FEI World Reining Final - Tom McCutcheon

[@Synna89]

Nobody has edited the video, so nobody is MAKING him look bad. He can do that fine on his own!

[@furryarabian]

If I rode my horse like that I'd be dead already

[@eponatv]

@farbschlacht There was open and free access for everyone when we were there. With the exception of Aachen, we have never come across a closed schooling area at an FEI event.

[@BernhardEhm]

i don´t see a double gold medalist at all.... only a bad horseman

[@Qquirkyyy]

When the horse was listening and paying attention to him and did things right Tom was petting the horse. You also showed a lot of stops where the horse wasnt bulking and was stopping really nice and toms reins were draped, he didnt touch the horses mouth... Most reining horses are "sensitive" I guess you could say they are touchy with their cues and very athletic therefore a rider getting after a horse can look like a lot more then it is.

[@AmbrePlumage]

Couldn't find better words for this!

[@theeyesofanother]

@gwurr Exactly. How can the horse perform when the rider is all screwed up?

[@farbschlacht]

@eponatv They must feel very safe. I just wrote an angry note to the FEI, but I'm not expecting an answer

[@farbschlacht]

@farbschlacht I'd never thought it would happen, but the FEI answerd with a link to a press release. They plan to change the rules, but not until January 2012. Let's hope the new rules have more effect, than the LDR "rules". It says further: "However, due to the lack of authenticated evidence such as original unedited video footage, no further action can be taken against any individuals." That looks just like an excuse not to get in trouble with these riders.

[@Jefrma]

dare I even ask were there any riders who rode clean and in a horsefriendly way? :(

[@eponatv]

@farbschlacht The "lack of video evidence" could not have affected the decision of the Chief Steward not to stop this riding unless he had powers of clairvoyancy, because he did not even know until the following week that there would be any video evidence, let alone whether he would have access to it. The dark haired steward you see in some of the footage is Chief Steward Eric Straus. He had full authority to stop this, with or without video, but he chose not to. Very simple.

[@SLUride]

My 4 year old daughter just asked me while we were watching this video together "Mom, is that a yanking competition?"

[@farbschlacht]

!!!thumbs up if you support EPONAs good work!!!

[@Horses4ever8]

what the hell do you mean?? There is CONSTANT rein and spur pressure on this poor horse

[@424kilebar]

He's giving his horse mixed directions. His hands are so loud

[@allywalli21]

I don't know much about reining, but I think his hands were a little too high and he was giving the horse many different signals in my opinion

[@TJPerformance]

And what is wrong with 3:34 to 4:03??? jut asking

[@BobsSneakyChex]

@ZombieBabyFirefly even if we both have different opinions - this is NO REASON to be rude and call others "silly" you can tell me what u want but stay polite, please

[@scotchb29]

I just try to understand these riders... does this HELP at all to win? in what way does it help??

[@AuszugauseinemPonytagebuch]

I have to say a little world. I'm dressage rider too but my horse lives on a western barn. so I can explain some things. for example: The spures are not as hard as some people think because the wheels. and it looks at would the riders pull heavy on the bit but the have to take the hands high because the reins are so long. I DO NOT a agree with all of the things they do here but some of this looks more hard than it is because people of other kind of riding don't understand the backround.

[@jenny50ify]

how do you people ever expect to train a 1000 pound horse without occasionally using rein pressure. WOW.

[@farbschlacht]

I forgot to ask: was the warm up arena open for everyone or for members of the press only?

[@Leonieundninia]

Hat mal einer bemerkt, dass er da ein anderes Pferd trainiert, als das, mit dem er gewonnen hat (Darlins Not Painted)?

[@weareallconnectedanimalus8439]

I do agree that yanking on a horses mouth, especially with the bit he was using, is not acceptable. Bits with shanks provide a MUCH more heavy pull. But, i am at the same time confused, for when he was stroking the horse, the way he did it was so elegant and so different. I do agree the horse was obviously in discomfort. The rider has to learn to use his seat a bit more. Then a horse will relax and not be so pushy most of the time. But some of the slides he left the mouth, so he slid smoothly.

[@Britty0189]

theres good and bad trainer, good and bad horses, good and bad people everywhere.

[@asdfjkl12345671000]

As a horse person as of... well... my entire life, I don't really see any problems with what he is doing. He is bending the horse with his hands so it is supple, tucking it's chin to soften it's face, and using his spurs to round up it's back. He is actually kind of light with his hands and feet and has a nice drape in his reins. Don't know why anyone is making an attack on reining because, other than western pleasure perhaps, reining requires the least amount of contact.

