Who will train the horses? plus, the rebuttal

[Rackonteur]

First of all, the first article was very badly written. I assume the writer rides better than she writes. Aside from her appalling lack of clear-writing skills, she makes no sense when near the end of her article she makes the blanket statement that good horses make good riders. Here she is contradicting her earlier description of how poorly the two clinic riders rode their robotically good horses on the flat.

The writer of the second article started out by saying how well written the first article was, so I did not bother to read the second one.

[beowulf]

Seriously! I do remember one year someone in my group lesson commenting I was on a “push button” horse. I appreciated the sentiment but he was entirely trained by me- good and bad - and was definitely harder to ride than he looked. My instructor made her swap with me and I think that was the last time she called him easy!

On a more serious note about this younger generation and the gripe about kids these days — I actually have a lot of hope for Gen Z and younger. They are empathetic. They are kind. They are bucking norms I wish my generation had shrugged and I am glad for them for it. I don’t think any one generation is lazier or worse than the other. I know tons of young girls who work harder than people twice their age. Now that knowledge is so readily accessible, I think horses will only benefit from it. It used to be you didn’t learn things like what to do in a colic or how to wrap unless you had someone to teach you — and if your only source of education or knowledge was someone who hung out their shingle and were the riding equivalent of a D3 Pony Clubber (which has always been common), well you’d never know better or grow from that program.

[Rackonteur]

I don’t know what RBF is but maybe hypercritical auditors are the real reason some dressage arenas have mirrors?

[Rnichols]

Resting b!t c h face. I look angry / unapproachable (so I’ve been told) when I’m literally just standing/sitting there/minding my own business.

One of the places I do some dressage schooling shows at has giant mirrors and i literally loathe them. I try not to look

[Xanthoria]

@beowulf

I would be much more interested reading about how we can make this sport assessable to all than how we can drag two poor teens through the mud for assumbably having more opportunities than we did as a kid.

I think the one woman mentioned is currently 24 years old? Past college age - a grown adult, with her own business.

[Jealoushe]

Ha yes! And $6k was HUGE money back then ahha.

Currently still riding cheap TBs here…

[propspony]

@Rackonteur

I don’t know what RBF is

Reel Big Fish… it’s when you’re looking super bored, and then a ska band comes in out of nowhere and livens things up so that you look happy and excited again… because nobody can be bored and sad when there’s a ska band around.

[blue_heron]

Often your own horse looks like a push-button horse… because you installed the buttons. The good and the bad buttons. And then someone else gets on and the horse isn’t so push-button anymore.

The argument in the article is so trite. It’s been beaten into the ground in every sport, academic circle, political party, etc. Why does the responsibility of learning these things fall on the kids? “Kids these days don’t know how to write a cheque or write in cursive.” And whose job was it to teach these things? And are these skills necessary anymore? Cheques are becoming obsolete. Does cursive really have a practical purpose now?

In the horse world today, I really think accessibility is the issue. Financial or location or otherwise. Do kids really not want to muck stalls? Or are lesson programs set up so that kids never get the chance to much a stall? They get the horse from the stall/paddock, tack up, ride, untack, and put it back. The children are not running the lesson program. If you want kids to learn to muck stalls, give them opportunities to learn. Kids who love horses will do almost anything to be around them. The ones that don’t will weed themselves out pretty quickly.

Whoever was complaining about the girl who wouldn’t wash their wraps, that sounds like a general lack of manners. I am sure her entitlement extends beyond the barn.

[equinelibrium]

@blue_heron

The argument in the article is so trite. It’s been beaten into the ground in every sport, academic circle, political party, etc. Why does the responsibility of learning these things fall on the kids? “Kids these days don’t know how to write a cheque or write in cursive.” And whose job was it to teach these things? And are these skills necessary anymore? Cheques are becoming obsolete. Does cursive really have a practical purpose now?

This x1000! It irks me to no end when I hear people complaining about “kids these days” and how they “expect to get a trophy for everything”. I just want to yell at them, “who do you think was giving them all these trophies?!”

[mvp]

@LCDR

As I read the Lesley Grant-Law piece, I perceive a combination of self-pity and self-aggrandizement. Yes, there are those among us who have won the parent selection lottery and been given unappreciated equestrian opportunities others can only dream about. Whining over it will change nothing.

Not really.

If the sport were more accessible, one wouldn’t have to win the parent lottery in order to be good or relevant or whatever. Make the sport more accessible was the point or wish of the article.

[mvp]

@jaj

I don’t know if this has been posted, but the young rider outed herself in the comments to Lesley’s article, so permission given in effect. If you read Lesley’s article, she didn’t identify the clinician or the riders, just said they were young and bored.

Seriously, folks. If someone writes crap about you and, honest-to-God, most of us can’t identify you don’t out yourself in the comment section. Also, [who] brings their mom to the fight?

