WTH. That is a disgusting post by Ms.Ivy Walker Bartasis.
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Meanwhile I re-posted the article on the Compton Peace Ride with the lovely photos by Lindsey Long and got backlash from someone whose white family was ârun outâ of Compton in the 1960âs. Yes, there was a time when Compton was very white and aggressively kept that way, including through covenants.
article - https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/compton-cowboys-lead-equestrians-in-peace-ride
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This is a great list of positive steps we can take. Related to this particular part of your list, Iâm donating $10 for every time I ride this month to BIPOC-led equestrian organizations. Itâs not much but Iâve gotten five or so of my barnmates to join me, so it should add up over the course of the month. My first one was Saddle Up And Read, which uses equine activities to encourage children (esp. children of color) to read more. The founder is one of the two women behind the Young Black Equestrians podcast, which I really have enjoyed so far. Iâm still picking my final list of organizations to support, but looking at Compton Jr. Equestrians, Work to Ride, The City Ranch, Ebony Horsewomen, and Urban Saddles. Riding and being with my horse is my biggest stress reliever right now, and I want more people to be able to access that joy. Of course this doesnât replace advocating for and donating to orgs/activists working on the larger issues of structural racism like militant policing, the wider criminal justice system, housing inequality, environmental racism, etc.
To reinforce what I said earlier about the need for white equestrians to support anti-racist efforts, this new COTH article from a young Black equestrian (Lauryn Gray) says it perfectly:
Over the past few days, I have kept a mental note on who has spoken up about racial issues in our world. Something as simple as sharing an educational post or providing links for those looking to get involved is a great way to show support towards the Black Lives Matter movement. Sadly, many large equestrian corporations and professional riders who I had once looked up to have yet to say anything. Whether or not they have been personally affected by these ongoing issues, as models and leaders in the horse world itâs their responsibility to break the silence and use their platforms to raise awareness.
If white equestrians canât stand up for Black lives in the most basic way, how can BIPOC folks feel welcome? Iâm disappointed in Missy Clark, who had an opportunity to say something that matters to young riders like Lauryn and went with denial instead.
Racism and economics are linked. The statement was made its not racism but economics that keep POC from the horseworld. But racism is not that one dimensional. It pervades so many parts of life. And it is one reason why there is economic disparity among different demographics in society. Or more simply put, if you are white you are likely to have more economic advantage (howsoever defined) than someone who is not. And then that means generational consequencesâif my father could afford to send me to graduate school to get a law degree, my children presumably are better off with more opportunity than if he could not. And so on.
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I had the displeasure of being live & in-person for that thread. It was 100% as atrocious as that screenshot of her very first post makes it look, and it definitely did not improve from there.
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This is a great list of positive steps we can take. Related to this particular part of your list, Iâm donating $10 for every time I ride this month to BIPOC-led equestrian organizations. Itâs not much but Iâve gotten five or so of my barnmates to join me, so it should add up over the course of the month. My first one was Saddle Up And Read, which uses equine activities to encourage children (esp. children of color) to read more. The founder is one of the two women behind the Young Black Equestrians podcast, which I really have enjoyed so far. Iâm still picking my final list of organizations to support, but looking at Compton Jr. Equestrians, Work to Ride, The City Ranch, Ebony Horsewomen, and Urban Saddles. Riding and being with my horse is my biggest stress reliever right now, and I want more people to be able to access that joy. Of course this doesnât replace advocating for and donating to orgs/activists working on the larger issues of structural racism like militant policing, the wider criminal justice system, housing inequality, environmental racism, etc.
To reinforce what I said earlier about the need for white equestrians to support anti-racist efforts, this new COTH article from a young Black equestrian (Lauryn Gray) says it perfectly:
Over the past few days, I have kept a mental note on who has spoken up about racial issues in our world. Something as simple as sharing an educational post or providing links for those looking to get involved is a great way to show support towards the Black Lives Matter movement. Sadly, many large equestrian corporations and professional riders who I had once looked up to have yet to say anything. Whether or not they have been personally affected by these ongoing issues, as models and leaders in the horse world itâs their responsibility to break the silence and use their platforms to raise awareness.
If white equestrians arenât standing up for Black lives now, how can BIPOC trust that we care about them at all? How will they feel welcome and safe in this community? How will the parents of young Black kids feel about signing their kids up for lessons or sending them to riding camp if their local barnâs Facebook shares Missy Clarkâs disaster of an editorial, or even says nothing at all? We gotta do better, plain and simple.
