The equine world needs a shake up – a proper, values-led, get involved kind of shake up. Public confidence in horses and sport is fragile. If we’re honest, it’s not just the public that’s uneasy; many riders, owners, parents, officials and professionals feel it too. There are things that don’t sit right. And yet… so often we’re told to stay quiet.
My grandad was a racehorse trainer and had to name a lot of horses – sometimes coming from things people said, experiences, he named one after me (“Animal Crackers”). One he called “Get Involved”. It feels relevant today.
Because “getting involved” doesn’t mean having an opinion on everything, shouting the loudest or wading into every argument. But it does mean standing for something.
What happens if we don’t? Coasting. Neutrality. Silence dressed up as “keeping the peace”. And history tells us that that rarely leads anywhere good.
Case study
Recently, a rider, that I know, recorded a horse in competition that appeared lame. She sent the video to the relevant society, expecting, reasonably, that the welfare concern would be taken seriously. Instead, she found herself accused of being a bad competitor. Not thanked but questioned and labelled.
So here’s the uncomfortable question: Should she keep speaking up or should she “leave it be”?
What if speaking up risks her future results in the ring? What if it risks her reputation? What if it makes her “difficult”? The equestrian world has can have long memories…
When I was younger, the Mothership spoke up about questionable judging in a class. And she was told, very clearly, by the President of the Society (!!) not to do it again because it would impact my success that year.
That was bloody disappointing! Not because I wanted rosettes at any cost, but because the message was clear: do well, but don’t rock the boat. Smile nicely. Play the game. Keep quiet. I really hate that feeling!
But if everyone keeps quiet… what exactly are we protecting?
Another big one: video evidence.
If you have clear footage of something that doesn’t look right should you share it? Or does sharing it undermine the sport? Or is not sharing it the bigger problem?
All sorts of societies are redrafting social media and filming policies at the moment but shouldn’t they be working on reducing the stuff that could be perceived as negative rather than just limiting the videoing of it?!
Should we be saving them, waiting years and just sharing before the olympics….!?
I don’t have all the answers.
But that’s kind of the point! Getting involved isn’t about certainty. It’s about values.
It’s about asking:
- What do I stand for?
- What am I willing to tolerate?
- Where is my line?
- And who pays the price if I stay silent?
Silence isn’t neutral. It always benefits someone. And it’s rarely the horse.
If we want the equine world to improve, we need people who are prepared to get involved thoughtfully. To question systems. To challenge practices. To protect welfare even when it’s inconvenient. To say, “This matters,” even when it costs something.
Not everyone needs to speak up on everything. That’s exhausting and unrealistic. But we all need something we won’t compromise on.
Otherwise, we’re not really participants. We’re passengers.
So maybe the question isn’t should you get involved. Maybe it’s: what happens if you don’t?
