Recently, I asked members of the BuzzFeed community who are in the horse world — whether they are veterinarians, trainers, equestrians, farriers, or anybody else — to spill secrets and stories from the world of the wealthy set's favorite hobby. People's stories did not disappoint: Here are a few of the best.
1. "In my wealthy summer house community, a banker owned a stable (for his daughters to keep their horses there and train, though it was open to other boarders as well). Some horses were privately owned, and some were 'lesson horses.' One lady who’d been riding one of the the lesson horses was interested in buying him, and the trainer sold him to her."
2. "I went to school with a girl who owned 10 horses — the most 'affordable' one being $100k and her most expensive one being $400k. She couldn’t even ride; she just held on and hoped she’d make it around the jumper ring."
3. "There is a current equestrian influencer who likes to insinuate that their former trainers were cruel, harsh, and have done nothing but stand in the way of their career. What they can't seem to grasp is that the real problem isn't the trainers, but their father."
4. "I’ve ridden and competed since age 5 in the Hunter/Jumper show scene. I can attest that there tends to be a concentration of weird people in [the horse world]. Just a little quirky and strange. Everyone talks about their horses like they are literal people (probably like obsessed dog parents talk about their dogs)."
5. "Honestly, this is more weird than juicy, but there’s a someone at our yard who cleans her horse's teeth every night with an actual toothbrush."
6. "I'm not going to name any names (it's public knowledge), but there was a scandal recently when it came to light that one of the country's biggest equestrians had been coercing a teenager into an affair. This trainer had been to international championships, and even the Big Greek Games, if you know what I mean. The power dynamic was not okay. I feel so bad for the young woman who came forward."
"The details of the story are unbelievable. Luckily, he got sentenced to federal prison. The whole equestrian world was really shaken by the situation."
—Anonymous
7. "I groomed for an International Eventer and, much later in life, did the accounts for a very well-known riding school. Everybody should know that EVERY HORSE IN A LIVERY YARD IS USED FOR LESSONS."
"When the owner of the yard gets to know your routine, they will have pony club kids kicking your horse around the school when they know you won't be there.
On the other side of it, if you've booked your kid a riding lesson and the pony is actually a horse, run a mile. It is a livery horse being borrowed and may well dump your kid on the floor. Bonus points if the horse is being lunged when you turn up — they are trying to exhaust it before your kid gets on!"
—Anonymous
8. "I worked as a groom on a horse farm. Part of my pay included a barn apartment. The wife of the couple who owned the farm decided that her husband must be having an affair with me."
9. "During a lesson, I was riding a lesson horse, and he kept hanging on the reins, which was unusual. I finally told the trainer about it, and the trainer said I needed to stop 'hauling on his face.' The horse was pulling on me! This trainer was notorious for reprimanding people during lessons to make you feel bad about yourself in front of the riders around you. But during the lesson, the horse I was riding collapsed, and I had to jump off his back."
"It came out that he had a pre-existing heart condition. The trainer had been drugging him regularly with ace, unwittingly keeping the horse alive. Keep in mind, the horse was a retired Amish horse, so that may have contributed to his poor health.
Not too long after, the horse collapsed again and died. And when I showed up for a lesson, the trainer said I killed him.
That was fun."
—Anonymous
10. "A mare was seriously injured, and the barn manager refused to call a vet or the owners. The vet happened to come for another horse a few days later, and I asked him to take a look at the mare. Turns out her shoulder was broken."
"The barn manager still refused to call her owners and stated that the mare and her foal were leaving for a cross-country trip to them. The vet said this was not a good idea and urged the manager to call the owners and delay the trip. They did not.
The mare died en route, and her nursing foal was orphaned. No big deal, though, as far as the manager was concerned because the mare was insured, so owners wouldn't lose any money. I got yelled at for going to the vet without permission."
—Anonymous
11. "People who ride the hunter/jumper circuit would hate me for saying it, but it really is the 'wild west' out here. High-class horse trainers are some of the most entitled people in the world, and they act like they're doing people a favor charging them thousands of dollars for their lessons. Meanwhile, they're using cocaine, drinking beer at 10 a.m. in the training ring, and messily covering up for each other's affairs. And these are the people who teach children!"
12. "I am not an equestrian, but I build high-end barns and stables in the 'Winter Equestrian Capital of the World.' This probably comes as no surprise, but these people blow incredible amounts of f—ing money on their horses."
13. "A barn I boarded at in the northern Chicago suburbs spent a staggering amount of money rehabbing a derelict barn so that it was fancy enough for a high-end hunter/jumper trainer to use for his rich clients. Well, the barn owners and the trainer fell out."
"The relationship 'formally' ended when the barn owner chased the trainer off the property by driving a bulldozer at him. I don't know if any legal action was pursued. The barn is still in business."
—Anonymous
14. "Lots of horse people are so devoted to their animals, and it's really beautiful to see how a bond can form between a horse and a human. People seriously love these creatures, and I think it's great for young people, especially. At the same time..."
15. Finally, as a palate cleanser, a very sweet story:
If you have any great (or terrible?) horse world stories (even if you don't ride or work in the industry), pleeeeease let us know in the comments — I love reading about drama. Or, if you really wanna dish but want to stay anonymous, check out the Google form!
Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.