Karma!
In my latest blog post, I wrote about how it feels when people watch you from the stands while you ride. After publishing it, I received a message from someone who told me something quite upsetting: at their riding school, people sometimes stood on the sidelines and filmed riders—only to share the clips in a group chat where they mocked them.
I replied that people should be careful about how they behave—because there’s something called karma.
That made me think back to my school years. It’s not really about horses, but we all go through things in life that shape us into who we are.
I was bullied in school—from third to sixth grade. Three of the class “leaders” chose me as an easy target, for various reasons. I wore glasses, I loved horses, and I lived in a “nice” house with a garden.
Their names were Linda, Lone, and Marianne. I wished I could be like them—fearless, outspoken, confident. They seemed like they could do whatever they wanted. I was bullied for everything. If I got a new dress that I was proud of, it was called ugly and outdated. One time I brought a small stuffed animal to school—they took it and used it as a ball until it broke. I was shy and didn’t say much.
This went on until sixth grade. Then a new girl joined the class—she also loved horses, and I knew her from the riding school. I took care of her, and we became best friends. We still are, after a lifetime of ups and downs.
What did I learn from all this?
That I never want to treat anyone the way I was treated. I know what it feels like, how deeply lonely it can be. That’s why I’ve always tried to be kind, to listen, and to be there for others.
Later in life, I began to understand why those three girls targeted me. My mother always told me it was because they were jealous. I didn’t get that as a child—what could they possibly be jealous of?
But over the years, it started to make sense. One of the girls had a lisp, another had dyslexia, and the third came from a troubled home. Back then, it was common to invite your whole class for birthday cake at home—but none of them ever had a party. You can probably guess why.
Sometimes, attacking others is the only defense someone feels they have. But here’s the truth: people who are doing well, who feel good about themselves and their lives, have no desire to hurt others.
So if you are the one being bullied—try to remember that the bully often doesn’t feel good inside. They need to bring others down to feel in control.
And when the person being bullied stops reacting, it often takes the fun out of it for the bully. If they can’t get a reaction, they can’t feel powerful.
I hope this helps someone out there—maybe someone being bullied, maybe someone who is bullying—to really understand what’s going on, to see themselves through other people’s eyes, and to choose a better way.