04/07/2025
I’m sad that this is still relevant. Perhaps even more so, at least in the US. It feels like not even magic can save us, now.
Barns are closing, either from financial stress, burnout, physical work, etc. or all of those things and more, and people are complaining about how hard it is to find a good trainer.
People can’t find good barn staff because “no one wants to work,” but also no one wants to give everything they have in order to make less than a living wage and feel as though they’re treated like slaves.
Clients are saying everything is too expensive. Meanwhile, costs for everything, even outside the industry, are going up.
Some clients don’t want to work, either. They just want to keep doing what they’re doing and magically get a better result. Professionals need to continue to educate themselves, and that’s not free.
These are just a few of the issues the horse world is facing. There are many others.
I feel like the changes in the industry, particularly some of what looks like entitlement we’re seeing, are closely related to the social license to operate and the welfare of the ridden horse in competition. People feel entitled to do and get what they want because that’s how the system has always worked. Though flawed, unfair, and sometimes downright destructive, everyone had to endure it, horses included, so everyone else should have to do the same because it’s “worked” for the ones who made it to the top. There’s a disconnect between humanity, ethology, welfare, and the facade of the industry that, knowingly or otherwise, hides a lot of uncomfortable truth behind high scores and nice boots.
I also feel that the divisiveness and tribalism rampant in our country (I can’t speak for places outside the US) permeate every single aspect of the differences between one thing and another. I’ve harped on it before, and I’ll continue to do so: the lack of ability to see another perspective, especially when faced with new and conflicting information, is what will be our downfall. Some have said cooperation and working together is the only way through this, and I think that’s true. I think a lot of people do. *How* we do that, though, remains to be seen.
All I have right now is opinions, and half-thoughts. And questions:
Where does the wider cultural element come into play?
Does a generation of helicopter parents make a difference in how self-efficacious our next generation feels, and therefore have an effect on their work ethic and ability to relate to others?
Does the overscheduling of lives influence our expectations?
How does social media affect things like attention span, work ethic, and social relationships and what effect does that have on someone’s ability to commit to a better process?
What about the elitism of the sport/show world? How does that contribute to the cultural divide by putting certain individuals above others based on how well they’re able to function in a dysfunctional system?
Does the need for instant gratification change things, especially with “made-to-order” horses being bred or imported?
Are we as professionals setting a standard that contributes to an inauthenticity which can only be achieved by ruthless pursuit of our own interests?
How are we as professionals feeding this loop, and how as humans are we feeding into the cultural loop?
I don’t know, you guys. All any of us really knows right now is that it’s changing.
