Removing the Blinders on Racism in The Horse World

Being a member of the equestrian community during such societal upheaval regarding protest for racial rights is an odd place to be, especially as a rider with a black father. My skin is more pale, so while my heritage may be less visible, it is there, hiding in the shadows of public opinion but patently present to me and my family. The reality of said heritage is something I grew up aware of and educated about. It was never any secret to me that people of colour were treated differently in society, as I saw it with my father. I saw it at shows when it was virtually unheard of to see a rider of colour. I still see it at shows when the few riders of colour are there because our sport is so whitewashed that it is uncommon to see good representation…unless you’re Caucasian, that is. I grew up never having any role models who were not white. To this day, most of the top riders (especially riders in North America) are white. Take a look at both the American and Canadian Olympic teams for our horse sports, then come back and try to argue that this sport isn’t whitewashed. It’s problematic.

This isn’t to say our Olympic riders don’t deserve their spots on the team, but rather that the sheer number of white equestrians versus equestrians of colour or other races makes it so that young aspiring minority equestrians rarely have role models who look like them. I’m sure some of you reading this will say it doesn’t matter, but oh it does. It’s not just in the horse world either; there is a lack of representation in movies, shows, toys, books and a great deal of other work forces and sports. This makes it so that children of colour don’t get the same privilege of looking up to idols who look like them, idols who make it clear that there is a place for them in whatever facet of the world we are referencing. In equestrian sports, it makes it so that many of the white riders grow so accustomed to being in a whitewashed world that they are oblivious to any issue with the lack of representation. Some even have the audacity to claim racism does not exist in the horse world.

You’re conditioned from a very young age to engage in a systemically racist society that rewards you for your skin colour but punishes everyone else.

The irony of white people claiming racism doesn’t exist is that in doing so they’re claiming they’re “woke” enough to not only notice every aspect of racism that occurs in their presence, but that they also have the ability to see every occurrence that happens to people of colour when they’re not around. It’s just such an incredibly ridiculous claim to make. Of course you haven’t noticed racism, Karen. You’re white. Your children are white. You’re conditioned from a very young age to engage in a systemically racist society that rewards you for your skin colour but punishes everyone else. As such, as a white person you shouldn’t be the voice on whether or not racism exists. You don’t see racism because you’re not looking for it and it doesn’t affect you. The existence of racism is invisible to many people when it doesn’t disrupt their daily lives.

Let me put this simply. We ride in a sport where judges freely discriminate against competitors for their choice of show jacket colour, and sometimes even untraditional horse colours and virtually any other departure from what we have come to know as “the tradition”. Riders frequently demean each other solely on aesthetics. There is pressure to wear the right brands, right colours and to not stray from the status quo. In the hunter ring, there is very strong pressure to do things like tucking all your hair into your helmet. Try to do this with extremely curly hair without straightening it. My hair isn’t even as thick or curly as the vast majority of black riders, and yet I’ve never successfully managed to tuck my hair in (yes, even in larger helmets) without causing major pressure points. The only way I can somewhat successfully do so is if I straighten my hair. And good luck to anyone who has braids in their hair; I can’t imagine how you could manage that without major pressure points or sacrificing the fit and safety of your helmet. Sure, you could just wear your hair in a low bun, but people have and will have a hay day screeching about how disrespectful it is because it “goes against tradition.” With this in mind, how the hell can you not believe racism exists? We already discriminate against other riders for things of little consequence- why is it hard to believe the prejudice that exists in every aspect of society also crosses over into the horse world, an elite and predominantly white, upper class sport? It would be more surprising if racism truly didn’t exist here, to be frank.

