Helgstrand Dressage Abuse Documentary Sneak Peak 

Imagine a professional barn where more than one rider feels 'empowered' to brutalize a horse shamelessly. Like a violence-fest in the arena?!??! An orgy of kicking, yanking, punishing?? This stuff doesnt happen overnight. It is a slow and steady corruption of horsemanship, a total and inexcusable failure on all levels. Helgstrand has lost his name and credibility for good.

I hope this documentary gets translated into English and put on Netflix or TV, equestrians and non equestrians need to know about what goes on behind closed doors, would the sport take a hit? I think so but it kinda of needs to it’s obvious people from inside the horse world can’t regulate there own sport so unfortunately it has to come from the outside now. So many of these people claim “the horse comes first” obviously not if you train and ride horses like that.

Thank goodness this is now being spoken about, 10 or 15 years ago this documentary would never have been made, as these riders (as you said, it's certainly not just Helgstrand doing it, and we all know who the others are) had so much power in the sport. Rolkur and bloody horses reigned supreme for about 20+ years and I am SO glad to see it finally being brought to the forefront as the abuse that it is, although we do have a long way to go in equestrian sports. It's past time that the horses are put first, their health, safety, well being, and happiness should always come before medals, ribbons, and money. I know it's a hard fight b/c money usually speaks, but we all have voices too and we can speak louder if we band together.

As a dane, I'm so sorry to everyone. I'm ashamed that this has probably gone on for YEARS and nothing was done, I'm happy that it's been put to light, I'm baffled, shocked and most of all disgusted and horrified! I will gladly let you all know that the riders in the video have all been reported to the police.

How did us humans become so bad at looking after our horses??? We don't deserve them. I am going to go to my paddock and tell my horses I love them and I would never, ever do that to them.

I have such an emotional conflict with enjoying dressage. Part of me admires what horses can do, but my gut knows what has happened to them to generate that movement and it makes my skin crawl. I have a dressage horse and even at my lowly level I have had numerous trainers advise me to abuse my horse to get him to do something. We have chosen to remain at low levels and be in love together rather than pursue anything that would involve abuse… but the pressure is so intense just because I have a nice horse and we have few friends because of this whole situation. Very very sad.

Humans are the worst look at what we do to each other. These poor horses deserve to be honoured and cherished! Shame on them. Pay attention FEI

Please Look also in THE Quarter Horse Industrie!

Disgusting how those poor horses are being treated.

The world must see this. Thank you so much for publishing ❤

The only way to stop abuse and achieve meaningful change is to pull it into the light for all to see. I'm sure Helgstrand is not happy about this. They will now stand in front of us all and be judged for their cruelty.

Great. This stuff needs to be talked about. I have had a working student experience in Germany at a big dressage stable and these images aren't new to me at all. I got out of there as fast as I could.

I worked at a local place where the dressage trainer would whip or kick horses when frustrated that the horses didnt do what she wanted, this is in Canada. This happens worldwide. I was taught to treat horses like that growing up by this person and others. I will never again behave this way as I know how wrong it is, I wish I listened to my gut growing up seeing this shit. ETA: She would also threaten the horses with being hit, ride behind the vertical, push horses who were stalled all day past what their bodies were ready for etc. This is such a prevalent issue worldwide and things need to change. These people breed sport horses and bring them along like this.

Is there anyway to watch this in America? Thank you for exposing this, its heartbreaking and not unique to just one barn these days. I really hope people take notice. This is Unacceptable. Absolutely Unacceptable.

Here in the US, it is still legal to abuse Walking Horses to get the desired gait. It is sickening what people will do to animals for money.

And when you see these horses in competition thrashing their tails and tense and just bursting with anxiety and nerves...you know why. It's not just bc the stress of competing. It's because they've essentially been abused throughout training.

I’m so sad today. As a life long horse lover, and equestrian I am more and more uneasy with the use of animals for sport, and for the selfish desires of humans.

Laws have to step in where human decency is lost. Our horses need us to speak up. Every time.

Dressage in particular used to be about the correct training of the horse and the problem is we only see what is in the show ring. I once got fired from a riding job because I refused to ride a just backed three year old with ill fitting tack that was clearly in pain because of it. I got told I needed to toughen up. The type of behaviour on the documentary isn't the exception, it's the rule. Exposing it at the top should hopefully have a trickle down effect to the grass roots. I really hope it does. We treat horses like slaves and that brakes my heart.

