Riding off Amsterdam by Charlotte Dujardin causes discussion

The video is just under eight minutes long. It shows Charlotte Dujardin riding the mare Alive and Kicking in Amsterdam. The basic principle of the film sequences published on Facebook follows a pattern: a short section is shown repeatedly. Then the image stops and comments appear in white on a black background, explaining what is wrong from the perspective of the Collectif Pour Les Cheveaux.

Conflict situations, currently a much-cited term, are documented: open mouth, tail slapping, but also tension kicks of the black mare with delayed feet and twitching legs. In addition, the use of thighs and spurs and the way in which the three-time Olympic champion uses her hand to influence the horse are also discussed. Finally, stills of the head are used to claim that the earflap worn by the Westphalian mare prevents ear play. The position of the cheek pieces – “too close to the eye” – is also criticized. The same applies to the neck/head position, which is too close. In some sequences, orange circles appear on the still images to highlight the points of criticism even more clearly. Comments are also made about the saddle – “modern saddles have too large knee rolls that allow the rider to pull harder on the reins” – and the bandages with flaps – “have been proven to cause lesions due to overheating”.

Irregularities in the trot sequence

In addition to the repeated tension strides and beat errors in reinforcement, the mare shows clearly uneven gaits in trot traversals. The principle of “push and pull” is particularly criticized in the accompanying texts, as Dujardin repeatedly and clearly intervenes with the spurs and “slows” the mare down with clear hand influence.

The images were taken in January 2026. EQUI PAGES presented the video footage to riding master Martin Plewa. “The horse’s gait is highly tense and completely unnatural. As long as the stewards do not recognize a moment of an animal welfare-relevant action by the rider, they will probably not consider any intervention necessary. It would only become relevant if the horse’s expressive behavior showed that the horse was clearly unwell. In my opinion, such a movement in extreme tension should be judged and scored below 5. This is undoubtedly completely wrong riding!”

Borderline or beyond?

The Times, the UK’s flagship daily newspaper, took the video and the reactions to it as an opportunity to address the issue on a double-page spread. The Times quotes various vets who also reject Dujardin’s riding. Some of the vets quoted are involved in research and also work with the World Equestrian Federation (FEI). Former British world-class rider Richard Davis calls the riding “abusive”: “Everyone has their own idea of what constitutes abusive riding. You can argue about whether it crosses the threshold or not. However, I agree with others that it shows a certain level of abusive riding that does not conform to the principles of modern horse learning theory.”

Martin Plewa takes the same view and points out a problem when assessing the action on international warm-up arenas. “Riding off is already pretty rough. According to our criteria catalog, the rider should perhaps be spoken to after all,” concludes Plewa.

The Danish Mette Uldahl, former president of the European Federation of Equine Veterinarians(FEEVA), is quoted in the Times regarding the “pull and push”: “It’s like asking your car to drive while braking”.

Other female riders also filmed

Not only Dujardin, but also other female riders were filmed by Flemish vet Eva Van Avermaet while riding off. Dutch rider Dinja van Liere, third at the 2022 World Championships, is said to have come to the equipment check with her noseband too tightly buckled. This is mandatory when entering the warm-up arena. Among other things, it checks whether the noseband is buckled tight enough to allow a standardized rubber wedge on the bridge of the nose to be passed under the strap. The Dutch rider allegedly had to buckle the strap further. Pictures of her horse Imposantos show how the black horse clearly locks in series changes. The pair came tenth in the World Cup freestyle.

Becky Moody first without spurs

Becky Moody’s riding was also on the “shooting schedule” of the vet, who has written the protection of (dressage) horses on her own activist banner. The British rider initially rode Jagerbomb without spurs, but later appeared with spurs on her boots. Her influence is never noticeable. In the commentary on the Facebook video, however, the Collectif wrote that they feared that Moody would also figuratively lose her way in view of the many “push and kick riders”. The fact that she ends up riding the test with spurs is described as an indication that Jagerbomb has been “desensitized” at the thigh.

When Eva Van Avermaet is also filming Isabell Werth’s riding, her trainer Götz Brinkmann stands in front of her and takes a photo of the Collectif chairwoman, which she insists against. Hartmann says in a neutral tone that he just wanted to take a photo.

Other video sequences show FEI stewards trying to prohibit filming. While Eva Van Avermaet can be heard discussing with a male and a female steward, two other Collectif representatives film the scene from other positions.

Double-page spread in British daily newspaper The Times

The Times writes that the video with Dujardin in Amsterdam has been viewed more than 100,000 times. As of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, the version we have had a good 46,000 views on Facebook. It is a revised version, as vet Eva Van Avermaet explains to EQUI PAGES: “The second video I posted is the one where I edited the exact same footage, with more slow motion, repetitions and explanations, because Owen Slot had asked me to point out in the video the things that we can see with our trained eyes, but that many do not see because these riders make extremely fast arm and leg movements.” Owen Slot is the sports reporter for The Times who wrote the article about Dujardin’s ride in Amsterdam.

What the author of the pictures says

Veterinarian Eva Van Avermaet founded the Collectif Pour Les Chevaux. She says that she pointed out to the steward that Charlotte Dujardin’s reins were too rough in her opinion. “How can you see that?” the steward asked. “I replied that I had trained my eye to see this for several years and that he should also be able to see this.” The steward then allegedly approached the rider. However, she did not change the rein or leg aids (spurs). “So I went back to him and told him to do his job and protect Dujardin and Charlotte Fry’s horses from further damage. Because they rode similarly. And I had seen that Glamourdale’s tongue was blue. I also pointed this out to the steward.”

In the commentary below the video, Eva van Avermaet discusses the tense movement sequence. The verdict is clear: “It was pointless to point out the mare’s stress level and all the ‘symptoms’ of training based on fear and pain. We hope that he (meaning the steward) sees that now. A horse should not move as if it is receiving electric shocks!”

“Push and Pull”

Veterinarian Eva Van Avermaet lists various behavioral patterns that indicate a horse’s discomfort, from locking to bucking, head banging and turning. “These behaviors can occur when a horse is exposed to pressure, pain, fear, stress, confusion, conflicting motivations, restrictive equipment or inconsistent and misapplied training signals. In my opinion, Alive and Kicking would be subject to all of these. The misapplied training signals are demonstrated by the rider several times during the warm-up. She uses the common technique of ‘push and pull’.”

Snapshots?

EQUI PAGES wanted to know if the vet had observed the ride for any length of time. “Unfortunately, I only have two eyes and a camera, and there were several other riders practicing the exact same unacceptable riding at the same time. I think people just have no idea, no clue about what is going on when they ride.” The founder of the Collectif Pour Les Cheveaux sees no improvement in what she considers to be incorrect practices. “Since the FEI has ignored all my complaints without informing me and without giving me an explanation, they (the riders) feel more untouchable than ever. And in Amsterdam, in the land of Sjef Janssen and Anky Van Grunsven, they have no limits.”

To show that it was not a compilation, the vet uploaded a 19-minute video to YouTube to show everything. The organizers have since commented in a post on Facebook “We are surprised. Our stewards are strictly following protocol and have not reported anything. There was not a single report of inappropriate behavior.”

We have asked the relevant British associations and Charlotte Dujardin for a statement. However, we have not yet received them.