Mark Todd

The last thing I would want to do is belittle this abuse, but did he hit the horse in the wrong place? Do the people rightly seeing this as abhorrent realise that jocks are allowed to whip horses on a day to day basis, and that's somehow called sport?

This is obviously one in the eye for the excusers who will say those in the bubble know so much better than outsiders, and should be just left alone to get on with it. I hate the phrase 'horsemen' as if it puts someone on a pedestal, but wouldn't this guy be a hero in those circles? Equestrian commentators like Plunkett and Luck are probably choking on their cornflakes. Let's face it he is only apologising because he has been caught out.   

There has to be some sort of meaningful penalty, but the bigger question is obviously how much of this kind of thing goes on, but is not filmed? Whenever we are drip fed stuff about stables on the likes of ITV Racing it is 100% cheerleading, there is never any attempt to explore a possible darker side.

He had a Bazil Faulty moment

I enjoyed his autobiography ....but yet again this is nauseating ........this sport will destroy itself if offenders are not brought to task.

Wouldn't need to use a stick if riders wore spurs!

"I wholeheartedly apologise to the horse"

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/sir-mark-todd-issues-grovelling-26213669

a few love taps on its backside with a branch and 1st time poster thinks its been traumatised for life

It's being portrayed that he lost his temper with the horse, but it seems to me:

there was an eventing training session, they wanted the horse to go down the embankment and into the shallow water but the horse was reluctant / unsure, so he's had to use a bit of encouragement

vid gets posted on social media, the fluffy bunny brigade are up in arms and the cancel mob are out to get him cancelled

and we're all meant to be outraged

Nobody expected you to be outraged George, quite the opposite, and yet again you have come up trumps.

If people think that horses learn to jump the puissance fence without gentle persuasion they are very much mistaken.

Chris Cook's "comment" on this in the Racing Post this morning, it's not enough for Cook that the man has aplolgised, oh no, he thinks "the BHA will simply have to put him through a disciplinary process for bringing the sport into disrepute".

That would seem wholly disproportionate to me, but if you're obsessed with perceived public perception rather than whether the training method employed, which he acknowledges did not involve a racehorse, actually warrants a disrepute charge, then I can understand why Cook might wish the BHA to be seen to be doing something (and the BHA have said they're looking into the incident).

And what will a "bringing the sport into disrepute" charge do? Give the incident more prolonged publicity for a charge that Todd is unlikely to be found guilty of, should it be brought, imo.

I dont condone any animal mistreatment but I have been bitten and kicked (bones broken) by these wonderful animals without any apparant reason. There is no way that horse was hurt in any way, it was a tactic (right or wrong) to encourage the horse to do something it obviously didnt want to do.

thats a fact Cider

Awful treatment of a horse.

If that man or any one else did that to one of my horses I would have used the stick on him.

Interesting to hear of what people deem as acceptable or unacceptable cruelty.

If you think the Elliott ban was fair for not hurting a dead horse then it follows Todd should get a ban for hurting a live horse. The BHA were very vocal and putting pressure on the Irish to ban Elliott.
Personally I would ban neither.

Carrot and Stick is endemic in our training methods, you should see 2yos going through stalls training.

Is this even an admission from a high profile trainer?

https://twitter.com/osbornejamie/status/1493457404339671041

By Stuart Riley
UPDATED 11:07AM, FEB 16 2022
 
The BHA has placed a temporary suspension on the licence of trainer Sir Mark Todd, meaning he will be unable to saddle runners in Britain or internationally while investigations continue into the circumstances of the video showing him striking a horse with what appears to be a branch.

The two-time Olympic gold medallist event rider, voted rider of the 20th century by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI), has agreed to the ban.

A BHA statement read: "The chair of British racing’s Independent Judicial Panel has today approved an application from the BHA that an interim suspension should be placed on the training licence of Sir Mark Todd following the emergence over the weekend of a video showing him striking a horse with what appears to be a branch.

"This interim suspension means that while investigations continue into the circumstances of this incident, Sir Mark will be unable to race horses in Britain or internationally.

"The trainer has admitted the individual involved in the video was him, has apologised for his actions and agreed to the imposition of an interim suspension."

The suspension means Todd will not be able to run Cape Cornwall Rose, who was entered at Lingfield on Friday. Earlier this week Todd issued a public apology and stepped down as a patron of World Horse Welfare.

The statement continued: "The BHA will provide further updates as necessary in due course, though will not be able to comment on the detail of the investigation itself until it is concluded.

"The interim suspension has been approved on the basis that it can be reviewed at a later date if necessary, on application by either party."

Yes it was very good of Sir Mark to agree.

How else do they think you can control powerful animals?