[@farbschlacht]

@TJPerformance but why do you believe that no one will come? I saw other vids from this event, and there are enought people cheering, who dont care about the bad riding they just saw. I'm sure EPONA doesnt ruin the sport, they try to improve it. saying, that theses methods are very common doesnt make them legal or fair.

[@AmbrePlumage]

True! But do you really think petting the horse will make it forget the pain it felt when he was jabbing its mouth? Especially because this horses are so sensitive, whyis he constantly clicking during the walk at the beginning? The horse often opens its mouth, which, clearly is a sign for pain. I really can't understand the FEI... I mean really, no matter which discipline it is, more and more 'Horsemen' only think about success. In dressage and show jumping LDR is restricted to 10 min but does

[@farbschlacht]

@TJPerformance so because they are bred to performe, it's o.k. to treat them unfairly and use training methods wich clearly effect the horses health. What kind of logic is this?

[@NightshadeGoddess]

that bit is way to sharp on the horses mouth to pull it like that!

[@Darkssslady]

This video shows exactly what happens to humans when it comes to competition. I can´t believe why people and judges call them champions. Well, those horses are champions because they are still alive and able to run and perform with such pain in their mouths and necks..

[@gwurr]

He's trying to give the horse commands when his own balance sucks and his saddle is slipping..

[@CrewOfFirefly]

Ok yes your right, as long as the "trainer" is making money who cares about the horse. Thank you for the perfect example of everything that is wrong with the horse world today.

[@farbschlacht]

@A10ns0Arcad1a ?

[@ThePippers]

Because.. Yeh, if you just pull the reins a little harder, the horse will totally understand what you want him to do.. Of course.

[@farbschlacht]

I'm still not sure what you're getting at, but no one attempts to end reining. Thats about bad riding, obviously. And to say "the others do it to" , is just to easy!

[@luckyfiddle33]

My horse was the first one to give Tom McCutcheon his first big win. This means he had my horse as a 2 yr old to April of his Derby year when Tom moved to Italy. His brother Scott took over then. My horse did well with both of them. I got back a happy &sound horse. He was never abused & trust me I would visit him at least once a month checking on him. Look around that video, other people doing the same things. When Tom reached up to stroke his neck, the horse was quiet licking his lips.

[@jacmeespie]

On a corresponding KZbin footage I’m not going to mince matters. But on this footage I have no scruple to give this guy pain in the neck.

[@QH1100]

What ever happened to quiet hands? Oh, sorry, I forgot -,that went our with classical horsemanship. Sorry.

[@crazyformisty123]

please put your heels down

[@TheVoiceOfHorses]

Und sowas ist im Finale, das kann echt nicht sein, wieso findet man denn bloß immer mehr die rollkur in den hohen Turnieren, das ist ein unding!

[@TJPerformance]

@kora349 you just need to go on your trail rides or use them as pasture ornaments.... they are bred to do a job. ALL of them. You take 1200 lbs and take yourself.... whose gunna win? They are....

[@farbschlacht]

His "riding" is even more extreme, than the methods of the other two you postet before.How is it possible, that the stewards had nothing to say about this. These bad methods seem to swap from one rider to another. Dressage riders and showjumpers pull more, western rider are yanking the reins.

[@MarlonStor]

Dammh,, Poor Horse,, Its just Cruel,,

[@Darkssslady]

@BobsSneakyChex the problem with riding "champions" is that they are highly under pressure and that they think they have to win. That pressure leads them to do exactly the same thing with their horses. Horses are able to be athletes but to become one they need time. Much more time than humans because they have to learn and understand. In this video those riders are forcing their horses to do sth they don´t understand. The way they are forcing them to be good is cruel abuse!

[@xxibitsuxx]

@pocolena287 The point of Natural Horsemanship is that is teaches the horse to be soft and responsive WITHOUT the pain caused by yanking on their mouths incessantly like this man here is doing with his horse. Seriously, people do reining competitions without bridles on their horses. This is just laziness leading to the quickest way to correct the horse possible, regardless of the discomfort and fear it causes. All I see here is a horse with bit avoidance problems in the future

[@farbschlacht]

@eponatv Not to care about animal rights seems to be a neccessity to get a stewards job at such events. Let's just hope the FEI doesn't release another bag of hot air with the new rules. Hope never dies, right!?!

[@JillUsipiuk]

@barrellover4life - jerking on the face of a horse is never "correcting". That would be like me punching someone because they're standing too close to me, instead of gently asking them to leave my personal space. Gets the same job done - but one way is inappropriate, cruel and bully like.

