the problem with gimmicks

Sometimes I get a little frustrated, a little hot under the collar, by what I perceive as the questionable strategies used to market products to horse people. Or some of what I consider disinformation masquerading as "scientific fact" spread about the "right" versus "wrong" ways to go about horse care, management, and ownership.

Why do I care? On one hand I think science already has enough of a credibility problem these days and it bugs me when it gets twisted into dubious conclusions used to manipulate consumers or make horse owners feel guilty unless they buy a certain type of product.

trying to find the path to being a good horse owner like.....

On a completely different level, tho, I want to share a story about an old horse I used to know years ago at a trail barn.

He was owned by a guy who loved horses, spent a lot of time at the barn, and handled all sorts of farm chores with his adult kids, one of whom also rode. The guy didn't do a ton of riding - mostly just weekend trail rides spent chatting and socializing with his riding buddies. Meanwhile, the horse .... wasn't particularly sound. It seemed like something in the shoulder: the horse looked like he had a flat tire when he walked, and it worsened over the course of a ride.

The vet thought it was maybe muscular and that more purposeful conditioning on the flat surface of the arena would help. But the owner really wasn't into arena riding. Found it boring and monotonous, didn't really like it so he didn't do it. Instead he brought out a chiro and massage therapist, and learned how to do some of the massages and stretches himself to try to help the horse. But mostly he'd still just do his thing: once or twice a week taking the horse -- still lame -- out on the trails for a ride with his friends.

One day, I finally unloaded about it to a friend. About how unfair it was for this poor lame horse. About how the guy really ought to do more to help the horse, but seemed too clueless (for instance: he brushed the horse's mane with a metal scrub brush and you could hear all the hairs breaking off! I cringed every time!). And that people like this really shouldn't even own horses if they weren't going to do what the horse needed to be sound.

hacking out ain't for everyone, but it's an important part of my horse's routine

My friend, who was a vet tech and had seen all sorts of slices of the horse world well beyond the lesson barns and show barns I've mostly known, waited for me to finish venting all that hot air, before offering a completely different perspective.

As far as she was concerned, this horse had it made. He was living the life. The horse had a safe home, was well fed, and received regular care. Plus his owner loved him, petted him, talked to him, brushed him (metal comb and all), and massaged and stretched him and gave him treats. And in exchange, all the horse had to do was hobble around the woods for an hour or two each week, and really only if the weather was good.

My friend asked: ultimately isn't that what really matters? And couldn't I think of any other horses out in the world who would trade places in a heartbeat??

This might sound stupid, but that perspective kind of blew my mind. I had literally never thought of it that way before.But as soon as she said it, I knew it was true. And it occurred to me, if this guy shouldn't be allowed to have a horse like good ol' Blue, then what happens to Blue? Who takes this old lame trail horse? What are his future prospects if he loses this safe home?

And meanwhile, what happens to this guy who loves horses and is offering this safe home, even if he's kinda clueless? Is it just, "too bad, so sad, no horse for you buddy until you get more educated on the 'correct' way to own a horse?" Or. Ya know. Do we look around us at the untold hundreds of horses across the country just desperate for a home, and figure, "Eh maybe Good Guy Greg here is a fine enough owner for his nice quiet, albeit kinda crippled, trail horse."

i'm pretty sure sometimes charlie wishes he could just be one of the shetlands and do nothing all day except for the occasional pony ride haha

My point with sharing this story is: We're basically all doing the best we can with our horses. Even if we all kinda do it a little differently. Can it really be considered "wrong" care if a horse's basic needs are met?

Sure, whether in real life or in blog land, we can probably all think of countless examples of a horse who.... maybe isn't really 100% sound. Or who is receiving care (whether that be diet or hoof or stabling or whatever) that doesn't align with our own standards. Or seems like a bad match for the owner. And how many times have you seen someone make a choice with a horse that you would not have made, then it went poorly and you're just sitting there like, "See I knew it! You should have listened to me all along!" It happens, right?

