Harlow White

smolmaus said:
This might be overstating the effectiveness of the policies to protect adults.

I agree its weird and exploitative, but there are kids being physically brutalised and sexually abused by their parents who don't get arrested. Not that in an ideal world you couldn't tackle all issues of child exploitation but "arrested for putting your child on YouTube" is a bit far fetched.
Click to expand...
I think a good starting point would be to expand (and adapt as required) the laws regarding child actors to include monetised social media- it wouldn't be perfect but would at least allow (in theory) limits on working hours and ring fence some of the money for the child alone.
Having to comply with such laws might also put a few parents off trying to make money of the back of their children.
 
SpeedyPony said:
I think a good starting point would be to expand (and adapt as required) the laws regarding child actors to include monetised social media- it wouldn't be perfect but would at least allow (in theory) limits on working hours and ring fence some of the money for the child alone.
Having to comply with such laws might also put a few parents off trying to make money of the back of their children.
Click to expand...

I was thinking about this. There is a difference between proud parents sharing - say - SJ rounds, and child exploition. And some content might start as just sharing the odd funny reel but over time builds in popularity. When does one become the other? It would be easy to legislate that it is at the point you get paid for content. Influencer appears to be a 'job' which means child influencers are actually working and should have legal protections, and should be entitled to keep a fair chunk of what is earned. Parent's could say they actually do all the work in content creation - but then that is also true of child actors. But people pay to see the child - they don't care who is behind the camera or directing the shots/scenes. So the child gets paid. Might put some parents off - and there could also be a code of conduct for the 'profession'. I think not allowing comments on posts would be a good start. Would limit some growth because engagement is good for growth but it's at the expense of the child. JWI's parents actually amplify the toxicity for the sympathy comments - which must be horrible for I.
 
Exasperated said:
but this forum is already full of threads and judgemental vitriol about riders in the public eye, as noted.
Click to expand...

Of course, it is a very popular large equestrian forum and one would be half daft to not expect to read and discuss riders in the public eye, but children? I can't recall any vitriolic comments aimed at children by forum members. Until today of course but as FieldOrnaments said below, I suspect the OP is a child themselves so perhaps just a bit of normal child/teenage envy manifesting itself and nothing to get too excited about. 🤷‍♀️
FieldOrnaments said:
OP is most likely also a child
Click to expand...
 
Mrs Jingle said:
Of course, it is a very popular large equestrian forum and one would be half daft to not expect to read and discuss riders in the public eye, but children? I can't recall any vitriolic comments aimed at children by forum members. Until today of course but as FieldOrnaments said below, I suspect the OP is a child themselves so perhaps just a bit of normal child/teenage envy manifesting itself and nothing to get too excited about. 🤷‍♀️
Click to expand...
Mrs J, if readers don’t read, or take out of context only the words to justify their indignation, then they’ll surely feel affronted.

Read the entirety, posts 4 and 18 - nowhere is it suggested that minors behaving poorly should be viciously criticised for pony abuse - quite the contrary.

In contrast, I do note that for adult celebrity riders doing similarly, those “aged 18+” (please read), that HH forum has multiple, outraged comments and posts against the unsympathetic or abusive treatment of their horses. Not necessarily a bad thing.

There are also multiple posts lamenting poor riding /handling by young, social media influencers (I repeat, no personal view re HW). Understandable concerns.

Therefore, quite surprised it seems thought acceptable to be silent about sub-standard behaviour whilst the celebrity perpetrator is still ‘a child’ (and more open to persuasion, nip it in the bud, head them off at the pass, preventative intervention), than wait while such poor behaviour becomes confirmed, then thoroughly savage them as ‘adults’. And HH posters do a fair bit of savaging, cf threads mentioned.

If the questionable behaviour towards horses is unsuitable / harmful, it remains so, irrespective the age of the rider. And wants calling out.

I would expect the younger that rider, the better opportunity to educate more appropriately, and I think “gently suggest” were the words used, altho expect a bit of consumer muscle with the sponsors might not go amiss.

