Murder Hollow

Murder Hollow Breeder of Knabstruppers and Warmbloods

🥕FOR SALE🥕Rare Acquisition Opportunity for the Discerning Breeder or Competitor - Pax Asgard af Pegasus Meet Pax Asgard ...
08/29/2024

🥕FOR SALE🥕

Rare Acquisition Opportunity for the Discerning Breeder or Competitor - Pax Asgard af Pegasus

Meet Pax Asgard af Pegasus, an exceptional 2016 16.3 hh Knabstrupper stallion ready to elevate your breeding program or return to sport. Pax is a versatile athlete excelling in dressage, hunter/jumpers, and driving. He is the only North American Knabstrupper stallion fully licensed and approved with both AES (Anglo European Studbook) and the Westfalen Knabstrupper book. His AES approval allows him to passport offspring into various Warmblood studbooks, including KWPN A Book.

Pax’s rare coloration produces leopard offspring when bred to solid-colored mares, ensuring beautifully unique patterns on each foal. The breed is known for their exceptional temperament, which he has consistently passes on to his offspring.

Highlights:
🐴Leopard Coats: All his foals are guaranteed to inherit leopard patterning.
🐴High Fertility: Well-established in North America & Australia with proven success using fresh and frozen semen.
🐴Versatile: Excels in dressage, jumping, and driving.
🐴Great Temperament: Easy to handle and train.

Not only is Pax a showstopper in the ring, but he’s also a fun-loving horse who enjoys skijoring in the winter. His playful and adaptable nature makes him a joy to work with. At Murder Hollow, Pax interacts with a variety of animals, showcasing his gentle and curious personality. Renée and Allen believe in the importance of socialization for their stallions, turning Pax out with other horses to foster healthy relationships and mental well-being. Pax thrives in this environment, displaying a nurturing side with foals, but he is also well-adjusted to stall time and solo paddock time if needed.

Pax is a homozygous fewspot, meaning he is homozygous for LP and PATN1 (LP/LP, PATN1/PATN1), allowing him to genetically produce leopard offspring 100% of the time.

Pax’s versatility and athleticism are commendable. Long gone are the days when stallions needed to show performance in a variety of disciplines, but Pax is a true athlete who has proven to be an asset to the breed.

What truly sets Pax apart is his temperament. He’s known for being calm, willing, and eager to please, making him easy to train and handle, whether on the ground or under saddle. His gentle nature and easy-going personality make him a barn favorite, and these traits are passed on to his offspring, ensuring they are talented and a joy to work with.

Pax’s impact on the breeding world is significant. He has produced more Premium Knabstrupper offspring than any other North American stallion. With offspring on three continents, his get consistently stand out in type, conformation, and gaits, often achieving top marks in breed inspections and competitions. Breeders note exceptional movement, striking appearances, and excellent trainability. These attributes make them highly versatile, capable of excelling in various disciplines.

In 2021, Pax competed in the Get of Sire class at the world-renowned Dressage at Devon, earning a Bronze with a collective mark of 77.15 points. He finished behind serial winner KWPN sire Sir Sinclair and the 7-year-old Oldenburg stallion Davos CF, beating out several traditional Warmblood stallions. In Pax’s debut hunter/jumper show season, he placed in nearly every single show he entered at WEC Ocala.

Don’t miss the chance to add this elite stallion to your breeding program or for sport. For inquiries and more information about Pax, contact Renée Tucci of Murder Hollow:
Phone: (215) 272-6116
Email: [email protected]

*Flexible payment plans available depending on circumstances*

Anyone looking for a super reasonably priced 2 horse bumper pull? We are selling our 2020 Exiss 2 Horse Express XT - we ...
08/29/2024

Anyone looking for a super reasonably priced 2 horse bumper pull?

We are selling our 2020 Exiss 2 Horse Express XT - we purchased this new in 2020 and it has been used on local hauls to the repro facility.

This model is a SLANT load with a divider that is removable. We installed WERM flooring in both the back and tack compartment, additional padding on the divider plus walls, as well as a wireless camera system.
-2 horse slant load
-7,000 GVWR
-2,800 lb empty weight
-insulated walls with drop down windows

There area a few small areas on the walls where the liner is peeled, one window needs a new glass insert and a couple of the welds need repair. I have priced to take this work into consideration. This trailer is selling new for $25k+.

