Rollkur, competitive driving, and “coerced” horses are the point of interest of the second one a part of the Operation X documentary filmed undercover at Helgstrand Dressage.
The previous day (23 November) H&H reported on phase one among TV2’s Operation X: The Secrets and techniques of the Horse Billionaire following its free up in Denmark. The programme, hosted via investigative journalist Morten Spiegelhauer, is according to photos filmed on a hidden digital camera via reporter Rebekka Klubien, who went undercover as a groom at Helgstrand Dressage in January.
The primary episode incorporated photos of conversations between Rebekka and grooms and workforce contributors of Helgstrand Dressage, which targeted closely on spur and whip marks on horses on the premises. Equine professionals gave their perspectives of the photos, and previous workforce spoke out about unfavourable stories running at Helgstrand Dressage.
H&H has been granted get admission to to phase two of the documentary and has now seen it in complete, forward of its airing on Danish tv on 29 November. (Nb: it’s to be had now to Danish audience who’re paid subscribers of the TV2 app). It isn’t these days to be had in the United Kingdom.
The second one episode displays Rebekka getting access to the driving corridor at Helgstrand Dressage, the place she filmed horses being exercised, on a hidden digital camera. During the clips, horses will also be noticed being ridden more or less, and a few in rollkur (hyperflexion) with tight draw reins. A lot of horses will also be noticed reacting explosively; lunging ahead, evading and going backwards, and rearing. One clip displays a rider aggressively kicking a horse, and even if the digital camera is hidden, the sound of the have an effect on towards the pony’s facet continues to be picked up via the microphone.
As within the first episode, Morten conducts interviews with equine vet Heidi Nielsen, teacher John Randskov, and previous staff rider Susan Kjaergard, throughout which he displays them Rebekka’s recordings.
Hours of photos used to be captured, however the professionals are first proven 25 mins of uncut recordings, and requested for his or her preliminary impressions. Heidi mentioned there’s “such a lot steady force at the horses”, and Susan mentioned she were given an “huge overwhelming feeling” seeing horses going via “this kind of coercion” for this sort of lengthy time frame with out breaks.
Different professionals are proven photos. Equine vet Karin Leibrandt described the driving as “animal abuse”, and animal researcher Kathrin Kienapfel mentioned she hasn’t ever noticed such a lot of other folks “driving so tough” multi functional position, on the identical time.
Later the documentary displays a dialog between Rebekka and a blurred-out rider – it’s not recognized if this particular person is a kind of filmed within the driving corridor.
When Rebekka asks concerning the coaching of the horses, the rider responds that this can be a “vicious circle”.
“Many [horses] don’t are compatible in right here. It’s too hectic – or an excessive amount of is demanded of them,” they mentioned, including that the solid is like “a manufacturing unit” generating such a lot of horses briefly, and this places force at the riders.
Every other dialog takes position between Rebekka and a groom over marks at the mouth of a horse named Devolution. The groom tells Rebekka that Devolution bleeds from the mouth “every so often”, however that it is a common prevalence for horses Bonjour, Darwin, Herbal Spring, and Naxos.
When proven this dialog, Susan issues out that even supposing the groom is aware of that is unsuitable she continues to be part of it and it change intos customary there – which “displays the tradition” at Helgstrand Dressage.
Discussions round draw reins – and rollkur – characteristic right through the programme. In a single recording a member of workforce tells Rebekka that buyers are visiting and so the horses will have to now not be in draw reins once they arrive. When requested why, the workforce member states that the stud does now not wish to be recognized for the use of them.
Different clips display horses being lunged with their heads in a hyperflexion place, and Susan states the power virtually turns out more potent with out a rider, as it turns into transparent “precisely how a lot coercion is concerned” – whilst John describes the body as “utterly unnatural”.
