Has anyone given thought on how to protect athletes moving forward within your riding “communities”, barns, at horse shows (both rated and local schooling shows)?
How do you let riders and parents know who to look out for? For those that are currently sanctioned, who remain involved in the sport by teaching lessons, providing other equine services, or who have moved on to the unrated horse show world - how do you protect those children. Parents wouldn’t even know to look at Safesport or USEF for sanctions.
For those predators who haven’t been caught or reported - how do we communicate to others that they should be concerned about their children being around certain individuals? Anyone who has followed along the various social media discussions will have come across many statements regarding the facts that for years it was whispered to other riders and parents not to leave their child alone with this individual. How do we move from rumours / whispers to actually informing other people on who poses a risk to our young athletes? In my opinion protecting our young riders outweighs any other right. I have never heard any rumours about the majority of trainers but it does seem consistent when you do hear rumours of abuse with others. Where there is smoke, there is usually fire.
For those that are heavily involved in the rated show world - how do you move forward trusting some of the trainers that were heavily backing RG, all the while knowing that there was truth behind the allegations? How do you decide if they were reacting to the loss of a friend, or if they were reacting because of their own activities that would see them sanctioned if reported? As a parent, if you saw your child’s trainer supporting someone who abused multiple minors, it makes you question their integrity and morals. It makes you question the safety of your child.
That being said, I do believe that there are trainers who are respectfully and delicately handling the situation. I hope that many are sitting down with their students and their parents and having long discussions over this, and reassuring them that they will openly listen and help them (or their friends) if someone is at risk.
As a rider who has been abused, groomed, or is dealing with someone whose behaviour is extremely inappropriate how do you let other athletes know what is going on without fearing that the person abusing you is correct with their threats, that if you say something or report it no one will believe them, or that they will never be able to find another trainer because they are friends with “everyone”. That they will never go anywhere in this sport without them because they are “god”, or “connected” enough they can ruin your reputation with a few phone calls. These are all real scenarios. This is why abuse is under reported in this sport and many others. There are more riders in this sport who are remaining silent because they fear losing their mounts, their jobs, their financial support.
Again, looking at those that are currently sanctioned by Safesport and USEF many are continuing their lives in and around children. Many are being supported in one way or another by other trainers who are allowing them to remain loosely involved at rated shows by trying to evade the sanctions. Should those trainers be sanctioned for “aiding and abetting”?
Will professionals in this industry think about this and recognize that instead of fighting Safesport and the rules that are meant to protect our athletes, that they should be fighting to protect their students and every other athlete in the industry? Will the owners and contributors who are financially supporting the sport do their part and choose who they invest in with consideration to athlete safety? There are no careers to be had, if there are no clients or owners. Safesport is not going away, USEF is not going to be changing their position on protecting their membership from all forms of abuse.
There have been many arguments that what happened 30 years ago wasn’t illegal, or wasn’t considered all that immoral, but really that is irrelevant moving forward. Will everyone accept that this behaviour is not tolerable? Will they speak up and step forward when they see others continuing with these same abuses? Not just sexual abuse but verbal, emotional and physical? Is this a sport that can band together and move forward committed to a better atmosphere and understanding that they can be self policing and for looking out for everyone.
For those that are currently abusing athletes, or who have been abusing athletes, you should be scared. You can post all you want on the “unfairness” of the regulations, but the majority of people in this sport are good people and they know who you really are. Your anger at a system meant to stop this behaviour is not going to save you from being caught.
Victims are learning that they are not the ones who should be ashamed and they are gathering their strength to come forward and ensure that this doesn’t happen to other riders. You can not evade sanctions by terminating your memberships, you can not evade being caught by trying to now distance yourself from USEF shows and trying to convince your peers to do the same. Preying on your students, working students and others in this industry has a spotlight shining down on it and it isn’t going away.
There are a lot of trainers who are now also feeling more powerful about being able to report abusers without facing the backlash of others. Their moral compasses are stronger than their need to keep some silent “code” of protecting their own no matter what the cost. They are speaking up and refusing to do business with abusive trainers and those that support them. There are some that have done this all along. Those are the trainers that we should be supporting as owners contributing financially to the sport, and when we are selecting who we train with or who our children train with. It’s unfortunate that this needs to be actively discussed but it’s clearly required. There are some really great trainers out there that need to distance themselves from the “bad” ones so that their images are not continued to be tarnished because of the actions of those they have been associated with in the past.
Abusers are manipulative and will cling to anyone that they think will keep them afloat and alive in this sport. If I was surrounding by anyone that was so vehemently protesting Safesport I would be questioning why they are so opposed to something that protects individuals. What is it that they have to hide?
Do you know someone who has been abused or is currently being abused and are you prepared to help them? Are you prepared to step forward and speak out when you see or hear of abusive behaviour? Those are the questions that matter now and matter moving forward. Those are the discussions that need to be taking place.