Here is a link to all of the important measurements and details: https://www.exiss.com/horse-trailers/bumper-pull-horse-trailers/express-xt-edition/trailer

Clean title in hand. $13k OBO. Located in Spring City, PA

📣📣📣Our farm is currently hiring - please share 📣📣📣We are looking for PART TIME help on weekends starting ASAP. Entirely ...
08/25/2024

📣📣📣Our farm is currently hiring - please share 📣📣📣

We are looking for PART TIME help on weekends starting ASAP. Entirely open to shifts - can be 5-8 hours one day per weekend or both days!

MUST BE CONSISTENTLY AVAILABLE FOR THE GUARANTEED SHIFT. MUST PROVIDE ADEQUATE NOTICE WHEN NEEDING OFF. Located in Spring City, PA (approximately 20 minutes from Chester Springs or Phoenixville). Stall cleaning is NOT a regular part of this job.

We pride ourselves on producing well mannered and gentle young horses. This means human egos and tempers will not be tolerated. We check those at the door along with our expectations on what any day will bring...this is a job with horses and some days you’ll have no idea how it’s 3pm why yet another horse has managed to find the only lethal thing on the entire property and play with it 🤷‍♀️

Daily tasks include keeping the herd alive. This means we are at the horse’s beck and call. From feeding to scrubbing water troughs and filling hay nets to bringing horses in for the farrier or simply grooming, each day is an adventure 😜.

Housing is NOT included. Completely open to high school students but MUST MUST MUST have reliable transportation and not call out with hardly any notice. We are looking for someone who wants to become part of the team. We are SO incredibly fortunate to have some wonderful team members who’ve been with us for a number of years and it’s honestly a very happy little family. My husband and I have demanding jobs and our horses & farm are our sanctuary (although not always great for our sanity lol). Our barn is on the quieter side given we have very few boarders - so if someone wants the hustle and bustle of a busy show barn, this wouldn’t be the right fit.

I’m open to a variety of solutions - straight pay, someone wanting to work in exchange for board or leasing a horse, etc.

Please feel free to PM if interested. I’d like to know your background and if you fit any of the criteria.

💕

So happy that the owner of this lovely c**t has kept him in tact. We've been enjoying watching him develop at our farm a...
08/22/2024

So happy that the owner of this lovely c**t has kept him in tact. We've been enjoying watching him develop at our farm and he is just more gorgeous by the day...Eros is only a yearling - what is normally a terribly awkward age!

Eros MHF
Sartors Falcetto (aka Hades) x Many Blessings GES

Turns out there is no minimum age for your kids to work on the farm in Pennsylvania 😜
08/18/2024

Turns out there is no minimum age for your kids to work on the farm in Pennsylvania 😜

Just a rainy day with the babies 🥰Buckskin leopard: Lancero Salvatella x Sartors LiliumPalomino: Qaside MD x Cinderella ...
08/17/2024

Just a rainy day with the babies 🥰

Buckskin leopard: Lancero Salvatella x Sartors Lilium

Palomino: Qaside MD x Cinderella (Florencio)

Tobinao: Sempatico M x Sabrina (Sandro Hit)

It’s so incredibly exciting to watch the first few of Pax’s offspring enter the showing world! A huge congratulations to...
08/16/2024

It’s so incredibly exciting to watch the first few of Pax’s offspring enter the showing world!

A huge congratulations to Pax’s very first foal, Phoenix Fantasy MHF, for qualifying for ESDCTA finals at the US Equestrian Team in Gladstone in October!

And another huge congratulations to Major Seven MHF (pictured) on her blue ribbons this past week! Major’s owner, Sofia, is 16 years old and doing a lot of the training herself on this beautiful mare. Well done, Sofia!

🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇

🌟EXCITING OPPORTUNITY!🌟We're thrilled to introduce our final remaining 2024 foals available for purchase! At Murder Holl...
08/15/2024

🌟EXCITING OPPORTUNITY!🌟

We're thrilled to introduce our final remaining 2024 foals available for purchase! At Murder Hollow, we pride ourselves on being a premier Warmblood breeding facility, renowned for one of the world’s leading Knabstrupper breeding programs. Our exceptional mares and stallions boast proven performance records, having produced top international offspring, including Olympians. Each foal is bred to the highest standards, selected by both professional Grand Prix riders and amateur competitors seeking sound, athletic partners for their riding journey.

