That kid did do well and if his/her mind that’s a win, why not celebrate?
6 Likes
A few years ago a horse died as a result of a “training accident” after having allegedly been beaten and falling while lunging in side reins.
At some point prolonged abuse in the name of training becomes as bad as killing horses for money.
5 Likes
I agree. I don’t know how it works with the kids at my barn, but at least among the adults, if we’re watching a lesson with other adults, we try to take video and then we send it to the riders. If the rider wants to post, awesome! If the rider doesn’t post, their choice, but they still have the video. And I think that’s a pretty good way to handle it! And there have certainly been a few times I didn’t realize someone was videoing me, but it was fine because the culture we have is that the rider gets to choose to post or not.
Basially, I think for normal, non-abusive riding or training contexts, consent is key. And even if you have permission to take the video, it should be up the rider and potentially the owner of the horse as well whether they want it shared on social media
That said, I have video of one friend that she requested I take that I can never ever send her because she is a short, fluffy middle aged woman and in the background of the video you can clearly hear the teens next to me talking about how fat she is and how it must be horrible for her horse…
3 Likes
If you took the video on your phone there might be a way to permanently delete the sound. It is absolutely disgusting that people, both old and young feel free to make such nasty comments.
3 Likes
I probably could delete it, but it’s been over a year at this point, and as much as hate those kids and what they said, it reminds me to watch what I say. Because I can be snarky and yeah, I need to be better about what I say in the moment
1 Like
I frequently video friends at shows (since my two aren’t rideable 
) Railbirds always chatter, and I generally remind my friends to mute the video if they post it.
Is it just me, or are there others who feel uncomfortable riding when being recorded by another person?
I have a tracking video camera setup, and if I want to be recorded for learning purposes I set up my camera on its tripod next to the arena and I do it for myself, with control from my wristband over which parts of my riding session I want.
(sigh) I thought the subject of this thread was going to be about banning the use of cell phones while riding. People riding hunched over looking down at their phones are the same, if not worse, than car drivers. It’s a safety issue that doesn’t seem to be addressed at barns and shows.
8 Likes
This is kind of how it works at my barn, but usually we’re handing each other our own phones, so it’s not only my request to have it recorded, but it’s on my own device to decide to share or not. I’ll occasionally grab one on my phone if I pop in mid-lesson to help set fences etc for someone, but send it to them and it’s their choice what to do with it, not mine.
I also usually mute sound to share–not because we’re not a generally supportive group with safe, correct trainers, but because half the time there’s a side commentary about where you got those cute breeches or show plans for next weekend or whatever that doesn’t need shared with the world.
It does seem like having the right environment and group doing the recording, in an informed way, is key. Recording to document and call out abuse is one thing, but recording just to mean girl is never OK. I enjoy that I’m at a barn where if someone is struggling in a lesson, the whole group is cheering when they finally nail it, and wouldn’t want to be somewhere that wasn’t that way.
8 Likes
A cell-phone ban would be a deal-breaker for me at a barn. I don’t feel safe hacking out or riding when no one is around without a way to contact help if something goes wrong. Also, at times I cannot be inaccessible via e-mail for my job. Not often, but a cellphone ban would mean I would be unable to sneak in barn time if I needed to be able to keep an eye on my work inbox.
But I also truly don’t understand the lack of common courtesy when it comes to posting video of other people (or of horses you don’t own). A recent incident was a junior rider being allowed to take a lesson on someone else’s sales horse. She posted video from her lesson to her social media, without the owner or trainer’s permission, with an inaccurate description making the horse seem a lot more green than it was advertised as (think caption of “horse’s first oxer!”, on a horse that very much had been jumping oxers). Needless to say, no one was pleased.
Even funny videos of my horses playing in the field with his friends, I’ll ask the other horse’s owner before posting. Just because I think its funny doesn’t mean the other owner does.
I will video my friends lessons without asking, offer the video to them at the end if they want it, and otherwise delete.
3 Likes
Ahhh, another meeting on horseback person! I have handled many important phone conversations sitting on a horse. Not to forget Ride IQ, or Equilab which I use for lessons and tracking rides.
2 Likes
Good for you, Pony_Grandma! Kids are waaay too attached to the internet, to the destruction of personal relationships with others and reality in general.
Just a few months ago I was given two contracts to sign – one for a trainer and another for a vet clinic. Both contracts had a clause that in effect stated that I was giving the trainer or vet clinic permission to take photos and videos of me and my horse and post them on basically any social media platform and use them for pretty much any use imaginable. It was legal jargon and they were covering all bases. I’m so glad I read the actual wording! I crossed it out and wrote that I do NOT give permission for anything to be posted or used without my express agreement and I had all parties initial this.
3 Likes
People may or may not be aware that they give similar permissions at horse shows by signing the entry blank. This is from Oaks Blenheim but it appears to be a USEF thing.
Link (then 
page 58) - https://theplacetojump.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Blenheim-September-Prize-List-2024_v8-websized.pdf
1 Like
