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19th Century star of social media
Image from HenryAltemus.com
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We’ve all read Black Beauty haven’t we? Perhaps it’s time for a reread. Written in 1877 its aim was "to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses". Amongst other things, it is said to have led to the abolition of the bearing rein, a strap used to keep horses' heads high, fashionable in Victorian England, but painful and damaging to a horse's neck.
150 years later, how are we doing with our kindness, sympathy and understanding treatment of horses? The answer, according to “I can’t watch anymore, the case for dropping equestrian from the Olympic Games, an open letter to the IOC” by Julie Taylor, is not very well at all.
Challenging, informative and educational
Can anything really be described as “an open letter “ if you have to pay £15:00 to read it? I suspect not. (Apparently free copies of “Black Beauty” were handed out to London cabbies to educate and influence them). But putting that aside I read this book as part of my ongoing Equestrian SLTO research. I didn’t expect it to be a particularly enjoyable read (the cover photograph, with its unnecessary apparent smear of blood, told me the book intended to shock and be a wake up call) but I did expect it to be challenging, informative and educational. It definitely ticked all three of those boxes, and it certainly helped me understand a lot of my own negative experiences as an equestrian videographer, but I also found the book’s message to be contradictory, the arguments at times naïve and the case ultimately inconclusive.
Let’s start by considering the incontrovertible content of the book, the inconvenient truths. I’m saying incontrovertible because the details are backed up with references to the evidence, names are named (in most cases) and I’m sure if any of this was in any way defamatory we’d have heard by now. You will learn that under the FEI, elite equestrian sport is not internationally inclusive (and can never be), is elitist (money talks), permits forms of doping, dubious medical practice and methods of training, does not protect the interests of the horse (the example of the relaxing of the blood rule is described in detail) and, all things considered, has shown itself to put human entertainment above the welfare of the horse and unfit to be an Olympic discipline.
Much of the book’s ire is aimed at the FEI. Posts on Social Media indicate that “shutting down the FEI” is a cause Ms Taylor finds appealing. What is said about our governing body makes uncomfortable reading and I’ve expanded on that later on in the blog.
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What the book says about itself
(The front cover is too shocking so
I'm not going to copy it here) |
On social media Ms Taylor chose to use me as an example of an insider willing to challenge (heroic was even mentioned). While of course I do not see myself as either an equestrian insider or a hero, my nuclear training has encouraged me to maintain a questioning attitude and challenge and welcome challenge. So with that in mind let’s not so much challenge the content of the book, but the assertion that the case, set out in the book’s title, has actually been made.
Naïve arguments
Let’s start with naïve arguments. The book makes a lot of the FEI’s construct of the horse as a ‘team mate’ and a ‘fellow competitor’ (we all remember the two hearts hashtag). But I think most people have the sense to understand the limits of the analogy and that any partnership is never entirely equal, with each partner inevitably bringing different strengths to the combination. Instead the book tries to take the statement at face value and claims it is invalid by arguing that you wouldn’t treat a human team mate in the way you treat your horse - you can ‘spur’ a team mate on but not literally with spurs! (Mind you, after watching the Six Nations Rugby this weekend it would appear humans expect their team mates to put their bodies on the line and accept pain as part of the process of winning!) As I said this section in the book came across to me as naïve, and while I agree the welfare of the horse is paramount I still believe the equine athlete analogy is valid if taken in context. Ok I accept you must not believe your own propaganda but at the same time you have to maintain a sense of proportion.
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| Equestrian insider! Heroic! Me? |
Contradictory message
The author states that her original intention had been to cause the FEI to act. This would imply that if the FEI had listened and acted ~20 years ago she would have been happy for equestrian sport to continue, in some form. But as much of the evidence on the unsuitability of equestrian sport in the book revolves around the ethological argument that horse sport is contrary to the horses nature, and therefore tantamount to animal cruelty, it is hard to imagine what form of equestrian sport would have been acceptable. One possible explanation might be that her position hardened as she faced increasing FEI intransigence and a perceived worsening of the situation for the horse but I would have expected this to be explained. (I later read a Social Media post that appeared to suggest that this was the journey she’d been on).
and ultimately Inconclusive
Which takes me on to the inconclusive nature of the case. If you are going to ask people to take a particular course of action then it would be normal to set out the pros and cons of the decision you’re asking them to make. After all, while we may be struggling to demonstrate our social license to continue equestrian sport as it operates today, we certainly don’t have social license to turn all the horses we own out and let them run free “doing horsey things”. Of course all the author asks is that the IOC consider the future of Equestrian within the Olympic framework. I say ask, but having just reread the final paragraphs there’s something insistent and demanding about them. But presumably she realises that elite equestrian sport would struggle to survive such a blow and that, depending on timing and preparation, it could prove terminal.