🐎2024 Knabstrupper Filly🐎
Pax Asgard af Pegasus x High Fashion (Hohenstein)
This charming filly comes from High Fashion, a Hanoverian mare with a prestigious show record. She has excelled since a young age, securing 1st place in the KDA Breeder's Classic and champion titles at NCDCTA. With a foundation of correct dressage training and three outstanding gaits, High Fashion also possesses a gentle nature, a true reflection of her impressive lineage. Her dam, Wajona, was a Staatsprämie mare from proven dressage champions, and her sire, Wolkenstein, is a remarkable Weltmeyer offspring known for his character and versatility in dressage and jumping. Pax Asgard af Pegasus complements this lineage with his winning personality and successes in dressage and hunter/jumper competitions.

🐎2024 Knabstrupper Colt🐎
Carlsson vom Dach x Jakira (Johnson)
This c**t is the product of a successful cross, following in the footsteps of his thriving sibling. Expected to reach a mature height in the mid-16h range, he is out of our top mare, Jakira, who actively competes and exemplifies the classic Warmblood versatility. At her eventing debut at Woodside International Horse Trials, she placed in the top 10. In Germany, she achieved a 3rd place finish in her riding horse test under Christin Böhner. Jakira also won Silver at Dressage at Devon 2021 in her Mare class and Bronze in the Produce of Dam class. With a pedigree boasting top achievers like her sire, Johnson, the current #1 dressage stallion in the FEI World Rankings as of 2023, this c**t is destined for greatness.

🐎2024 Warmblood Colt🐎
Pallido Blu x Winter Willow (De Niro)
The dam of this c**t is a PREMIUM 17h Oldenburg mare, imported for her outstanding dressage and eventing potential. Willow's sire, Sambertino, has had a notable performance career across Holland, Germany, and the UK, earning impressive ratings, including a 10 for temperament during the UK stallion licensing process. Her maternal grandsire, De Niro, is celebrated as one of the World’s Best Dressage Stallions and has sired numerous talent, including the German Olympic stallion Desperados.

We offer generous payment 💰 plans for both foals on the ground and in utero, alongside young horse raising board for those looking to nurture their prospects in a formal program. Our buyers become part of the Murder Hollow family, often returning to purchase additional foals. Our commitment to the foals we produce and their buyers extends well beyond the sale, with ongoing support throughout the horses’ lifetimes.

We invite you to visit our farm and discover how we can assist you in finding your next equine partner, whether it’s a foal from our program or a breeding opportunity with one of our stallions. Learn more about our breeding and raising philosophy on our website: https://www.murderhollow.com/ourbreedingraisingphilosophy

Just a girl and her tractor 🚜
08/12/2024

Just a girl and her tractor 🚜

*AVAILABLE*The Whydah's Folly (aka Folly)Sartors Falcetto x Xclusive MiddlesomThis is a lovely 2 year old filly bred by ...
08/10/2024

*AVAILABLE*

The Whydah's Folly (aka Folly)
Sartors Falcetto x Xclusive Middlesom

This is a lovely 2 year old filly bred by a very dear friend who was one of the first to import Knabstruppers to North America! For those looking for a true purebred Knabstrupper, Folly is a fantastic option.

Folly is out of Xclusive Middlesom, an imported Danish Knabstrupper who also produced the licensed stallion, The MonarcH. Folly’s sire, Sartors Falcetto, was also imported from Denmark.

She is color tested and does not carry LP but does carry one copy of PATN1.

She currently stands at 14.2h - as an August 2021 baby, I anticipate she will finish under 16h.

Folly is a little powerhouse and has really matured over the last few months. Please feel free to reach out with any questions 💓💓💓.

2024 has been an incredible foaling season. I’m eternally grateful to the many professionals on our team who help produc...
08/05/2024

2024 has been an incredible foaling season. I’m eternally grateful to the many professionals on our team who help produce these beautiful foals – it truly takes a village. Each year seems better than the last.

This lovely filly is available. For those seeking a well-put-together, incredibly kind, and gentle partner, this filly is the one.