The Danish to English translation is sadly pretty bad and misses some of the main points of conversation. Glad to see this is gaining momentum outside of Denmark though, its been like this for as long as I can remember, horse abuse at pretty much every level in the sport. It has to stop, and lets not pretend this is just a top rider problem in Denmark, this is an issue world wide. We got kicked out of one riding school after raising concerns about the welfare of some of the horses that were treated similarly to the ones in the video. This was a small place with no international competitors or money. As a kid I have left riding lessons crying after watching my horse get beaten by my trainer and her head tied down to her chest (we obviously left after the incident). But this violence is far too common.

I've worked as a groom in both dressage and jumping (higher level) for years and its not any different then I have seen here in the Netherlands, sorry to say but this is happening everywhere. Its horrible the bumps on the horses from the whips, bleeding from the mouth, trying to get the gear so tight as possible, before ebtering the ring with a towel getting the blood from the flankes of the horses ...

It's going on in so many places - even small breeding barns! Horses are drugged for training, forced backward with heavy hand and spurs along the entire 60m wall, ridden with draw reins only...and the list goes on and on and on....and if you try to teach a better way, the people will flock to follow some guy anyways because the see the flashy single curbs and prancing horses. It's not only those trainers at fault - those who pay them and supply them with horses are just as bad!!!

This happens in reining all the time, too. :(

Truly heartbreaking to see and hear. I could cry. But I am so pleased it’s out there. I too have seen professionals be disgustingly cruel, and I’ve heard of many local higher level trainers have some truly barbaric practices. When I hear of people local to me doing it, it haunts me to think how much this kind Of abuse is happening. I hope this is the start of better. Please share more from this video if you can. I’d like to see it with English subtitles

Sports with horses has to stop. When money is no longer involved and performance is no longer expected, abuse will decrease (I hope).

This is too disgusting! and the worst is that the owners of the horses ´trained´ at Helgstrand´s stable probably do not give a damn or even condone this kind of ´training´ as long as the horse shows RESULTS. His establishment should be closed. How can this go on and nobody acts?

People that don’t ride, just started riding or never used spurs… The force to make horse bleed from using a spur is not like giving him the old school pony club boot once or twice.. it can’t be done by accident or just been using little bit more force that’s necessary… To bleed from a spur it has to be constant violent kicking over longer time period. I have seen terrible riders in 25 years, that did make a mark on a horse from a spur, but never ever witnessed marks that bleed… IN 25 FVCKING YEARS There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for this, and if it was up to me I would make sure, it would be investigated by an authorities and got criminal charges.

And then, when they are sold and go to someone else they become dangerous. Be ause they are used to this treatment and end up completely confused if someone is nice. When they are lucky they will then again be sold as problem horses and find someone who is really good with them. Most of them, however, end up dead because they finally cannot be handled anymore. But of course you won't be told when you buy such a horse. You pay 70.000 for a mental cripple that you have to put through 3 years of therapy before you have a partner by your side.

Any horse with scars on their legs should not be allowed in the gaited ring. Any horse with spur scars should not be allowed into the dressage ring.

In the end she’s saying that the horse had to think about what he has done. I worked on a famous Dutch barn and they said exactly the same after abusing the horse. So it’s the same everywhere 🤦🏼‍♀️

He’s a textbook narcissist considered to be “very charming” by many. He was “oblivious” to what was happening when confronted yet when the undercover journalist told him to take a look at the riders in front of him, all the methods were known to him and “unacceptable”. But by the same token:” You can’t be all nice to a horse and expect it to listen to you” fully negating that the behaviours are in fact abuse and did not intervene. No he started to catch on and instantly became stressed and frustrated about his reputation being tarnished by the media. Not to mention how he cheated friends when selling their horses. In one instance claiming the buyer withdrew so the horse wasn’t sold. Never happened it was sold for app 80000usd and he told her he’d give her about 7-8000usd saying “it’s not even worth that” after having banked the 80000usd. People like AH are dangerous. And the riders totally incapable of thinking independently and just following him like sheep are equally as dangerous - the harm is done to the horses by both AH and those training them. #Shut that place down

OMG as a horse and animal lovers you should be prosecuted for abuse crying watching cruelty inflicted on these poor horses no animal should be trained using cruelty abhorrent shame on you all.

This makes my stomach turn, it angers me so badly.

Where can I find this documentary?

The one thing, I can kind of understand it the thing about the cream. I am always trying to use non-greasy disinfection spray or liquid bandaid, because, the dirt sticking to the grease can actually cause more irritation. But if they had actually earned their spurs and learned to ride (alond with basic learning theory), this wouldn't have happened.

