and don't pay for horrific animal abuse and eat them.
@@elsestelema6273 I stated it was ABUSE,and do NOT AGREE WITH IT. Please re-read my comment.
13:30+- You hit on it almost spot on. Not only is there no excuse for what Charlotte did, but the *selfishness* of her actions, knowing that she represents some of the "best" dressage riders out there and the damage she's done to the sport and the people in it, is absolutely the worst!
Thanks for your opinions/input, you are not the only one to have tackled this, but i'm very glad to see that you did and to see you expressing your opinions and feelings. I hope you (and some of the others that have tackled this) don't get too much negative backlash/arguing!
Beautifully said. As Oprah said,"When we know better, we do better." And I'll add to that, If we have a conscience and a heart, and we listen to them. I think back to a choice of equipment I made, on someone else's advice, when I was young, and didn't know better, and I cringe thinking I might have caused my horse discomfort. I didn't know any better. Now that I have learned more, and know better, I would not make the same choice. But that was a very long time ago, and what we knew about horses then is so minimal compared with what been discovered between then and now.
Thank you SO MUCH for finally but some perspective on this! Also addressing cancel and hate culture…and what you said about do what the horse finds easy and likes to do is so on point! I bought a horse for jumping once, he was 4 years old and turned out to have no talent thou his full brother did. So I started doing dressage with him and that was his thing so he went all the way to GP. Had a black beauty who couldn’t be bothered and so I did not want to push him, so sold him to a girl who had lost confidence and he gave her that back because he was so safe and never afraid, so he was a lifesaver for her❤. What is your ambition and what is your horses talent- be honest- and either find the right home or chance your ambition… But some people will not do that and then too much pressure starts or it has to go too fast.. I’m all for chance but in the positive way and NOT the hate🦄
Wow thanks for this, it really touches me and is one of the best statements on this topics that I have heard until now. I think using this topic to reflect on oneself is the best we can do.
What has happened to critical thinking.. and not just in this arena but everywhere. Thinking in extreme scenarios doesn't solve anything and requires no intelligence. Thank you Matt for offering a balanced and reflective opinion.. abuse of any kind must not be tolerated.. however kindness and empathy are forgotten whenever money and prestige are at stake.. only the horse world itself can root out abusers.. but it won't happen until many more people speak up as you have just done Matt.. Bravo..
Matt, I appreciate your mature and empathetic handling of this topic. There is an old expression that might apply to one of the points you were making and it’s “ don’t throw the baby out with the bath water” meaning you lose the good parts of something as well as the bad parts, because you reject it as a whole instead of just removing what is bad.
Also, generally speaking, IMO, cancel culture or public shaming denies ostracized individuals little chance for meaningful dialogue, education and rehabilitation. It’s about punishing.
Enjoy your time at the 2024 Olympic m
Very well said, Matt. Props to you for having the courage to talk about this, it is certainly scary to talk about such controversial topics, but you did a brilliant job! You talked in a very open minded, empathetic and responsible way. Bravo!
Thoughtful and well articulated vlog. Cancelling equestrian sports at elite levels is not going to stop horse abuse. The worst abuse happens in places where no one sees it is happening. Education can over time improve the situation and high profile events like the Olympics can play a role in making that happen. Negativities hurt the good as well as the bad.
I don't comment often on any of the YT channels I watch but I do give thumbs up and subscribe. I love you and Jesse. I found this video and subject speaks to a lot of the world of entertainment/sports in the world right now. People, through their talents have been given elite status through winning competitions, Grammy's, Oscars, etc. Social media now plays a part and sky rockets them to stratospheric proportions. This is where it can go horribly wrong as pressure to perform, keep winning, keep the status they now find themselves part of. Ethics, empathy, rationale, common sense, everything out the window as they must maintain the level at all costs. Put on a great face in front of the video/camera but if you are doing horrific things in your life it will come out. Horse abusers, child abusers, human traffickers, so many other evil people. There are cameras everywhere and it will be just a matter of time. and these people with bad intentions will get their karma. I say don't put people on a pedestal unless they are solving world peace.
A very respectable response thank you Matt! You truly are a good person! ❤
Matt thank you so much for your words. You have said exactly what I have been feeling since I saw what my dressage hero had done. I have been so sad, confused, angry and disappointed. There is no excuse for what Charlotte did. The welfare of our horses must always come first in all that we do. We must always do the best we can by our horses at all times. Learning and evolving with them. Listening to them and understanding their limits and not pushing them too far or too fast Charlotte is a professional who has been in the industry long enough to know that this is not the way to train a horse. She has lost everything and it was her own doing. It is just a very very sad situation. Thank you Matt this has helped me process the situation. ❤
I can relate. I remember as a child getting to go to Olympia, Horse of the Year Show, and being thrilled to see these amazing show jumpers etc. And yes I had a clear favourite because he was unique in his approach to producing top show jumpers.
Well, we got to watch him warm up just before his round. To say he viciously beat his horse up was an understatement. I ceased to follow him,I just couldn’t watch him. But did I stop riding. Nope. I just changed my view about that person.
Who was it?
@@lilacdratini
The point of my mentioning it was to say “don’t let one bad apple ruin the barrel”. Not everybody is equal and to seek the path that suits your own intentions.
OMG HOW HORRIBLE
Yes seen this as well in the 60's..... well known show jumpers, heartbreaking..
@@Golden1989-daysI applaud you for keeping to your point and not making it about that person, even more so when specifically asked. Truly commendable!👏🏻
You have a very lucid way of explaining this issue. I often wonder whether people who abuse horses don't understand the importance of spending time with their horses, bonding with them, and treating them with the respect they deserve as another being. It delivers a different kind of joy than technical achievement.
ANY training that abuses horses IN ANY WAY is unacceptable. They are reliant on our welfare and if abuse is used, the human should not be allowed to own horses. This of course goes for all animals. The skill that should be rewarded is horsemanship where horse and rider have mutual respect for each other and show it in their performance.
Also she could have "avoided going through this" by being a better person with her horses. She only has herself to blame. We all have to be accountable for our own actions.
I love your thoughts on this. Be proud of who you are and thanks for your intelligence. Ive been there where you look up to someone and its a huge disappointment. All we can do is try ourselves to make the world a better place for animals. ❤
Matt is so correct. Face the fear you might learn from it but stay respectful.
Thank you for this. You are such a wise and beautiful person. It seems that when money and fame come into play things can become excessive and the pressure to remain on top becomes the driving force. People can sometimes lose touch with the joy in and love for what they are doing. This is when good, talented people do very bad things. It is so senseless and sad.