Petition: Investigate Olympic Gold Medallist Caught Beating a Horse

In mid-February, a man famous for his horse-riding and horse-training skills was caught beating a horse because they disobeyed him. This man’s name is Sir Mark Todd and he was a professional equestrian rider for about 20 years and earned two Olympic gold medals. Several years into his retirement from riding, he still rides horses and is even a trainer. He and his wife breed horses, and he owns a fancy training facility in the UK.

This video evidence shows a man who appears to be Sir Mark using a branch to repeatedly whip a horse when they refused to cross the water in their path. Sir Mark has confirmed that he was the man in the sad video. In the footage, he seems to be frustrated and angry at the animal’s defiance and, thought that violence would be the answer.

Source: eponatv/Youtube

“One of the main things I preach is about establishing mutual respect between horse and rider and that patience and kindness is the best way to get results. I am very disappointed in myself that I did not adhere to that in this case.” Todd said in his statement. His actions do not align with his public statement. Todd has since stepped down from his role as a patron for World Horse Welfare because of the incident, says a news source. Sign this petition to demand authorities investigate this incident! They must also ensure that all horses trained at Sir Mark’s facilities are safe and well-treated.

To continue speaking up, sign these other petitions as well:

• Petition: Ban Horse Drawn Carriages
• Ban Horse Racing in the U.S.

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