Riders with Backbone: 40,000 Voices Say No Blood
- Barnaby “Barny” Haybale - TCP
- Oct 30
- 4 min read
Editor’s Note: The following text is a satirical depiction. The mentioned petitions to maintain the "No Blood Rule" are real but do not originate from the author or the editorial team of this article. The initiative "Riders with Backbone" and its founder, Dr. Vertebra Spinosa, are fictional. Similarities to real persons or organizations are coincidental or an expression of excessive faithfulness to reality.
When Principles Suddenly Become Flexible
International equestrian sport is currently engaged in a heated debate: Should the so-called "No Blood Rule" - the ban on blood on horses during showjumping competitions - be relaxed? While some voices claim one must be "realistic" and "flexible," over 40,000 people worldwide are showing backbone - in the truest sense of the word - by signing petitions to prevent this rule from being diluted.
Amidst this debate, a new, strictly fictional movement arises: "Riders with Backbone".
We spoke with the founder, Dr. Vertebra Spinosa, a woman who believes ethics should not be bendable – and that morality works best when cast in plaster.
Exclusive Interview with Dr. Vertebra Spinosa
"Flexibility is for yoga, not for ethics."
The Carrot Post (TCP): Dr. Spinosa, everyone is discussing a relaxation of the "No Blood Rule." Why did you found "Riders with Backbone"?
Dr. Vertebra Spinosa: I saw people say: "You have to be pragmatic sometimes." That's when I knew - enough is enough. When ethics suddenly becomes optional, we need a movement that shows backbone. We are, so to speak, the Orthopedic Emergency Room for Morality.
TCP: Your motto is "Ethics. Not Excuses." – What do you mean by that?
Dr. Spinosa: Quite simple: Either no blood, or no equestrian sport. Ethics is not a stretching exercise. Those who constantly look for exceptions risk a moral slipped disc sooner or later.
TCP: Your movement is called “Riders with Backbone.” Yet some riders ask, “Will strict rules endanger our success, our reputation, or our medal count?” Why do some riders seem to have a backbone while others seem to lack it?
Dr. Spinosa: Because a backbone isn’t about winning, money, TV rights, or positive headlines - it’s about standing upright when it truly matters for the horse. Some riders bend theirs for medals, money, and success; many others show backbone for the horse’s welfare. One asks, “What can I get away with?” the other asks, “What is right for the horse?” Only the latter truly stands tall.
TCP: Critics call you "stubborn" and "inflexible."
Dr. Spinosa: We call it consistent. If morality has to debate whether it fits today, it’s no longer morality. The "No Blood Rule" was a promise to the horse - not to the medal count. And you don't stretch promises.
TCP: What do you say to the more than 40,000 people who have signed petitions to maintain the rule?
Dr. Spinosa: I take my hat off to them – without bowing, of course. These people remind the sport that decency is not a matter of daily form. They show true posture – and not just on the horse.
TCP: Your opponents argue that a micro lesion does not automatically equate to elimination.
Dr. Spinosa: Ah, that's the new "Ethics-Light." Today they call it "a bit of blood," tomorrow it's "just a small hematoma." If you relativize even a small scratch from the spurs, just admit it: convenience won. We, on the other hand, love inconvenience - it keeps the backbone straight.
TCP: Some say absolute rules are outdated.
Dr. Spinosa: That’s always what those who don't want to follow them say. We have a guiding principle in our movement: "Morality is like a fence - if it’s flexible, everyone runs right over it." Our horses deserve rules that are as solid as a wall - or at least as a healthy vertebral body.
TCP: What are your future plans?
Dr. Spinosa: We are planning an awareness campaign: "No Bend. No Blood. No Bullshit." We also want to offer workshops for ethical steadfastness, we would like to encourage people to show that they have a backbone and support the welfare of the horses.
TCP: In conclusion: What would you say to the officials in equestrian politics (and the riders) who are considering a dilution?
Dr. Spinosa: I would say: Look in the mirror and ask yourselves whether you prefer to stand tall or to bend over. Whoever bends principles will eventually lose them completely.
TCP: Thank you for the interview, Dr. Spinosa.
Dr. Spinosa: Thank you. I will not bow.
Editorial Afterword:
Perhaps what is needed in the debate about ethics in equestrian sport is indeed less flexibility in regard to rules and regulations – and more backbone to advocate for horse welfare and not for monetary advantage. The fictional movement "Riders with Backbone" might be an exaggeration. But who knows - maybe it’s not so far away from what many riders and the public wish for: a sport with integrity. Because rules in direct regard to the well-being of the sport partner, the horse, should not be open for interpretation or legal attacks.
A sport that forgets this loses not only credibility, but its soul.
▶️ Get serious: A genuine call to action
We love satire, but animal welfare is no laughing matter. If you believe that the “No Blood Rule” should not be watered down, harness the viral energy and support the real initiative.
Sign the petition now:
Comments