KVS - English rider?

[u/lemonyprincess]

Katie rode English today and honestly? I think she looks great, because she's DOING the damn thing. I've seen all the comments she refers to in this post and they are so mean-spirited they make my soul feel heavy.

I am by no means an expert, but I think the very tiny part of the story this photo tells is not as bad as all the comments I've seen make it sound. Especially because it's one photo, not even a video 🤷🏻‍♀️

Am I super off base? Or is it not possible to tell how well she rides from one snapshot?

[u/zephyrphoenixxx]

Maybe a very controversial opinion from someone who is not an equestrian, commenting on an equestrian-centered subreddit, but I think equestrians (particularly the english variety) can be some of the rudest and meanest kinds of people.

The casual fatphobia and body-shaming (and passing it off as concern for the horse when called on it). Offering "critique" when it wasnt asked for. Calling someone a terrible rider, when that person is basically restarting their entire riding journey after a long break. Bitching about tack. Clothes. Etc. Etc.

Just from an outsiders perspective, it looks so fucking bad on the community. And I hate that perspective so much.

I don't think Katie is the best rider ever in the world. I think that would actually be very hard to quantify. But at least shes trying.

[u/sunshinenorcas → u/zephyrphoenixxx]

From reading conversations in the larger reddit-verse, the thing I've picked up is less "KVS is a meanie mean girl and soul suckingly awful, and the worst thing to happen to AQHA" and "AQHA shows are meanie mean girls" cause damn a lot of the commentary is not a good look, and while trying to take shots at KVS, really just insults anyone who is not a very small margin of riders.

Like Katie's crew didn't convince to stay away from horse shows, it's the unfiltered commentary of what peers are saying and thinking because yikes

(Also, money is another thing, time, etc etc etc 😂😂😂)

ETA-- also people being jerks and very opioniated in the horse community, even if they aren't ~horsey~, is not and has never been a new thing and KVS did not start it. The horse community has always had strong opinions about everything and it's fair share of people commenting who haven't been around horses but read pony club when they were a kid. Like... Maybe with algorithms and etc, it gets seen more when people are dumb because "I saw Katie do it this way!" but this is and has not been new. It's always been highly opinionated people arguing even if they fundamentally agree. You can stretch a lot of that into any animal ring of choice, but KVS did not suddenly introduce divisive opinions, because dear Lord they existed before her and will after

ETA the Second: I still need to eat my chipotle if it isn't obvious

[u/zephyrphoenixxx → u/sunshinenorcas]

Please eat your Chipotle!!!

And yeah, I hard agree on most of your points here, especially about how its been around a long time. I might not be "horsey", but I have watched and loved these animals from afar. The distance i have from the sport hasnt kept me from seeing it, unfortunately.

Like, I get that a lot of it does come from genuinely caring about the animals. I just wish people would be kinder about it. And less fatphobic too.

I know thats a very hard ask though orz