News flash! Animals are not machines

I apologize in advance for a looong rant.

In a recent issue of Chronicle of the Horse, world class event rider/coach Ralph Hill says:
"The majority of people at events I went to watch while coming back from my injury weren’t treating their horses like individuals. They’re treating them like a piece of machinery. That’s what ticks me off more than anything. They just want to go to the social parties and have the horse get them a ribbon."


Are we surprised? Why?
Each new generation of kids is growing up more disconnected from nature and more plugged into technology than the generation before. There's even a new book out on an admittedly a little silly-sounding condition, childhood "nature deficit disorder." Whether this disorder exists or not, most kids don't grow up on farms, don't experience animals in a natural setting, and don't think about them much except in relation to themselves. Technology, on the other hand, is always on, always ready, and only requires moving electrons to function.

Remember when parents were, well, parental?
From my work at a university, I can attest that parental roles are devolving from that of authority figure/mentor/guide to that of a friend -- one that can be humored or ignored. In the horse world, I see parents that not only miss the teachable moments of parenthood, they are scared to death of their kid's disapproval. They go to great lengths to "help" their kids which amounts to handing them everything they need. If we look to parents to revise their kids expectations of their animals, we're likely to be disappointed. In fact, ambitious parents just feed into the take no prisoners approach to competing.

Horse poop! EEEEWWW!
Kids spend hours on their horses practicing for competition, but they're missing a "whole 'nuther side" to their horses' lives. As a 46 year old adult who works eight hours at the barn every Sunday, I have noticed that teens/college age kids can't be persuaded to muck stalls. I've had to bite my tongue when the barn manager explains to me that "Sarah is working today with you today, but she doesn't do stalls. You'll be doing all the stalls while she takes the other [easy, clean, lightweight] work." The Pony Club has a program that works to create horsemen and women, but it seems to be a philosophy that's on the wane.

Since when is water optional?
Years ago in North Carolina, the the barn water pump broke, and horses had only the water in their stalls to last them until the next morning. Most horses had a half bucket. I watched as one young rider after another rode and returned the horse to its stall without even glancing at the water buckets. There was apparently no understanding that exercise would make the horse consume what little water was available. The barn manager was too embarrassed to try to curtail the normal riding activities. Why didn't someone step in and lay down the law? Again, a teachable moment was missed.

Can anything be done?
I think so. Bob tells many stories about his elderly mom, a die-hard animal lover, confronting her Brooklyn neighbors over the treatment of animals. She did not mince words, and she threatened people with her cane (I'll spare you the specific threat). We need to hear more from people like Bob's mom, and Ralph Hill, who speak up about animal welfare. It's hard to do this in the horse world. I'm grateful to Ralph Hill and an article that strengthens my resolve to speak up rather than shut up.