To the extremist, this lack of defined consequence of achieving your desired outcome might be irrelevant. But to the floating voter, who possibly accepts the bones of the case but doesn’t want to make the situation for the horse worse, it is important. After all these are the people who need to be convinced if the equestrian social license argument is going to be won or lost. You cannot claim to have made an ethical, evidence based case for the cessation of equestrian within the Olympics if you haven’t provided evidence that the outcome of this decision will be to the long term benefit of horse kind in general.
A kindred spirit
When I was reading the book there were times when I thought "I could have written that" (yes including sometimes using naïve arguments). Passages about villains portrayed as heroes, writing to governing bodies and being ignored, and being stopped from doing my job because it simply didn't match somebody else's ego all hit home. I don't know if it's praise or criticism but certainly there were times when I felt I was listening to a kindred spirit (been there, seen that, got the tee-shirt).
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If you can't enforce your rules, remove them!
Illustration from the book |
Thinking ethologically
A slight diversion, but the book did get me thinking about the horse, its fascinating relationship with man and how this has evolved over the last 6000 years. The idea that way back someone decided they would take this herbivore into their enclosure, for whatever reason, and then at some point someone else realised that the horse could be used for riding or pulling, must be as important to our evolution as the discovery of the wheel. From these beginnings the partnership was established between man and the domesticated horse.
Clearly it’s not an equal partnership, but it is nevertheless a working partnership which has deepened and developed over millennia. To simply say horses are “social herbivores with the need to roam and be with their bonded social group” is to decry this development and purposefully ignore it. The bonded social group of the modern sports horse is just as likely to include the stable cat and the yard dog as it is Merrylegs and Ginger; and while horses may prefer to be ‘doing horsey things’, showing off at a competition would appear to be among them.
Living in your bonded social group isn’t without its pitfalls or does not necessarily bring out the best in you. (I've just watched an episode of Animal Park where all the young zebra decided to drive an old zebra out of the group because they thought she was letting the side down and would attract predators to the herd). You live in a group only because you believe it increases your chance of survival. So when the predators turn up you give a demonstration of your best moves (dressage), fleetness of hoof (racing) and how high you can jump (eventing) all in the hope that your foe will hunt down somebody else and not you (competitive spirit).
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Being a social herbivore living in a bonded social group isn't without its pitfalls
©J Robinson (Serengeti 4/2/1990) |
FEI villains of the piece
A shock for me in the book was the role of the FEI as villains of the piece. From my limited experience, and based largely on the fact that FEI competitions are well organised and run on time, I’d always looked upon the FEI as the good guys, the people who would get things right. I’d accepted that in the U.K., the sport was cliquey and elitist and driven by vested interest, but I'd always imagined the FEI was somehow above all of that and, driven by Teutonic efficiency and Gallic principles of Liberté, Egalité, and Fraternité, would be doing the right thing by the horse. It was devastating to understand that this was not the case.
Where does the equestrian world go from here?
With both the FEI and World Horse Welfare (WHW) seemingly compromised it is difficult to see where we will find credible people to start addressing the issues raised in the book and the wider challenges of equestrian social license. I’m not sure the WHW Chief Executive's position is tenable if he’s allowed all this to happen on his watch.
Perhaps this is why the BEF decided to take its own action on social licensing (although of course the WHW Chairman turns up there as well). I've said before I believe we need to give BEF their year to come up with some decisive action and while Ms Taylor's book hasn't exactly changed that view it has made the task feel harder than I realised and brought into sharp focus some of the malignant forces that are at work within our sport and how far vested interests will go to protect them.
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What the book represents
©Harveywetdog |
The venue for the next four Olympic Games are Paris, Los Angeles, Melbourne and possibly India. So I’m going to hazard a guess that Equestrian at the Olympic Games is going to remain until at least 2032. All the same, as equestrians, we cannot afford to ignore this book or try to sweep it under the carpet. Whether intended or not the book represents a three pronged attack on elite equestrian sport in particular and, unfortunately, sport horse ownership in general.