Again (do read), the point is a general observation and principle, and a rather obvious one.

As to the age of OP, focused on HW - that’s largely irrelevant since my point is not about any individual celebrity child riders. But I’m now wondering if it is about double-standards? Fake outrage? Hopefully not.

The sheer existence of monetised-celebrity-child-rider-influencers, is altogether a different issue.
 
Jenko109 said:
Her riding seems okay to me.

Ive seen worse riders her age and ive seen better riders her age.

I would feel odd saying anything particularly negative about a child and this post is designed for nothing more than inviting people to do so.

It's rather spiteful.
Click to expand...
Yeah, the riding probably is, and original comment probably was, wouldn’t be at all surprised.
Now, if you saw teenagers doing abusive things to ponies and glorifying them on social media for their followers to ‘like’, would you feel odd calling that out? Just interested.
 
Exasperated said:
Yeah, the riding probably is, and original comment probably was, wouldn’t be at all surprised.
Now, if you saw teenagers doing abusive things to ponies and glorifying them on social media for their followers to ‘like’, would you feel odd calling that out? Just interested.
Click to expand...
I'd call the parents out for not controlling their children/teaching them to be better and the culture that makes likes trump everything.
The onus isn't on the minor, their brains are sponges.
 
Wh
IslaNZeq said:
Opinions on Harlow White’s way of training, riding and caring for her horses?

I do think she loves her horse however I also think she needs to go back to doing groundwork if she can’t ride her horses in a simple snaffle and cavesson! I’ve seen her ride in a slow twist or double mouthpiece American gag + a Grakle + a martingale all while thumping around in a chair seat and hauling on her horses face. I’ve also seen many clips of her riding Popcorn, Rolo and Cloudy overbent.
Click to expand...
Shkud I delete this?
 
SaddlePsych'D said:
I think they must have blocked me on Meta because I can't find on Insta or FB (got excited that they had shut it all down!) but I see on YT they are doing memberships 🤢

For the price of £12.99/month a Gold member has:

Members-only live chats

Priority reply to comments

Early access to new videos

Photos and status updates

Connecting on social media

Gameplay with you

Members-only live streams


I did think of starting a list of brands that had partnered/advertised with them but now I can't. One year they did an advent calendar giveaway thing so the list was long!

ETA- Naylors can stay on the list because JwI wasn't the only child featured on their feed and they seem to do a lot with one of those 'family accounts' whose content gives me a massive ick.
Click to expand...

Jesus, I personally, don’t look at a lot of this stuff, and I often find that I’m not mad keen on how they ride. I think parents/those close to them are to blame for that, because pushing a horse through bucking and rearing all the time, and looking all cool about it, gets more views than the kid getting off and working with the horse. Let me be clear, it’s parents/trusted adults who have taught/told them to do this at some point because it gets more views + money, sadly.

Sadly, I’ve also seen HW being sexualised in images taken by her mother. This was shown to me by a non-horsey friend, who was visibly cringing when it popped up on her feed, and I absolutely winced at it. I don’t understand how anyone in their right mind would think it was acceptable to post that image on SM, let alone the mother of the child.
 
Last edited:
Baffles me when she does the meet and greet at LIHS. I cant imagine what such a young person has to say to crowds of people? Bless her, I don't think she's getting much of a childhood really.
 
My daughter (12) likes watching HW.

I think she comes across as a nice girl who loves her ponies. As someone said up post no one rides perfectly and there will always be someone that knows better but give the poor girl a break. She's 14!! She's a good enough rider and has a some lovely horses.

It's not her fault she's been foistered into the limelight by her mum. Her childhood has been monetised. I think she's even left school to concentrate on riding. I can't imagine school was easy for her.

I find the constant freebies quite waring to see and that creates an unrealistic expectations of what are a reasonable amount of saddle pads etc but overall I'd rather my daughter watch HW that some other horrors available online!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top