The Danish Animal Ethics Council (DAEC) states in its moral pointers that horses: “should now not be subjected to bodily or mental violence, understood as jerking/pulling/see-sawing at the bit within the mouth; using the whip past what’s characters as correction and/or reprimand; unrestrained use of spurs; different violence that has the options of punishment; in addition to smartly as rollkur and hyperflexion”
Morten interviews Denmark’s nationwide head FEI vet Mette Uldahl and displays her 10 hidden recordings from Helgstrand Dressage to evaluate whether or not they agree to the moral pointers. Mette consents that they don’t and issues out the closely tightened draw reins, hyperflexion, and whip use.
Mette ready a record for the Danish equestrian federation, Dans Trip Forbund (DRF), about Helgstrand Dressage. On this she concluded that there have been “critical circumstances” the place horses have been being handled in some way that used to be “now not applicable”, a “systematic and steady manner with too top a point of delicate to critical discomfort within the horses throughout coaching”, and a tradition that’s not suitable.
The second one episode concludes with photos of Rebekka confronting Andreas Helgstrand over considerations she has about one of the driving she has witnessed, in addition to spur marks and horses bleeding from the mouth.
Andreas responds to Rebekka that “now and again you’ll’t assist it” and that horses can chew themselves. He mentioned that draw reins are most effective used on some horses, and when Rebekka tells him she has taken an image of a horse, a chestnut, in a hyperflexion place Andreas asks if she is “there to make hassle”, prior to asking to view the image. He says that it “doesn’t glance excellent” and that he can not know what’s going on at all times. He then asks if she is recording the dialog and to look her telephone.
A voiceover states that even if Andreas changed into suspicious, he most effective discovered concerning the hidden digital camera later when he used to be knowledgeable within the telephone name with Morten, proven within the first episode.
Helgstrand Dressage issued a reaction on Wednesday night time (22 November) – after the primary episode aired (and the second one used to be to be had for subscribers at the TV2 app) – and mentioned the photos had made a “large affect” at the stud, and used to be “now not good enough”.
The commentary mentioned it used to be unhealthy driving and remedy of horses, didn’t reside as much as Helgstrand Dressage’s pointers and values, and is “now not an expression of our tradition”.
“We will be able to see that a few of our coaching apparatus has been used incorrectly throughout filming. It should information and right kind the pony, however they should by no means be used as punishment,” learn the commentary.
“We wish to state that rollkur and overuse of whips or ‘sliding reins’ [draw reins] aren’t approved with us.”
Helgstrand Dressage’s complete commentary will also be learn in H&H’s record at the first episode revealed the day before today (23 November). The stud has additionally offered a “huge choice of enhancements to its trade” as reported previous within the week.
Based on the Operation X pronounces, the DRF held a board assembly on Wednesday, leading to Andreas being excluded as a countrywide staff rider. DRF competitions were withdrawn from Helgstrand Match, and riders of Helgstrand Dressage were requested to return ahead to stand the federation’s disciplinary committee.
A spokesman for Waterland Personal Fairness which owns the International Equestrian Workforce – of which Helgstrand Dressage is a part – instructed H&H:
“We recommend Helgstrand Dressage’s distancing from the pony coaching actions proven within the documentary from TV2. Since TV2 got the hidden photos in January, Helgstrand Dressage has gone through an intensive overview and has carried out quite a lot of measures and enhancements on animal welfare and in its trade practices and worker running stipulations,” mentioned the spokesman.
“We word that Helgstrand Dressage has taken the grievance to center and can be informed and evolve from this and we’re assured that the corporate will proceed to advance its frontrunner place throughout the sector and set top requirements for the equestrian trade.”
You may additionally be all in favour of:
Credit score: TV2
Credit score: Benjamin Clark
Credit score: AFP by the use of Getty Pictures
Credit score: Long term
Horse & Hound mag, out each and every Thursday, is full of the entire newest information and reviews, in addition to interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and coaching recommendation. To find how you’ll revel in the mag delivered in your door each and every week, plus choices to improve your subscription to get admission to our on-line carrier that brings you breaking information and reviews in addition to different advantages.
