Sorry for english key board.
If this rider and onwer will not be disqualify from any equistrian activitis shortly, I am go to post this "Dovidka" and translate into English to major Horses websites and ask international horse society to boycott All Ukranian Riders from ANY international competition because some of them killing horses and it is Okayed with Equistrian Federation of Ukraine. Sorry againg for English key board.
I can take no more and have to finally say something.
Firstly, directly to norakatrina, I find your passion on this subject commendable yet grossly misdirected. However, before judging you too harshly I must ask who you are referring to? If it is (as this thread was started) the case of Xeops and his owner and trainer. Then not only do I find your threat personally repulsive but also criminally irresponsible.
I find this thread somewhat worrisome. Many people have been whipped up into a bloodthristy frenzy over an issue they know nothing about. I appologize if this thread has been sidetracked and the subject has been changed, but I followed it closely in the beginning and not so much now. Plus please forgive me but my russian is very horrible and I miss much of the detail, but I do know what people here are generally saying.
"Basically they want to see Xeops' trainer hanging from the highest tree" Is that generally the atmosphere here?
Firstly before such a sentiment can even be considered I beg you to get the facts! Why is it that the first reaction from a horse dying is to point the finger to the one closest to him? If I where riding Xeops that day and did exactly what the trainer did, would everyone here want me in jail?
If you said yes, I hope to god you never become a judge or sit on a commision or be a in any way responsible for the fate of another person. Firstly, why did Xeops die? This is an important factor do you not think? What was his health history? What is the health history of his parents and grandparents? Has anyone investigated this?
Do you even know ANYTHING about the owner? How DARE you, norakatrina, threaten the owner with sanctions when you know absolutely non of the facts. In fact, even the trainer here is not at fault.
Someone said it here first, and I've been around horses long enough, there is no way to kill a horse with a crop. End of story.
This was a tragic event. It touched me personally and I will never forget Xeops. Yes I have had the pleasure of meeting him and riding him once or twice. In life he was full of character. Often times too much. I know all too well he liked to do things his way. This often times brought conflict between horse and rider, but at the end of the day there was always a mutual respect. From trainer to owner to friends like myself, his health and safety where paramount! THAT is a fact and I will challenge ANYONE that will assert the contrary.
He was one of the few horses in my life that touched my heart. He was trully an amazing jumper (in my mind). A more honest horse I have unfortunately rarely had the pleasure to ride. I would make mistakes but he would do his utmost best to get the both of us over the jump. I am no expert but I like to think he had amazing potential. Which is perhaps what makes this story just a little more sad. I will be one of the first to say I wish Xeops was still with us, but I know in my heart of hearts that it simply was his time. No one was at fault and sadly there was nothing that could have been done to prevent this tragedy.
And that's all it was, an unforseeable and unpreventable tragedy. In some way I do understand the reaction here. Many of you have shown your ignorance of facts, medicine, training methods or all of the above. All you see is a horse that died during training. This is understandably a traumatic event. Not only for the horse in question but all the witnesses start to fear the same could happen to them. Rumors start flying and it is human nature to find a quick plausible explanation to get a grip on the situation. It is all too easy to blame the trainer here, even if he had nothing to do with the death.
Perhaps it is easier for some of you to lay blame on the blameless so you can sleep at night. But that is not a resolution and will cause more problems than it solves.
For me, Mykola is one of the best trainers I've seen. The progress Xeops showed since he started with him has been tremendous. You may all do as you please but for me when I get my horse, Mykola will be the first person I seek to help me and my mount develop. He is a very gifted rider and has my absolute support and recommendation. As for the owner, I know her personally and there is not a person on this planet that is kinder and gentler to the equine kind and if I ever need a caretaker for my horse (or any animal for that matter) I would be lucky to have her as a guardian.
my 2.5cents