[@BobsSneakyChex]

.... pretty sure he knows what he's doing. Any equine sport at a professional level asks a lot from the horse (which is an athlete in this case). To me he shows the horse black and white pretty good. It's hard to say where abuse starts. Isn't it abuse, that we ride animals at all? I gotta go to work every day... that sometimes feels like abuse, too....

[@theeyesofanother]

I dont think he was being cruel to the horse. But so much of his riding is wrong. His seat, his hands and his feet are just...wrong. So many mixed signals to this stud. He seems like an honest horse, with a rider who needs some tuning up himself.

[@AnimalLeftist]

@cttlerncher, so says the sadist.

[@jacmeespie]

Occasionally rein (bit) pressure is good....but here I see constant rein pressure and constant spur use! There are people able to train a 1000 pound horse without a bit, in a much better way than this guy acts.

[@jteq4372]

Everyone tells me to train my mare as a Reiner. And here is WHY I won't do it. I hate poor horsemanship and riding!

[@R3M1X5]

You have no idea what you`re talking about

[@teodorpenev5485]

Good riding Tom. Showed him who is the Boss

[@DiamondHarmony]

So cruel, so sad. Poor animals due to very poor riding - man against horse really isn't the way it is ment toe be

[@jamilovullo]

Once again, a great example of large men on little horses, yanking, jerking, running them into walls, forcing them to hold their heads at completely unnatural angles. Gaping mouths, obvious pain and morons saying "What? Everything Is Alright", jeez. As a lifelong horse person, I just don't get it.

[@ginnaminna8950]

yes my opinion,too leave them alone! don't you got your own problems??

[@SusanKayne]

A cruel hand in the saddle...shame on the judges for rewarding this type of abusive training.

[@BREYERKID]

@farbschlacht- good work? this is attacking another adult just to get themselves attention, to be on their side! ughhh you people make me so sick. THIS IS NOT ABUSE!! ill post a video with me doing "worse" than tis.

[@endurancegirly]

poor pony!!!

[@barrelboy37958]

Thia guy is being way to rough on his horses mouth, thats not horsemanship thats scaring the.horse into doing what you want it to do!!!

[@annikanilsson7548]

Han är för tung för hästen 😢

[@A10ns0Arcad1a]

attempt to end reining . go watch dressage training see hoe humane that is

[@MissionAbridged]

The only thing I see is a sad, tired, confused horse. Poor art form of this wonderful sport. Some people have it down, some just don't.

[@sirdustin16]

das sind keine westernreiter, das sind englischreiter mit westernsätteln auf westernpferden...krass die sollten sich nen anderen sattel zulegen wenn sie unbedingt rollkur reiten wollen

[@trogirogir9]

@pocolena287 i can ride a horse bridleless and he does it for nothing - no sugar cubes nor carrots nor spurs nor fear. You obviously have no idea of how horses work. Why do you support this man when he is obviously cruel to his steeds? Grow up!

[@BloodRaven131]

Unfortunately this is 'normal' in these circles. Please do not let trainers treat our horses this way! Find a better way, any way, just a better way. Tom and Bill Dorrance, and Ray Hunt are rolling in their graves. SHAME on you!!

[@A10ns0Arcad1a]

@farbschlacht useless

[@TJPerformance]

@farbschlacht what you guys are doing is ruining the sport of reining at any FEI events. Pretty soon, NO ONE will come. Go to ANY top training barn and you will see this everyday. I have also seen it in the jumpers and the dressage horses. Not to mention the pleasure horses. Why dont you just ban riding horses all together.... This is absolutely crazy that you guys are putting these videos up like this

[@jacmeespie]

Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. Undeniable, there is a lot of cruelty out there, that’s not an argument to play up what this guy is doing to his mount. I see in this video permanent Rollkur, permanent harsh spur use, permanent yanking on the bit. In deed, this so called abilities don’t meet my standards. I hope that there are a lot of horses not to experience the above examples. Happy looking horse?.. learn about body language of horses instead of propagating imbecilities.

[@4ridersify]

And this is another Olympic sport? If it wasn't so brutal it would be funny. Another reason to not watch the Olympics. Oh and Anky's into this now too, which says something about Dressage.

[@Nikole037]

On top of all the pulling, kicking and yanking around these people don't even have good seats. They are practically sitting on the horses neck and hanging off their faces. Yuck!

[@woodfinn]

THAT is simply Pathetic riding- and Never good for the horse. Gimme a break.