🌟 Pax Asgard af Pegasus x High Fashion (Hohenstein) 🌟

This versatile pairing offers a solid foundation in proven dressage and jumper breeding. Both parents are exceptionally well-minded and athletic, with a track record of producing similarly capable and talented offspring. The older full sister has stayed with us in our young horse program and, at a year old, already shows lovely balance and has been a joy to work with. She is preparing for her Dressage at Devon debut in September.

Feel free to PM with any questions. We offer extended payment plans and, through our young horse program, can help develop the youngster of your dreams 💓.

What an amazing experience 😍😍😍Paris 2024 has been an absolutely fabulous adventure! Today was the individual medals and ...
08/04/2024

What an amazing experience 😍😍😍

Paris 2024 has been an absolutely fabulous adventure! Today was the individual medals and it was absolutely spectacular getting to watch the many horses and athletes that we only get to see YouTube videos of 🤣🤪.

I think Isabell Werth & Wendy deserved Gold but I guess Silver isn’t too bad either 😏. Sitting with the backdrop of Versailles with Allen, Lydia and my very dear friend Kristen was a once in a lifetime experience. Congratulations to all the competitors 🎉🎉🎉.

Anyone looking for a spectacular tobiano c**t? 😏
08/02/2024

Anyone looking for a spectacular tobiano c**t? 😏

📣 SOLD 📣 Pax Asgard af Pegasus x Cinderella (Florencio)Introducing this stunning filly—truly born to be a star! ⭐ Her en...
07/30/2024

📣 SOLD 📣

Pax Asgard af Pegasus x Cinderella (Florencio)

Introducing this stunning filly—truly born to be a star! ⭐ Her enchanting presence only grows more fabulous with time. I've chosen to retain her 2021 full sibling, otherwise this exceptional girl would be staying with us. Though she is genetically a leopard, she was solid at birth and has gradually developed a beautiful leopard pattern. Like her sister, I anticipate an exciting transformation ahead for her coat.

Her dam, Cinderella, is a KWPN Elite & Sport Predicate mare who has excelled in the FEI Young Horse program, consistently scoring in the 69% range through PSG/Inter I. Notably, she was the Region 3 4th Level Champion and placed 3rd in the Region 3 PSG class. Cinderella is an electrifying horse with outstanding rideability. She holds both her Elite and STER predicates and has successfully completed her PROK (radiograph assessment) and IBOP (KWPN ridden performance test). Her 2021 filly, Oleander MHF, won first place in the Knabstrupper class at Dressage at Devon, while her 2022 filly, Marentine MHF, earned a Premium at her inspection, was named Site Champion, and consistently placed in the ribbons at Dressage at Devon.

In keeping with Murder Hollow’s legacy, our mares have excelled in sport and in producing high-quality offspring across multiple disciplines. Cinderella’s dam, Petra, has successfully produced three offspring, all of whom completed their IBOP. Petra also holds the Keur predicate. Notably, Cinderella’s maternal granddam, Electra, produced both successful jumper and dressage offspring, including multiple successful eventers. One of them, Isabelle (CCI3*), went on to produce Toscane, a successful FEI jumper and eventer.

On the sire's side, Pax Asgard af Pegasus needs no introduction. He is renowned for adding color and possessing a kind, cooperative demeanor. Pax has made a significant impact on the competition circuit, showcasing his talents in both dressage and now in the hunter/jumper arena.

This is a royally bred showstopper—please PM with any questions! 🙂 As always, we offer generous payment terms and young horse development board options. 🦄

So many beautiful foals from 2024 😍 Pax Asgard af Pegasus x City Girl (Hohenstein)City Girl schooled to PSG/Inter I befo...
07/30/2024

So many beautiful foals from 2024 😍

Pax Asgard af Pegasus x City Girl (Hohenstein)

City Girl schooled to PSG/Inter I before US Para Dressage Team rider, Laurietta Oakleaf, purchased her as her next Para Equestrian Dressage mount. City Girl placed 2nd in 3 out of 3 FEI Para Team CPEDI 3* Tests during Wellington’s Global Dressage Festival.

This c**t has an exciting future ahead of him! 🦄

Ok here is a fun 2025 pairing to look out for!Laiken ROF is in foal to TDR RidiculouSly Kool! Laiken is a 2015 Main Book...
07/30/2024

Ok here is a fun 2025 pairing to look out for!