I began training in dressage in 1974 (I was in my mid teens) when it was still based on classical principles that were also competitive. However, I began noticing in the late-'80s that some trainers were resorting to draw reins, and other gadgets, and that had me very worried for dressage going forward. By the early-'90s, I saw the "circus training" and heavy handed riding begin to show up in the show ring. Exaggerated front end movement that wasnt connected to what the haunches were doing, tense horses, wringing tails, horses behind the bit, horses acting out and exploding in the middle of the test, etc. Very sad, but the judges were rewarding that circus training because the ignorant crowd loved it, it was exciting, and it was the opposite of "good training is not like watching fireworks or a rodeo, and instead, its like watching grass grow or paint dry". I know many riders and trainers from the classical training era who were not willing to do whatever it takes to win at the expense of their horse, so they bowed out, as did I after a few instances of a very brutal, heavy handed "trainer" (I heard this from people at the prestigious barn she trained at, from her own clients who said she was rough with the horses but "they got results" and that was great for students where winning was everything, and I also watched their horses in the warm-up ring and show ring and knew what was going on) getting the top place and high scores, and those of us with calm, correct horses riding in harmony placed after them. Finally, about 5-8 years ago I noticed that the pendulum appeared to be swinging back to relaxation and correctness, however, it is still so easy to see when horses are not relaxed and happy in their partnership with a human, and those who continue to abuse horses should be ejected from competitions.

Time to stop thinking our horses are merely motor bikes you just hop on and get them to do what you want at all times . These are sentient creatures .. it is a privilege to even ride them things need to change. This is happening all over the world in every horse sport. Cruelty needs to end, and pressure needs to stay on all these organizations that look the other way!

I hope they do a documentary on some of the Western horse barns next. Watching the spur abuse at those types of riding stables is enough to turn anyone's stomach.

Ah, the pursuit of greatness. Who wants to be a good rider?

How do we get this in UK?

I'm sorry to say that I'm NOT chocked. Like you said in this video, it's not about this stable, it's part of a bigger problem with people competing with animals.

The Danes have allowed abuse for way too many years, but I am really happy that they’ve changed their mind. I fought hard against JB at.Viegarrd stud! He is a horrific man. A Horse killer ! Andreas was contacted by my friend to try to stop JB and of course he completely ignored the pleas! You don’t protect abusers!

We really need this document to go out internationally.

Here is the point>>>> It's about selling expensive horses and the time it takes correctly is way to much to wait for many people. Greed. This is all about greed. Make money on these animals, quickly, those horses routinely sell for over 100K, and they have to do at least 2nd level when they are sold as four-five-six year olds. It takes a talented rider to do this and being paid less than $15.00 an hour does not get talented riders! Talent ends when abuse starts. Sixty riders are there, or more, and I am betting turnover is often and quick. Less than adequate riders are doing "what they do" out of fear of losing their jobs. No one should purchase from Helgestrand, he should be boycotted. It would all end if nothing sells.

This is disgusting. I have seen first hand a NZ international showjumper abusing a horse he came out to try for purchase when I was living in Brunei. The horse had developed a habit of rearing as a way of not going forward once he entered the arena. I know the sellers had medicated the horse in the hope it wouldn't rear. It did rear and the NZ rider repeatedly beat the horse on the top of its head with his whip. I was astounded but stopped from speaking out. The cruel treatment of horses in Brunei at the time I was living there was disgusting, all by an Indonesian company called Trijaya. However this cruelty was by a well known NZ rider.

Where can I watch it?

Where can we see the actual documentary?

Here in the Netherlands, old riding school bosses would punish their horses with whips untill they breed, if a horse did not jump well in the contest they would be beaten at home.

Hello, I'm looking for the full Operation X show, has someone found it somewhere?

This is the real horse business. Why is everyone so surprised.

How disgusting and deplorable to train horses like this for money. I am so glad this has been brought to light.😮

I'm about to watch on Danish tv.

I am so sick of these people, you don't do this to horses!!! Please take an example from Jessica von Bredow Werndl she at least knows how to treat horses. I hope this documentary has bad consequences for helgstrand, but I hope not the people who treat horses right, and who care about them. I would hate it if this sport has to stop because of idiots like helgstrand like this. There are so many riders who do want to do it right. I don't know what to say but this is not acceptable….

thanks you!