Horses are fragile. And riding is a contact sport. Yes it is possible to cause injury to them by using poorly fitting or inappropriate equipment. Yes, a bad judgement on hoof care can cause injury. Yes. Poor riding can cause injury. Yes, the wrong decision by a vet can cause injury to the horse.

Also, tho: Yes, horses are 100% capable of being injured even when you do everything "right." Just like there are costly mistakes that could be avoided by different choices, there are also just... senseless tragedies with horses. Riding accidents. Pasture accidents. Even stall accidents. Random missteps or cardiac episodes. A twisted gut or a virus that crossed the blood brain barrier. Or, ya know. Age. Arthritis, fading eyesight, a system that slows and eventually stops.

oops, might need to revoke our horse owning license here, riding across a frozen stream is too risky!!

I live in fear of losing Charlie. I get a sinking, heavy pit in my stomach even just thinking about something happening to him. Words aren't enough to describe what he means to me. There isn't any metaphor strong enough to convey what it would mean to lose a horse. Just ask any of your friends (or members of this wonderful blogging community) who have had to live through it.

I would do literally anything to keep him safe. And try to make decisions every day that not only seek to keep him healthy and happy -- but that also aim to help him thrive in his day to day life.

And I have exactly zero doubts that every other rider I know feels similarly. We all want the best for our horses. We all take steps in this direction. And we all want our horses to be happy in their jobs, set up for success, capable of performing optimally, regardless of what our actual performance goals are.

And it fucking drives me nuts when companies try to sell a product by manipulating this most basic principle of horse ownership. The "scare tactic" or "pain point" approach to sales. The marketing campaigns that don't just say, "Buy our product bc it'll magically fix all your horse's problems and probably solve world hunger too!" But take it a step further by saying, "Buy our product or else Bad Things will happen to your horse and you probably don't love him enough anyway!"

this guy. i <3 him. just want to make good choices for him.

It doesn't even have to be extreme to fall into this category, IMO.

Past examples that have set me off include the Lighthoof article in Horse Nation last winter that described the dangers posed to your horse by frozen ground. Saying that frozen pastures filled with sharp muddy peaks could damage your horse's hoof in less than an hour (omg!). And to avoid that danger you shouldn't turn your horse out on frozen rutted ground. But if you don't turn your horse out, you'll have to hand walk him for hours and hours every day or else he'll colic and die (oh no!). Altho all that could be avoided if you just installed their surface solutions product in your field to stabilize and reduce areas of choppy mud.

Yes. That was actually what the article said. That was the logical progression used to sell a product. Not that the product is super cool and makes life easier around the farm -- but that without the product you're risking injury, illness, or even death to your horse.

Or like. Another marketing gimmick we hear all the time now: It's not just about how new technology in protective leg wear for horses is more breathable, lighter weight, and less likely to carry water or debris, while still offering superior protection against blunt trauma. No - it's not just this. Rather, it goes a step further to say that boots without this new technology or materials are dangerous to the horse bc heat trapped on the surface of the leg during exercise has been Scientifically Proven* to weaken the internal structures of the leg by causing cellular death. You can tell it must be true bc if you wrap your arm in neoprene, your arm gets hot too! Boom, cellular death.

oops, there we go again riding through frozen water, and with neoprene boots too. sheesh, when will we ever learn?!? but then again, maybe if we combine the neoprene with cold weather we'll cancel out the dangerous negative effects from both?!?

Never mind that the research here.... doesn't actually support the full conclusion made by boot companies. The testing they did of cells in petri dishes exposed to high temperatures doesn't fully account for the body's ability to transfer and regulate temperatures and heat internally, independent from surface temperatures on the body. The boot companies will tell you that heat generated internally in the structures during exercise gets trapped when the leg surface is covered by a non-breathable material like neoprene. And that since the heat apparently can't dissipate in any other way (like via the circulatory system! imagine that!) it builds up to dangerous levels in the tendons and can lead to a soft tissue injury.

Therefore, if you want to be a good owner and love your horse, you shouldn't put neoprene on your horse. Only the best for ponykins, right?? And hey, even if you only ever do light dressage schools or are weekend warrior trail riders like Good Guy Greg from earlier, those tendons are probably still generating enough heat to make neoprene dangerous, right?? Not worth the risk!!

