08/31/2026
I'm going to have a hot take on this video, and I think there's going to be some people who don't like it.
This video of a mare attacking a trainer (not the first person she's attacked) has gone very viral. A local rescue has shared it, after taking on this horse. They are an open door rescue, and they are not afraid to euthanize animals that need it. They've only had her a few days, they posted this I believe for educational purposes, and it has sparked a lot of debate. Most of which is fueled by assumptions about the rescue, the horse, and all of the people surrounding it. A lot of the assumptions are dead wrong, and the keyboard warriors are out in full force, under the guise of "helping" with their nonexpert opinions.
Here's my hot take that'll upset folks: I'm going to tell you, if you haven't been in this situation with this type of animal, or if you don't have information about this particular organization and what they're capable of, their network of veterinarians, caretakers, and their expertise, you should probably keep your mouth shut.
I said what I said...
You know why I won't voice an opinion about what they should do with this horse? I've never had a horse like this. I couldn't tell you what I would do in that situation. This horse is unique in that she acts very sweet in between events where she attacks people, and therefore is even more wildly unpredictable. Obviously, this rescue will get her vetted to the best of their ability and within their means, and obviously they will do whatever seems correct for this animal, including euthanasia if needed. They are getting information first, instead of simply reacting, like most of the people on the internet are.
Do I have thoughts about what I would likely do if given this horse? Absolutely. That doesn't mean that I'm in the situation or have been in the situation to make that choice, or to have any sort of entitlement to comment on it or pass judgement on this rescue.
For those of us who have been in rescue, thick skin is definitely needed. You don't even want to know all of the horribly ignorant comments I get on posts, and messages, through email, etc. The people who argue, the people who assume something about care or my resources that is simply not true, and build an entire argument based on it. The people who nitpick every single thing you show, the people who simply don't know any better, but for some reason have to open their mouths. It wears you down. If we want people in our world that are willing to do these hard things and take on these hard animals, we have to absolutely give them just a little inkling of respect. And that means, unless you have something that actually contributes to the conversation through direct experience, it's a great time to quit flapping our jaws.
Yes, we all care about this horse. We care about all the animals, or we wouldn't do it. But why is it that the care stops there? Why is it that we feel entitled to make judgments on other people doing good work that we ourselves would refuse to take on? Why is it that we feel entitled to have any opinion on the matter unless we've been in that situation? I can assure you, this rescue has a team of veterinarians thinking up causes, and they don't need everybody else's unprofessional outlook on what could be causing the problems with this horse. They've thought of it, I can guarantee you. This is what they do for a living.
It's almost as if they *might* know what they're doing.
Yes, I'm salty. This kind of behavior from people drives me nuts. Just because you have an emotional reaction to what you see in a video doesn't give you the right to have those emotions all over somebody else. Especially when they're in the thick of it, doing the work that 99% of people wouldn't even attempt.
So it's time to be quiet, be supportive, learn, and not judge.
Rachel