If equestrians can’t accept other riders’ clothing choices that do not harm or affect anyone, it isn’t hard to believe that the are less comfortable and less accepting of riders of colour in the sport. Since riders of colour are so uncommon, they also standout, making them subject to stares, veiled racist comments and the assumption that they must be grooms or stablehands because the throngs of white equestrians are so used to only noticing colour when they’re hiring stable help. Like I said before, I’m white passing. I have not personally experienced this, but I’ve observed it when hanging out with my friends of colour, and I’ve also heard many of stories from other equestrians of colour. The most important factor in hearing these stories is simple: you just need to bloody well listen. Unfortunately, much of the horse world is reluctant to do so. Sure, they’ll claim to be listening. They may even think they care, but the conversation almost always circles back to the denial of the lack of representation and defensiveness as though pointing out this reality is a personal attack on them and their own heritage. They may quick to deny the existence of racism but slow to look for any role models of colour. They fail to actually take note of their peers at the barn, their fellow competitors at shows, or all of the spectators in crowds at our sporting events. Hint: the vast majority of them are white.

My dad and I with my old horse, Farley.

The lack of awareness and inability to listen is also seen plainly in many equestrian organizations’ and companies’ responses to the Black Lives Matter movement. Many upper level riders who serve as role models for up and coming riders have yet to speak out publicly regarding the racial inequality or the lack of representation in our sport. Some have only done so after being essentially coerced into saying something after being called out on their lack of ability to address the current events,as well as the very real inequality in our beloved sport. Many highly visible and reputable equestrian magazines and companies have remained silent regarding their position or have taken a stance by handing the stage over to white equestrians to give their opinion on racism. While some of these white equestrians have written powerful articles and have been remarkable allies (Sophie Gochman, I’m looking at you), the lack of a voice in these publications from those who are tired of being “blacked out”, and the lack of support for black equestrians to use their platform to share their very real experiences speaks volumes. In some ways, this behaviour comes across as fake allyship. Organizations jump in on the conversation because they know the article will get views, but will they make meaningful, long-term change in the type of riders they feature and the kind of issues they address? Only time will tell.

The problem with the horse world is that many white riders struggle to come to terms with the addressing of the racism in our community without feeling threatened or becoming defensive of their own cultural background. They view calling people out on racist behaviour as a personal attack, rather than what it rightfully is: an attempt to address and reform a historical pattern of injustice. I’ve had people get upset with me for pointing out racism, telling me it is “mean” to call someone racist. I have a simple solution for all of you: don’t be racist. When someone calls you out on a culturally insensitive comment, listen with a desire to understand. Don’t get defensive. We all can make mistakes with our comments with no intention to hurt. Listen to why said comment is problematic, think about what you hear, then go read about some of the many examples of systemic racism in our society spanning over centuries. Apologize for your comment without adding the dreaded “but”. Just say sorry. Stop trying to justify your behaviour or guilt tripping the person who informed you of said behaviour. Apologize and strive to do better next time. If you’re not sure how to do better, ask. Questions are how we learn and grow! Someone will be happy to educate you on white privilege and how it affects the level of representation in the sport so many of us are so passionate about.

Trainers, professional riders and other role models of the horse world: the onus is on you to be vocally anti-racist. It isn’t enough to be neutral. Neutrality is what lets people be openly racist without consequence. The more behaviour is noticed and called out, the less frequently it can occur without repercussions. This isn’t a problem where impartiality is acdeptable. If you truly want to make our sport safe and accessible to all, it starts with having zero tolerance when it comes to racism. If you hear racist comments from clients, friends and family, speak up. Say something in order to allow for discussion and change. In staying silent, you’re inadvertently condoning what is said. Many of us, including myself, are guilty of this in attempt to avoid conflict, but we need to stop or this cycle has no hope in ending. Magazines, blogs and other news sources: give black people a voice now. You can talk about how you care about people of colour until you’re blue in the face, but if you keep handing the podium over to white people to discuss the existence of racism, you’re muting the powerful voices and experiences of people of colour. Allyship begins with allowing their voices to be heard, as they’ve been trying to be heard for decades.

