Episode 290: Michaela Hempen Pt 1: Horse Welfare and Olympic Sparks
This conversation was prompted by an event that occurred just before the opening of the 2024 Paris Olympics. One of the top dressage riders had to withdraw because of a video that showed her whipping a horse during a training session.
The video came out just as Dominique and I were planning our next podcast recording. Dominique said her social media feed was filled with posts discussing the video. Should we talk about it. Generally we shy away from talking directly about training that disturbs us. But horse welfare is an important topic and one we need to be talking about.
So I invited Michaela Hempen to join us. We’ve just finished the conversation with Michaela on the connection between riding and the Feldenkrais work. Normally we wouldn’t have a guest do back to back conversations, but Michaela was the perfect person to ask to join us. In her day job with the European Food Safety Authority she is currently involved in providing scientific assessments that inform the European Commission and other EU member states to formulate legislation to protect animals. This has primarily meant animals produced for food, but the mandate has broadened out to include equine welfare in general.
We begin with Michaela describing what they will be considering under these new mandates. Some of the practices that are currently done to horses are horrific. I was not aware, for example, of the blood farms. But this conversation is not intended to shock or depress you. Even when we
move on to consider the video that sparked this conversation we are focusing on solutions and the role each of us can play in moving the horse community as a whole forward towards more horse-friendly training.
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