The Dusty Pony

Aussie showjumper, dressage rider, future eventer, with one very cute palomino gelding called Dusty (Canyonleigh Grand Pegasi) a 8yo ASB.

[01oftheboys]

I still think this is amazing.

[whythelongfacepals]

@ all the ppl who do more handwork/groundwork with their horses than riding:

What do u tell people that look down on you because you’re not doing any “actual riding”?? Like the owner of the barn I’m at now was like “yeah sure 👀” when I told her that at the moment the thing helping Njolas trott is lunging, and like I’m really seeing progress with her and it makes me so happy but then someone says shit like that… Or my mom just said “she won’t get any better from you looking at her run” like that all I’m fucking doing, and especially coming from my mom who won’t even hold her because she’s terrified of horses…

I’m sure Njola likes what we’re doing and it actually helps her trott a lot and it’s not like I’m never riding her I just think that I get a good balance in training her if I ride her 1-2 times a week, lunge her 2 times and if I have time to go to her barn another time do something fun like going for a hack (later on if I know where I can go lol), doing liberty stuff or idk going on a walk with her…

[whythelongfacepals]

I’m tagging a few peeps who may have experienced this bc i see y'all posting a lot of pics of like groundwork stuff @clickerhorse (sorry for tagging u in EVERYTHING pls tell me if i get annoying) @themotherfuckingclickerkid @clickerpunk

[clickerpunk]

I know the feeling. But what makes me feel better is knowing that if a person looks down on you for doing groundwork they are actually just dumb. Any good horse person should understand the benefit and importance of doing work from the ground. Waaayy to few people actually put enough time into their horses from the ground. So just take comfort in the fact that you are a more understanding horse trainer than them for recognising this!

[sanddancingwithanxiety]

I spent 4 months lunging arthur. He went from struggling to track up, stretch, keep a rhythm in the walk to having those things and beginning work on passage, changes and working pirouettes cos he was so supple. Tell them to suck it.

[all-the-horses]

FischerTakinou

Jaguar Mail x Gita AA

Anglo Arabian, Gelding

Born 2007

[equikage]

#oh michi you’re so fine you blow my mind hey michi

did you think i was going to let this tag pass unnoticed

[sanddancingwithanxiety]

thank god SOMEONE did

[wildethorne]

My tack set is the shit.

[aussieequine-blog]

YESSSSSSSSSSS

[yesyoureright]

Lillie Keenan & Fibonacci, CSIO5* Sopot ‘17

[neighsinthenight]

Why two breastplates?

[aussieequine-blog]

I've never seen two breastplates on at th same time???

[whythelongfacepals]

@ all the ppl who do more handwork/groundwork with their horses than riding:

What do u tell people that look down on you because you’re not doing any “actual riding”?? Like the owner of the barn I’m at now was like “yeah sure 👀” when I told her that at the moment the thing helping Njolas trott is lunging, and like I’m really seeing progress with her and it makes me so happy but then someone says shit like that… Or my mom just said “she won’t get any better from you looking at her run” like that all I’m fucking doing, and especially coming from my mom who won’t even hold her because she’s terrified of horses…

I’m sure Njola likes what we’re doing and it actually helps her trott a lot and it’s not like I’m never riding her I just think that I get a good balance in training her if I ride her 1-2 times a week, lunge her 2 times and if I have time to go to her barn another time do something fun like going for a hack (later on if I know where I can go lol), doing liberty stuff or idk going on a walk with her…

[aussieequine-blog]

THIS!!!!! My parents have threatened to sell my horse if I don't ride him!!! I'm like no he needs ground work or lunging etc and they say no you will ride him, if you don't ride him we will sell him because he deserves to go up the levels because he wants to.

YET they are too scared to bloody hold him but they always are trying to act like they know more!!!

[sanddancingwithanxiety]

Oops ma finger slipped

[dressageaf]

🔥🔥🔥

[horsblr]

[aussieequine-blog]

THIIIIIIIIIIIS lexy yasssssssssss

[theclassicalhorse]

Im just going to put this here…

[theclassicalhorse]

Also before anyone complains about how this courbette is detrimental to the horse, id just like to point out how freakin SMOOTH that landing was. Like that horse took full weight and the accordion folding of the hind legs basically absorbed the shock. Sure, it’s completely unnecessary to teach a horse the courbette, as is any high level movement, but just appreciate how smooth that weight bearing phase was. JUST APPRECIATE.

