Social rules in the horse world can be fickle. You can feed your horse after your ride ‘as a treat’. You can give carrots or apples randomly, but not in exchange for behaviour (as a reinforcer).

If you aren’t riding much you must be scared of your horse or your horse must have it over you.

If you spend too much time in the arena you’re too serious.

Too much time trail riding means you’re not serious enough.

If you only ride places where your horse is calm, you’re scared of them. If you venture into new places and your horse goes (often WAY) over threshold then you’re ‘letting’ them get away with too much.

All to say, from your first pony club to any competition ground to any riding club to any small and seemingly friendly agistment - people will have opinions.

It’s scarily common for older horse owners or professionals (vets, farriers, coaches etc) to literally grab your horse from your hands and proceed with whatever level of punishment they feel is necessary or justified at that moment.

From a rasp to the belly to an overly aggressive lashing with a lunge whip. As a young rider you learn quickly that if you don’t learn to do it, you’ll stand in shame while someone else does.

If you don’t WANT to whip, hit and hurt your horse? Well, you’ll never be a good rider, owner or trainer and you’re letting your horse down.

Now, I’ve been in my ‘R+ Bubble’ as I like to call it, for many years. I keep my horses on my own property. I don’t ride. We train when the weather’s nice and they’re beloved members of my family alongside my dog, my cats, my bird and my rats.

So I swung by a local equestrian event a few months ago, just to check in and see what the kids were doing these days.

I didn’t stay long, but I saw all the classics. Tiny tots, with whips in hand. Bits that were outrageously harsh. Parents and coaches alike both encouraging the kids, and stepping in when a child's strength wasn’t enough to force the equine into compliance.

I saw two girls giggling as their spirited horses ran through the teams event together.

And by spirited I mean of course the tails were swishing, the ears were back. They responded immediately to every touch of the reins because harsh metal bits demanded they do so.

The riders smiled and laughed and pulled their horses this way and that to try and mirror each other through the formation.

I couldn’t help but think, what if there were four willing participants in these events, rather than just two?

What if the young girls were taught to observe and acknowledge their horses feelings?

What a different picture that would make.

It wouldn’t have to diminish the fun and joy of the girls. Instead, it could teach them how to observe and care for another living being. They could learn empathy, responsibility and still how to successfully navigate a teams event, but with two happy horses instead of two visibly miserable ones.

That sounds more worthy of a ribbon to me.

Written By Madi Holmes of the PPGA Equine Sub-Committee