I live in a very culturally diverse area of my country, Canada. An area in which I have largely felt safe and felt that most people are progressive enough to not discriminate based on race. I was wrong. The Black Lives Matter protests have resulted in a veil being lifted, revealing that many of the horse people (and other people, too) I once respected and appreciated are racist. It was a shock, to be honest, to realize that their acceptance of me was conditional. They didn’t know my heritage; my dad doesn’t come out to my shows or lessons anymore since he lives across the country. I have come to realize that some of my peers and colleagues treated me the same as their other white peers due to sheer ignorance of my background, but when the fight for racial equity became something they could no longer ignore, their prejudice reared its ugly head.

The most shocking and hurtful evidence of racism was mere days ago was when I came to know that my trainer/employer- someone whom I had respected and believed respected me- was not on my side. After the employer initiated a conversation about the Black Lives Matter movement, I was told to get off the property when I refused to agree that black people perpetuate racism on themselves and that white people “have a reason to be afraid of them.” This person chose to fire me rather than address their closet (now out of the closet after that discussion) racism. This person took extreme offence to me saying it was racist to claim that everyone has a reason to be uneasy around black people. They acted like it was a personal attack while brushing off all of the personal experiences and struggles of my black family members I shared. There is a problem when people get offended by the term “racist” when it absolutely applies to them but see no issue with brushing off the slave trade and the other horrible things we’ve done to people of colour and continue to do. It’s ass backwards, to be blunt. Brushing off people’s very real struggles, not giving a damn about people of colour being disproportionately targeted by police, receiving longer jail sentences than their white counter parts (yes, for the same crimes) and being more likely to be denied jobs because of their ethnic background is backward.

I’m sorry (I’m really not, though. If the shoe fits, wear it, Cinderella) if you’ve been called racist, but frankly screw you if you think you have more of a right to whine about your racism being exposed than people of colour have to bring attention to white privilege and our systemic mistreatment of them.

What white people have done to people of colour since they were first forced via the slave trade to set foot on North American soil is unforgivable. There is absolutely nothing we can do to make up for the Native American genocide and kidnapping black people from their native countries so we could enslave them. No amount of apologies or reparations can make up for those horrors. The one thing we can do is demand a better world right now and educate ourselves, and fight for it. Black mistreatment did not end with slavery. People did not go from abusing their slaves on the daily to “oh, shit, it’s illegal now! Better be nice!” You simply cannot dehumanize people to that extent and suddenly snap out of it. It’s an entrenched behaviour people grew comfortable with and passed onto their children. This dehumanization still exists and is present every time individuals try to derail the Black Lives Matter movement or claim to be the expert on racism as a white person. It is present every time people shout over black voices and insist that they as a white person are all knowing and shouldn’t have to listen. It is present when police officers publicly execute black men and women and get to freely leave the scene instead of in cuffs. It is present when we have to protest and riot to see any hope of justice happen in these situations. It is present every day, every hour, every minute because we’ve constructed a society where white people benefit from their privilege and they feel attacked by talk of equality because they view it as a breach of their rights and freedoms to have to treat others fairly.

I get that it is hard to come to terms with how we’ve systemically abused marginalized groups. It sucks. It’s devastating, it’s horrible to learn about all of the events of the past leading up to today. But, ignorance is more horrible. While it may feel blissful, you’re ignorant riding on the backs of other people who are being abused so you can continue to go about your day, your head in the clouds ignoring the horrors of our world. Coming to terms with white privilege and how our society works is hard. It’s nightmareish, but I promise you it is significantly less nightmareish than everything we have done and still continue to do to people of colour. Frankly, you have it easy if having to come to terms with your privilege and learn about all of the things your school education failed to teach you is the biggest hurdle you have to over come that is specific to your race.