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White Privilege: (Noun) 1. A false ideology created to cultivate victimhood and hate. I could care less what peoplesâ opinions are one way or the other on the racism topic in the industry to be honest. I have been involved for a long time as has my family. I have never once seen or encountered racism within the industry. Maybe I am a lucky one? However, my only problem with Ms Gochmanâs article is that she is the upper 1% of the industry. An extremely privileged girl living in multi million dollar homes, attending private schools, riding million dollar horses for sport, wearing designer clothes, with a full staff. If you donât know their family background; here is a good start https://eqliving.com/the-art-of-being-gochmans/ https://www.forbes.com/profile/gochman/#765a7b3a48b7 So essentially we are being lectured by a 17 yr old who has never experienced the âreal worldâ outside of an extremely, extremely privileged and cushy lifestyle. So we are being lectured about privilege by privilege? Am I about to go cancel my COTH subscription over Sophieâs article? No I am not. Am I angered about it? Trying not to be. Then again, I refuse to act like my skin color should now be considered shameful to me. Like I should apologize for being born white. And I think thatâs a legitimate concern for those trying to use the White Privilege argument in response to racism and The GF murder. That argument has little to nothing to do with, if not nothing to do with, who I support for a President or what our President does in office, either. I should not be shamed for being white. Does Sophie Gochman have a team of grooms and housekeepers, tending their everyday needs in the barn and at home? Is Sophie Gochman giving up her Palm Beach estate and million dollar horses and private education and giving them to those who are less-fortunate, minorities, compared to her? ⊠to make the world a level playing field? Is the Gochman family (and other wealthy elitists in the horse world) going to start paying their grooms six figures for the amount of blood sweat and tears they put into their hours in the barn (to level the playing field)? I donât think so (and nor should they!!) and neither is any other person in America who worked their butt off to get to their stage in life; regardless of race. I am an equal opportunity person. if you work hard, you educate yourself, you put in the time and hours; anything is possible for you in this world. That goes for every white, muslim, African American, Jewish, Indian living in America. I understand racism exists in America. Then again, it exists in all corners of the world and it has done so for centuries. But there is one thing that I refuse to do and that is to apologize or feel guilty because I am white and a mass group of individuals now feels the need to shame me for having white skin Better yet; if you want to fight police brutality; instead of burning down your cities and walking in the streets; become a cop. Be the change you want to see. Itâs very easy to sit on the outside and point fingers at those who are overworked and underpaid and underappreciated in their line of work. like any facet of life; there are bad apples in all of them. But its up to us to ensure the good is not labeled with the bad. Stand up to police brutality by becoming a cop. Be the change you want to see. If no one steps up to actually BE THE CHANGE; your opinions are null.
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@atl_hunter , nice list.
Many regions have therapeutic riding programs; many therapeutic riding programs serve a significant number of families of color. (And if they donât, there may be something wrong.)
4-H can be exclusionary, unintentionally, but the main organization is working hard to bring in more kids of color. Consider volunteering and see if you can run a horse unit for kids without horses, or help existing leaders to get horse time for kids without one. Or maybe you can do something similar with an afterschool club, girl scouts, or pony club. Add horse books to school libraries. See what exists in your community and think about how you might augment it.
For the commenters in our industry who have attacked Sophie by suggesting she wonât have an authentic voice until she stops spending money on horse shows, that leaves our pastime either dead or 100% populated by terrible people.
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So basically Missy is saying she asked one black man, whose career depends on people like her not complaining about him, if people like her have ever treated him poorly? With plans to publish his response to his workplace and everyone he works with. How did she expect him to respond? I certainly donât want to speak for him and maybe he is speaking his truth, but thatâs an awfully crappy position to put someone in.
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I think you are missing the point. Itâs not about âshamingâ anyone for being white. Itâs about bringing awareness of the inherent privilege that comes with being white. Itâs about educating ourselves, and challenging the way we think about ourselves and others. Itâs about understanding how history has shaped the world we live in. Our thoughts shape our actions. And our way of thinking needs to change in order for us to progress as a society.
Sadly, you and many others sound threatened by the thought of having to think outside your box.
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@snaffle1987 , the phrase âwhite privilegeâ is not meant to create hate or make you feel shame. It is meant to reveal to you advantages that were probably invisible to you. Do you think rich people should feel shame for being rich, do you think they should be indifferent and unaware of the privileges of being rich, or do you think the comfort of wealth creates a responsibility to society?
If you understand racism exists in America, then I think it follows pretty automatically that racism exists in the horse world.
This article came across my feed today, written by a woman who drove places with her large standard Poodle in the midwest. It is surreal.
https://franklywrite.com/2020/06/01/a-white-woman-racism-and-a-poodle/?shared=email&msg=fail
The back of the van only opened on the passenger side, I got out, called Merlin to the front and took him out through the driverâs side door. The officer seemed annoyed as he said, âIs that a Poodle?â I said yes and put Merlin back in the van. The officer seemed mad as he explained the impeding traffic law, like I tricked him somehow and was wasting his time.
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If you feel shame for being white thatâs on you. Though usually, itâs just a lazy deflection to avoid thinking critically about the nuances of white privilege.