[ClassyJumper]

I don’t know Lesley from Adam but my impression from every podcast and article I have read hasn’t been great. She seems pretty seated in the “victim mentality”. Complaining about not having owners when you have better name recognition than 95% of riders? I don’t get it and have a feeling it’s less about her riding and more about her personality.

[vxf111]

Why do young adults have to be the next trainers? Why can’t they just ride and enjoy themselves? Not everyone wants to do this for a living. Is riding no longer allowed to be a hobby or for pleasure? So these women are better over fences than on the flat. So what. If you’re not a triple threat you can’t ride?

Heaven forbid you go to a clinic and struggle with something. You can’t go to a clinic and learn? Or happen to have an off day? Or have a horse with some holes you’re working on? Or have personal weaknesses? Only people who can hit the mark with perfection every time can ride in public?

Instead of focusing on your riding at a clinic you should be worried about your facial expression? You’re not allowed to have moments of tiredness, concentration, confusion, or yes even boredom throughout a long clinic? If you’re not holding a pose like a professional model for hours at a time don’t show your face at a clinic.

These poor women. They have nice horses and decided to spend their time and money bettering their skills only to have it turn into a public “blog” about everything that’s wrong with the world because they dare to have better horses than someone thinks they deserve and didn’t behave during the clinic like some railbird thought they should.

The original post is just sad and says a lot more about the writer than these women.

Yeah, we all hear you. You walked to school uphill both ways. And you couldn’t humble brag harder or namedrop more. You’d like the universe to drop a sponsor or fancy horse in your lap. Good for you. Keep on wishing. But leave other people who are minding their own business out of it. Someone else’s success and joy does not deplete yours.

[AMWookey]

Did you read it?

The young woman didn’t bring her mom to the fight. Another author who knew who it was, asked for her side of the story. She gave it. Respectfully and eloquently.

The other kid? Her side was defended by her coach. Who wanted to point out the kid wasn’t on a made expensive horse, but rather one of those OTTBs Lesley talked about, and their parents had never paid for anything.

It’s amazing to me that so many people are getting angry about these two young women simply telling their side of the story.

[Texarkana]

@AMWookey

It’s amazing to me that so many people are getting angry about these two young women simply telling their side of the story.

I’m not “angry” at them, but I also don’t think a response was necessary.

Thousands of people read Lesley’s article. Only a few handful may have been able to identify the riders in the clinic based on the anonymous descriptions.

Yes, I’m sure they were insulted to read they appeared bored and “useless” on the flat, but you know what makes you look juvenile? Writing a public rebuttal about how Lesley is a big meanie while your friends defend you with, “do you know who her parents are?!?”

I absolutely agree we should all be kinder and do better to build each other up. But if someone criticizes you, sometimes you just need to accept the criticism and move on.

[enjoytheride]

Don’t forget that the riders are juvenile douchebags for not taking the article and sitting on it. Don’t you dare defend yourself. Just accept the criticism., defending yourself just makes it your fault somehow. As to making the sport more accessible? One of those juvenile douchebags was sitting on one of those OTTBs that she’d made herself, yet its her fault that the sport isn’t more accessible. Meanwhile the Laws frequently help clients purchase horses overseas.

[enjoytheride]

You can’t have it both ways. You can’t tell people that they should be kinder and do better to build each other up and at the same time tell someone who was torn down that they have no right to defend themselves and that they just need to accept it (even if t was not true) and move on. That’s how people get to keep being bullies. Your notion that people who are torn down need to take their licks and shut up.

[Texarkana]

@enjoytheride

You can’t have it both ways. You can’t tell people that they should be kinder and do better to build each other up and at the same time tell someone who was torn down that they have no right to defend themselves and that they just need to accept it (even if t was not true) and move on. That’s how people get to keep being bullies. Your notion that people who are torn down need to take their licks and shut up.

I don’t see a rider who was torn down. Did you read Lesley’s article pre-rebuttal and go, “oh my god those poor riders.” Because I didn’t. (Although I did have the fleeting thought that the horse world is too small to be using individuals as examples)

My pre-rebuttal reaction was, “this isn’t a new problem” and assumed Lesley’s account was probably slightly exaggerated, only because that’s how the older generation often perceives the younger generation. The riders were only a part of the storytelling to illustrate Lesley’s point that she is concerned about the direction of horse sports.

[enjoytheride]

@Texarkana

The riders were only a part of the storytelling to illustrate Lesley’s point that she is concerned about the direction of horse sports.

You’re saying the older generation can complain about “kids these days” and get it completely wrong but the kids are not allowed to have any sort of rebuttal whatsoever. Seems a tad one sided.

[Texarkana]

@enjoytheride

@Texarkana

The riders were only a part of the storytelling to illustrate Lesley’s point that she is concerned about the direction of horse sports.

You’re saying the older generation can complain about “kids these days” and get it completely wrong but the kids are not allowed to have any sort of rebuttal whatsoever. Seems a tad one sided.

No, I’m not saying that. If you read my posts above I think you can see I’m not saying that at all.

I’m sorry my communication is poor.