The three prongs of attack are
- Stop elite competition to reduce status and cut off funding
- Attack and discredit the governing body and its processes to undermine the sport
- Destroy stakeholder confidence (sponsors, owners, venues, spectators) to further undermine the funding stream
(As I've delved into social media this week I've got to realise that taking targeted action, aimed at the sponsors for Paris 2024, is very much on the agenda of some of the animal rights groups)
It is important that sufficient people in the equestrian world are aware of the book’s content for meaningful action to be taken. Meaningful action will mean different things to different people as obviously you can’t unread what you’ve read. For my part my response was to acknowledge the shocking and sombre nature of what I’d read but add ‘I’m not one of those who believe the answer is to turn all the horses we own out and let them run free across Gloucestershire “doing horsey things”, so we have to make sure we are doing the best we can for the animals in our care.
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Black Beauty 2023
British Dressage Facebook Page |
In conclusion
These are turbulent times for the equestrian world and the book perfectly sets out a number of the challenges we face. Clearly some form of response is required and the timing is such that the points raised by the book can be included in the BEF's "key threats and challenges" and "current issues" even if we have to do this with the FEI badly injured and continuing to shoot itself in the foot. While Ms Taylor may describe herself as an 'animal liberating falafel eater' there is no doubt she fully understands the sport and what drives it. This increases the book's message and potency and ensures that whatever we may think about the aim or content, ultimately the equestrian world cannot afford to ignore it.
Are we looking at “Black Beauty” for the 21st Century? Only time will tell. We do know that Anna Sewell wasn’t the only one calling for reform at the time but the book, and the voice it gave to the horse, provided the catalyst for action. The same can happen again.
Finally some thoughts and quotes
Chapter six final paragraph
"The advent of the FEI code of conduct and, subsequently, the social construct of the horse as a ‘happy equine athlete’ and ‘team-mate’ may have bought the sport a little time in a world increasingly conscious of animal exploitation. but it also created a necessity for the FEI to sweep everything under the carpet that wasn’t all sunshine and lollipops for the horses. doing this required a gigantic carpet, because there isn’t much about modern horse sport that does not bother the horses. It made enforcement of the rules impossible and public relations a nightmare."
Julie Kaiser-Hansen Taylor on Facebook
"And horses aren’t kings. They’re social herbivores with the need to roam and be with their bonded social group. At the elite international level, species inappropriate housing and handling is unavoidable. The book is also about that. Not so much about individual riders."
Harveywetdog on Facebook
"Common sense dictates that once you know you're in a minefield you tread very carefully. I'm not ready to give up on equestrian sport entirely yet. I'm not too worried about the Olympic Games (the focus of the book) although I realise to many it is a pinnacle. To me there is still a thrill walking out on a course on cross country day; some dressage riding still looks beautiful through the view finder (although I admit some leaves me cold). As the book says the horses are the real heroes so as long as there is a Best Mate, an Avebury or a Super Nova to admire I hope I'll be there to do them justice on film. To achieve some sort of future there is work to do and questions to be answered and we must not shy away from either."
Statista (2017 figures)
"There are approximately 260,000 horses in the U.K., with roughly 200,000 estimated as being owned pets"
David Robinson thoughts while out walking the dog
"If my previous colleagues can make a case for the safe operation of Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station on the North Somerset coast, then I am confident we can make a case for the safe continuation of Equestrian Sport within the UK"
"I'm not so worried about what happens at shows and events, in plain sight, surely we can put that right. It's what happens behind closed doors, the dubious breeding fashions, horses that appear and then just as quickly disappear, the millionaire children funded to succeed at any cost, that's what really worries me."
EPONA TV Response
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Author - David Robinson CEng FIET
David spent approaching 50 years in Her Majesty's Electricity Supply Industry before retiring
He was part of the highly successful design team on the Sizewell B Nuclear Power Station Project before spending 25 years producing safety cases to keep our aging AGR fleet generating for the good of the nation
He is responsible for the Harveywetdog YouTube Channel which he maintains as an outlet for his creative talents
David is currently recovering from blood cancer but refuses to be a victim
All views are his own but might be influenced by the drugs he's currently having to take
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