Considering that the discussion about Rollkur/Hyperextension surfaced several years ago and it still happens goes to show that history repeats. The same goes for Barring jumper horses. Funny enough nothing happens until someone established are shown to use these methods. The most horrible thing is that this documentary shows that this is a culture in a hundred million dollar business. I guess that no rider would be hired at he's establishment unless they were willing to use these methods. I was lucky enough to be a spectator at a Jane Savoy Masterclass. During the entire class she never promoted rough handling of the horse. Instead she told the riders to annoy the horse. So in order to lower the head she didn't say pull the rein. Instead it was "Wiggle Your Fingers" to get the horse to avoid this by lowering the head and then STOP. The same to get the horse in front of the legs. Tap the horse and as soon as it moves in the desired speed STOP. No kicking just tap. Then take the horse down to a standstill and repeat. It took like 4 attempts then the horse would move immediately when queued.

Ok i didn't realise how bad things were, i stood up for dressage riders thinking they were wonderful and there are some out there that ride with feel and sensitivity. Oh my eyes are wide open now

Is this only available on Danish tv?

What platform will this be airing from?

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING ...I cannot imagine what it would take to make a HORSE BLEED BC OF MY SPUR!!!

Blunt spurs are a very useful aid if used correctly and do not mark a horse at all. What are they using ???

Please can you do vídeos about bridless shows? There is a organization (obviously not FEI related lol) that the ideia is to have a dressage bridless discipline and it's slowly growing. I don't remmember the name correctly, but they have a Instagram profile and i follow a rider as well.

I wish there was a version of this doc w English subtitles

Shocking!

This just makes me sick to my stomach

Good grief, I’ve never heard of a horse bleeding from the bridle. Reining horses have their bridles checked by the judge after their ride.

All people mistreating animals should be fined and jailed. Helgstrand should also be banned for life from every competition. What a disgrace, poor horses.

you will find abuse in ALL disciplines, in ALL generations. People are people and personalities will never change. I do not condone it at all but it is with us forever, horses, dogs, cats, circus animals.... a sad reality

My old jumper trainer from long ago beat a horse in the face with a crutch, and not one person stopped him in Wellington FL. I wasn't there, or I would have stopped it.

That’s horrific!!! These people should be disqualified for life from competing, banned from being near horses and frikkin jailed!! This is god awful. 💔💔💔

Abuse of animals has to STOP!!!

People need to speak out...nowadays you can take photos and show to other people...people should just take out there phone and start filming when in public places. Obviously if you have signed an NDA it is trickier but that is an employee relationship...public people need to start filming.

As if a horse {or any animal} should be left in pain ''To think about what they have done'' it is absolute insanity. A horse won't equate being spurred and left injured as a punishment for resisting the 'rider'...It's sickening how horses are just tools to these riders. The grooms probably have more humility and understanding than the abusive riders. The lashing tails and head movements alone show how physically in pain and frustrated these horses are.

Where can i see the documentary???

I rem watching the olympics warm up many years ago and people were clearly using Rollkur.... no one seemed to bat an eyelid. Including the judges.....

I was Going To Say Whats Up With The Spuring

This could have been a very informative video if the commentator had gotten her face off the screen longer

The treatment of horses in Costa Rica to achieve the fast stepping gait was brutal! Dogs were treated worse. Being in the countryside and seeing what people did to animals was the main reason I did not stay in my farm. Americans are allowed to race horses to death. Hundreds are broken every year. Look at the deaths on the tracks statistics and you will weep. Everywhere horses are used for profit and discarded. Slaughter auctions at the Mexican border are in full swing. Horse meat exported for human consumption! When will the suffering of these majestic and sensitive creatures stop?

Outch 🙈😭

No more sugar cubes!

Makes you wonder about the circumstances of the death of Blu Hors Matine.

Andres Helgstrand has to go to prison. He should never be allowed to work with horses again. Shame! Where is the justice system?

It's always hard to see this sort of thing, and it's sadly more widespread and common than it should be in the equine world. These "trainers" won't stop, because this is how they get their fame and money. The only way it will stop will be for judges and competition associations and venues to have horse welfare a priority, and becoming more strict with their entry regulations like having two different vets/professionals approve the horse's condition (like spur marks, numbing, drugs, proper tack, etc) at initial sign up/arrival and prior to entering the ring. The judges need to be proactive and disqualify those that are still using rolkur and other poor methods. Same with breed associations doing 2 year old futurities where trainers are starting their YEARLINGS to be ready for the shows. Shame the associations and the judges who have power to give these people fame and fortune.

