Car Wreck Culture

There has been a lot to talk about lately.

Unfortunately, some of it has been terrible.

More than 30 horses were recently removed by authorities from a local property because of reported neglect. The people responsible for their care have been charged, and the legal process is underway.

There is no defense for horses being allowed to reach that condition. None.

The authorities are dealing with the people involved. Meanwhile, more than 30 horses need veterinary care, feed, hay, shavings and the time and resources necessary to recover.

That is where the rest of us can actually do something.

And thankfully, people are.

Organizations within our industry have stepped forward with financial contributions to help with the rehabilitation of these horses. Individuals are donating. People are asking what is needed and how they can help.

Those are the people doing something.

Then there is the other side of what happens whenever bad news hits.

The posts start.

The screenshots get passed around.

Someone heard something from someone who knows someone. Details get added. Motives get assigned. Stories become a little more dramatic with every retelling.

And sometimes the truth — even when the truth is already terrible — apparently isn’t terrible enough.

A little speculation gets added. A rumor becomes a fact. Someone makes a connection that isn’t really there. Before long, the story being passed around bears only a passing resemblance to what anyone actually knows.

That’s the part I struggle to understand.

If something is wrong, isn’t it wrong enough?

Why do we need it to be worse?

Sometimes it feels as though there are people who have spent years quietly collecting every bad story, every ugly photograph, every accusation and every failure this industry has ever had — storing it away for the next opportunity to prove just how terrible everything is.

And I find myself wondering:

If you believe so little good exists here, why are you still here?

That’s not me saying people should leave because they criticize the industry. Quite the opposite.

We need people willing to point out problems. We need accountability. We need people willing to say, “This isn’t acceptable,” even when saying it is uncomfortable. And when horses are being mistreated, we absolutely need people willing to speak up.

But criticism and contempt aren’t the same thing.

Wanting an industry to do better is very different from appearing to enjoy every opportunity to see it do worse.

There is a difference between exposing a problem and feeding on it.

Maybe that’s uncomfortable to say.

It’s also uncomfortable to admit that most of us have probably gotten caught up in it at one time or another. I know I have.

Because there is a reason we slow down to look at the car wreck.

Bad news grabs our attention. The terrible story travels faster than the good one. Outrage gives us something to talk about. Gossip makes us feel like we know something other people don’t.

And social media has given all of us a front-row seat and a microphone.

It has also blurred the line between talking about something and doing something about it.

They aren’t the same.

You can share twenty posts about horses needing help and never help a horse.

You can write a thousand words condemning someone and never contribute a bale of hay.

You can spend hours dissecting every rumor, every photograph and every person remotely connected to a situation and accomplish absolutely nothing for the animals supposedly at the center of your concern.

Meanwhile, somebody else quietly writes a check.

Somebody hauls hay.

Somebody cleans a stall.

Somebody pays a veterinary bill.

Somebody takes a horse home.

Somebody does the work.

Those people rarely generate as much conversation.

Maybe they should.

And this particular situation has given us a chance to see that side of our industry, too.

FAST, Inc., the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ & Exhibitors’ Association, the Walking Horse Trainers’ Association and the Walking Horse Owners’ Association have all made or pledged contributions to Volunteer Equine Advocates to help support the rehabilitation of these horses.

The initial veterinary care alone was estimated to exceed $10,000, even with a veterinarian discount. That doesn’t include feed, hay, shavings or the ongoing cost of caring for more than 30 horses as they recover.

That’s not gossip.

That’s help.

And it probably won’t get shared nearly as many times as the latest rumor.

None of this means we shouldn’t talk about bad things. We absolutely should.

Problems don’t disappear because we refuse to acknowledge them. Accountability matters. Transparency matters. And there are things in every industry — including ours — that should be exposed, addressed and changed.

But there is a difference between shining a light on something because you want it to get better and shining a light on something because you enjoy watching it burn.

Sometimes I think we’ve forgotten the difference.

Maybe that’s the challenge for all of us — myself included.

The next time something terrible happens, before we hit share, before we add the comment, before we pass along the newest piece of gossip, maybe we should ask ourselves one question:

Am I helping, or am I just watching the car wreck?

Because there will always be people willing to stand on the side of the road and talk about how awful the wreck is.

What we need are more people willing to climb down into the ditch and help.

For anyone who would like to do exactly that, Volunteer Equine Advocates is accepting financial contributions to assist with the care and rehabilitation of these horses.

Donate or learn more:

Volunteer Equine Advocates — veatn.org

Financial contributions may also be mailed to:

Volunteer Equine Advocates

PO Box 112

Gallatin, TN 37066

Those wishing to contribute feed, hay or shavings can contact Volunteer Equine Advocates directly to coordinate those donations.

Let’s step up for the horses.