03/06/2026
๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ค๐จ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐๐ก ๐๐ก๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐๐
๐ธ๐๐ ๐๐ฅโ๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐๐ฅโฆ
I recently learned something that has left me deeply disappointed and honestly quite angry.
A well known riding school that actively markets to and profits from immigrant families and communities has, behind closed doors, reportedly expressed deeply racist views about the very people they welcome through their gates.
As a woman of colour, this hits close to home.
I didn't grow up in a horsey family. I wasn't born into the equestrian world. I was simply a little girl who fell in love with horses. I started riding at three years old and, unlike many children, I never grew out of that obsession. I worked hard, stayed committed, and eventually built a career as a horse trainer.
But I often wonderโฆwhat if I had known what some people were saying behind my back?
What if, as a young brown-skinned girl, I had heard the comments, the assumptions, the prejudice? Would I have stayed? Would I have continued riding? Would I have found the confidence to pursue horses professionally?
Probably not.
And that's exactly why this matters.
The families enrolling their children in riding schools are doing so for the same reason every parent does, to give their children opportunities, experiences, joy, confidence, and connection with animals. The colour of their skin does not change that.
Yet there are still people within this industry who look at immigrant families, particularly Indian, Punjabi, Muslim and other South Asian communities, with contempt rather than welcome. People who make comments about immigrants "taking over the country" while simultaneously building businesses that rely on those same communities for their success.
That hypocrisy is disgusting.
What's even more frustrating is that so many people of colour have had the same experience. We feel the sideways glances. We notice the micro aggressions. We hear the assumptions. We walk into spaces and immediately feel like outsiders.
And when we speak up?
We're told we're imagining it.
We're told we're "playing the race card."
We're gaslit into believing that what we're experiencing isn't real.
โฆ.But it is real.
Racism in the equestrian industry is real.
The lack of diversity in many disciplines IS real.
The hostility that pushes people of colour out of equestrian spaces IS real.
And every time someone is made to feel unwelcome because of their ethnicity, accent, culture, or skin colour, our industry loses talented riders, trainers, competitors, and horse people who could have contributed something incredible.
Horses do not care what colour you are.
They do not care where your family comes from.
They do not care what language you speak at home.
The horse world belongs to anyone willing to put in the work, show kindness, and develop a genuine love for these animals.
Nobody gets to gatekeep that.
To every person of colour who has ever felt out of place in the horse industryโฆ.You belong here!
To every riding school, trainer, club, and competitor with this hateful prejudiceโฆ.do better.
Because the future of our industry should be one where every child can walk into a stable and feel welcomed, respected, and valued, not judged by the colour of their skin.
If you believe our industry should be a place where everyone belongs, regardless of their background, share this post and add the words: โ๐ฐ ๐๐๐
๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐.โ
Together, we can send a clear message that racism, discrimination, and prejudice have no place in the equestrian community. Silence protects the problemโunity drives change.
Written by: Vanessa Thurner | Coolabah Equine
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๐ธ Circa 2002 - Tall Timbers Interclub day
My sister and I were the only brown-skinned riders at our pony club.
Thankfully, we had a mentor who never made us feel different, unwelcome, or unworthy. He taught me that hard work, kindness, and determination would always shine brighter than prejudice.
I miss him dearly. The horse world needs more people like him.