Laiken ROF is in foal to TDR RidiculouSly Kool! Laiken is a 2015 Main Book Friesian Sporthorse BUCKSKIN mare and the very first Buckskin entered into the FSA registry. Laiken is by Grand Prix Elite FSA stallion Lexington and out of Blue Eyed Mist, a GOV approved Oldenburg mare.

TDR RidiculouSly Kool aka Sly is a 50% Friesian Sporthorse stallion and carries the champagne gene which is a new color for Murder Hollow 🤩🎊! Fun fact: Sly's grandsire is SJOERD, the '22 Breyer Horse Portrait Model #1859.

This pairing will produce a high level of Friesian blood and has the following color probabilities:
🥕18.75% Amber Champagne
🥕18.75% Amber Cream Champagne
🥕18.75% Classic Champagne
🥕18.75% Classic Cream Champagne
🥕12.5% Gold Champagne
🥕12.5% Gold Cream Champagne

This one will be available in utero for those looking for a really unique Friesian foal 😉.

🌟 AVAILABLE 🌟We’re thrilled to officially introduce this spectacular c**t. He’s the offspring of two tobiano (pinto) par...
07/27/2024

🌟 AVAILABLE 🌟

We’re thrilled to officially introduce this spectacular c**t. He’s the offspring of two tobiano (pinto) parents and might be homozygous for the gene. This c**t is by Pallido Blu and out of the PREMIUM mare, Winter Willow (Sambertino/De Niro).

Winter Willow is a Premium Oldenburg mare standing at 17h. She was bred in the UK and imported for dressage and eventing. Willow’s sire, Sambertino, had a successful performance career in Holland, Germany, and the UK. Sambertino is also one of only two tobiano Warmbloods to have gone through the 100-day stallion licensing in the UK, where he received a 10 for temperament and a 10 for attitude to work. Willow’s maternal grandsire, De Niro, is a legendary sire, known as one of the World’s Best Dressage Stallions, having ranked #1 on the WBFSH Dressage Sire Ranking for five years. De Niro was a Grand Prix champion who sired numerous talented offspring, including the German Olympic stallion Desperados, who earned Germany’s team Gold and individual Bronze in Rio.

The sire, Pallido Blu, is a 70-day tested stallion known for producing athletic and well-tempered offspring. Pallido scored a perfect 10 for character, 9.5 for constitution, and 9’s for temperament and willingness to work. We have loved our Pallido Blu offspring as they have all shown solid, well-balanced gaits and temperaments suited for a variety of disciplines.

Learn more about our breeding and raising philosophy at: https://www.murderhollow.com/ourbreedingraisingphilosophy

Contact us for more details and to secure your place in this c**t’s journey. Extended payment options and weanling board are available.

💖🐴💖🐴

🌟 LAST LEOPARD KNABSTRUPPER C**T AVAILABLE FOR 2024 🌟Introducing our stunning leopard c**t by Carlsson vom Dach and out ...
07/25/2024

🌟 LAST LEOPARD KNABSTRUPPER C**T AVAILABLE FOR 2024 🌟

Introducing our stunning leopard c**t by Carlsson vom Dach and out of the exceptional Jakira (Johnson).

This c**t is the result of a proven and successful cross, following the path of his thriving sibling from the previous year. Expected to reach a height in the mid 16h range.

He is out of our top mare, Jakira (Johnson), a Premium mare actively competing with Murder Hollow. Jakira exemplifies the classic Warmblood versatility and forwardness, excelling in dressage, eventing, and driving. At her eventing debut at Woodside International Horse Trials, she placed in the top 10. In Germany, under rider Christin Böhner, she placed 3rd in her riding horse test (Reitpferdeprüfung). Jakira continues her dressage career and is a key member of our four-in-hand team. At Dressage at Devon 2021, she won Silver in her Mare class and Bronze in the Produce of Dam class.

Jakira’s sire, Johnson, is the world's top dressage stallion, ranking 1st 🥇 on the FEI World Ranking as of 2023. Her grandsire, Jazz, has held the top spot on the WBFSH ranking and is currently 3rd, earning the KWPN Horse of the Year 2006 title. Jakira’s pedigree boasts high-achieving horses, including Grand Prix and PSG/Inter I offspring.

This c**t’s sire, Carlsson vom Dach, is a German Knabstrupper with notable Holsteiner bloodlines, including the renowned show jumper Ladalco, son of Ladykiller xx. Carlsson's pedigree also includes Holsteiner Aldato and Anglo-Arabian Caid AA. He has produced foals with outstanding temperaments, and we are honored to offer one of very few of his offspring in North America.

