The diary of the home-made livery yard: the bad and the ugly in the horse industry

Whether at the yard, at the show ground or online, let’s all be less judgemental and more supportive of each other:To the rider who wears budget jodhpurs or tracksuit bottoms and wellies – good for you. You know that your horse couldn’t care less what you are wearing and you know how important it is to be comfortable when riding.To the ‘all the gear and no idea’ rider – wow! You look incredible, your horse has everything it could ever wish for and you are keeping equestrian merchants in business. You don’t have to be a grand prix rider to wear matchy-matchy. Go, you!To the rider who rides once a week (if they’re lucky) – brilliant! It is so difficult to fit horses in around the rest of our lives. It’s great that you make the time to do the most that you can with your horse.To the rider who never rides their horse – no problem. I doubt your horse cares whether it is ridden or not. How lovely for your horse to spend its life being fed, groomed and grazing in the fields, not having to do any work.To the rider who rides everyday – go for it! Your dedication is admirable and your horse is benefiting from a great fitness and training regime. Well done.To the barefoot fanatic – I admire your passion. Barefoot is the best option for many horses. It is wonderful that you are trying to improve your horse’s comfort and foot health.To the owner of the traditionally shod horse – fantastic! Shoes are the best option for many horses. It’s great to know that your horse’s feet are protected from the surfaces that we ask them to work on.To the rider who trains with every professional and expert going – brilliant. What a wealth of knowledge and expertise you have access to.To the self-taught rider – you must be so proud. What an achievement to have made all those discoveries yourself.To the high-achieving rider – you inspire me. Your results and rosettes are impressive. They are not won without hard work, commitment and sacrifice.To the rider who has never won anything – who cares?! Rosettes are not the be-all and end-all. As long as you enjoy riding, that is what matters the most.If you are trying to win and have not had any luck – keep going. You will get there eventually. The hardest won successes are the sweetest.To the owner who keeps their horse spotlessly clean, neatly trimmed and pulled – marvellous! I applaud your attention to detail. Your horse looks beautiful.To the owner whose horse is caked in mud and has the odd dread lock here and there – I laugh with you! You know that horses love to roll and if you were to bath your horse today, you would find them in exactly the same mucky state again tomorrow. You know that your horse doesn’t care what they look like at all.As long as your horse is happy and healthy, what you do with your horse is nobody else’s business. The only time anybody should interfere is if there is a genuine equine welfare issue, an issue regarding your safety or if you have specifically asked for advice or help. Otherwise, please let’s not judge others. ‘Each to their own,’ and ‘good for you!’ are great mottos to live by.