Many photos of Isabell Werth have been circulating on social media in recent days, showing her horse Wendy with a blue tongue during the freestyle at the Olympic Games.
This isn't an original photo! First of all, the "blue part" isn't the tongue, but the upper lip. Also, it's clearly visible that the red tones have been removed from the photo, making everything appear grayer and bluer.
As a horse lover, as a visitor to the Olympic Games and as the owner of Pas de Deux, I (Irene) feel obliged to comment on this.
Fortunately, much has changed in recent years in (elite) sport regarding horse welfare. Many horses are now outside daily, which wasn't the case 20 years ago. This applies to both elite and regular riding schools and stables.
Elite sport is demanding for horses and therefore certainly not suitable for every horse. Whether it's good for those horses is debatable, but in any case, elite sport fosters a great deal of development, which means that "our" horses are now doing much better too.
Think of the vast amount of research being done in many areas: dental care, hoof care, saddles, medical science, etc. Without top-level sport, these developments wouldn't be happening, and ultimately, "the horse" (as a group) certainly wouldn't benefit if these developments stopped.
It's now common practice for recreational riders to have their teeth checked annually, as well as their saddle. And to regularly see a physiotherapist to loosen the muscles and remove any blockages. Bit and bridle fitting is also becoming increasingly common. We're now taking the leap that began about 20 years ago in the saddle field: the realization that it's not "just a saddle," but that fit is crucial. This understanding now also applies to bridles and bits. And what about laser therapy, vibration plates, therapy blankets... and the list goes on.
Without elite sport (which needed and still needs these developments to make a difference), these kinds of things would never have been "discovered" and become commonplace. And we're certainly not there yet. There's still so much room for improvement, and that change has already begun. But this doesn't apply only to elite sport; there's also a lot of suffering due to the incompetence of inexperienced people. Horses in elite sport, however, don't suffer from that.
And believe me, I unfortunately encounter examples of incompetence, sometimes seriously damaging to the horse, regularly in my work. To completely denigrate someone on social media based on a photoshopped picture of a blue tongue is simply libel and slander. I haven't always been a fan of all the combinations Isabell has created with her horses, but I witnessed this live performance, and this freestyle looked very pleasant and relaxed.
After seeing the photo on social media, I rewatched the performance on the big screen, paying attention only to the mouth, and I honestly don't see a blue tongue anywhere!
This kind of fake news doesn't help the horse (sector) progress. We're now left with two camps so diametrically opposed that they'll never meet. Burning it down like this will mean that in 20 years, we'll all be unable to enjoy our wonderful hobby at all.