Does the Horse World disproportionately attract abusive people?

[Snowfilly]

I think the horse world attracts a lot of people who stay mainly in the horse world and don’t see this going on elsewhere. Can confirm it’s fairly endemic in football and gymnastics in this country, and definitely around the fringes of the publishing / journalism industry as well.

I think there’s just a lot of cruel people in the world. Some people enjoy hurting, and aren’t too fussed what the target is.

 

[teapot]

Other sports/industries don’t have the welfare dynamic though (bar dog sports) and I think that’s the difference.

 

[stangs]

Other sports/industries don’t have the welfare dynamic though (bar dog sports) and I think that’s the difference.

Any sport where children can be competitive young has the welfare dynamic.

 

[teapot]

Any sport where children can be competitive young has the welfare dynamic.

In a different context to animal welfare though? For one the law takes child abuse and exploitation far more seriously than animal abuse I would say.

 

[Trot_on]

I have just been reading an article on the monster from france who drugged his wife for other men to rape.

This may not seem like a true comparison, but it got me thinking about human nature, and what we are capable of when we don't believe there will be any consequences. And it's scary. It's like the escalation of the recent riots, or even what you seen in films like 'The Purge' - take away the rules and human nature becomes very very scary.

I think, in the horse world, there's never really been any true consequences to abusing these beautiful animals, which means people do what they want which sadly, seems to be to abuse.

I can't tell you how much I'm hoping the recent outings are going to help shape change as consequences are being seen to be real. Loss of careers, sponsorship and fingers crossed governing bodies are takign note, and crowds are becoming less compliant.

 

[ponyclubcomplaints]

I have just been reading an article on the monster from france who drugged his wife for other men to rape.

This may not seem like a true comparison, but it got me thinking about human nature, and what we are capable of when we don't believe there will be any consequences. And it's scary. It's like the escalation of the recent riots, or even what you seen in films like 'The Purge' - take away the rules and human nature becomes very very scary.

I think, in the horse world, there's never really been any true consequences to abusing these beautiful animals, which means people do what they want which sadly, seems to be to abuse.

I can't tell you how much I'm hoping the recent outings are going to help shape change as consequences are being seen to be real. Loss of careers, sponsorship and fingers crossed governing bodies are takign note, and crowds are becoming less compliant.

The problem here is that where governing bodies are allowed to 'investigate' internally, it has been proven that in many cases, they prefer to keep everything quiet and in house.....and then issues escalate, but the so called 'authorities' can find themselves down a rabbit hole, backing each other up and defending their friends. This only needs to happen once, and then they all have to cover for each other.

 

[Gloi]

OMG did anyone intervene?

No, not many adults about and we youngsters were scared of him too. It was in the 70s

 

[YourValentine]

T

I have just been reading an article on the monster from france who drugged his wife for other men to rape.

This may not seem like a true comparison, but it got me thinking about human nature, and what we are capable of when we don't believe there will be any consequences. And it's scary. It's like the escalation of the recent riots, or even what you seen in films like 'The Purge' - take away the rules and human nature becomes very very scary.

I think, in the horse world, there's never really been any true consequences to abusing these beautiful animals, which means people do what they want which sadly, seems to be to abuse.

I can't tell you how much I'm hoping the recent outings are going to help shape change as consequences are being seen to be real. Loss of careers, sponsorship and fingers crossed governing bodies are takign note, and crowds are becoming less compliant.

That French case is horrifying on so many levels.

I hope that if the authorities don't act members of the public do by boo'ing at events riders guilty of abuse where no action was taken, and boycotting those that sponsor them. Because ultimately consumers/low level riders fund the top riders.

 

[Cadbury]

This is something I can't stop thinking about recently.

Over the decades I've seen so much abuse towards both horses and people in the equestrian world, by people who are entrenched in the lifestyle.

- Aggressive, mean, bullying riding instructors
- Horse owners/liveries who routinely hit their horses and shout at them
- Yard bitchiness, deliberately excluding or ganging up on certain people, sabotaging other liveries in various ways
- Power-hungry yard owners who operate their yard based on fear

My non-horsey partner was kind of shocked when he first got a taste of just how hostile of an environment the horse world can be. The recent spate of top rider abuse videos surfacing are awful, but really not shocking to me, and I'm sure many others, who have seen more casual abuse on a daily basis on yards or at local shows.

