Social license to operate discussed at USHJA annual meeting

[Ponyplusaninch]

Oh I totally hear you on this–and I do think we need to be able to have nuanced convos.

I also think this topic is getting as polarizing as some political topics out there–people swing so far either direction with little research or factual data. It’s just so emotionally charged.

When folks come to me with questions, I am more than delighted to have those conversations. So many times people come away pleasantly surprised and a lot more educated on things like whips or the multiple variables that go into why we’ve seen so many deaths in racing (e.g. it’s not just a “fix the footing” problem or a “fix the race age” number–no silver bullet alas). Or why horses would jump things–amazing how many people I come across who seem to think horses don’t “like” jumping. Gets into an interesting discussion of equine neuroscience and natural competitive “drive” and how you harness that.

But when folks come in with minds made up, there legit is no reasoning. I don’t enjoy shouting at walls personally. I usually leave it “you’re more than welcome to come with me to visit my horse if you’d like to know more about his wellness” but so far no takers. Lol.

[Ponyplusaninch]

LOL I try to facilitate a variety of perspectives in my life if I can, purely so that I don’t end up a in total bubble

But if anything, I was just reminded in general that I don’t really like people and prefer horses anyway.

[skydy]

@LovesHorses

This was a terrible accident that happened to a wonderful rider. Not a welfare issue.

Obviously. However, when a horse dies or has a catastrophic injury in a public venue in front of an audience, it is not helpful for “social license”. People don’t expect to see horses die when they go to a horse show.

It was the same sort of situation when Hickstead died in Verona. Horsepeople understand that it happens sometimes, but the general public does not, and a great deal of fuss was made about it. No one likes to see a horse die or sustain a catastrophic injury in competition but it happens, and when it happens it doesn’t help the “social license” for horse sport, which is the subject of the article.

[Rel6]

You are in tent A. You heard something from someone in Tent D who heard it from someone in Tent G. How does a steward knowing you are in tent A help?

I proposed solutions to try to help things to change. I just don’t agree with yours.

[MHM]

@Rel6

How does a steward knowing you are in tent A help at all?

Personally, I would be inclined to take Tackpud’s word on the subject at hand.

[Tackpud]

@EmilyM

I heard at Harrisburg that a horse collapsed near the back doors after it happened but I didn’t see it. Around the corner from my stalls. The gossip already was buzzing with what state the horse was from within minutes. Sad no one reports these things.

This was the initial post I was referring to - “around the corner from my stalls”. So not a different barn, tent, showgrounds, whatever. By speaking with a steward, they are able to start an investigation whether you saw it happen or not. You tell them you heard something - they take it from there. They’re not putting your name on a report saying you watched something happen - they’re literally just doing some investigation. But until people speak up at shows, this will continue to happen and everyone will continue to kvetch online. Stewards can only do their jobs when they are given the information with which to do it. Don’t be part of the problem - be a voice for the horses.

@MHM - thanks!

[Baybear]

agree, I especially love the ones who post “that horse is clearly in pain, starving, tortured etc” when there’s a very animated horse photo at a 5* jog/trot up

[Jackjoe1]

This horses hind leg gave way when it went to set to jump on takeoff. I was there, I hope there will be an investigation if the horse had a weakness, the footing gave way or something like that. It was unusual.

[skydy]

@Jackjoe1

This horses hind leg gave way when it went to set to jump on takeoff. I was there, I hope there will be an investigation if the horse had a weakness, the footing gave way or something like that. It was unusual.

Terrible injuries happen to horses. Anyone who has owned horses, worked with them, or has just been around them knows this. No finger pointing from me about this incident is intended.

I’m saying that “social license” will be a difficult thing to manage unless and until the general public learns more about the complicated equine anatomy and physiology that we all know so well, and that we know is sometimes completely unpredictable.

[fivestrideline]

@skydy

I’m saying that “social license” will be a difficult thing to manage unless and until the general public learns more about the complicated equine anatomy and physiology that we all know so well, and that we know is sometimes completely unpredictable.

Which is never going to happen - same for dogs, cats, and certainly livestock of any kind.

One of the issues horse sports specifically run into is the fact that welfare IS a problem - and we are on a very public stage (in part due racing and to the Olympics). It’s hard to argue with a PETA TikTok account when we DO have very public catastrophes happen, and don’t always have concrete evidence that this was a fluke or unavoidable accident.

Secondarily, as the US (speaking to my personal experience here) urbanizes and separates people from animals, it becomes exponentially harder to have meaningful conversations about welfare. Very few kids these days have the opportunity to take some lessons growing up or be around animals of any kind. When a person’s only understanding of horses comes from Netflix or TikTok, it becomes almost impossible to explain (for example) why I carry a dressage whip but DO NOT beat my horses .

This is an early morning ramble, but my point is the general public is NOT going to understand the breakable nature of horses. And it becomes much harder to defend horse sports when we have real problems with welfare on the most visible stages. There’s nothing to be done about a tragic accident (besides study everything to make sure there wasn’t a hole in the footing etc etc), but when it comes in a long line of racing breakdowns, training barn exposés, and poor horsemanship at international competitions, it becomes much harder to talk to the general public about it.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

I agree with all of this so much–and yes, welfare decisions need to be made by people who understand, say, the difference between an appropriate pelham bit versus some of the crazy contraptions that Andy Kocher was riding his horses in. Or no, a snaffle isn’t necessarily appropriate for every horse cross-country, but some bits are humane and some are not.

I am a true amateur weenie, and the horror of some non-horsey friends when they heard I carried a dressage whip…I mean, an actual dressage whip is probably the least effective thing in the world to hit a horse with.

[fivestrideline]

Yep. Even more controversial: I regularly use a stud chain. Boy howdy does that gets some looks - but no, a rope halter doesn’t have the same effect. I don’t even have to engage it, just having one on puts the ex-racehorses into Pay Attention To Mom mode.

[Victorious]

I mean…hasn’t some version of this been discussed forever??? As long as the bad actors are glorified and celebrated with ribbons and write-ups, I honestly don’t see how anything will change. The incentive of potential bad press is not enough to clean up this industry, imo. Cash dollars guide our sport at the end of the day and that means from the top-the organization that guides it to the show managers that run the sport to the trainers that create the sport to the owners/riders that participate in the sport and at the very bottom of the pile is the quiet horse-who can’t speak for himself.
I’m a cynic, for sure. I left H/J land because of the culture, so I have a distorted view, perhaps. I would love for it to be a more hopeful view…it’s just not there for me right now.

[HipNo34]

I’m fortunate to part-lease an OTTB whose former connections worked really hard to make sure she transitioned safely to a new career. Aside from being scary smart and super kind, she’s a star at eating and believes only fools move fast when they don’t have to

[Baybear]

this is so true. I was at a polo match - arena polo, rider was walking his horse back to trailer to swap horses, the horse stepped wrong, and poof broke his leg. Just a walk. So sad

[Cowboy_Girl]

And screaming