However they can also be a source of a great deal of misleading opinions, and as the contributors are essentially anonymous, how can a user be sure that the offered guidance is worth listening to?
There are a few tricks that can be employed to help assess the value of the information that is being offered. These pointers are generalisations; there will of course, be occasional exceptions to each rule, but they represent a good starting point for examining the contributors to a new horse based forum with a critical eye.
Age
It’s true that there are many capable young riders and it is unfair to condemn them all on this basis, but one of the great rules with horses is that as long as you live, you are learning. A 14 year old may simply not know how much she doesn’t know, even if she is acting with the best of intentions. Younger people are also more prone to story-telling and showing off to friends on-line, and there is a risk of being caught up in this.
Watch out for a predominance of young posters who are particularly forceful in their opinions, and treat their advice with caution. Remember they simply may not have the experience to back up their views, even if they honestly believe that they do.
Photographs
View the photographs placed online by posters, often in their profiles or in threads they have created on the forums. Remember that most people will be anxious to appear in the best possible light, so if anything, their pictures will represent a best case scenario of their riding ability and standard of horse care.
Look out for horses in poor condition presented in unsafe settings (loose netting fences and alongside rusting rubbish for example). Also look for consistent mistakes and bad habits appearing in the photographs of the individual riding. If a user feels that the standard of horse care or level of riding ability depicted is less capable than her own she may be justified in a reluctance to follow the poster’s advice.
Websites
View the websites that the posters attach to in their profiles. Often these are their own. If they promote training and breeding, are the horses of a standard and condition you yourself would work with? Are the riders performing at a good standard for their experience and being taught in safe conditions?
If the user would not be interested in dealing with the people represented on these sites in real life, it is unlikely that the advice they give will suit his needs.
Sales Pitches
If the majority of the forum posts involve users offering to sell others a product or service that will solve a problem immediately, and rubbishing other attempts at alternative advice, the forum is not well moderated and may be best avoided until such activity is brought under control.
Exaggeration and Generalisation
Beware of simplistic answers and boasts, which could indicate that the user does not have the welfare of the person seeking advice at heart, or that he is inexperienced. A sensible person will be reluctant to offer his thoughts on a minimum of information, will request more details and offer options. Most of the time there is more than one solution to a problem, so a stubborn reassurance that the poster’s answer is the only possible one and has worked on every horse he has ever dealt with should be a warning sign.
If using a horse forum for advice remember that no-one will understand the issues that someone is having with his or her horse better than someone who has been able to see the person and the animal in the flesh. No amount of internet advice can replace that given on site by an instructor or experienced handler. If in doubt call in expert help, and never endanger your horses’ health- if the horse may require a vet don’t wait for confirmation from someone on the internet, trust your instincts and call one.
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