White Privilege is being born to nothing - absolutely nothing at all - bootstrapping it up & making something of yourself & leaving all that poverty behind while you drive your luxury sedan home from your very successful career to your well-maintained house in the suburbs.
Black Reality is being born to nothing - absolutely nothing at all - bootstrapping it up & making something of yourself & leaving all that poverty behind while you drive your luxury sedan home from your very successful career to your well-maintained house in the suburbs⊠and then getting shot in your own driveway because police are searching for a âblack manâ driving a stolen vehicle.
And yes, that absolutely did happen.
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Please report it as hate speech to Facebook
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I tried. She blocked me and now I canât see any of it.
Iâve seen this argument a lot from people, the meritocracy argument. That if you work hard and put in the time, anything is possible. However, that attitude assumes a level playing field when in reality that is not the case in this country. Take for example, public schools. They are funded by property taxes and since properties in white or mostly white neighborhoods tend to be valued at a higher level, public schools in white neighborhoods have bigger operating budgets and more resources to provide their students with a better education. A better education leads to better college opportunities and better job opportunities.
The phrase âwhite privilegeâ is not meant to shame anyone. Having white privilege does not mean your life has not been hard, it just means the color of your skin isnât one of the things making it harder.
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I have a feeling that the people who say they have never seen racism in the equestrian world, havenât seen it because a) there arenât that many POC around for them to see it affect, b) even if there are, they probably have never gone up and asked them âhave you ever dealt with racism as a riderâ, and c) even if they had, the person might not have felt like they could admit to it. I could also say right now I have never seen racism in the horse world, but I very rarely see POC in it either.
I think having lesson programs at well established barns would be a great thing to do. Give kids a chance to get a foot into the world. But even then, I think some of it might be a culture thing too. Kind of like how there arenât that many male equestrian riders, not in the english world at least. I have this feeling that any girls that wanted to take lessons might end up being mocked by their friends. I know that even as a white girl, I have had people tease me for even having a horse, because it must mean in rich and snobby. I can just see a girl starting to take lessons, loving it, but then stopping because she is teased for wanting to be a part of the ârich white peopleâ sport. Like guys can get teased for doing the âgirly sportâ.
There is a lot that would need to change in all cultures, I think, before we will see more POC feeling comfortable enough to participate. And as much as I would love it to happen right now, itâll definitely be lower on the priority list with everything else they are fighting right now. But if we all start trying to work on things outside of our world, even if itâs just little things like recognizing that you might have some unconscious prejudices, and becoming open to the fact that white privilege does exist, and creating opportunities for anyone of any race or class that wants to jump into this awesome world, we can make little steps towards that end goal.
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I just want to say I love all the suggestions given here on how to make the equestrian community more welcoming. Yes, our horse world is just a small part of a big picture, but it is a start and we shouldnât turn our faces away from it.
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Thereâs a lot wrong with your little lecture here, including some fallacies of logic, but I will start with a simple question.
Iâm glad you care at least a little bit about views on racism in the equestrian world. Itâs an important conversation to have. But my question is this: how MUCH less could you care? Just trying to get a read on your level of engagement here, and youâre being vague.
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Exactly. When I was in law school, I was in a pro bono group that volunteered by going around to schools (usually middle and high schools) and educating kids on their rightsâtypically their 4th amendment rights when it came to encounters with police. I went to school in New Orleans. We did not visit the white catholic schools, but we did visit a range of public and charter type schools. In addition to giving advice on whether or not they could be searched in a given situation and things like that, we also mentioned that they could be stopped if they are out on the street wearing a blue hoodie and the police have a report that someone committed a crime wearing a blue hoodie, and we advised them on what to do to protect their rights but also maybe avoid a serious altercation. Also speak loudly, get names and badge numbers, try to be mindful of any witnesses. Tips for how to remember certain details accurately. We demonstrated through some role playing the unreliability of eyewitnesses. We also said you can drive around with your friends, but be mindful of what time it is, who your friends are, what car they are driving, if itâs their own car, would anyone in the car have any drugs or a weapon. Things I never thought about as a white teen.
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Missy Clark runs in a different circle within the equine industry than I do. Therefore, my perspective is going to be very different. Abroad, I ran in the elite circle. Who one knew, from whom one purchased their horse, and who one trained with were 3 things asked pretty quickly. La Farnesina in Rome churned out the championship winning riders year after yearâŠfor a price. Pony Club Roma always had the financial backing to have the lovely school horses. We competed against them year after year on ottbs. Money was the dividing factor. No money? Play soccer. Have money? Ride horses. Knowing the other kids at the winning riding schools taught us lesser kids life lessons. We worked a lot harder than they ever did. I used to poo poo what the young riders of today write. No longer. The mouths of babes see things from a different point of viewâŠshould not we listen instead of judging? Listening allows for more knowledge. Racism is everywhere. Division of people is everywhere. We owe it to the equine world to call it out when we see it or our silence is deafeningâŠ
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