05/06/2026
We watched the quality of a lot of things deteriorate under capitalism, haven’t we?
Older appliances tend to last way longer.
Older vehicle were less finicky and tended to have less problems.
Older clothing items lasted longer before breaking or falling apart.
Nowadays, everything is about quick acquisition and selling as much as possible.
Planned obsolescence.
I think that this attitude is trickled down into the animal industries, too.
Classical Horsemanship used to prioritize a good foundation, taking the time that it takes.
Nowadays, people want results as quickly as possible.
They want whatever will help them get those results as quickly as possible.
So, naturally, training gadgets, and bits that promise quick fixes have become common place.
And there is a huge market for this.
There is also a huge market for trainers that promised quick fixes, even when it means suppressing behaviours that are trying to communicate an underlying issue.
It is easier and much more profitable to treat Horse behaviours as an issue to be fixed as quickly as possible rather than an attempt to communicate.
As such, we have seen a massive reduction in the quality and capability of so many Horse people.
We are seeing more and more stressed horses in competition.
If you reference the Horsemanship that was present, when competition was in its earlier stages, there is such a clear difference.
More equipment. Harsher bits. Much more tension.
It is crucial that we notice these things and acknowledge them.
Many of these changes snuck up on us and took us against our will.
But it is our responsibility to notice now and be accountable for that change.
We can’t still say that the sport is for the love of the horse when there is so many examples of that is no longer the case.
“For the love of the Horse” means having these hard conversations and a difficult reflections.