Saint Boy, who normally lives and works at the Minakuchi Riding Club in Japan, certainly made his views crystal clear on that day in Tokyo. He did not want to participate, no interpretation or detailed horse knowledge needed.
KENDRA COULTER: As the glitter and dust of the Tokyo Olympic games settle, one controversy doesn’t just have legs, it has four legs. This is largely due to an ugly scene in the modern pentathlon, an intense event in which human athletes fence, swim, shoot, run and ride a horse all in the same day. During the pentathlon, a horse named Saint Boy — ridden by German athlete Annika Schleu — refused to jump multiple obstacles. This resulted in Schleu having a very public meltdown, and German coach Kim Raisner being disqualified after she was caught on camera punching the horse. The incident generated so much international attention that actress and horsewoman Kaley Cuoco offered to buy Saint Boy.
Saint Boy, who normally lives and works at the Minakuchi Riding Club in Japan, certainly made his views crystal clear on that day in Tokyo. He did not want to participate, no interpretation or detailed horse knowledge needed. Was he an athlete feeling stress and discomfort? A worker withdrawing his labour? A sentient being saying no?… The International Modern Pentathlon Union — the organizing body that oversees the sport — is reviewing the riding portion of its event for horse welfare and safety. A growing number of people want it reformed or removed out of respect for horses…
There were other equestrian concerns stemming from the Olympics, including about the new structure of the team show jumping and its implications for horse welfare. A horse named Jet Set was euthanized after an injury in the eventing competition in Tokyo. When you involve other species, the risks and very real effects of our choices are heightened… Horses are unique individuals. Horses’ moods, comfort levels and physical well-being change over time, and in immediate response to a host of factors, including the rider, their particular style and their level of anxiety — even the weather…
People love horses. Yet we disagree about what it really means to love horses… There is always a group that believes the status quo is acceptable and that the horses are fine. These people might support some minor tinkering with equipment or welfare regulations… The second and largest group is generally comfortable with horses doing some work and sport with humans as long as it is respectful but will still have concerns about specific practices and horses’ well-being before, during or after the job in question… The third group argues that people’s use of horses’ labour is unethical, period, and that horses should be freed from human tasks as a matter of principle.
These debates are not tidy and are unlikely to be resolved soon… Our decisions have significant effects on their bodies, minds and relationships. Horses always have a lot to say about those jobs and about their lives in a full sense. Sometimes their views are obvious, as was the case with Saint Boy on that day in Tokyo, but often their voices are softer. In all cases, we have an ethical duty to not only pay attention but to really listen. SOURCE…
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