Izvestia – Nedelia (The Week), May 18, 2007

Alexander Nevzorov the Deputy of the State Duma: “Believe me, the overdriven horse has something to say”

“Who has to be gorged, and who has to be caged”

Alexander Glebovich, when an average man sees sleek body horses at equestrian competitions, he is frankly puzzled why Nevzorov calls sportsmen scoundrels and sadists?

A horse has to live 40 years by nature. But according to the western insurance companies in equestrian sport horses live about 7 years. Causing a pain to a horse in sport is the basis of practice, the keystone to success. If only there would be the breath of life! There is no need nowadays to gallop to the next village with a jar of donor blood or deliver a dispatch through the frontal line. The equestrian sport is a human pastime per se.

Whether a horse suffers so much?

We generalized European and Russian experience of autopsy the dead racehorses together with Robert Cook, Professor of European Veterinary Medicine, and Dr. Shtrasser. Take my word for it that the dead horse has much to say. Most racehorses become invalids and die prematurely because of constant pain shock caused by systematic torture.

Do sportsmen know this? Maybe they know not what they do?

Appeal to a traditional horseman and explain to him, who he is, it is foolish. It is as if you would be robbed in tram and decided to write an application addressed to that pickpocket. Pickpocket, why did you steal my last three hundred rubles? And he would answer that thefts is a tradition of the generations and so on.

It is the same story with equestrian sport. It had been proved long time ago that it is possible to guide a horse without pain. However, sportsmen don’t want to take this course. Why? Because they want to experience some special feelings. The feelings when one breather gains a pleasure from the infliction of pain on another breather. That is sadism per se.

I faced an outrageous situation at first hand. The neighbor in the country throttled our cat in our yard at night, and then another five cats of our neighbors. Was it alcoholic psychosis or sadism, but I didn’t find justice, although I addressed my complaint to the Regional Prosecutor’s Office… I mean to say, the existing law, though prohibits cruelty to animals, is defied in practice. Perhaps it is time to pass more perfect law?

You see, people always decided who has to be gorged and who has to be caged in order to bring their children to see. The world civilization is based on the evolution fascism. It is useless to argue with it.

As for legislation, never as long as you live you’ll be able to sort one breather from another without infringe on giant fur concerns or dairy and meat industry interests. Do you believe it is terrifying only there where they rip cow’s guts out? No. In dairy farms where cows always give milk they nearly out of skeleton because of continuous loss of calcium through milking…

This is what I say to my pupil: “I’ll teach you the way with horses. But the key is in the quality of a human”.

Nevzorov and horse’s health

• The first horse Nevzorov got 14 years ago. Today there are four horses in his stable: Perst, Tashunko, Lipisina and Kaogi. None of them knows what a bit in the mouth, whips, spurs are. This is the main credo of Nevzorov: all disgraceful pain and violence tools which were invented by human for many centuries must to be relegated to oblivion as serfdom and concentration camps.
• His another belief: the horse is phenomenal intelligent and ready to collaborate with human without any compulsion. Nevzorov’s horses on their own free will, just at the instance of their master, lie down, sit, do Spanish walk and perform so incredible hard figures that guests, the best horse trainers from Austria and France cannot believe their eyes.
• Nevzorov wakes up at half past six every morning: it is time to take horses out of the stable. If horse has no case to move at least 15 hours a day – walk, be in the fresh air, run, - its blood circulation slow down, develop an arthritis, arthrosis, hoof diseases.
• Nevzorov rides little. He spares horseback. Cause only in prairie, being free a horse can be healthy. Horseman ruins horseback. The Lord made no provision for seventy-kilo outgrowth on the horseback! Well, if one is going to ride a horse, he has to do it by the rules of Nevzorov’s school that is only 15 minutes.
• It is customary to speak in Nevzorov’s school: “The horse is an exact science”. Relationships with animals are established on basis of horse’s physiology research.

“Thankless role of breakers”

However, being a deputy of the State Duma why don’t you go and elaborate legislation, which would really protect animals from human’s cruelty?

The only law is rational and necessary, the one which is needed. Otherwise it will be just words on paper and just about everyone will argue with them. The commandment “You shall not kill” is profound need of every one of us, that’s why we accept it beyond question. As well as the articles of criminal code – if read it through carefully it is really reflect the interests of sane people.

No one will understand the horse law. Till we break public opinion about that to pieces. Till every sane person feel aversion to equestrian sport. The aversion is founded on the whole truth of this amusement. We’ve got a thankless role of breakers now.

Can I ask improper question – the irrelevant one?

I have nothing against such questions.

A son has been born to you recently. Why so late – after fourteen years of marriage?

Because Lydia had to study, become proficient in hippology (hippology is an equine science), had to qualify as a veterinary-thermographer. She had to create our home and make it habitable. Assume the concern for all occupants of the house. A nestling had to be hatched out in nest but not on windowsill. This is important task and to the extent of physiological state there is no need to rush. Now baby is three months old.

Will San Sanich (shortly from Alexander Alexandrovich) deal with horses when he’ll grow up?

I believe I’ll be able to awake his interest. But if someday he will tell me he wants to be a gangster, my reply will be: “The hell with you, that’s your choice”. I’ll never encroach on anybody’s liberty. But I’ll do my best to won’t let him face with such choice.

Brief of “Nedelia”

Alexander Nevzorov was born in 1958, in Leningrad. When he was 29 he became the author and the anchorman of an information program “600 seconds”. He was the anchorman of programs “The Wild Field” and “Days”. He is the author and director of feature film “The Purgatory” about the war in Chechnya. He is the Deputy of the State Duma since 1993. He made the film “Horse Encyclopedia” of ten parts for Channel 1 State Russian TV. The film was awarded at the Film Festivals in New York, Houston and Shanghai. He is the author of the 300 page book “Horse Encyclopedia”. The new film “The Horse Crucified and Risen” is completed soon (the premiere is slated for autumn on Channel 1). He is satisfactory married, brings up a little son. His wife Lydia graduated two Equine Colleges in England; she specializes in thermography (one of the branches of veterinary science). She is Chief Editor of Nevzorov Haute Ecole Magazine.