I have been asked my opinion on the recent social media debate over publically criticising riders.
The debate started when one rider entered an intermediate I test and was criticised for the way she treated the horse, and for her lack of proper aids etc.
I agree that sometimes there are people who spend their time criticising others even when that rider is trying to do their best, and can go too far in terms of how they choose to express that criticism.
However, I believe that if you put yourself in a public arena then you are giving the public permission to judge you, and to criticise you.
If you don’t want to be judged and criticised then it’s better that you don’t compete.
I often use myself as an example to show how riders can better improve on something, and many people found this quite refreshing, as riders tend to be overly sensitive when it comes to criticism of their riding. I am a huge fan of criticism as it is the only way to get better. If everyone is always telling you what you want to hear then how do you improve?
If you don’t want to improve that’s ok for you, but the major factor is that our sport involves TWO parties, and the public feel a duty towards the care and protection of the horse. When they criticise you it’s often not because they want to make you feel bad, but that they want to help you realise that your horse is not happy.
Surely in that light it’s a good thing!
If I see a rider who clearly has not established a proper seat, or correct aids, but the horse is quite clearly just having a lovely time, then I see absolutely no need to criticise too harshly. BUT if the horse is quite clearly suffering, then it is the publics duty to bring that to the riders and to everyone else’s attention for the good of the horse!
However, the major point in all this, is that for a rider to be riding at intermediate I level they need to have qualified, and if a rider who is not capable of riding at that level has qualified, then isn’t there a gap in the system?
Isn’t that why we have levels, for riders to progress at the correct time?
Isn’t that why we have judges, and stewards and trainers, to help riders understand their ability and compete at a level according to that ability?
For me, by the time the rider is being publically slammed at a level they should not be in, the system has failed, and more importantly we have failed that horse.
I condemn those who slam riders who are clearly trying to do their best, on a horse that is very well treated and clearly happy with their rider, but I cannot dissagree with the publics ability to criticise riders who put themselves in a public arena.
There have been times when I was harshly criticised on social media, maybe because a photo was not correct or I said something that was taken in the wrong context. But I compete in a public arena, and I write in a public forum, so people are entiltled to their opinion, and quite often, if used in the right way, riders can benefit from even the harshest remark.
In our sport, ego can never get in the way of the health and happiness of the horse, and so if you ride with your ego, be prepared that it will suffer if others in our sport feel that your ego is sacrificing the health of the horse.
If you don’t want to be judged don’t compete. If you don’t compete, try to judge others in a fair and helpful way, and whatever you do, compete or not compete, criticise or don’t criticise, accept criticism or don’t accept criticism, remember that it’s not just about you, it’s about your horse, and all the horses that try their best for us every time we ride.
I completely agree – it’s one thing to put yourself into a competition you aren’t really ready for but it’s quite another to do it when it involves a horse in discomfort. Maybe the rider really wasn’t aware of what she was doing or maybe she was just having a very bad day but either way I don’t think she should have gone, or been encouraged to go, into the ring on that occasion.
And re: the photo you posted – I don’t think it looks bad at all! Yes, the horse is minutely behind the vertical but he looks happy, his tail is held nicely and there’s nothing to suggest that he isn’t comfortable.
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Bravo, Sarah! A well balanced address to the situation. We all fail if we do not look out for the horse. Like you, that is my barometer as to whether there is a problem. I also agree completely that putting yourself in the public view is opening the door to criticism … it is not only the way we safe guard the horse, but it is also the way we all learn – critic and object of criticism. We just need to keep it constructive, not destructive … and we need to hold the system accountable! Bravo, once again, for taking a constructive role!
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Well said ! I resent being labelled a keyboard warrior -and by extension, a bully- when all I want is for the rules to be respected ( ie the rider should have been disqualified the moment she took a hand off the reins to use the whip, and asked to leave the arena) and the horse’s welfare to be put FIRST. If the rider did not want to be seen , what was she doing at a public show ? Did she really expect no one would see the live stream ?
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Great article, reasoned, articulate, and above all, standing up for the horse. As I would have expected of you!! You have home up still further in my estimation Sarah. Good on yer, mate!!
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Bravo! In the US riders are not required to enter and qualify at the lower levels. A rider could start out with the goal to earn their USDF Gold medal, eschewing the Bronze and Silver. I did comment on the ride but did not attack the rider. A trainer told me I had no right to comment because I don’t compete. Isn’t that a form of bullying? Many horse people have well-educated eyes for what is correct as far as the horse’s way of going even though they don’t compete. Perhaps they don’t have the means to do so. Perhaps they enjoy riding and do so quite well but choose to focus on training and teaching.
I find the bad sportsmanship I have observed at rated shows to be far more discouraging than online criticism. I have witnessed adult FEI riders throw a tantrum when they pick up their score sheet from the show secretary, loudly exclaiming that the judge doesn’t know anything and dramatically take their 4th place rosette and throw it in the trash bin! And the same person may ignore etiquette in the warmup ring in an effort to intimidate their competitors.There are trainers who tell their clients what they want to hear and never disagree with them. They soothe the rider’s ego at the expense of the horse’s well-being, resorting to harsh training methods in order to make the horse rideable for the client. If the rider has a bad show, they blame the judge and the horse.
There are riders who compete solely for the accolades. And there are riders who compete to display what they have accomplished with their equine partner and gain feedback from the judges. They view the collective remarks to consider areas in the training that need improvement.
Thr rider in the video could have asked to be excused when the ride started circling the drain. She decided to continue which is her right. She decided to take her hand off the reins and whip her horse at an event that was live-streamed. She needs to take responsibility for her actions. Will she reconsider her decisions? Or will she complain about being bullied and be soothed by her trainer and others and continue to punish her horse for her shortcomings?
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Our daily lives have turned into public arenas – there is no escaping the fact that the person next to you has a smart phone with the capability of taking photos or video of you, even without your knowledge or consent. So, whether or not someone is in an arena competing with a horse and a trained judges eye is watching closely, or they are on a leisurely trail ride with other riders – every rider is being judged, criticized, or critiqued by whom they are riding with. Criticism is everywhere – and most of it is done in an instant, and attitudes, whether positive or negative, are created just as fast.
The seriousness of this problem that I see the most of is this: Armchair horse show judges (or horse warriors) sitting behind keyboards whom have never set foot in arena, let alone ridden or trained a show horse for any discipline. Yes, there are levels for good reason, just as there are grades in school, and I agree there should be. And those levels are in every riding discipline, the rules of which should be adhered to, which is why there are judges and ring stewards, awards, and also the possibility of being asked to leave the arena.
My point is simply this: Let those trained in the disciplines judge and critique the riders according to their discipline’s standards. Let the armchair or horse warriors sit back and watch how it’s done so maybe some day they might want to actually become a judge and stand out in the heat and deal with kids, parents, and trainer’s judgements on them. Let those learning, learn. Let them learn what is ethical. Let them learn what is humane treatment of the horse.
But remember this, when we step outside of our own comfort zone – people will judge us, and that criticism may come with a suggestion on how to improve upon what was done unethical or misleading – or that suggestion might come with an uneducated demand to cease-and-desist simply because of the onlooker’s ignorance or intolerance.
Everyone here has something to learn. Everyone.
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