Replace all the confederate statues with Business Horse, whom I found outside a courtyard Marriot in Louisville in 2017 pic.twitter.com/8dUcrHX4ej
— Charlotte Wilder (@TheWilderThings) June 10, 2020
As someone who is inherently privileged and truly wants to contribute to the world being a better place, I, like many others, have been making an attempt to read and educate myself about systemic racism and see how I can do better and be better. I am trying not to be silent, because I understand how silence is complacency. Silence is part of the problem (see: There Is No Such Thing As a Silent Ally) but I don’t fancy myself as eloquent of a writer as some of my amazing colleagues here at EN and have a tendency to clam up.
As a first step in speaking out, I’m going to make a public confession here and I challenge you to think about whether you have experienced this as well: I didn’t hesitate to buy myself a new helmet this week, but when a few calls for donations from friends on social media to charities benefitting the Black Lives Matter movement directly or indirectly appeared across my social media I realized that I scrolled past. As I thought about contributing, I caught myself hesitating.
Why? Am I so selfish that I can drop a cool bit of cash on something nice for myself (not that a helmet not an important and necessary piece of safety equipment — it for sure is — but, let’s be honest, there are many cheaper, just as good helmets I could have opted for) but not to a charity that could do some fantastic greater good in the world? That is a discomfort that I needed to really sit with and digest, leading to the realization that yes, I am that selfish, I am that privileged, and, after further rumination, realization that I am not OK with that about myself.
This is one of my first steps to recognizing where I am at and trying to help right the wrong that has been done to fellow humans for so long. How many of my fellow white equestrians have done the same selfish thing? I dare you to admit it to yourself and then I dare you to determine how you’ll do better too.
National Day Calendar: National Kitchen Klutzes of America Day
U.S. Weekend Action:
Waredaca H.T. (MD): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]
War Horse Event Series June H.T. (NC): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Full Gallop Farm June H.T. (SC): [Website] [Entry Status] [YEH Ride Times]
Silverwood Farm Spring H.T. (WI): [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times]
Saturday Links:
I Would Like to Introduce Myself
Whether Hunt Field Or Cross-Country, This Appaloosa-Akhal Teke Shines
Feeding Thousands of Horses As Owners Lose Jobs
Calendar shuffles and new fixtures as British Eventing prepares to re-start
Queen Elizabeth Reveals Her Favorite Horses — and Why She Only Rides Ponies Now
Saturday Video:
@muddymayhemMy fellow ##eventers do you feel the pain? ##fyp ##equestrian ##equestrianproblems ##equestriancheck ##teachersoftiktok♬ original sound – biblegrrl