[ofmiceandcheeze]

[hesonfire]

Me

[dressagekitten]

Y'all I have a lot of feelings this morning about the behavior exhibited on here with this last ~drama~ and none of it is very good. I’m just kind of in disbelief tbh especially with the double standards shown and the hypocrisy of the statements that people apparently deeply believe. I’m not perfect and have definitely made mistakes on here which I’m trying to be better than… but man guys. Some of y'all are just straight up mean and actively participating in conversations purely born of malice. I get that it has been proven that Tumblr can’t disagree civilly but I kind of think this one takes the cake out of the entire time I’ve been here. I want to honestly believe that we are all good people who love horses and want to put them first (regardless of if I agree with you) but I’m really struggling. When you can’t criticize a professional’s training practices on an image/content/brand that they are painstakingly crafting and in control of but yet it’s apparently acceptable to drag personally (and without any constructive commentary or point except to shame and deprecate) self-admitted amateurs on here for their content/brand/image I’m kind of left going ????

My final thoughts about the entire thing I guess are what kind of equestrian would I be if I remained silent in the face of practices that I think shouldn’t be glamorized or normalized? My silence makes me complicit in saying these acts are okay. The practices that I’m speaking against aren’t highly specialized to a specific sport at a high level. If they were I would agree with all of you who have tried to argue that I can’t critique unless I do. These are (what I at least thought) were common sense and safety horsemanship ideas backed up by science.

And finally I agree that one bad moment, one bad video, one bad picture, a story doesn’t make. I’m not at every barn every day. I’m not omniscient or all knowing. However, professionals (and even us lowly ‘commoners’ on here) regardless of their sport/business/affiliation/etc understand that now more than ever every piece of media and content that they are tied to creates a brand and an image for how the world sees them and judges them. People are held accountable for what they are representing and essentially selling. Professionals who are the role models for most if not all of us have a duty to ensure the content that they are promoting and standing by is in the best interest of the industry if they don’t want to be judged otherwise. This is the same reason we want our professionals to wear helmets because the normalization that it’s acceptable or “cool” to not wear one trickles down to the lowest levels. My critique wasn’t simply a bad moment. My critique has to do with this person building a consistent self policed brand based in framing herself as accessible, cool, hip, young, fun, and then consistently showing practices to that audience that aren’t safe. She’s selling herself, her products, and her training through social media and as a consumer in the horse industry and with so many of my peers as consumers you have a right to voice your concerns. My target “audience” with my concerns isn’t Lainey. I’ve been in the horse game and around big money to know how professionals operate and that at the end of the day dollars and owners have the power to make even wonderful people make unethical or questionable decisions that even the professional might not agree with. My “audience” is the non-professional majority who I feel like I have a duty to be candid with considering my education level and my equestrian career. My “audience” is the non-professional majority who have always helped be the catalyst in calling for change to create a more fair and horse-welfare first industry. I’m “selling” on this blog and through my brand the idea that just because a BNT does something doesn’t mean it’s beyond reproach. We not only owe it to the horses to not like or spread messages and training that we don’t believe are in their best interest but we should be vocal about saying certain practices aren’t okay. When you buy into the image created implicitly or explicitly you are supporting what that person is doing and saying it is okay. We should ask for better and more from all our professionals especially when they are in charge of their own content, the amount of content produced, and are writing harmful narratives.

If you don’t agree, okay. If you want to talk (which we don’t have to!), let’s talk about the training. Let’s talk about the why. Let’s not talk about each other. We are all learning and growing and trying to make the best environment we can for the horses and riders.

[itsthegrandtouruk]

[diaryofaworkingstudent]

[aussieequine-blog]

Has anyone tried one of these???

[equikage]

has anyone posted this yet

because

[aussieequine-blog]

I saw this on FB 😶

[letters-from-the-sea-deactivate]

10/10 a very neatly arranged foal #SilkandSatinTN #SirGregory #Freestyle #Rosier

[100493503004422]

me: I don’t have enough time me: *stares at the carpet for 5 straight minutes thinking about how I don’t have enough time*

[hexane-nightmares]

Don’t call me out like this.

[transperceneige]

For anon :)

[thetaillesseventer]

Myself & my coach (who’s ridden at 4*) were sat in front of a woman who was commenting on how he must not have warmed up enough. Love an armchair critic!

[deadinsidedressage]

I’ve had this exact ride 😭😭😭

The “wow fuck there’s nothing to really save this my horse just decided that this isn’t a real discipline she competes in so guess I’ll do my best and pretend it’s one big fun joke” test.

[dances-with-hooves]

I’ve never seen a figure 8 noseband at a dressage test before! Are they usually allowed?

[dressagekitten]

This coat is giving me life /random

[canterthedayaway-blog]

Isn’t it interesting that horse tumblr, that usually goes in extremist directions with issues, is handling the Elisa situation so maturely and objectively while facebook and twitter are mostly being extreme, ripping her and each other apart, and are polarizing themselves? Hmm. Really makes you think.

[dressagekitten]

Don’t worry we will fight about something really unnecessary soon. It’s been too long. 😅

[canterthedayaway-blog]

I hope it’s something like really unnecessary. Like show jacket colors in jumpers or something idk. That’s entertaining

[dressagekitten]

Don’t 👏 wear 👏 ugly 👏 puke 👏 green.