Starving?

 When I starting writing books about the Amish and horses, my brand became "Amish Horses."

Little did I know that I was diving into a controversy.

My Amish neighbors are experts with horses and take great care of their steeds. Apparently, other people have had the misfortune of witnessing something to the contrary.

It is not wise to lump an entire race or ethnic group into a pot and label them. That is called profiling.

Each person in every people group should have the right to be seen and known for who they are as an individual, not pre-judged.

Beautifully fit workhorses on an Amish farm.

I would love to mediate between those who have never met an Amish person and my Amish neighbors.

First of all, let me acknowledge the truth in some of these accusations. Yes, unfortunately, there are some individuals in every people group that are cruel to animals or other humans. But, let's not accuse all NFL players of using dogs wrongly because we heard about a few who did.

The first thing you should know about the Amish and why their horses look so thin: Amish use a breed of horse that is naturally thin. The best breeds for pulling a buggy are trotters and pacers, horses that have been bred for hundreds of years for use on racetracks. This would be much akin to the dog breed, Grayhound. What if you owned a Grayhound and your neighbors didn't understand that these dogs are born looking hungry.

Some of the kindest people I have ever met are Amish. I have personally known elderly Amish men that love their horses like family members, caring for them tenderly, weeping when they pass away at a ripe old age. I've also known sweet little Amish children that love their ponies as much or more than city kids love their dogs.

I promise that you will find many a fat pony and overweight draft horse on Amish farms all over America. There is a good explanation for this: draft horse and pony breeds are naturally "easy keepers" unlike trotting horses. Workhorses would be more like Bulldogs and ponies like Pugs.

I have traveled all over the U.S.A. visiting Amish communities and I have found that most Amish horses are dearly loved by their owners. I will admit that have witnessed a minority that are less than enthused about their horses, and even a few that are harsh.

If you know of an individual that mistreats an animal, you should be bold enough to speak to them about it. Please, don't hide behind your computer and toss accusations against an entire people group.

Instead, take time to look for the good in people. You will be pleasantly surprised when you personally get acquainted with Amish people.