• CONTACT
    • Reporting welfare concerns
  • HOME
  • Rehomed Equines
    • Guardians needed
    • Accord
    • Annie
    • Creme
    • Mimi
    • Nanette
    • Titos
    • 2009
      • Asal
      • Balto & Jenna
      • Brandy (Gucci)
      • Daisy & Dora
      • Gasparin (Gazza)
      • Goliath
      • Maddy, Elly & Poppy
      • Molly & Merlin
      • Ossie & Princesse
      • William
      • Wilbur & Piona
    • 2010
      • Belle
      • Corran Ard
      • Columbus
      • Lena & Belle
      • Leonide
      • Lily & Marcy
      • Perry
      • Vinnie
    • 2011
      • Manon & Rowan
      • Hugo
  • Ownership
    • Donkey Care
      • Donkey Feeding Guidelines
      • Donkey & Mule References
    • Mules
    • Regulations
      • Export Health Certificates
      • Passports
        • France
        • Spain
        • UK
    • Microchips
    • Hoofcare
    • Teeth
  • Campaigns
    • ‘French Rescues’
    • Horsemeat in France
    • Transport to Slaughter
    • Market Welfare
    • Suggested Changes to the Tripartite Agreement
  • OUR BLOG

Home » Association News » The Good ……

The Good ……

Posted by on Nov 1, 2010 in Association News | 2 comments



Mondial du Lion, the young event horse world championships held at Le Lion D’Angers was a celebration of the pleasant face of the horse world.

Small Heavy Horses

The competition is for the stars of the future, with a championship for 6yos and 7yos at this stage of their career. The three phases of dressage, cross country and show jumping are designed to test these young horses on ability and performance, but more importantly, all aspects primarily ask just enough questions to take horses to the next stage of their careers, and to build confidence for the future.

Horses and riders travelled from as far afield as Russia, Poland, Sweden and Portugal to participate, and whilst it was the more prominent nations involved in the ribbons, most horses and riders ran well.

The team at Le Lion did a really inventive job on fence design without compromising the ‘jumpability’ of the obstacles. In both jumping disciplines, all the fences were beautifully dressed with flowers, shrubs and even vegetables, and they have to be congratulated for producing a great show.

Small heavy at the spider jump

For the side attractions, the main arena played host to various  ‘spectacles’, not least of which was children dressed up as indians on little ponies putting on an impressive display, even down to standing on the ponies backs in canter!

There was a stallion parade, including both in hand and ridden entires, and it was wonderful to see the eventing legend of the French teams in the nineties, Yarlands Summersong, 24 years young and still looking good as he lapped up the adulation showered on him.

Most stunning of all, though, was the appearance of the heavy horses harnessed to what were the carriages for ‘La Poste’ back in the day. All stallions, they were in various formats from pairs, tandem, single, four in hand, and something I hadn’t seen before, three abreast.  The breeds represented were  Percheron, Breton, Cob Normand and Comtois.

Three abreast - impressive display

Whilst marvelling at their power and presence, the over-riding emotion is bittersweet – these gentle giants have served us for centuries, and how sad it is that their existence in the current world is principally due to their meat value of their progeny.




2 Comments

  1. Chris Debrouwer
    December 17, 2010

    I definitely do not agree that competition shows the good face of the horse world. Bits, spurs, whips, shoes … all this makes them suffer. And shorten their lifes by at least half. As Alexander Nevzorov says : if you want to kill your horse, do dressage. Dr Cook calls it “stressage”.
    I suggest you visit Alexander’s website, who explains it all better than I do.

    All this doesn’t mean that I don’t admire your job by saving equines and most important : pointing out their suffering. Only, it’s not their only suffering. And the other, is in the name of LOVE.
    What do we love : horses or horse-riding ? Which usually is the exact opposite.

    Chris

    reply
    • Jenny
      December 30, 2010

      I’m afraid I disagree with you, Chris. The majority of top competition horses are well cared for and very much enjoy their work. I see far more suffering amongst the horses abandoned in fields, or following fashionable ‘new’ methods of training, than at a venue such as Le Lion D’Angers.
      Any practice with horses executed with respect for the horse as a sentient being and as a partner is to be celebrated. There are bad practitioners in every discipline, with cruel and unkind methods at every level.
      Love of the horse is not enough, the understanding of how to handle and care for them is far more important.

      reply

Leave a Reply

Click here to cancel reply.

Recent blog posts

  • The Ones Left Behind.
  • Safe
  • Quarantine
  • Saving Mississippi
  • The Wrong Horse (TWH)
  • Saving Mississippi – The Road Out
  • Mississippi’s Story

Previous posts

  • May 2017 (7)
  • September 2016 (1)
  • May 2016 (1)
  • February 2016 (4)
  • January 2016 (2)
  • December 2015 (1)
  • September 2015 (3)
  • August 2015 (3)
  • July 2015 (3)
  • May 2015 (4)
  • April 2015 (7)
  • March 2015 (5)
  • February 2015 (5)
  • January 2015 (2)
  • December 2014 (1)
  • June 2014 (1)
  • May 2014 (2)
  • April 2014 (2)
  • January 2014 (1)
  • November 2013 (1)
  • September 2013 (1)
  • January 2013 (1)
  • October 2012 (2)
  • June 2012 (3)
  • April 2012 (1)
  • January 2012 (1)
  • December 2011 (1)
  • October 2011 (1)
  • September 2011 (4)
  • August 2011 (2)
  • July 2011 (4)
  • June 2011 (7)
  • May 2011 (2)
  • April 2011 (3)
  • March 2011 (4)
  • January 2011 (5)
  • December 2010 (2)
  • November 2010 (3)
  • October 2010 (3)
  • September 2010 (4)
  • August 2010 (1)
  • July 2010 (1)
  • June 2010 (6)
  • May 2010 (4)
  • April 2010 (6)
  • March 2010 (6)
  • February 2010 (7)
  • January 2010 (10)
  • December 2009 (7)
  • November 2009 (8)
  • October 2009 (9)
  • September 2009 (13)
  • August 2009 (11)
  • July 2009 (7)
  • June 2009 (9)
  • May 2009 (7)
  • April 2009 (9)
  • March 2009 (7)
  • February 2009 (7)
  • January 2009 (11)
  • December 2008 (6)
  • November 2008 (11)
  • October 2008 (9)
  • September 2008 (10)
  • August 2008 (7)
  • July 2008 (8)
  • June 2008 (14)
  • May 2008 (9)
  • April 2008 (8)
  • March 2008 (7)
  • February 2008 (9)
  • January 2008 (2)

CONTACT

erfwelfare@gmail.com

Recent Comments

  • Rainbow Ribbon Ride | Pilgrim on Horseback on Endurance damaging Equestrianism in the Olympics
  • Anonymous on Enduring Attrition
  • Anonymous on Molly and Merlin looking for a real forever home
  • Michelle on Molly and Merlin looking for a real forever home
  • Anonymous on Serious Welfare Breaches filmed in UK Abattoir

Created by SARL AMM | Association Loi 1901