Division Within The Industry

So, I know it's been a week since I promised this posting, but I'm delivering it today. I truly apologize, but I have been on spring break and have no patience for dial-up Internet.

Before we dive deep into the meat and potatoes of the industry today, I think it's important we touch on a few aspects. To some "newbies," this can be a background lesson, and for those of you who already know, use it to warm up the noodle.

The equine industry is a very complex entity, like most industries. While on the surface it may seem like a large cluster, it is actually severely divided, which we will discuss a little later. I do think, however, it is very important to understand the nooks and crannies of the equestrian world first.

Some people don't realize it, but different styles of riding build major barriers. If you are someone who didn't even know that there is more than one way to ride a horse, you are not alone. Some of you may be thinking, "I know all this. English and western... duh!" But, with all due respect, you've been deceived by a grain of knowledge in a desert of variety. It is true, english and western lump many types of disciplines together, but with a little experience in a horsey world, you will find that within the confines of english and western, it is still divided and dog-eat-dog.

For all intended purposes, english is the smaller saddle like in horse racing and jumping, while western is the larger saddle like from the old cowboy movies. Visualize a chart (almost like a family tree) with a horse at the top. From the horse are two branches, one english and one western. Surrounding those two generalized names are dozens of different ways to ride. Around english you will find dressage, hunter, jumper, etc. Peppering the area near western would be things such as reining, western pleasure, barrel racing, etc.

~~~STOP~~~

Experienced Horse People - Did I mention your discipline? If yes, did you even notice the rest that I listed, or better yet, think to yourself, "You better include *insert discipline* in there!"

Up And Coming Folks - What you don't realize is that people who fox hunt (english) and those who work cows (western) are screaming at the computer right now. And even better, if there are niche oriented readers who race Standardbreds (they pull a cart)... They probably stopped reading when I generalized horses into western and english.

See what I mean? In all of that, I created a barrier with you, despite my best effort to list some of the more popular events. (Yes, you eventers, I know I left you out too.) [Eventing is just another riding event] Is anyone confused yet?

My point was to make all of that just a little confusing. Now that your brains are jumbled with information you thought you understood, or if you are learning this for the first time and wish you knew what the heck I'm talking about, you're primed for today's post.

First and foremost, those of you who have been bitten by the "horsey-bug" that drives you to surround yourself with these loving, majestic, frustrating and expensive creatures, you may disagree on this point... BUT... The equine industry is dependent on the consumer's EXPENDABLE income. I know... you're thinking, "NO IT'S NOT! Horses come before anything in my life." The sad truth is, many people live that way. But for most of us, though we cringe to admit it, horses are factored into an expendable income. You have needs, and then you have hobbies. Horses may be at the top of your hobby list, or even the only one on the list, but it still follows behind the important necessities, like food, a place to live, etc.

With the declining economy, the amount of people with large expendable incomes is decreasing rapidly. What does this mean? The industry is in jeopardy. Some people are probably saying that there are still plenty of people with plenty of money to spend on horses. I agree. HOWEVER, people who are considering an interest in the equine world are often quickly frightened away.

The question is WHY?

Horse People are Crazy! Yeah, we are. If you're a horse person, you know I'm right. We're nuts. We are obsessed and opinionated. We love our horses like children, and treat them as such. We all think we know everything, and are convinced the rest of the world is wrong. Just accept it, we are crazy.

Expensive! Horses are expensive. In today's industry, we are making them more and more expensive. The cheapest part of the horse industry is buying the horse, and when they can sell for tens of thousands of dollars, that is scary. After buying the horse, you have to keep up with the latest in every supplement known to man, vaccinating at least twice a year, maintaining four feet that are like accident-prone tires, feed top quality grain/hay, and then if you have enough left over, start paying for training and shows. I mean really? What happened to the mentality that a horse... is a horse... so let him be a horse.

So there are two popular concepts that scare new comers from the horse world. But, that's not the problem. As with any world, though there are fanatical people, you can always find someone who will agree with you enough to co-exist. And yeah, these four legged bundles of joy are ridiculously expensive, but, as mentioned earlier, there will ALWAYS be people with the money, willing to spend the money.

The problem is...

Division and Aggression Across Discipline Lines

Some people like conflict. You may know someone, or even be someone, who truly longs for conflict in every part of life. If there isn't something wrong, he/she/you can't be happy.

Most people do not live like this. Most people enjoy the simpler things in life because they want to be truly happy. A lot of folks with money understand this idea. Just because they can have a lot of things, doesn't mean they don't know how to be happy. They are just lucky enough to be able to afford the things that make them happy. Don't be jealous or envious, many of them worked for what they have, and if they didn't, wouldn't you use it if you had it?

The point is, if they are going to use the money they have, chances are they expect it to return rewards, like happiness. It's hard to be happy when people around you are constantly bickering and when you are looked down upon simply because of how you choose to ride your horse.

The idea of english and western not "getting along" is timeless. In my best research, I think it is rooted in old western cowboys vs. rich english folks. At one time, maybe the division was important, but today, it is just absurd. There truly is no reason why we can't all just GET ALONG!

Even after someone fights the battle into english or western, there is a new sea of confusion between the niches inside these disciplines. People who ride western pleasure hear that they don't do anything but sit on a dead horse from those who work cattle by horseback. People who event with their horses laugh at jumpers because they are "sissies." Constantly, all you ever hear is gossip, and talk, and you see people turning up their noses all the time.

IT IS SOOOOO FRUSTRATING!

We are all different. Like any world, we have different ways of doing the same thing. I am reminded of the recently passed Olympics. They were all winter sports, and even within sports (like skiing) there are so many different kinds of competition. But they are all able to get together and co-exist. We can't do that in the horse world today, and it is tearing the industry apart.

If we want anything done for the benefit of the horse world, it is imperative that we can stand as one, because when we stand divided, nothing ever gets done.

I know whatever way you ride is better than all the other disciplines. I know your horse is better than all the other horses in that discipline for this reason or that. But you have to realize the safety of the industry which your horse's well-being relies on is in jeopardy, and it is important that we get together, accept our differences, and move on as one.

Seriously... Can't we all just get along?