I can't help but wonder how much of this behaviour is nurture and tradition (e.g. teaching children from a young age to 'pony club kick' and 'don't let them win'), how much of it is the peer pressure to conform when on yard environments or feel helpless to defend yourself/ your horse, and how much of it is abusive people being attracted to pushing around and beating up a stoic prey animal, just because they can, and therefore adopting the lifestyle where they can openly be abusers.

I can honestly say I've met a handful of people over the years who chillingly seemed to lack any empathy and compassion for the animal they were interacting with. How much of this is learned and how many abusive people seek out environments where they can more openly abuse, because somehow it has become acceptable within this bubble?

One vile yard hand from my childhood I will never forget, she was a teenager and she seemed to enjoy hitting both the school ponies and the yard dogs. I will never forget walking past a stable to see her having cornered a horse and proceeding to beat the living daylights out of her. The same person deliberately caused me to have an accident, for which I still have scars. This was an RDA school and one of the dogs had whip scars on her body.

My question is are these people shaped by the majority of horsemen/women before them and by tradition, or do they simply find it easier to exist and thrive in this environment where for some reason we seem to tolerate and have become numb to both constant micro-aggressions and flat out abuse on a daily basis?

This is something I can't stop thinking about recently.

Over the decades I've seen so much abuse towards both horses and people in the equestrian world, by people who are entrenched in the lifestyle.

- Aggressive, mean, bullying riding instructors
- Horse owners/liveries who routinely hit their horses and shout at them
- Yard bitchiness, deliberately excluding or ganging up on certain people, sabotaging other liveries in various ways
- Power-hungry yard owners who operate their yard based on fear

My non-horsey partner was kind of shocked when he first got a taste of just how hostile of an environment the horse world can be. The recent spate of top rider abuse videos surfacing are awful, but really not shocking to me, and I'm sure many others, who have seen more casual abuse on a daily basis on yards or at local shows.

I can't help but wonder how much of this behaviour is nurture and tradition (e.g. teaching children from a young age to 'pony club kick' and 'don't let them win'), how much of it is the peer pressure to conform when on yard environments or feel helpless to defend yourself/ your horse, and how much of it is abusive people being attracted to pushing around and beating up a stoic prey animal, just because they can, and therefore adopting the lifestyle where they can openly be abusers.

I can honestly say I've met a handful of people over the years who chillingly seemed to lack any empathy and compassion for the animal they were interacting with. How much of this is learned and how many abusive people seek out environments where they can more openly abuse, because somehow it has become acceptable within this bubble?

One vile yard hand from my childhood I will never forget, she was a teenager and she seemed to enjoy hitting both the school ponies and the yard dogs. I will never forget walking past a stable to see her having cornered a horse and proceeding to beat the living daylights out of her. The same person deliberately caused me to have an accident, for which I still have scars. This was an RDA school and one of the dogs had whip scars on her body.

My question is are these people shaped by the majority of horsemen/women before them and by tradition, or do they simply find it easier to exist and thrive in this environment where for some reason we seem to tolerate and have become numb to both constant micro-aggressions and flat out abuse on a daily basis?

I’ve always put the amount of nasty, rude people in the horse world down to the fact that the majority are women! I agree that it feels disproportionate; after thirty years of horses it’s one reason why I’m considering giving up.

There’s another example that you’ve missed out

Indeed.

It was known horsey pros who were the culprits in this episode of thefts.

Two charged in relation to tack thefts at major show centres - Horse & Hound

Two men have been charged with theft in relation to tack stolen from Weston Lawns, Bolesworth and the David Broome Event Centre this year. Jamie Aston, 31, and Kieran Quinn, 35, both of Arthur Street, Blaengwynfi, have been charged with five counts of theft. Mr Aston was charged with a further...

www.horseandhound.co.uk

Two 'greedy' showjumpers have avoided jail after stealing £51,000 worth of horse-riding equipment from fellow riders taking part in major equestrian competitions across the UK.

Former Horse of the Year show winner Kieran Quinn, 36, and his partner Jamie Aston, 32, stole items including saddles, stirrups and riding boots as riders waited to compete in international events last year.

Wow - your post just woke me up with a jolt - a few years back I lived in a house share with Jamie and Kieran!!! Doesn’t come as much of a surprise to be honest….