Learn more about our breeding and raising philosophy at:
https://www.murderhollow.com/ourbreedingraisingphilosophy

Contact us for more details and to secure your place in this c**t's journey. Extended payment options and weanling board availability are offered.

💖🐴💖🐴

I used to like this group until I spoke out saying that cancel culture isn’t a fix to a systemic industry issue. Apparen...
07/24/2024

I used to like this group until I spoke out saying that cancel culture isn’t a fix to a systemic industry issue. Apparently they “canceled” me for saying that 🤣😆😂. Feels sorta fascist 🤔

*clarification since some are confused: photo of my suspension was taken prior to me being fully banned lol*

This 💓💓💓“The human brains most common glitch in my opinion, is the glitch of incongruence.  Our brains have not fully re...
07/24/2024

This 💓💓💓

“The human brains most common glitch in my opinion, is the glitch of incongruence. Our brains have not fully re-connected recent complex brain developments into our body, our ancient wisdoms, our empathy and our kindness.

I mean, we can. But it takes a Herculean effort to do so. In order to live a congruent life, one must be actively anti-social to the mainstream. Because mainstream living requires incongruence to fit in, survive and be successful.

Charlotte, like tens of thousands of top equine professionals, is part of this problem. Stuck in a system where she must force performance, force compliance, by any egregious means necessary, so that she can maintain her safety, her success, her image and her acceptance. Imagine being an Olympic Gold Medallist, training someone elses "lesser" horse, and the horse is not doing it the way your Valegro did it for you. Imagine doing that in front of an audience.

"I saw Charlotte at a clinic and actually, she couldn't get the results. It must be Valegro, not her"

Such nasty phrases are common place and directed everyday to all trainers, everywhere. Trainers are under enormous pressures to prove not only competency, but competency RIGHT NOW, and the means necessary are not important. This is a dynamic I work hard everyday to counter. It is so hard to do.

If we cancel Charlotte now we risk the following
1. Not learning from this. WHY did the TOP COMPETITOR in that industry still fail at horse ethics 101. If she is failing, we all are.
2. We risk covering up the positive impact she did make towards helmet culture, turn out culture and showcasing, 12 years ago, a relaxed horse. Even if he was one in a million. She still showcased that.
3. We lose an opportunity to understand the popular culture of training and how we need to double our efforts to reform it.

We actually need new parameters of competency. New parameters of success. We don't need to cancel Charlotte. She will get what is coming for her.

Cancel Culture in my opinion is the epitome of a diversion tactic. It is also hostile, and aggressive. And eye for an eye and we are all blind. Someone grappling with their own conscience in what they did or are currently doing to horses, can redirect their internal turmoil onto another and heap their own self loathing onto a scapegoat. They get an adrenal hit out of it. They feel better about themselves. The Germans call it "Schadenfreude" direct translation is Crappyfriend, or happiness at the misfortune of others. It is a toxic trait in my opinion to cancel an other.

We cannot talk a storyline of holding space for misbehaving horses, for troubled horses, if we cannot hold space for misbehaving and troubled people.

I see someone like Charlotte whipping a horse the way she did and I want to throw up, but I also acknowledge how troubled she must be. Troubled and damaged, before, during and after the abuse. not an excuse, I hold no sympathy for her. But damn, how damaged must someone be, to do what she did. How damaged must someone be to believe they can cancel another. Deny their existence, like a death. The same way horses are denied their existence.

Be careful, outraged or not, to track aggression patterns through our bodies and stop them in their tracks.

I have been saying for months:
"S**t is going to hit the fan this Olympics. We need to be ready to catch the people who are abandoning ship"

Olympics hasn't even started yet, and here we are. S**t-fan-ship.”

So, when Charlotte (Dujardin) was in London 2012 Olympics with Valegro, she got my attention. Because Valegro was the first competitive dressage horse I personally saw in recent memory, in recent records, compete and win without an abundance of overtly obvious calming signals and signs of stress. Valegro did show stress, lots and lots of it. But in an environment to his left and right, horses showed stressx100000, and he showed stressx100, he appeared relaxed by comparison. Not relaxed according to what I prefer and try to practice. Putting myself in the shoes of an other, I saw an exception in Charlotte then. I do not see an exception in her now.

