YouTube seems to be the most effective medium for getting attention for major issues this season: after ABC aired footage from Celebration, a storm of videos from YouTube depicting inhumane behavior towards horses have gone viral and brought more attention to major injustices in the horse world. One of these injustices is ‘horse tripping’. Check this video to learn more:

Most recently, it has been argued whether or not the sport should be removed from rodeo shows in Oregon. Already having been pulled from rodeos in Oklahoma, Arizona and Texas, it has been argued that the practice should not be used for entertainment. Its roots originate from a need to quickly capture and contain animals that were not fully tamed yet. In ranch work, an emphasis on humane practice and due diligence is encouraged, but many argue the sport in the show ring is often not humanely pursued: horses sometimes fall directly on their faces and snouts.

In the quiet town of Dixon, Illinois, long-time comptroller Rita Crundwell is alleged to have embezzled over $30 million to fund a private horse farm, a lavish motor home, and expensive jewelry. The horse farm in question, Meri-J Farm is well-known for its high-quality quarter horses that were predominantly local champions in the western riding scene. Crundwell was well-known for her elite horses, most recently praised for her mare ‘Pizzazzy Lady’, who won the 2011 American Quarter Horse Association World Championship Show in Oklahoma City.

Pictured: Rita Crundwell and one of her horses. Image courtesy of The Atlantic.