Negative Internet Nellies and Horseism

~WARNING! THIS IS A BLOG RANT! READ AT OWN RISK!~Have you ever watched a horse video on youtube? Man I have...countless. I love watching all varieties of horse videos. Jumping videos, liberty videos, pleasure videos, horses acting goofy videos, and of course racing videos. But what I absolutely cannot stand is how people bash other breeds of horses or disciplines.

For those who don't know, although I Love Love Love thoroughbred racing, I own and show Quarter Horses in western pleasure and hunter under saddle. With this in mind, it makes sense that I youtube such videos and watch them. You would not believe all the negative and what I have deemed 'horseist' comments! The discipline is dumb, easy, extremely unnatural, ugly, boring, etc. etc. etc. Or worse! These horses are lifeless, stupid, ugly, lame, dull...I was agitated to say the least, as were other Quarter Horse enthusiasts seeing as the thumbs down rating option was over used on some comments...but really! How can people be so negative?

I also tend to watch a lot of gaming videos, because lets face it, high speed horses are fun to watch. Although many people say this is what QH's should be used for, the poor breed doesn't even catch a break there!

Now, although I love QH's, I do watch other breeds as well. Saddlebreds, Arabians, Fresians (me loves me a good Fresian) and the hatred is there as well! Those horses are crazy, will kill you, have no control...it just goes on and on.

Oh, and don't even bother watching a horse racing clip...the comments go on and on about how corrupt the sport is, how the horses don't want to run, how all the trains and all the owners don't give a rats hind end about the horses they work with...just the money. And all the attacks on horses like Barbaro and Eighbelles (Rest their souls). It's a bit ridiculous.

I realize people are entitled to their own opinion...I know I exercise mine enough...but why can't people be open minded and logical at the same time? How can someone say Western Pleasure is any more unnatural than the arched necks of dressage horses? The heavy weighted shoes to make Saddlebreds and such steps higher? The fact that race horses are on meds to keep them from bleeding out during a race? The fact that jumping the height that high competitors do is indeed a wee bit bad for the horses joints? That not all trainers in any discipline beat their horses to get result?

People need to accept the differences of each horse breed and the talent they were born with. Most Thorougbreds do love to run, try telling Zenyatta, Seattle Slew, even friggin' Man O' War that they are being forced to run. I bet you they would disagree. Pleasure horses are being bred to move like that relatively naturally, but like ANYTHING else, they need to learn to control their naturally bred abilities. Can't throw a dressage horse in the ring without extensive training, can't get a saddlebred to rack with training.

Like I warned...this is just a huge rant...because I can't stand people attacking other breeds and disciplines so violently to make extensive fights over such a thing.

We all have are preferences, we all have our opinions (obviously...this entry is proof), but why can't we all just respect the horse for the amazing creature it is?

Or at the very least don't watch youtube videos of horses or horse disciplines you know you hate just to tell everyone how much you hate it! =P

Ranting over. Enjoy your youtube viewing!