Before the All Lives Matter peeps come in here, I want to leave you with this: If “all lives matter” and deserve recognition, would you be okay with a surgeon who is supposed to perform a life saving surgery on one of your loved ones, a surgery that needs to be done immediately, going “But wait, all lives matter” and addressing someone who came in with a fractured pinky? Probably not. Why? Because you’re able to recognize the fact that the level of severity when it comes to health concerns are triaged. The same can be said about racial discrimination. This isn’t against YOU or demeaming your value as a white person. We know all lives matter, but your life isn’t equally at risk. You don’t have to walk around the planet deflecting the hatred that is directed at you, hatred that solely stems from the colour of skin. Karen, you have the privilege of people only hating you because of your bad attitude. The same can’t be said about people of colour. You all have the ability to recognize the importance of attention when it comes to other issues. You don’t get jealous of your neighbour with the burning down house and say “All houses matter, come focus on mine!”, you don’t look at your depressed friend in the eyes after they’ve experienced a loss and be like “Ya, my goldfish died once, my life matters too!”

The only reason you’re trying to derail the Black Lives Matter movement is because something makes you uncomfortable about people of colour advocating for the rights and acceptance they deserve, and that’s a problem you seriously need to address. If you can fathom people directing attention to the issues that deserve it the most in other aspects of your life but cannot fathom why it’s “Black Lives Matter”, the only thing changing your understanding is that race was brought into the equation. And that, my friend, is veiled racism. You put blinders on to protect yourself from the realization that the manner in which you live negatively impacts others and when they try to force you to see it, you get defensive, lash out and make it about yourself because you simply cannot handle people of colour getting any sort of spotlight. It’s problematic, it’s engendered racism. It’s reality..

I implore all of you reading this to sit down and think about your presence in the horse world as a white person. Have you ever been the only one of your ethnic background at your barn? At shows? Have you ever struggled to find role models who come from similar backgrounds to you? If you live in North America, the answer is probably no. If you get heated over the term Black Lives Matter, I can only imagine how upset and out of place you’d feel if you were consistently one of few white people in your sport and were treated differently because of it. The bottom line is that we need to make this sport accessible and that starts with addressing the whitewashed, elitist nature of it. It starts with not accepting racist comments from your trainers, students, and friends just because you don’t think they’re “that bad”. It starts with being a true ally and standing up to those who make friends of colour feel out of place. It starts with the realization of how our world has worked and still works against people of colour. It starts to willing to look at the skeletons in our closets and addressing them, coming to terms with them and learning because of it.

Together, we can allow our sport to be more diverse and we can start to fight against the systemic racism all of us have grown comfortable with due to it not directly affecting us. But, that starts with some uncomfortable conversations, reflecting on ourselves and having the courage to call out the wrongdoings we notice. We need to also hold companies and brands more accountable and demand for more models of diverse backgrounds when it comes to equestrian fashion. Learn about your privilege as a white person and how to be the best ally you can. When people point out your white privilege, instead of getting upset, try to remember that they do not mean your life hasn’t had challenges or that you haven’t worked hard. All they mean is that you are universally accepted because of your skin colour and not likely to experience discrimination because of it. White privilege simply refers to the ability to live your life in a world that isn’t systemically biased against you. That’s it. It isn’t an attack on or or your “3 jobs” that you worked in order to ride horses. It’s referencing the fact that while it may be hard to work that much, you still have the ability to have money to spend past necessities. For many, hard work isn’t enough. Hard work doesn’t get them far enough above the poverty line to afford horses. Hard work doesn’t miraculously allow them to take months off paid work to become a working student. Hard work, to many, is working your ass off to afford the bare minimum and no matter how hard they work not being able to escape from discrimination directed at them solely due to the colour of their skin.

It is understandable how you may grapple to come to terms with the reality of what it is like to experience racism when you don’t personally experience it. It’s understandable to be confused and naive. This is why you need to listen. Listening is the best way you can start to educate yourself on problematic behaviours and what people of colour actually are going through. Listening will start to help you see the world through their lens and it will make you a better ally. Many of people’s problematic behaviours come from genuine ignorance rather than completely ill intent but your willingness to listen and learn is what will set you apart from others.

So, here’s to accountability and opening our ears to listen to the struggles. Here is to addressing the elitism, classism and racism within the horse world so we can allow our sport to be accessed and safe for people from all backgrounds. We can all be better but that starts with realizing and acknowledging our faults.