Lessons In TR

Hello friends, it’s been a while! How has your stay-at-home been? I’ve spent most of my quarantine time being too nauseous to do anything because we’re expecting our third child at the end of the year…hence the lack of posting. However, I’m slowly starting to feel better and am getting back to life – and want to share a few links!

Lately I’ve been thinking about the racism and diversity issues going on and wondering what it means specifically within the EAAT and broader equine industry. If you have been wondering about that too, I want to direct you to some articles and people that are becoming the voice of diversity in the equine industry, and that may be helpful in your own exploration of what this means for you and your program.

~ Young Black Equestrians The Podcast – weekly features and interviews of young black equestrians and their experiences in the horse world, plus ongoing dialogue and thoughts on racial diversity and racism in the equine industry. Listen on Apple or Anchor, and get updates on Facebook or Instagram.

~ Some articles about people of color’s experiences in the equine industry:

• Philesha Chandler in dressage
• Shaquilla Blake of The Black Equestrian Blog – her About and Black Lives Matter posts, and Heels Down Mag article
• Brianna Noble who rode her horse in the Oakland protest
• Reece McCook’s story on HorseTalk – he is from the UK and has a Ride Out Racism campaign
• Brittney Chambers YBE interview- founder of CBC Therapeutic Horseback Riding Academy LLC

~ Young Black Equestrian’s Diversity Discusson video recording on Facebook – some of the people listed above participated in this panel of black equestrians “to discuss the aftermath of the recent ‘hype’ and where to go from here”.

~ Heels Down Mag’s Diversity In Horse Sports Discussion Panel Recording – hosted by Heels Down Mag to answer questions and discuss diversity and racial issues in the equine industry. Here is a summary article of what was said, as well.

~ This article This Is What Racism Looks Like In The Horse World on Horse Network.

~ The article Understanding the Difference Between Diversity and Inclusion by Abriana Johnson – a really informative article about the definitions of those words, the racial biases and invisibility of black people in the horse industry, and some ideas for action.

~ This article about the lack of ethnic diversity in UK Equestrian Sports seems applicable to all.

~ Cowgirl Camryn books – if you want to add some diversity to your program’s waiting room reading shelf.

~ There is a whole world of urban horse riding tradition that is working to keep horses in the city and bring kids to them. Check out the Concrete Cowboys Movie, the Philadelphia Urban Riding Academy (PURA), Horses in the Hood in Los Angeles, the Federation of Black Cowboys in Queens, and the Compton Cowboys book.

If you have any to add, please a link in the comments!

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Note: This is not professional advice, this is a blog. I am not liable for what you do with or how you use this information. The activities explained in this blog may not be fit for every rider, riding instructor, or riding center depending on their current condition and resources. Use your best personal judgement! If you would like to contribute an activity or article, please contact me here, I would love to hear from you!