> Same here Karen -- I joined last year when I registered Dancer, but > after learning more I did not renew. I can't see lending my > financial support to a group that promotes a style of riding that, > IMHO, is injurious to the horse. Wish we had the choice of an > alternative group like FOSH is to the TWHBEA.
I do too.A group that more reflects the US/Can mentality about horsemanship, natural horsemanship. You know the average horse owner today, 85-88% according to recent demographic data, are middle aged women. Baby boomer women. Think about it, thats the largest group of horseowners in the US. Its not the old cowboy way anymore or the olympic eventing team euro dressage way. Its women who like to ride in beautiful settings and stop and smell the roses and treat horses with love and kindness. These are the same women who as early twenty year olds told Dr. Spock to shove it up his bahonkas, they didnt believe the old spare the rod spoil the child BS and then we entered a new era of child rearing. With the baby boomers marching along thru time as the median population we have seen the launch of PETA, the outcry against biglick showing of walking horses, the boom in natural horsemanship, horse whispering, tons of published material on how best to figure out your horse and meet its needs. I think its time to break off, really. I feel I made an effort to join and work toward change from the inside but its too hard to fight the people who are in it for the money and try to run you off all the time if you are into natural horsemanship. Judy has been trying to draw people's attention to things like bad saddlefit forever and then Stan comes along and says something and its oh my GOSH a rocket scientist!! Who KNEW. but I am SO glad, because maybe they will listen to him. They sure wont listen to me, or most people who post regularly to this list abut natural horsemanship and icelandic horses. People say, its not that you say it, its HOW you say it, but you can only say it so many times nicely when people are calling you names and saying horrible things and quoting you out of context from one list to another til you finally just throw up your hands and realize the USIHC is composed largely of europeans or americans in love with the european style of horsemanship that is so outdated and just doesnt serve any useful purpose anymore except to control horses out of fear and intimidation. Janice -- even good horses have bad days sometimes.