So she got my attention.

In subsequent years, when Valegro (Blueberry) retired and I saw her riding of other horses, it became clear to me that Valegro might have been an exceptional animal and an anomaly, and then digging a little deeper into personal research, I tried to find quotes from Charlotte herself talking about her champion horse.

A person always tells you exactly who they are, if we believe them.

I heard a rumor, that Charlotte described Valegro as "Hard Mouthed". I am not sure if that is true. Because much of their press is glossy and idolised. Like this article, still on the FEI website, attributing Charlotte and Valegro to inspiring a whole new generation of dressage riders. https://www.fei.org/stories/sport/dressage/5-things-learn-charlotte-dujardin-valegro

So if a Gold Medallist is describing her champion horse as Hard Mouthed, what does this mean for the training process that horse went through when nobody was watching? I guessed, wildly speculated for myself, that Valegro might be a horse who tolerated more pressure, than perhaps other horses would. Perhaps a horse who was predisposed to working under an enormous amount of compression, without feeling emotionally off-kilter about it. And was therefore able to demonstrate high level competitive riding with her, without an abundance of signs of stress (not no stress at all, just drastically less than is typically seen in those contexts). And actually win. Valegro actually looked... sort of happy... with her. By comparison to the horses around them.

But in subsequent years watching her ride Pumpkin and others, I personally did not like what I saw. I saw too much of the modern, Continental Euro-Dressage culture in the horses body. I felt quietly she needed to listen more to Carl Hester, and less to the Continental Hyper-Mobile style that is so rewarded now across the board.

So in recent years I waned my interest in Charlotte, after initially feeling pleasantly surprised at how much I found an affiliate image in her public body of work that I felt I could... maybe, just maybe, enjoy watching and supporting.

Charlotte is currently under-going the effects of Cancel Culture. Cancel Culture is something I would like to cancel. Let us not throw the baby out with the bath water. Here is a competitor who demonstrated at the Olympics that once in a blue moon, 1 horse in a million could compete -and win-with a drastically minimised output of overt signs of stress. Charlotte showed that to us. She also popularised and brought into fashion the era of helmets in competitive riding. Before that, it was all tuxedo's and top hats. And now helmets are popular and normalised at upper levels. She was the first to really popularise that. She, together with Carl, also used her enormous platform to advocate for the ample turn out of their horses. They even hack their top horses on country roads. At a time when some competitors horses never saw light of day, or had a chance to roll in a field, or play with their buddies, this person was returning from world championships, and instead of posting a photo of her ribbons and trophies, would post of video of turning the champion horse out in a field with their buddies.

And then we see a video of her abusing a horse with a whip. In my opinion, the video is egregious. Her actions in the video are horrific. They appear well practiced. They appear to be perfunctory, like she had done them before. There is NO EXCUSE for what she did. It is bonafide abuse.

But there are explanations why. And understanding WHY is crucial for us right now if we are to avoid the pitfall before us. The pitfall of making camps on the left and right, while we hurl abuse at each other. Let us have enough self restraint to pump the breaks on our outrage, and understand why. We must, if we are to use this moment as a crucial turning point in the development of horse welfare.

I have made mistakes with horses. So have you, yes you. I have done things with horses out of frustration. So have you. Nobody is immune to that. All of us have sinned. But I have never whipped a horse like was shown in the surfaced video. I have never done that. To the laughter of those filming? Sickening. And the inaction of the rider. And the entitlement of Charlotte.

And yet, I do not agree that now is the time to cancel Charlotte.

It would not occur to me to blame the victim. The timing is perhaps suspect to speculation. But perhaps the timing has nothing to do with it. I know what it is like to wait years, 10 years in fact, to blow the whistle on my abusers. I have abusers who I am still waiting for the right time to blow my whistle on them. Now is not the time. I waited for a time when the groundswell of support was such that I could blow the whistle and not stand alone. Perhaps Charlottes whistle blower waited until they had enough support around them, so they COULD be brave. I do not know. But we must not make this about the whistleblower that is the lowest hanging fruit here today.

Let us make this about WHY the top competitor in our industry, so completely failed. Why we cannot sanction almost any competitive riding in 2024 through an ethics lens? And why we need to stop cancelling peoples mistakes, and instead learn from them. So we never-ever- repeat them.

