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Footballer Thomas Müller and dressage rider Lisa Müller
Photo: Robin Rudel / Sportfoto / IMAGO
Lisa and Thomas Müller have been sharply criticized by the animal protection organization PETA after their dressage horse D'avie was injured.
The stallion "unfortunately slipped in the stud hall during a first test attempt to prepare for the breeding season and fell dramatically on his side," wrote the dressage rider and soccer professional on Facebook.
The Müllers run a stud farm south of Munich.
The stallion suffered an "injury in the hoof area that will require a break and complete healing over the next few weeks and months," the Müllers wrote.
In the same post, the Müllers advertise selling the horse's frozen semen for €200 a portion.
PETA specialist Jana Hoger criticized: “It is cruel that so-called horse lovers force the animals in their care to have unnatural sex in order to make as much profit as possible from them.
The injuries D'avie sustained under the supervision of Lisa and Thomas Müller were avoidable and unnecessary."
The rider and her husband bought the horse two years ago from the Danish trading stable Helgstrand Dressage.
D'avie was world champion of young horses in his age group in 2018 and 2019 and is also used in breeding.
kim/dpa