Former colleagues of the man raise serious allegations against him: a maker is said to have abused horses for years. The associations only react slowly.
It is about a whole series of allegations against the man: he is said to tie horses together at the head and tail and train them or have put them in this position in a darkened riding hall. He is said to have tied horses up on the halter with a laces, so that it hits the mouth. It is said to have wrapped a blocking strap, a part belonging to the riding equipment, at an event with wire.
And horses are said to have been frightened by training sessions on the so -called double lunge and dripping wet with sweat – the hall floor is said to have been dug according to the units due to the intensity of the training. All horses that the maker looked after are also said to have been afraid of him and have backed away in their box in front of him if he wanted to approach them.
These allegations raise former work colleagues of the man. They had worked with him for several years. The man worked as a maker on a riding stable – he looked after and trained different horses from the stable owner and presented them at tournaments.
As early as April 2024, the German Equestrian Association (FN) was informed about the case. At the moment, a disciplinary proceedings by the Wortfalen equestrian association are running against the man. The WDR’s equestrian port of anstagram channel, @diemitdenporsen, spoke to a former work colleague of the man.
“He broke the horses”
Annika [Name von der Redaktion geändert] was training as a custody at the time. During her time in the stable, she will see how her work colleague treats the horses. “I hardly endured that. I had abdominal pain every time I saw it and I felt so sorry for the horses that I actually didn’t endure that. I left the stable – because of him.” Stall employees secretly filmed the rider to secure evidence.
They finally turn to the stable operator with the allegations. But it does not do anything, says Annika. “You were so powerless, whenever you tried to tackle it. […] He always portrayed it when you said something as if you were jealous of your success and would try to sabotage him. “ Annika therefore gives up her training and leaves the stable.
The stable operator ultimately throws the maker out
The colleague will finally be terminated in 2023 for the allegations of abuse. At this point, Annika has not worked in the stable for two years. Today she only rides in a hobby, has given up her dream of becoming a rider. Her former colleague continues to work as a maker, and he has been employed in several stables since then.
This is what those involved say
The rider and his former employer were confronted with the allegations. The maker says that all allegations are “incorrect”. As a reproach regarding intensive training, he says that he would always carry out the training on the double lunge taking into account the training requirements. The horses are after intensive training sessions “Witzt sweated” but had only left normal traces in the hall floor that nothing was dug up.
And further: “In fact, I can confirm that the mare […] Beforted during the first units of training, has also increased. This is also for a young, four- or five-year-old horse, but normal but no evidence of the misconduct that I have accused of. “
As a reproach regarding the tongue of the tongue, he says that he “Neither once nor repeated” Has done and that he too “never have tied together in the head and tail. The same applies to the use of a locking strap wrapped in wire. The maker says: “At no time, when I entered the box, the horses are not. At no time did the horses not be touched by me. Rather, I trained all horses professionally and also presented them professionally on riding tournaments, was successful in the first introductory and further exams.”
The stable operator explains: “To your email […] I would like to tell that the specific allegations listed in turn were all unknown to me on my own perception. I gained concrete knowledge of parts of the allegations for the first time on the occasion of the annual Januart tournament […] in the Halle Münsterland in 2023 due to video material/photographs that I have played anonymously. Since this is not only very important to me of our own horses as well as animal welfare overall and the material I have played with was and is absolutely incompatible with our understanding of dealing with horses, we have all of our collaboration […] Immediately after knowledge of knowledge ended in early 2023. “
The associations react only slowly
The German Equestrian Association (FN) has known about the allegations since April 2024, and on request, the association will forward to the Wortfalen equestrian association, a regional association of the FN. There you explain: “It is correct that the disciplinary commission of the Commission for Horse performance tests in Westphalia has initiated an investigation. The deeper research is currently underway.”
Annika feels abandoned by those responsible: “We had also contacted the FN, even with several and nothing was done. Contacted again and again, so nothing actually happened there. Then you just felt super helpless, you felt very alone.”
Associations can only intervene to a limited extent
As a club, the FN can issue regulatory measures if their regulations are violated – but this only refers to tournament sport. It is about suspenders, fines or tournament barriers, for example.
Training at home is not affected by such measures and “There are no state sanctions available to us.explains FN-legal Dr. Constanze winter. But: The FN can file a complaint with the authorities. In this case, the veterinary office has not yet been informed.
Spiral silence of the equestrian sport?
An intensive processing of such cases often fails – especially because those responsible only react slowly or not at all. Social pedagogue Alena Mess points out “That a horse, like a child, is in need of protection and cannot defend itself”. This is precisely why it should be in the interest of those responsible in equestrian sports to react to abuse allegations as quickly and comprehensively as possible.