Minefield: The Perils of Being Online

 I know that I owe an update on Quaid and the show. Bear with me, it's coming. As with most things with him these days it was a mixed bag and I'm sorting through it in my head. That may take a while, lol. 

But this post has been percolating in my brain for a few months now and I've decided to get it out my head and onto the blogosphere.

You're welcome. 

I helped my friend take her horses to the vet. 
I got to hold Ms. Fizzy. She is as adorable as she looks. 

I am a Gen X-er and one thing that makes me profoundly grateful about that is the total lack of social media and phone cameras. Back then the closest we had to this was rumours and a polaroid camera. It's not the same. Photos cost money and no one knew how to edit them. These days it's so easy to snap a photo and use it to shame, bully or harass. It's even scarier with AI being able to create fake photos and videos. 

It's not that people are worse. They are the same mixed bag of good, bad, nasty and kind they always were. What has changed is access. Keyboard warriors are everywhere and it is so easy for a photo or video to bring out the worst in people. Because everyone can post something it gives a sense of expertise that may be warranted but not necessarily. 

On FB I have literally seen a post urging 24 hour turn and everyone chiming in with how great that is and anyone not keeping a horse on 30 acres of pasture 24 hours a day was abusive and didn't deserve them (of course not everyone but enough). Then another post came out saying 24 hour turn out was bad for horses and it got the same type of responses: forcing horses to be outside was cruel. 

another photo to break up the wall of text. 
I think my kitty was assembled wrong. 

Online bullying of riders, trainers, vets and other horse professionals is a real problem.  

I recognise that I choose to have a blog and an online presence. It was a deliberate choice and one I don't regret. I haven't really had to deal with a bunch of trolls. Except when Steele died. I had quite a few show up on my blog which is why I now approve comments before they are published.  

Now blogs are old school and maybe most of the trolls moved to TikTok. But I am aware that there is a risk of posting the things I do. Which is why I am very careful about the privacy of others who intersect in my horse life. Unless I know for sure that they are okay with me mentioning their names I don't. I use generic terms like 'friend, barn owner, etc.,. And I never mention juniors.  

Cordelia has Pannus and UV rays
make it worse. So she gets to look 
supercool in her doggles. 

To me it seems that this is a good way to write about my adventures without compromising someone else's privacy.   Maybe I'm overthinking it -because we all know that's my jam.  

Do you think about these things when you post? How do you navigate it? Am I being too careful?