ANDREAS HELGSTRAND, ROLLKUR & THE DARK SIDE OF DRESSAGE
In November 2023, Danish broadcaster TV 2 aired an undercover investigation, Operation X: The Secrets of the Horse Billionaire, which sent shockwaves through the horse world.
The documentary revealed disturbing footage of Andreas Helgstrand’s training practices, including the abusive use of Rollkur — forcing horses’ heads into extreme, unnatural positions in the name of “discipline” and “control.”
Viewers saw young horses buckling under pressure, strapped tight and hyperflexed until their tongues turned blue. This wasn’t training. This was domination through pain.
The exposé was so powerful that it reverberated far beyond Denmark. The program is available to stream on TV2 Play in Denmark and through VGTV in Norway (from December 2023, with multi-year availability).
While access is limited outside Scandinavia PLEASE scroll down for a powerful podcast with the journalist who provided footage for this documentary.
Despite the TV program’s limited availablity outside of Scandanavia its impact has been global — sparking outrage, petitions, and renewed calls for bans on Rollkur and other abusive training methods.
If horse racing is losing its social licence, so too must elite dressage when it puts cruelty before compassion.
Prestige, medals, and billion-dollar businesses cannot excuse suffering.
Join us as we:
Refuse to support industries that normalise cruelty under the guise of “sport” or “tradition.”
Horses deserve dignity, not domination.
PODCAST: TV JOURNALIST REBEKKA KLUBIEN
Journalist Rebekka Klubien whose undercover footage and reporting led to the documentary is interviewed above on a podcast from Germany – broadcast in English.
Andreas Helgstrand and Rollkur (also called hyperflexion) is an important case study because it shows that cruelty isn’t just confined to horse racing — it’s deeply embedded in other horse “sports” too.
When most people think of horse cruelty, they picture racetracks or rodeos or slaughterhouses.
But cruelty can be dressed up in silk jackets and top hats too.
Behind the glittering image of Olympic dressage lies a brutal practice that has sparked outrage across the world: Rollkur.
WHAT IS ROLLKUR?
Rollkur — also known as hyperflexion — is the forced overbending of a horse’s neck, achieved by hauling the head behind the vertical with tight reins and pressure.
Proponents claim it creates a flashy, exaggerated performance. In reality, it is an act of domination.
Horses subjected to Rollkur often display clear signs of distress:
Tongues turning blue from pressure.
Eyes rolling with fear.
Gaping mouths, foaming saliva, and labored breathing.
Musculoskeletal strain and long-term damage to the neck and back.
The horse is not “performing.” It is suffering.
ANDREAS HELGSTRAND – CRUELTY CAUGHT ON CAMERA
In 2023, Danish TV’s Operation X: Secrets of the Horse Billionaire sent undercover journalist Rebekka Klubien into Olympian Andreas Helgstrand’s stables as a groom.
What she filmed shattered the polished façade:
Horses with spur and whip marks, some bleeding—or hidden by shoe polish.
Bleeding mouths and open wounds, left untreated.
Horses forced into Rollkur with tight draw reins.
Grooms openly discussing these abuses as standard practice.
THE FALLOUT WAS IMMEDIATE
Police reports were filed by animal welfare groups demanding accountability.
The Danish Riding Instructor Association expelled Helgstrand and others, preventing them from training new riders.
The Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) stated it takes such allegations seriously, though critics say the response remains hollow.
The FEI has wavered on banning Rollkur outright, opting instead for vague language about “abuse” that leaves loopholes wide open.
HELGSTRAND’S EXCUSES & SYSTEM FAILURES
Despite overwhelming evidence, Helgstrand defended himself:
Claimed hidden cameras violated privacy and journalistic fairness. Courts disagreed, ruling the exposé was in the public interest.
He was suspended again in 2024 after advising another rider to “give it a ‘proper one’”—a coded encouragement to whip the horse.
The pattern is clear: elitism, deflection, and attempts to hide brutality behind prestige.
Dressage sells illusion: harmonious partnerships, equine artistry, Olympic grace.
But Rollkur tears that illusion apart. Helgstrand’s methods reveal that, beneath the glamour, there’s coercion and cruelty.
The industry’s misuse of public nostalgia now clashes with rising outrage.
If dressage truly claims to be art—it must be humane. The social licence of dressage, like that of horse racing is fraying.
OUR STAND AT MEET OUR HORSE MEAT
We shine a light on equine cruelty, wherever it hides—behind hats or Olympic medals.
We refuse to accept Rollkur, silent wounds, or PR spin as part of equestrian “tradition.”
We demand transparency from riders, sponsors, associations—and the FEI.
Take action:
Share this exposé far and wide.
Refuse to support competitions or sponsors that enable Rollkur.
Demand better from equestrian governing bodies—before the sport loses its legitimacy altogether.
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At Meet Our Horse Meat, we place immense value on every donation we receive.
Your generosity fuels our investigations, keeps our reporting independent, and allows us to:
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Educate the public about food fraud and animal welfare issues.
Push for transparency and accountability in racing and breeding.
Every contribution—no matter the size—helps us shine a light on what others want to keep hidden.
Together, we can end the exploitation and ensure every horse is treated with dignity.
#MOHM THREATENED?
We’ve been threatened by those in the horse racing industry and those who benefit from horse slaughter more times than we can count.
But we are not going away.
We are going to persist until horse slaughter no longer exists for any purpose within Australia -- and until the horse racing industry makes drastic changes.
We are going to continue our hands-on work to offer lifelong sanctuary to as many horses as possible. We generally have 20 at just one of our locations - at any given time.
We have the acreage to take on more horses as financial support allows.
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