Well, as many of you already know, there was a horse show this weekend. Though I didn't compete I went out to watch and cheer on my friends and trainer!! The whole barn did amazing and I am very proud to be riding with them! However, something I noticed while just hanging around, was how much hostility there was between barns! There were points in the day where I felt uncomfortable literally just standing at the courses studying them so I could later help my trainer navigate them. Just simply being in the same area!! Though I don't have very much age behind me, as I have grown older I have noticed how SMALL Tucson really is. It is SUCH a tiny town. I see people I know everywhere. Now if Tucson wasn't tiny as is, the hunter/jumper equestrian community is even smaller! It's truly just miniature. And it drives me absolutely INSANE how much hate, mean words, rumors, and dirty looks are thrown around. I don't care what your opinion is on a person. If you are watching them compete, you clap after every round. You congratulate your team mates if they beat you. You accept that somebody put in a better round than you. Equestrian sports are a team sport just like anything else. If so much cruelty continues to be spread around, the minute hunter jumper association we have all established will fall apart. People will stop going to shows at certain places just because they don't like a certain person who rides at that barn, and so on. It's so stupid. We all love showing and the sport itself right? So we have to ensure that it will continue. All of this anger and rage is catastrophic. I am sick and tired of it. I hate the way it makes me feel. It's just beyond unnecessary. I hate seeing friends cry or being insanely upset because of rude and/or hurtful things which have been said about them. It breaks my heart. So next time at you are at a horse show, compliment someone you don't know. Be the bigger person. Say something nice to a person you don't necessarily love. Celebrate things like Gratituesday!! Gratituesday is something I learned about through my orchestra teacher. All you have to do is on Tuesday's, post about something you love. Share something kind with a person you usually don't. Smile at people as you are driving around.
As
she put it, "What are you thankful for? (Today is Gratituesday - post it as your status and encourage your friends to as well. Let's break through the typical negative environment of FB and be a positive influence today!)"
Apply it to the horse world too. We don't have to win solely on our abilities to insult people.
:) You're awesome.
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