Equestrian is having an uncomfortable moment, its Olympic horses are not

VERSAILLES – For most of the athletes at the Paris Olympics, the accommodation is to be endured, rather than enjoyed.

In the name of sustainability, the beds at the Olympic Village feature cardboard frames and inflatable mattresses. The bathrooms are communal. To the horror of the French, the British have even complained about the food.

One group of competitors, though, have no such issues. They are spending the Games in a temperature-controlled, tastefully appointed housing complex set amid the ornate splendour of Versailles. Their food, and often their beds, have travelled with them from home. They each have a staff member to cater to their every need. Life, at the Olympics, should be good for the horses.

“The stables at Versailles are more than just a place to rest,” the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) said in a recent news statement. “Each horse will enjoy a spacious 4m x 3m box with rubber mats and locally sourced bedding of straw or shavings.”

The emphasis on equine comfort at these Games is at least partly rooted in defensiveness. A few days before the opening ceremony, a four-year-old video emerged of British Olympian Charlotte Dujardin, a three-time gold medallist in dressage,

repeatedly striking a horse with a whip

during a training session.

The 39-year-old withdrew from the Games and was suspended indefinitely by the FEI. She issued an apology, saying she was “deeply ashamed” of an “error of judgment” that “does not reflect how I train my horses or my students”.

The sport, as a whole, has been quick to condemn Dujardin and to characterise the footage as an exception in the sport’s culture rather than a rule.

To the athletes competing in the exacting, subtle sport of dressage, which requires exquisite communication and trust between horse and rider, the footage was an almost obscene contradiction of what the discipline entails.

“If you put pressure and pain into something, no horse will give you back what you need,” said German rider Frederic Wandres, whose team won gold on Aug 3.

Being associated with allegations of animal abuse hardly helps the sport make a case for its continued Olympic presence. “I think everyone is a wee bit worried about the future of it,” said Abigail Lyle, an Irish dressage rider.

The FEI and the officials in charge of the sport at the Olympics have been quick to emphasise the perks of being a horse at the Games. The horses travel with entourages of veterinarians, grooms, physiotherapists and other helpers, and they are monitored by additional vets and therapists provided at the Games.

“We’re all making an effort to show how much we love our horses,” said British rider Carl Hester, 57, who won dressage team bronze on Aug 3. NYTIMES