I see Andreas Helgstrand's name being dragged through the mud, but I didn't see Andreas Helgstrand abusing horses? What's really on here?

with your very wide base of support have you thought of looking beyond dressage. Sadly there is far, far greater abuse in other disciplines and they need an advocate. The Big Lick horses are beyond horrifically abused.... PLEASE draw attention to them..... they need help more than the dressage horses

I mean how can you be my hero and I don't even know you 😂 but You're my hero yes bring this shit to light ❤ this is unacceptable behavior

What absolutely disgusting behaviour……. Seriously ….. if you can’t ride properly and treat your horses gently and with respect ……. DON’T RIDE!!!!!!

I think that we should all boycott any company that supports horse sports until the industry is regulated for ethical animal treatment.

Disgusting, spurs r meant to back up ur led if a horse requires just a touch more to recognise what ur leg is asking, they're not a tool for punishment! I had to ride with 1 spur as my horse I was trying just wasn't listening to my offside leg and the minute he recognised that leg a bit more that spur was then taken off my riding boot, but this use of what this poor horse has copped is abuse and cruel and runs a very good chance the it will become dead to the legs and instead of looking like ur doing nothing on the horse it will require a very heavy leg to achieve what is being asked for or in the end there's that chance it will become a flipping lunatic when it notices that the spurs r on for fear of being unnecessarily abused by them. I was a steward for a judge 1 day and she ended up asking me to help her judge and I pointed out to her that the bay horse had haematoma's on both sides so we showed the girl who was horrified as to what had happened and said she'd only just purchased the horse and previous owners said to make sure she rode him with spurs. So we made the decision to take them off and after that the horse worked like a dream horse and thanked us so much as she was much happier now with how he performed without them for the rest of her classes, plus I asked her if it was OK to move her legs into the correct position where her toes were pointing to the nose of the horse and not sticking out which was constantly jabbing the horse in the sides. She truly felt so bad for what she caused to happen, and wondered why no one had corrected her leg position previously and as I said she rode the rest of her classes without them and said he was a different horse now and why the previous owners told her to use spurs on him when clearing he went better without them and showed roughness now when she gave the aids to do things and that's when she started winning classes after that. Spurs once again r only needed to back up ur leg and should never be used in a manner that this person did on the video and why no medical services were used to clean and apply ointment to help what damage this moron did heal, and not become infected 😢. I think this guy might be more suited to to a sport where u can kick the crap out of a ball and not a poor horse!! And sorry to say but if I was the groom for this horse it would've been cleaned and had ointment put on it regardless to what the rider said . xo ❤

The abuse doesn't surprise me at all. The FEI are not fit for purpose...a joke. The people who support this are happy to turn a blind eye, showing just what a cowardly bunch they really are. It's horrific that it's come to this. Judges expect far too much. Money is the only thing that matters. Bullies like those monsters in video should never be allowed near a horse again.

What peices of garbage! They should be band from owning or riding ever again!☹☹

Disgusting animal abuse!!

I tried but I can't watch this...seeing that first shot of a guy slamming his spurs into the horse's sides made me feel like I had to sit down before I fainted or got sick. If this is horsemanship then it is a cruel excuse for animal abuse. I've never had to train or ride a horse with spurs, but I don't compete either. I've heard of so many equestrian sports that are horrible for the horse....all because of money or fame. This has to stop, horses are living, feeling beings and this is just plain wrong. You can certainly train and ride horses without abusing them. Maybe they won't be able to do all the difficult things we wish they could, but we can still enjoy the activity of riding without hurting them. Who's with me ?!! 🐎💗🐎💗🐎💗🐎💗

Any time an animal is for Show, there WILL BE ABUSE! In my mind only arrogant narcissists show their animals as an example of what the “Human” can achieve! It’s not the horses desire to try to buck some idiot off their backs and be hauled around from town to town, it’s not their desire to jump shit continuously, maybe some like to dance but if you have to apply ANY kind of force or abuse to achieve an animals actions just to make YOU look good then you shouldn’t own any animals period!

Its shocking that top riders treat horses this way they should be banned for life 😢😢

grausam!

This is a disgusting horse torture industry.

Man sieht nur ne Birne.

In countrues where they eat horse meat they get s lot of abuse

You are "excited to see the rest of the clips"? Are you sick? This abuse goes way beyond evil and there is no excuse on god's green earth when the knowledge to do it better is literally at your fingertips. They need banning from owning animals forever.

Stay away from "horse shows"....dressage is abuse