The following paper explores the evolving relationship between
Productions like The Soul of the Horse focus on equine psychology and the "insan-equine" bond, treating horses as sentient beings with complex emotional lives.
Conversely, "trick riding" and "liberty work" accounts on TikTok and Instagram Reels have been criticized for training methods that induce learned helplessness (horses standing on pedestals or performing "bows" under stress). The algorithmic pressure to produce a new, more impressive stunt every day is arguably more dangerous for the modern entertainment horse than the old rodeo circuits ever were.