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by Ditte Young
Updated on December 27, 2023
Estimated reading time: 5 minutesย
Today, some girls writing a school assignment asked me: “What will it take to create proper idols in the equestrian world concerning animal welfare? And could veterinarians be some of them?”
Now, that’s a really great and highly relevant question, and I will share my answer with you here.
Veterinarians cannot be idols in the sport if they don’t recognize a rider’s impact on a horse but only look at symptoms.
Many of them know what it means for the horse to wear all that equipment. They also see the consequences of it. If the veterinarians had to do something about it, the horses would be listened to when we have to reevaluate what it takes to judge a horse and rider, where the horse is also a happy athlete.
In my work as a craniosacral therapist, I’ve been surprised to realize that the horses who are NOT sick or stressed out are the same horses that do not have a rider.
It’s interesting to feel and see their tissue and muscles fully relaxed and laid back.
In contrast, all horses I’ve treated with a rider on their back are often crooked, locked, and extremely tight, and it almost feels like they have concrete across their backs.
This is not the same as saying that all riders train their horses hard.
It merely means that horses assimilate many of their rider’s patterns, whether that be weight-bearing, the hand, the inside leg, or even their energy.
After a long and tiresome day, where you might be sad or in a bad mood, visiting your horse always cheers you up.
It calms you down, and it lifts your spirits. But what you need to learn is that the horse also takes in your energy. Like giant sponges, the horses absorb all the power from other horses, from nature, their humans, and everyone else.
That’s why I often describe the importance of a good vibe in the stables.
Because you can drive home afterward, your horse can’t!
For the horses to alleviate the energy they’ve absorbed, they must restore themselves outdoors. Unconsciously, they can return the negative energy to the ground. They can regain their balance and weight if they are at peace, but it takes time. It takes more than two days of free walk.
As such, I sincerely pray that all the horse people out there know that your horses deserve that you are in balance, in a good mood, and have a positive energy surrounding you when you greet them.
Idols are often those who win something.
Denmark is doing well. We have exceptional equestrians who take home a lot of medals.
But if we are to have proper idols, then we also โ in my opinion โ need to judge them differently.
The greatest equestrians can make it look easy. But that’s not the case for the horse. They have been working hard, training and training to repeatedly showcase these techniques.
Historically, showcasing techniques has not gone as smoothly as watching an equestrian show.
I’ve overheard many professional riders and coaches say: “The horse doesn’t know how to do it” or “The horse doesn’t understand.”
And every time they say something like that, they must also believe that the horse understands one or the other thing from their humans.
But the other side of the coin is this: It’s not the horse who doesn’t know how to do it. It’s the rider!
Idols are often those who win something.
Denmark is doing well. We have exceptional equestrians who take home a lot of medals.
But if we are to have proper idols, then we also โ in my opinion โ need to judge them differently.
The greatest equestrians can make it look easy. But that’s not the case for the horse. They have been working hard, training and training to repeatedly showcase these techniques.
Historically, showcasing techniques has not gone as smoothly as watching an equestrian show.
I’ve overheard many professional riders and coaches say: “The horse doesn’t know how to do it” or “The horse doesn’t understand.”
And every time they say something like that, they must also believe that the horse understands one or the other thing from their humans.
But the other side of the coin is this: It’s not the horse who doesn’t know how to do it. It’s the rider!
My future idol will be an equestrian who knows the horse has a personality. And with that follows a behavior, which you need to help it with so the horse feels at ease and safe.
An excellent equestrian will understand that the horse works for the rider, and thus it needs a great deal of motivation so as to become a happy athlete, and not just someone who follows suit as it doesn’t know better.
The horse’s motivation is NOT showboating in front of others and winning a medal.
The horse’s motivation is the love it feels from its rider and knowing it’s here to stay, which makes it feel safe.
Feeling safe with its rider, safe with its home, and safe together with its friends.
However, as long as we buy and sell horses as enslaved people in this industry, not enough attention is directed at what it means for a horse to move to a new home.
This means that another requirement for my future idol is that they buy their horse, train their horse with positive reinforcement, and never sell it again precisely since it’s a friend and not a means to an end that is worth money.
There are plenty of things to focus on in the horse industry.
I’ve heard that many more prominent institutions have joined forces to create more animal welfare in the country (Denmark).
But I also hope they’ll closely examine whether the horses are physically prepared to take on the tasks they are asked to do.
In the future, they’ll also care whether the horses look happy when performing or dull and sad.
The eyes are the window to the soul.
You, dear reader, may not be able to practice telepathy.
But I know that you can SEE another soul and assess whether they are happy.
Trust your intuition. And let’s see more happy horses out there in the future.
Love
๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฎ ๐จ๐ธ๐พ๐ท๐ฐ
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