Men in Horse Riding

As a male involved in a horsey lifestyle, the other day I watched the two women currently prominent in my horse life deal with a disobedient gelding. Presently he is one of four horses at the stable yard and he is the most neglected for a variety of reasons. Whenever the other three horses are put out or brought in, you have to be careful or otherwise he’ll trash his paddock or stable. He throws himself about in a paddy. He wants to be played with like the other horses and too often he has been left behind on his own, Yesterday he had a little strop whilst being prepared for lunging by the two women and undoubtedly he got above himself.

I stood back and watched. Both ladies had decided he needed to be taught a lesson. So out came the lunging whip and round and round the arena he was forced to go until he was quite steamed up. He is not my horse but if he were mine I would treat him differently

Eventually, the ladies decided the gelding had been put back in his place. I went over and collected him. I calmed him down, gave him a stroke and talked with him for a couple of minutes . Finally I led him back into the stable yard to be untacked. Yes, he muzzle nudged me on the way but it was his way of being friendly. I shoved him back. In a quaint sort of way I quite like him He asks for a stroke just like my dog does, indeed the horse reminds of a bull terrier I once owned. I gave the horse a good grooming and smuggled to him, out of sight of the ladies, a couple of biscuits. I dressed him up for the cold weather and led him back out into his paddock alongside the other horses. By this time he was calm again. Of course the ladies said I was being too soft on him.

The sad thing is, that at this stage of my life, I personally don’t know another female that feels the same way towards horses that I do. When driving home I thought back over my life with horses and asked myself which women approached their horse(s) the same was as I try to do. Not one woman came to mind. However four men from my past I am sure would have done exactly the same in the circumstances as I had done.

We men think differently about things, as most of you ladies already know. It is a brave man who signs up to enter the female dominated horse world to be found in the English style world of riding.

A lot of men think the idea to be too daunting.

I think you're on to something.

I've asked the same question...

Barry I hope that if you ever come to the US that you will let me know so I can have a horse ready for you. I know exactly how you feel.

Kevin
This Forum gives us the opportunity to make contact with riders living around the world. We can feel through the words which have been written about various subjects to do with horses that athough we come from different backgrounds we largely follow each others way of thinking about how to best handle horses.
It would be nice to think we could meet each other, sit down, take a glass of beer and chat. Of course a few hours together would not be enough time.

Years ago I used to visit the US - mainly San Antonio or Miami to attend annual conferences. We would spend four days getting to know even better the guys in the world wide Petrochemical industry whom until then had only been names on a letter or signatories of a fax. A few of those names became life long friends.

I wonder if ever this forum will think of organising a conference.

In the meantime I thank you for your offer. It would be nice to think that one day I could take it up but sadly these days I am not sure these days if I could survive the flights.

Barry

When I was a kid, I remember reading a book called The Only Boy in the Ring that had an explanation for this. For males horseback riding is considered to be sissy. Since they often get picked on for doing it, only the boys who are really serious about it - and perhaps stubborn/competitive by nature as well - stick with it. On the other hand, for girls horseback riding is considered to be a status symbol, and so some girls do it just to be cool. Those girls inevitably drop it when the going gets tough. As a result you see many more girls than boys at lower levels, and the higher you go the more it evens out.

That's true I know lots of girls in calgary who ride and their parents make them do it because their rich and its a status thing for them

Yes. It does make you wonder where all of these top male riders are coming from...

Well Kevin, Barry and anyone else on here if you are ever coming to the area of Columbia, SC let me know and I will have a horse (gaited)for you to ride and we will put some water in the soup after the ride. I have been riding for the past 4 years and love it. I mainly trail ride but I also am involved in Mounted Search and Rescue and with the SCSG Caissons. My wife and both sons ride, we camp, day ride and ride at the house....

Well Rum, that's mighty nice of you. I'll put your name in my little black book.

Barry

I'm not sure what you are implying here? THat women are prone to just trying to dominate their horses aor that women don't form bonds of affection with their horses or use gentle touch as well as discipline to get a horse under control? Both are ridiculous. I have seen men that are just as intent on trying to bend a horse to their will through force as some women are, and I know many women who use kindness, mixed with an appropriate discipline when necessary, to get a difficult horse back in line. No, you can't let a rank horse walk all over you, one or both of you will get hurt. But for every woman and any man I respect as a horse person, discipline is being consistent and firm about what you are asking and giving generous rewards and praise when they do it, or even just make strides towards doing it, not about wailing on a horse with a whip or scaring it into a frenzy when it is already high as a kite.

I think men are more likely to get into the sport through their families, whether as a child or through a significant other when they are older. The ones that come from horse families or at least horse friendly families as children often experience horses as a way of life, so it makes sense that they would be more likely to stay in the sport and move up the levels. Although there are girls who come in by way of horsey families, the "girly" attraction of horses means that way more girls are come to the sport by way of non-horsey families who don't neccessarily support the idea of horses as a way of life, and therefore are less likely to have the familial support, both monetary and spiritual, to make the difficult climb up the levels, or they fulfill a childhood dream by entering the sport as a adults, thereby missing out on the years of learning while their bodies are made out of rubber and nothing is scary. Hence you see lots of little girls and just a few boys at the lower levels, a lot of adult women and few male amateurs, and then a more equal number of men and women at the highest levels.