Two things can be true at the same time.

Someone can be abusing horses. And in the same breathe, make great choices for them. It is the human-problem. We have a heavy, clever, abstract brain that needs another 50 millions years of evolution to refine this new bio-computer and de-bug some of its glitches. The human brains most common glitch in my opinion, is the glitch of incongruence. Say one thing. Do one thing. Next minute contradict that entirely. It is almost like somebody left the paddock gate open in the human psyche and all the horses got out. Running chaos across the road. It is the reason why we so wholly engage in acts of abuse, torture, murder and systematic annihilation of others. Just like cancel culture is the annihilation of others we abhor, the same way abusive horse training is the annihilation of the horses well-being in real time. Be careful, outraged or not we may be, be careful to track the threads of aggression and hostility through our bodies, lest we make hypocrites of ourselves.

To use hostility and aggression and lack of listening to others and lack of compassion of others to cancel another, is the same human trait of lack of listening, hostility, aggression and lack of compassion shown to the horse in Charlotte's scandal. To weaponise the same weapons of the person we cancel... is by definition incongruent. The best way to no longer sanction the sort of abuse Charlotte engaged in, is to eliminate those same urgings from ourselves... wherever they show up. Yes- even when directed at Charlotte.

The human brains most common glitch in my opinion, is the glitch of incongruence. Our brains have not fully re-connected recent complex brain developments into our body, our ancient wisdoms, our empathy and our kindness.

I mean, we can. But it takes a Herculean effort to do so. In order to live a congruent life, one must be actively anti-social to the mainstream. Because mainstream living requires incongruence to fit in, survive and be successful.

Charlotte, like tens of thousands of top equine professionals, is part of this problem. Stuck in a system where she must force performance, force compliance, by any egregious means necessary, so that she can maintain her safety, her success, her image and her acceptance. Imagine being an Olympic Gold Medallist, training someone elses "lesser" horse, and the horse is not doing it the way your Valegro did it for you. Imagine doing that in front of an audience.

"I saw Charlotte at a clinic and actually, she couldn't get the results. It must be Valegro, not her"

Such nasty phrases are common place and directed everyday to all trainers, everywhere. Trainers are under enormous pressures to prove not only competency, but competency RIGHT NOW, and the means necessary are not important. This is a dynamic I work hard everyday to counter. It is so hard to do.

If we cancel Charlotte now we risk the following
1. Not learning from this. WHY did the TOP COMPETITOR in that industry still fail at horse ethics 101. If she is failing, we all are.
2. We risk covering up the positive impact she did make towards helmet culture, turn out culture and showcasing, 12 years ago, a relaxed horse. Even if he was one in a million. She still showcased that.
3. We lose an opportunity to understand the popular culture of training and how we need to double our efforts to reform it.

We actually need new parameters of competency. New parameters of success. We don't need to cancel Charlotte. She will get what is coming for her.

Cancel Culture in my opinion is the epitome of a diversion tactic. It is also hostile, and aggressive. And eye for an eye and we are all blind. Someone grappling with their own conscience in what they did or are currently doing to horses, can redirect their internal turmoil onto another and heap their own self loathing onto a scapegoat. They get an adrenal hit out of it. They feel better about themselves. The Germans call it "Schadenfreude" direct translation is Crappyfriend, or happiness at the misfortune of others. It is a toxic trait in my opinion to cancel an other.

We cannot talk a storyline of holding space for misbehaving horses, for troubled horses, if we cannot hold space for misbehaving and troubled people.

I see someone like Charlotte whipping a horse the way she did and I want to throw up, but I also acknowledge how troubled she must be. Troubled and damaged, before, during and after the abuse. not an excuse, I hold no sympathy for her. But damn, how damaged must someone be, to do what she did. How damaged must someone be to believe they can cancel another. Deny their existence, like a death. The same way horses are denied their existence.

Be careful, outraged or not, to track aggression patterns through our bodies and stop them in their tracks.

I have been saying for months:
"S**t is going to hit the fan this Olympics. We need to be ready to catch the people who are abandoning ship"

Olympics hasn't even started yet, and here we are. S**t-fan-ship.

Address

Spring City, PA
19475

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Murder Hollow posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Murder Hollow:

Videos

Share


Other Spring City pet stores & pet services

Show All