08/14/2026
Purity culture, its correlation to white supremacy and the ethical equestrian community.
This is going to be a long one so buckle up. I'm not a historian nor do i have any formal education. I am a self taught, well read history enthusiast and lifelong reconnecting latin woman who can put two and two together and there is something that has irked me for a long time. And that is the undertone (lets be real, often times its more of an overtone) of white supremacy culture within the equestrian community, more specifically the "ethical" community.
Something that never sat right with me were/are the hard lines that so many people draw when talking about compassionate care and training of horses. Yea I know I've talked about it often myself, though I never wanted to put ultimatums on what that looks like for each individual person. Too often you see posts ranging from "bits are abusive" to "all horses deserve the 3 fs (friends, forage and freedom)" without considering the availability for people across the board to follow these dogmas. Not to mention the "holistic and spiritual" plagiarism to conservative pipeline.
With the era of sensationalizing horsemanship, care and training through social media and influencers, we are now afforded a much broader reach than ever before. In so many ways this is a wonderful thing. Connecting people across oceans and borders and the ability to access more information than ever before. But in an equal sense it also has its downfalls as ignorance still reigns supreme.
With all of this access to other people, cultures and information so many seem to still be preaching within an echo chamber without consideration, and representation continues to be almost exclusively white.
.. what does this have to do with the "ethical" equestrian community? A whole lot. Though it may not seem like a direct line to follow, exclusivity, white supremacy and purity culture weave an intricate web that can become tricky to navigate but once you're stuck in it, is very clear to see within the ethical realm.
Lets take a step back and peel back a few layers to get down to what has little to do with horses. That is the incessant need to put people and actions into boxes and categories. This is something that has been alive and well since the inception of this country (specifically talking about the 🇺🇸 but stands for majority of colonial nations). People were categorized: white, black, Indian, Mexican, mulatto etc to neatly place individuals within a caste system. These systems determined what type of work was forced upon many, whether their lives held equal value and what perks were afforded to you based on the color of your skin (oversimplification so I dont end up writing a novel). This system became so effective in its operation that it became self sufficient.
Fast forward through the decades and you see this system shape shift, but never be eradicated. And for hundreds of years it becomes embedded into the culture and functioning of society, across nations and in just about every facet of life. So much so that this system functions without people even realizing that they partake in it. A subconscious manner of being where in the minds of many there is little to no empathetic consideration towards those their brains perceive as below them within this caste system.
You see it peek its head within the equine community in forms of self righteousness, taking stances and having hard opinions, spiritual marketing and the purity of who does it best and who does it right. You see it in hard lines drawn in the sand that never paint a clear picture. And you see it in the ability for people to so quickly advocate for horses yet do little to advocate for the people that said horses depend on.
It comes as no shock that the horse world and industry is inherently racist, but what people often fail to acknowledge is that the ethical community is not separate from this inherent system as it hides behind its facade. Kindness, compassion and empathy are spoken of so frequently that they are now deemed buzzwords. And honestly it cannot be more fitting. Just like a fly that wanders into your car that you cannot see, but often hear almost constantly in the background. While these ppl are so hyper focused on how their methods of working with horses com across, the buzz of these words often fade to silence with their work and advocacy towards people and even where they stand on matters of importance.
Some examples of this are a lack of understanding and acknowledgement of available resources. Be it food, shelter, vet services, water, money. Something we say often is that we cannot give from an empty cup. And people in communities across the globe who do not have dependable access of resources for themselves are not going to be able to have the means to provide what is deemed acceptable by many in the ethical community. I truly dont understand why this is something that is not acknowledged or considered when so many people talk about how to properly care for horses. Not to mention the public shaming that so many are put through if they are seen to not be doing it "right". Without once considering whether or not this person may have the means to uphold your standard of care.
Then there is the belittlement of people of color as professionals in the industry. The constant micro aggressions, assumptions of lack of knowledge and understanding, the quick dismissals, shock of existence within predominantly white spaces and general suprise of said person of color even owning horses period. Something I know all to well and trust me when I say, it not only comes from people that you expect, but those that many wouldn't. Whether it is subtle or loud, the message is still the same.
We didn't expect you to take up this space. Nor are we quite sure we want you here. And the most ironic part of this point is the exploitation of poc in spiritual practice, manners of being and "aesthetic" that appears on screen as marketing vomit within the community. Speak of spirit animals, totems, chakras, tai chi, sound healing, connection, finding your tribe and so on and so forth, really just drive the point home. That point being that it was never about authenticity, but more so about extraction and exploitation of the people from which all of these practices originated. But where is that representation? Where are the people whose practices have been exploited for spiritual trendy horsemanship? (Id love to hear your answers here in the comments).
It all comes full circle. Where the exploitation and dehumanization of poc can be seen within a community who seems like it should be out of reach of the grasp of white supremacy and elitism. But its not at all exempt and is not neutral in stance either. It continues to uplift and uphold the pillars of white supremacy culture in its very existence. And quite frankly, I dont think this is a conversation many of you are ready or willing to have.
There is so much more I want to say and could say on all of this but I really am not a fan of writing novel worthy posts. Elaborations and extensions of deeper dives and specifics can be had in the comments.
