Social Media & The Horse Industry

Excerpt from: 
The Equine Industry in the 21st Century
by Stephanie Lawson

http://www.americanequestrian.com/pdf/Equine%20Economy%2021st%20Century.pdf

 “The industry has gotten a free ride for the last fifty years, from a demographic cohort that grew up near horses, encountered them daily through the media and had the economic wherewithal to pursue an equestrian lifestyle. All that has changed, say industry representatives who gathered in Kentucky in late April to focus on the economic future of the horse industry.”

 

Steve Day of Dover Saddlery. “The largest group of riders is traditionally ages 5 to 24, a population group that is much smaller than the baby boom generation. Between the ages of 55 and 65 virtually everyone stops riding. Soon more people will stop riding than will start riding.”

 

Olympian and President of USEF, David O’Connor. “…people in horse sports suffer from a "silo mentality" in which they compartmentalize their participation and don't see themselves as part of the overall horse industry.”

 

Google “equine industry trends” and read a few of the responses, the overall picture for the horse industry is a little grim! What can we do to protect a lifestyle that we know provides hours of fun and enjoyment?

 

The equine industry teaches responsibility and time management. A horsey lifestyle exposes children to the natural world where they learn about disappointment and rising to new challenges while enjoying the outdoors. Horses allow anyone to connect on an emotional basis with another species and share incredible experiences together. As equestrians we know the benefits of having horses in our lives.

 

But what do we do? We criticize other disciplines on social media because their chosen discipline does not fit our idea of equestrian perfection. There is no such thing as a perfect rider no matter how hard we strive for perfection – keep that in mind when judging the performance of others.

 

Here is a current example. This mind set is not limited to the example here - it is the somewhat limited vision of many equestrians who cannot see past the confines of their chosen equestrian sport.

 

The Olympics just started! Three-Day Eventing and has been included since 1912. Regularly Eventing is considered for removal from the games because of the expenses involved in building the cross-country course. Do we really want this to happen?

 

Critical comments have been posted about Eventing. Not respectful critiques, but comments to suggest that eventers will do practically anything to win a medal. Everyone is entitled to their opinion of course, but before posting your opinion on a fragment of OUR industry please consider how your post will influence the perception of your non-horsey friends. (You do have some right?)

 

The Olympics represent the horse industry as a whole with the sports of Eventing, Dressage and Show Jumping. Criticize one small part of the industry and you criticize all equine pursuits including Racing, Trail Riding, and the many Western sports.

 

The horse industry has been good to us. We need to unify and face the challenges of the 21^st century. Industry fragmentation is just one of the challenges we face. Economic challenges are still evident. The baby-boomers are aging rapidly and hanging up their boots. The electronic revolution competes aggressively for disposable income, discretionary time, and short attention spans. Horse sports and movies are not part of our regular entertainment anymore.

 

We need to promote and celebrate all equestrian pursuits. We need to find ways to revitalize the equine industry before it is too late for future generations to enjoy horses the way we have.

 

"None of us is big enough to play on the world stage by ourselves. We need to get horses onto the internet, onto TV, and into the mainstream media."

 David O’Connor

 

Listen to our industry leaders. The industry is already very fragmented. The pillars that have carried the industry for the last several decades are crumbling. Entrepreneurs, innovators and visionaries are needed to unify and promote all horse activities. As with all things it starts at the grass roots levels which today can be as simple as a well thought out post online. 

The Taj Mahal - A Wonder of the Modern World

Mumtaz Mahal died in 1631. She was the favorite wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and her tomb the Taj Mahal is thought to have been built to reflect her beauty in its perfection of design. Mumtaz was the mother of 14 of Shah Jahan’s children which were all born during an 18 year period. Shah loved Mumtaz so much that she accompanied him on his military excursions which included defeating the Rajput chiefs. She died at the age of 38 shortly after giving birth to the 14^th child while living in a military camp in Burhanpur.

Following Mumtaz’s death Shah entered a long period of mourning observing Islamic rituals for the dead but reducing his military activities and forsaking the symbols of status such as jewelry, perfume or music for two years. Six months after her death with the military campaign over Shah returned to Agra. Mumtaz’s body was brought home and a site selected for her tomb on the banks of the Yamuna. Twelve years later Shah was living an opulent life in Delhi which he was laying out as the new capital when he became ill. His three remaining sons realizing that the throne was soon to become available argued and conspired among themselves for succession. Victorious, Shah’s son Aurangzeb chased his brothers around the country to remove their threat to the throne and exiled his father to the luxurious apartments at the Agra Fort where Shah spent the next 8 years of his life gazing on the Taj Mahal while enjoying every luxury apart from freedom. 

The view Shah Jahan "enjoyed" of the mausoleum for 8 yrs. prior to  his death

The apartments where Shah Jahan was confined

The design and style of the Taj is typical Mughal but also drawn from earlier periods going back as far as the ninth century. Humayan’s Tomb 1565 in Delhi and the Baby Taj (Itimad-ud-Daulah’s tomb 1628) are just two tombs with features similar to those seen in the Taj. 41 million rupees, 500 kilos of gold, marble and precious stones as well as the labor of 20,000 workers were needed to complete the Taj over a 22 yr. period.

Symmetrical, exquisite, detailed and often thought of as feminine the Taj is not only a symbol of love but also of India. In 2007 it became one of the seven wonders of the modern world, thanks in part to the power of modern technology where cell phones were used in the campaign to vote. One of the quotes from our trip that has stuck with me is, "more cell phones than toilets" which helps to explain the power of 1.28 billion people coming together for a common cause.

