By TPH Intern KAITLYN CRAWFORD
“Hey, check this out,” my friend said, passing her phone over to me.
It was a video of a beginner rider posting the trot, AND the horse visibly off on one of its front legs. The caption read something along the lines of:
“My horse came up lame in our lesson today. Hopefully, he’ll feel better soon!”
The post was public, and although it wasn’t exactly getting millions of views, there was some traction. Internet trainers were commenting about which leg they thought was hurt, what exactly the problem was, and there were comments about how the rider was off balance, and how that caused the lameness to worsen.
There were a dozen interpretations, but how can anyone necessarily be said correct? Because the fact of the matter is, none of these people were there with this beginner rider assessing her horse.
I wondered what was the point of posting something like this? To share with others that the horse was injured? What was the rider’s intention in making this post? The purpose of social media is to share things, but was this something that needed to be shared?
The same thing happens at every level, not just to beginners.
Top riders will post photos of their horses turning through a rollback with their mouths agape. Amateurs post a video of their horse kicking out at another horse because they think it’s funny. Teens post a video of their horse refusing—it could be any type or number of things.
I see these types of things, and I can’t help but wonder, why was this posted?
Did the rider doing the rollback think this was a good photo? Did they even notice that their horse’s mouth was open? Was the refusal posted because the rider thought it was funny? Were any of these people considering the fact that their content could be skewed any particular way?
I’ll admit, I like a horsey fail video as much as the next person, but with the wrong audience, a fail video can quickly turn into “horse abuse” or “rider incompetence.”
The thing about posting on the internet is that anything you share can be taken out of context. No matter how much you love your horse, a stranger isn’t going to know how much you and your horse have struggled, improved, fought, or succeeded.
Someone could see a clip of your horse bucking and tell you they have kissing spine, when you know they were just having an off day. You could ride the best course of your life and feel great about it, only to have someone online say your horse looked out of control.
Social media literacy is a necessary trade for the modern equestrian to learn, because of the many ways people can misinterpret photos and videos. Particularly for businesses and professionals, knowing how to paint your horses and your training in a good light is invaluable.
I’m pretty active on social media, but I don’t own a personal horse. I show IHSA, and as collegiate riders know, it rarely ever goes perfectly in the IHSA show ring. It’s important to paint the horses in the best light you can, and if you had a bad ride, don’t post anything at all. When someone else’s horse is involved, you have to respect the fact that you may not be riding this horse in a way that reflects them at their best.
Not everything needs to be shared on social media, and especially where horses are involved, it can be really easy for people to misinterpret something of yours. Even if no one is watching right now, someone could watch in a year or two and still make conclusions about the rider or the horse.
When you go to post something, it’s important to ask, is this a reflection of this horse’s best qualities? Is my horse painted in a good light through this video or this photo? Does this video or photo reflect my abilities as a rider?
By contemplating these questions, equestrian communities can focus more on the positives and appreciate their horse’s best moments, rather than bringing each other down.
