08/24/2025
We all want to see the horse world grow to be a healthier, safer, more species appropriate world for horses. Very few people get into horses without really loving the animal, we all want what's best for them. Some people grew up with cultural beliefs or social expectations and are taught to handle or manage horses in a way that can be quite terrible for the horse. But we aren't going to change those traditions by attacking or shaming the people directly involved, as hard as that can be at times.
Right now the horse world has a strong divide of extremes, people living in bubbles of extreme choices, being supported by their peers and sport groups they're involved in. So it becomes impossible or extremely hard to change or leave, because they would have to swing to a different extreme.
Instead we can inspire change by planting seeds, by helping people take baby steps in directions that work for them, we can shape people towards more ethical practices. A simple example would be, what if all sport riders doing extreme sport competitions actually valued tack fit and comfort? If it became a social norm in their own community to have tack fitted and adjusted to maximize comfort and safety for the horse? Or making it a norm to have their horses living out in groups. We can make these tiny incremental changes which would massively improve the quality of life for the equines, without asking the human to jump from one extreme to another, which they may not be ready for.
So to make these changes we need to present education about these topics in ways people can see and hear them. They need to be able to see the facts without triggering defensiveness, which can cause them to double down on their choices. They need to see the benefits to themselves and their horse, but not feel attacked or shamed for having overlooked this information in the past. So share the education constantly and freely, but focus on unbiased, kind education, not targeted attacks against doing it "wrong".
Shape the human's progress just like we do with horses, find the spots they're ready to improve and the issues they aren't ready to hear yet, let go for now. Don't punish their progress by pushing for your ideal of perfection.
Consider how you would want to hear things. If someone came to my farm and just started mocking away at my muddy fields or thrushy horse feet i'd probably tell them to go screw. But learning how the mud affects their feet, and what and how to fix it, i was able to strip the fields and replace it with healthy footing. This was a big expense and workload, i had to really believe this would be worth it to do this. I needed facts, information, and a practical, affordable path to follow to make this happen.
So don't just tell people what not to do or condemn them for what they're doing wrong. Lead by example of how it can be done better. Provide options, middle ground, and soft steps towards better, because perfect isn't always within reach for everyone. Make reachable, tangible, affordable, measureable goals.