Decorative elements include Pietra Dura (inlay with precious and semi-precious stones). The Mughals believed flowers were “symbols of the divine realm”. Shaded effects were created with tulips, lilies, iris, poppy and narcissus. Calligraphy of inlaid black marble on the white marble inscribe Koranic passages. Carved relief work create texture in contrast with the pietra dura giving color to the white marble. Other decorative elements include black slate, yellow, red and grey sandstone and hand carved marble screens.

Agra Tour – Great Riches and Extreme Poverty

On our first day in Agra having been wowed by the Taj Mahal from afar many of the group decided to wait until early the next morning to visit the great tomb when it would be bathed in early morning light. One of the group leaders suggested that hiring a cab driver for a guided tour was a good way to see the city. Ryan, Stuart and I followed up on this idea and hired a friendly driver named Kaka to show us the sights. Touring with a native guide – particularly if you buy him lunch – allows you to learn a lot about native culture and ideas. As a group we had been discussing the poverty we had observed and the ethics and dilemmas of giving money to beggars. Kaka felt that many of the young people had learned to beg rather than learning a skill and made it their way of life. He said that old and disabled people had no choice but to beg as their options were limited but that young people chose the begging lifestyle over work. He also observed that there are too many people on the planet which is easily observed when you walk through any Indian city. This is a viewpoint shared by many Europeans but not one I have ever heard expressed in the U.S.A. Kaka shared with us that Indians from the countryside come to the cities to find work as there was insufficient work in the countryside for them. 

At several evening meetings we discussed poverty, its causes and implications. We debated whether or not giving money to beggars helped them or made the problem worse. The discussions were emotional and intense and at the same time wonderful in the sharing of ideas as group members struggled to resolve what they were experiencing. Tolerance versus acceptance was one thing we pondered over during these discussions.  Poverty and beggars are a complicated conundrum that we observed first hand in India. As privileged westerns the disparities of Indian society were shocking, frightening and difficult for the intellect to process. 

During our Agra tour intellectually we pondered over population and poverty while touring and admiring incredible Mughal tombs and Forts. India is a dichotomy of contrasts; beautiful, shocking, diverse and complex.

The Agra Red Fort built by Akbar between 1565 and 1573 is made of red sandstone.

The fort is a contrast of styles from the fortifications of Akbar’s period to the elegance and beauty of the marble apartments built by Shah Jahan who is responsible for the Taj Mahal. This sprawling complex forms a crescent along the backs of the Yamuna.

The Baby Taj or China Tomb is the tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah who was the Lord Treasurer of the Mughal Empire. The open pillared domes on the minarets are known as chhatri.

 The decorative elements of the Baby Taj are similar to those of the Taj Mahal with calligraphic panels, mosaic patterns, marble screens, painted floral patterns, and pietra dura (stone inlay).

A garden tomb the Baby Taj is thought to have been an inspiration for the Taj Mahal. The tomb surrounded by gardens and four red sandstone gates took six years to build and was completed in 1622. The Taj Mahal took 22 years to build and was finished in 1653.

Delhi to Agra on the Bhopal Shatabdi Express

In a country that appears to thrive on chaos the railway system is amazingly efficient and organized. Trains run on time, tickets can be purchased ahead of time online with reserved seats. Chai, snacks and meals are served on longer trips courtesy of the “Meals on Wheels” service. Commuter trains are a different story. They are packed with less than “standing room only”. Indians are crammed into these trains and just when you think no one else will fit in another person will hop on and literally be hanging on to a hand rail while his body is dangling out of the train.

The Bhopal Shatabdi Express runs from Delhi to Agra in less than three hours and was our first experience of Indian Railways. Our train to Agra was scheduled to depart at 6:00 a.m. The Cabana is a 15 minute walk or a short rickshaw ride to the Main Delhi train station. In small groups we made our way through the quiet streets. At the station it was a different story. People coming and going; sleeping on the platform and bringing supplies to the train on large hand carts. The train heads out of Delhi through areas of extreme poverty. Slums, huge festering garbage piles, small children playing in the filth of the trash that they also use as toilets. Among all of this poverty many of the houses have satellite dishes for TVs. Having read Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katharine Boo while in India I have a better understanding of slum culture, the lack of hope that so many people have, and the structure within the slums. However this does not make what we saw from the train and the continuing pressures of over-population any easier to accept.

Leaving the slums behind the train goes out into flat country. There are very few trees; man has literally taken them out of the landscape. Rice fields predominate and in other areas cattle and water buffalo graze in fields with rough grass and small shrubs. Arrival in Agra threw us back into the crush of humanity as we tried to make our way out of the train station while being bombarded with requests for taxi and rickshaw. We all had luggage to deal with so paired up to ride rickshaws to the Siddhartha Hotel.

After checking into our rooms Professor Bushoven with a glimmer in his eye said, “follow me,” which of course we did. He led us up to the roof top where we got our first glimpse of the world famous Taj Mahal. It is indeed breathtaking and incredible that we were so close to it. Later that evening on the roof at sunset we watched how the color of the marble changed as the light faded. Around 9:00 p.m. the Muslim call to prayer began starting over to our left. In the course of the next 30 minutes or so the call echoed from different parts of the city seemingly surrounding us with the call. Difficult to describe the atmosphere on the roof with the Taj as our back drop – very memorable evening. 

 

The Taj Mahal as viewed from the roof top of the Siddhartha Hotel

A closer look

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This home is across the Yamuna river from the Taj Mahal. The wealth/poverty contrast is stark.

Pigs and feral dogs feeding on a small trash pile

Laundry on the banks of the Yamuna just down the river from the Taj.

Beating saris clean