I was telling my non-horsey friend about some local horse drama and she asked me why horse people are “so troubled”. I didn’t have an answer for her. She’s right. Equestrians can be some of the rudest, cattiest, meanest, most evil people. What is it about this sport that brings out the worst in people?
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This happens in all groups of people. The knitting club, the local fire department, and horses.
I am sorry that you and your friend are frustrated by people.
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I think the same can be said about cat people and dog people too. I just think you hear about the crazies because it’s in your face. The non-crazy ones don’t make waves and go unnoticed.
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Every “in-group” has the crazies. Gardening, racing (cars, boats, bikes), heck even online spaces like gaming and book clubs. You don’t know about the crazies in other groups cause you aren’t in them (speaking generally).
Individuals are generally normal, kind people. Groups of people are generally crazy.
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You are so right about the local fire dept! DH is a Capt. an oh the drama!
OP, it’s not just horse people, it’s people in general when they become organized in to groups or cliques. Basically what fivestideline and trub said.
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I really needed to hear this. I was becoming so discouraged. But sorry- the fire department? KNITTING? What could they possibly find drama about?
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All groups of people have drama.
One person not pulling their weight. One person saying things about others, etc. The list is endless.
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Yup, the fire dept! Lot’s of drama re: where to spend the $, whose up for promotion next, protocols, next bean supper, the annual Christmas tree sales. . .
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I agree that you find this in any social collective; however, I do believe that animals attract dysfunctional personalities. The belief is that a relationship with an animal guarantees unconditional love, freedom from judgment and interacting with animals is ‘safer’. Most individuals need companionship at some level. Some need another being to be superior to or dominate (not even talking abuse here). The problem arises when those who are attached to said animal come to realize that in many situations you cannot totally avoid human interaction - veterinarian, other animal enthusiasts, the groomer, yada yada. Lack of skills to properly and civilly interact with other human beings I believe will be an ever growing deficit in our human population.
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You are absolutely correct. Sometimes I get my head jammed so deep into the rear end of the horse world that I can’t even step back and look at the full picture.
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Honestly, I’m going to agree that some horsepeople have their own special brand of personality. And since we have to communicate with animals that are big, strong, and unpredictable, it’s pretty common for even “normal” horsepeople to have a lot of self-confidence, which sometimes comes across as pushiness.
My sister rode until high school then stopped, but she can still spot a horseperson a mile away, figuratively speaking.
But I also agree that whenever you have groups of people, you’re going to have jerks. Just different flavors of jerks.
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BARF dog food groups are pretty wild.
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This!
Animals attract an above average number of “difficult” (for lack of a better word) personalities. Horses, dogs, zoos, whatever. Combine that with the fact that we are all extremely passionate about our animals and it can make for a lot of toxicity.
I really felt this when I made the shift from veterinary medicine to human medicine. Don’t get me wrong, I made absolute life-long friends in vet medicine and there were still plenty of crazy people in human medicine. But, my workplace interactions were infinitely more professional at the human hospital.
I work in education now… I can’t ever imagine treating my students how some of the top riding instructors treat their clients.
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Diabetic cats. 
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With respect to horses, I think part of the problem is money and envy. AND I’ve known trainers who foster it. “Suzy gets better ribbons than you because she has a nicer horse” and thus encouraging people to keep spending more money. I see this especially when the trainer doesn’t have the ability to bring out the best in every horse and rider, and is greedy. My apologies to trainers who do not do this.
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Oh, knitting and other crafts can have lots of drama, because some people are just drama. For example at least two people who dyed yarn and sold it to crafters wound up faking their deaths. I believe in both cases their business grew beyond what they could handle on their own, quality dropped, orders went unfulfilled and customers got mad. And I guess they hoped faking their deaths would make it all disappear?
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Mom groups on FB are pretty wild. Especially when everyone is in that psycho post-partum stage.
But animal people still take the cake.
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Hey, there are good knitting yarns and bad knitting yarns! Don’t you know the difference? How uneducated are you when it comes to skeins and worsted wools and various knotted stringy stuff?!? People like you shouldn’t be around stabby pointy things! Get out of our knitting group!!!
In all seriousness, I have to agree that whenever you get a group of humans together you can have issues. Sometimes sharing a common “like” or passion for something, whether it’s horses or knitting, isn’t enough to quell other differences or personality traits.
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I have a friend who shows her dog in approved shows. She has said the same thing about ‘dog’ people.
Of all the groups I have been involved in the local 4-H and the Moto cross club were the most helpful friendly groups.
Car club, garden club, Pony club, hockey, figure skating…you’d thought they were trying out for DRAMA club. lol
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Horse people pay an insane amount of money for a creature that is on a suicide mission in life and then we want to ride and compete with them… of course we are nuts.
Really no crazier than any other group just feels like it.
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