The details of the horse abuse for which Cesar Parra was banned for 15 years have emerged. The FEI announced in August that the US rider had been sanctioned by the FEI Tribunal, but the Tribunal panel’s full report has since been published. It found that Parra had excessively used the whip and spurs, caused damage to horses’ mouths with his hands and used metal nuts under the noseband, and elasticated hobbles and shackles. “The respondent’s actions put the horses’ mental and physical health at risk,” the Tribunal report states. Parra has appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Drivers who passed horses in an unsafe manner were given the chance to see things from a rider’s perspective in a recent operation. Leicestershire Police and Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) worked together on a close pass operation on 25 September. A mounted volunteer rode on the roads, and any driver who passed dangerously was invited to experience the fire and rescue service’s virtual reality van, which allowed them an idea of how it feels to be riding a horse in this situation. “Most people say it’s amazing, they had no idea, they thought they’d slowed down enough – and that they’re going to tell all their mates,” PC Kelly Tones told H&H. “It’s incredible.”
Tools have been created to change human behaviour, with the aim of improving our horses’ lives. The initiative is part of the RSPCA’s Horse Sense project, the first stage of which was research that found the welfare needs of most equids in England and Wales are not met fully. The study found that lack of owner experience is a significant barrier to good equine welfare, and the tools created by Human Behaviour Change for Life are designed to help remedy this.“We get so much from horses,” RSPCA senior scientific manager for equines Mark Kennedy told H&H. “We want that to continue, we want people to have fun with horses. But in return, it’s only right we make sure that those horses have good lives with us.”
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
