7:00am Sunday 22nd November 2009
BRITISH Horse Society chairman Patrick Print FBHS has written to Federation Equestre Internationale president, Princess Haya of Dubai, to demand an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the apparent distress of Swedish rider Patrick Kittel’s horse at Odense last month.
Mr Plant also wants a probe into the ethics of hyperflexion in dressage training generally.
The Odense incident caused widespread debate in the equestrian world after video was posted on the internet.
Mr Print told the princess: “As you are doubtless aware, in terms both of membership and breadth of interest, the British Horse Society (BHS) is the largest single equestrian organisation in the UK.
“Our examinations system, and the training and education which underpin it, have earned for the society international recognition.
“No less important is our work to promote the highest standards of equine welfare, which suffuses every facet of our work.
“We do not for one minute suggest that Patrik Kittel at any time sought to treat his horse other than with proper care and respect.
“Nevertheless, in matters of equine welfare, the precautionary principle must always apply: if, despite the absence of conclusive proof, the wellbeing of a horse is called into question, there will exist a strong moral obligation on the FEI to respond immediately. “In our view, the concerns so widely expressed are reasonable and therefore deserving of an urgent two-part investigation.
“First, an inquiry into the treatment of this particular horse on this particular occasion; and, second, a broader inquiry into the ethics and consequences of hyperflexion.
“In this second aspect the British Horse Society stands ready to assist the FEI in any way it can.
“Please note that we pass no comment on the aesthetics of seeing a competition horse contorted in a way it never appears to choose for itself when in its natural state.
“Our concern is only to speak out when we believe that the welfare of horses demands it.”
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