Spalding's Official Response to the Schmersal reining video

I received the following email last week from Spalding:


Ms Hinton

I am sorry I am late with this e mail. I acknowledge I promised you an answer three days ago.

This matter is of great concern to us as well and we are trying to gather all the facts we can from various sources including FEI and the NRHA. We have also spoken with people other than Craig Schmersal who were at Malmo Sweden and at the practice arena when this session was happening.

In your last e mail you suggested that EPONA-TV had produced a letter stating Craig Schmersal had offerd to sue them contrary to what he told me.

The video on You Tube used text to offer a quote from Craig Schmersal. " If you post and try to damage my reputation as a true and fair horseman I will sue you."

When I read the editorial from EPONA-TV on your blog, they offer proof  by posting a letter from a attroney demanding cease and desist.

This may seem like splitting hairs but it seems to be a stretch to publish "I will sue you" quoting one person, and then offer as proof, a letter from that persons attorney that demanded cease and desist.

This is Spalding Labs position. You may post or quote if you choose.

Spalding Labs is waiting for a ruling from the FEI or the NRHA on this matter and will act based upon those findings.

Larry Garner



My response to this was to contact Epona TV to see if they had anything to say. It is my understanding that there is in fact evidence that Craig Schmersal not only threatened to sue, but said/wrote other things as well. As soon as this is published by Epona TV I will provide a link to their information.

As you can read from Mr. Garner's response, Spalding has not sent a form letter in response to my inquiry. Mr. Garner sent me several emails responding specifically to my concerns. He went even further and made several efforts to contact me by telephone to discuss the matter personally. This company obviously goes a great distance to respond to the concerns of its customers, and I do believe they have looked into the Schmersal incident.

Whether they come to the same conclusion that I have come to remains to be seen. There is still more information to be revealed, and I still suspect that Craig Schmersal has not in fact been honest with Spalding in his responses to their questions.

My bottom line is that I want to support companies who provide high quality equine products as well as excellent customer service. There is NO DOUBT in my experience that Spalding provides both.

However, I also want the companies who make their livings selling products for horses to stand behind the horse in one more important way: by ONLY sponsoring riders, trainers, farms, and organizations that treat all equines with the highest level of respect and kindness. Those who make money off horses imo have the most responsibility to treat them well. (I'm not excusing poor treatment of any horse anywhere, but if the horse is being used as a vehicle for gain, it is imo imperative that the horse is treated with the highest level of care and concern)

I am waiting for Epona's response and continue to ask that Spalding, Purina, and all the companies who sponsor Craig Schmersal take a long, hard look at what exactly they are endorsing. The horses deserve this.

the senior horse, 6: sweet moments

I'm not sure if this is a senior thing or just a November Hill farm thing. All our equines have sweet moments pretty much around the clock.

But somehow the moments seem sweeter as they get older, maybe because we know that as much as we wish they did, horses do not live forever, nor do they tend to leave at the exact moment we do, which would in some ways be the perfect ending for people and their long-time senior equine companions.

A couple of days ago I was in the barn. The pony stuck his head over the stall door at the exact moment I was walking behind Salina, who was definitely in pony range. She squealed and stomped her front leg at him, and the squeal and stomp, though not near me per se, caused me to exclaim "Whoa! I'm back here!"

I walked on to the end of the barn aisle doing whatever it was I was doing and within a few moments, Salina had come to where I was and turned so that she was looking me in the eye with her eye, and nuzzled my arm.

I've said before that Salina is incredibly telepathic, and I feel extremely attuned to her. But she is not what I would consider a particularly affectionate mare. She enjoys being groomed and pampered, and she often backs me up when I'm asking one of the geldings to do something. I feel like she and I are on the same wavelength almost all the time. But lately she seems intent on thanking me for things, and in this case, seeing if I was okay and apologizing for startling me.

She stood there until I put my arms around her neck and leaned my cheek against hers. "It's okay, girl. I know the pony was pushing the limit." She gave me another nuzzle and we spent a few moments communing.

The day after that, I had opened the stall door to do something for Keil Bay. He very much wanted to come out through the barn aisle and spend time in the barnyard but I was busy and said no. He got a little pushy - shoving the stall door as I tried to close it. I stopped and just looked at him over the stall door. I waited a moment and then said "Don't be so grumpy! You can come out. Just please be nice about it."

I opened the stall door and let him out, thinking he would saunter straight out to the grass. But he turned around carefully in the barn aisle, angling his big body between the stall door, the wheelbarrow, and me. He came up to me and just stood there, touching my arms and hands with his muzzle. He, too, positioned his head so he could look me right in the eye. I rubbed him under his forelock and we stood quietly for a minute. He waited for me to say "go on, Big Bay," before he went to graze.

As much as I love riding and feeling the beauty of lightness in the saddle, these sweet and tender moments when I'm having conversations that were initiated by the horses are my most favorite times.

It boggles my mind that there are people who believe that horses don't feel affection and attachment and that they will try anything to get their way.

I wish I could put everyone who doubts or doesn't believe into my body so they could know what happens between horses who are treated with kindness, care, and the deepest respect, and a woman who simply learned how to listen.

working on a new permanent page for companies who sponsor riders/trainers who use abusive methods with horses

I've decided to make it easier for readers to follow my ongoing research into the companies from which I purchase equine supplies, tack, feed, and various other items.

In the next week or two look for a new page here that will list the companies I use, companies I have corresponded with due to their sponsorship of abusive riders/trainers, and companies I have stopped using because of their continuing to sponsor people when abusive practices are pointed out to them.

Epona TV answers every possible question about the Craig Schmersal debacle

GO HERE to read the editorial.

And if you are Purina or Spalding, please read it and most especially click on the link they have provided to the Cease and Desist letter they received by Schmersal's attorney. Unless Craig has an attorney who acts on his behalf without his knowledge or permission, this is clear evidence that in fact Craig DID threaten legal action.

I have been told that Craig has denied having done so. If the video of Craig's riding alone is not enough to bring about a re-examination of company sponsorship, does the fact that he lies to you make any difference?

Epona TV's goal is to document what happens at the upper levels of equine sport. They did not target Craig Schmersal in particular - they simply aimed their cameras at what they recognized to be abusive riding.

My goal is to vote with my credit card, giving my business to companies that stand squarely on the side of the horse and of riders/trainers who use humane training methods, humane horse-keeping practices, and who sit on the horses' backs who win them fame and money in a kind, respectful fashion.

And my secondary goal is to make the information I uncover in my effort to do this available to anyone else in the world who wants to read it and do the same.

Spalding has promised me an official response on Monday. Purina has promised nothing, but I will ask them again if they would like to address this given Epona's editorial.

quick update: Purina, Spalding, Schmersal

I'm fielding emails, phone calls, and trying to get to the bottom of this, so please stay tuned. Craig Schmersal has denied that he got a verbal warning in the warm-up/training session (part of which was videotaped by Epona TV), and he has denied threatening to sue.

I am in the process of talking with Epona to see what their response is.

And I am appreciative that both Purina and Spalding are paying attention and looking into this situation.

As a friend just wrote on my Facebook wall: Take a deep breath and remember that you're only one person! One thing at the time and you'll get through it! I have confidence that you can tackle it all!!

Wise words.  I will stay on top of this, collate the info, and write it up as soon as I can. Meanwhile I have horses to feed, trims to supervise, teenagers to chauffeur, and book sales to celebrate! But I will follow up on this AND on the BLM issue very soon.