Or like.... even the mildest examples of this type of marketing are still kinda head scratchers. Raise your hand if you've heard that silicone hair products like detanglers or shine sprays are actually bad for hair bc they are drying and cause breakage? Like.... even if that's true, does it really matter?

Brushing through a knotted tail with no product can also cause breakage. The horse rubbing an itchy bum, or rubbing out braids, can cause breakage. Shampooing too often can cause itchy dry skin and breakage. Grabbing mane when you get left behind at a jump can also cause breakage. It happens. But if you love that silky smooth slick feeling that only seems to come from a product containing silicone.... eh, go for it. Why not.

I mean, Good Guy Greg is probably still out there brushing his lame trail horse's mane with that metal scrub brush, right?

somehow still not dead yet

I guess my point is.... it's probably not the frizzy thin tail that's gonna do your horse in. Or the clipped whiskers or the single jointed snaffle (omg the nutcracker effect tho!) or the non-anatomic girth. Or even the neoprene on your horse's legs (you monster!).

Spending extra money on a product bc you think it might help in even the smallest possible way in keeping your horse healthy and happy is totally fine. Buying that expensive feed through supplement even tho it's not regulated and there's limited research on the actual benefits is fine. Keeping your horse on a normal body work routine even if you're not convinced it makes a difference is fine. Calling your vet out for every single bump and bruise is fine.

There is legitimately nothing wrong with spending money to feel like you're doing your best for your horse. I have zero judgement on that. And obviously if you feel like something isn't right with your horse and you believe the problem can be fixed by shopping? Have. At. It.

Bc shopping can be awesome, right? There's something fun and satisfying about getting that fancy new shiny thing anyway haha. You want that latest technology in boots? Or the pasture surface system that's going to clear out all the deep mud from high traffic areas like gates and run-in sheds? Sounds good to me!

ok tho, i admit, sometimes i *do* buy stuff just for the trend factor lol. helllo berry jacket and matching bonnet!! 

If you have personal opinions that dictate how you make choices for your horse, that's great too. Seriously.

But FFS, don't tell me it's because not buying that thing or making a choice that diverges from your opinion is somehow bad for my horse, or just generally "wrong." That somehow this season's hottest trend was actually a major discovery in horse care that completely changes everything we thought we knew previously.

Don't get me wrong - I love that companies are leveraging new research and smarter technologies to develop better products. It's great that there's so much awesome information out there for the discerning consumer to review. And it's easier today than ever before for those consumers to share their thoughts and opinions and experiences with how a product worked for their horse.

But just say no to marketing gimmicks that prey on the insecurities of your every day regular horse loving amateurs who just want to do good by their horse.

the key to having fun with horses? uh, just having fun with them. like tailgating with the ponies at an event! also. thermal wraps on horse legs are definitely bad. except when they're good.... like these therapeutic back on track wraps lol....

We all want to do right by our horses. We all want to make good choices for them. Sometimes we have to balance those choices bc of limited resources or competing priorities elsewhere in life. And obviously we all have different lines in the sand when it comes to what we consider optimal in terms of nutrition, training, hoof care, turnout, maintenance, etc.

And like... if you're having problems or your horse isn't doing well or something is wrong, then by all means, go forth and explore options to make changes etc. But if everything is pretty peachy and you are happy with how your horse is doing? Cool, man. Cool.

Horses are hard enough as it is without having to also deal with all the hype from the companies just trying to make a buck...

So I just don't buy into it. Do what works for you and your horse and your own personal set of circumstances. And if that includes using cheapie neoprene boots from Amazon or cutting your horse's mane with scissors or galloping wildly through the snow on a crisp winter day or enjoying trail rides on your horse who couldn't pass an FEI jog up?? Have at it ;)

Am I the only one who gets riled up by this stuff? Have you seen anything lately that really annoyed you or made you scratch your head and wonder whether that marketing team has literally ever actually seen a real horse before?