Traditional cowboys were always tough men, but anymore it seemslike there are 10 female to each male rider. Is it because of location?? I just wish there were more men out there who rode for fun.
I think the majority of men now prefer a dirt bike to a horse. If I wasn't retired, and if I still worked 12 hour days, I would prefer a dirt bike to a horse.
It doesn't help that modern horse culture is now so dominated by women that it feels weird to be a male that rides. Most horse magazines that I've seen concentrate on saddles that don't make your butt look big, or shirts that are the style for this season.
When I took group lessons, I was the only male there. And while I know a number of older guys who have ridden horses at some point in their lives, I am the only guy I know who rides a horse now. Nor do I know any guys with ANY interest in learning. :evil:
I think in some things it depends upon the style of riding. For Western "work" like reining, cutting and higher caliber rodeo riding you see more men while the pleasure and equitation riding is more women. I have seen a 50/50 separation in things like barrels, pole bending and keyhole.
In english, women are more common at the lower levels of hunter/jumper and dressage while most men are a little more visible in the higher levels especially the olympic caliber riders. Eventers are something else again and I have seen a mix of men to women.
We have recently had a number of men and boys join our barn so our male number is climbing While they aren't at show level as yet they are doing well and have expressed an interest in eventual showing.
I think it depends on where you're looking. When you watch cutting/eventing/show jumping/reining competitions at the top levels, it seems to me like there's more men that compete than women. At local cutting or reining shows, you tend to see more men than women, while at rodeo events I see a pretty even split. At local hunter/jumper/eventing shows, it seems that they're dominated by women. Guys, I think, tend to shy away from riding as kids and teens because of the passionate, dreamy label put on riding by girls. Often times, it's not portrayed as a very "manly" or tough sport, even though we all know how much work it really takes.
Most American men don't have a clue about the hard work and risk that it takes to be a good rider. Particularly in english sports, they cannot get past the number of women in the sport, the woman-centric marketing, and the fact that *gasp* they have to wear something other than jeans and cowboy boots.
What they don't realize is that it takes far more guts to get on a living, breathing, thinking animal than it does to get on a machine (motorcycle, ATV).
I think it has to do with accessibility and affordability. Equitation of any form used to be a male dominated sport, not so much because it was a sport, but because it was military. And now we have come upon generations where women can work and own property, can afford to own property, so the increase in women in sports (as a whole, not just horse ownership) is exponential. That it is dominated at the lower levels by women, I think has more to do with a fantasy thing of generations growing up. Little girls want ponies, and little boys want guns and/or sports cars.
I don't know, think of horses as the sports car through a woman's midlife crisis. :wink:
I admire their skill because I ride. If I didn't ride, those pictures wouldn't draw me in...nor can I think of anything wrong with wearing jeans
or cowboy boots. I am right now...
If men haven't grown up around horses, there is almost nothing to draw them in. You can buy a dirt bike, leave it a week at a time, then go ride it with other guys.
Just about any guy can get on a dirt bike (or road bike) and start riding. Gonna be out of town for a few weeks? The dirt bike isn't going anywhere.
Horses are high-maintenance items. They require constant attention. And for what? What does a horse offer that men want?
If men haven't grown up around horses, there is almost nothing to draw them in. You can buy a dirt bike, leave it a week at a time, then go ride it with other guys.
Just about any guy can get on a dirt bike (or road bike) and start riding. Gonna be out of town for a few weeks? The dirt bike isn't going anywhere.
Horses are high-maintenance items. They require constant attention. And for what? What does a horse offer that men want?
The women who hang around horses.
If I were a single guy looking for a girlfriend I would start taking riding lessons. Throw the bait where the fish are...
I suspect a lot of dirt bike riders would disagree that their dirt bikes don't offer a challenge and a rush as extreme as anything you can get on a horse.
What riding horses CAN provide is a partnership. I bought a mare that was supposed to be perfect for beginners. She probably wasn't even really broke, and she's spooky and probably had never been on a trail in her life...I've noticed lately that our attempts at riding in the desert are teaching her to pay attention to her feet. She would literally stumble over a 4" rock as though the possibility of such a rock existing had never crossed her mind.
However, in some ways she WAS perfect for me. She is very interactive with humans, and likes guys. She is extremely expressive, and you are constantly aware of her personality when riding. There is a partnership involved, a constant give & take. Try to dominate her, and she'll fight. Work with her, and she'll give you her best - which may be less than 90% of other horses, if a calm trail ride is your goal! But it is her best.
I think that relationship appeals to women in a way it doesn't to most men. Frankly, most horses do nothing for me other than move me from A to B...but my mare is different. I've struggled for 4 years to become the rider she needs. And we're finally getting close. If I'm not killed first, then maybe a year from now we'll be a good team.
I kind of enjoy riding our geldings, but not enough to seriously work at becoming a better rider. The mare I sold in Dec 2010 was more like Mia, and I would have kept her if the choice was mine. But it was Mia who made me want to become a horseman, and not just a guy who sometimes sits on a horse's back.
I was lucky. But I don't even know how to convey that idea to most guys.
And in truth, if I wasn't retired, I wouldn't have the time to interact with Mia. For the majority of guys I know, a dirt bike makes more sense.
I suspect a lot of dirt bike riders would disagree that their dirt bikes don't offer a challenge and a rush as extreme as anything you can get on a horse.
Speaking from an ex motorcross / supercross background, a bike can be pretty wild, no doubt, but to me it does not quite match the pure raw excitement -suddenly blinding terror - back to raw excitement you can get out of a single ride on a horse....
OTOH, I think the bikes may be a smidge cheaper.... LOL
You know i would like to ride dressage because i think i would look hot in those tight pants but we already have a tight pants rider in the family and she looks hot in her pants too!!! Besides someones gotta work to pay for all this stuff.
But really though if i had the chance i think i would like to learn to ride and do dressage. It does look quite challenging and fun. But i think i am too competitive and i dont agree with the way dressage events are judged. And i will leave it at that.
But i think i will actually learn to ride then decide if i wanna go the western route or "Robohog Hotpants" path!
I ride because I enjoy the experience and spending time with my girl. I avoid the drama and dumb stuff at the commercial barns and the catty trash like fat kids avoid exercise.
Why don't more men ride?
We hate drama, we hate the catty nature of the barn, and the he said she said trash takes the enjoyment out of it.
A dirt bike doesn't talk smack, low maintenance, no drama, and generally not amoney pit.
The one drawback to owning a horse is that they are very high maintenance, and very time consuming.
My life is busy enough without the horse. With it, my down time is pretty much nonexistent.
Make no mistake, I love my horse. I adore her, and we do quite well together. I just would like an extra day or two a week to spend time with her.
I had a thought while reading this thread. What about commitment? A lot of men (not all of course) have a fear or strong dislike of commitment. And we all know the commitment it takes in this world. For the married man, maybe he thinks the commitment of marriage/family is all he can handle. A lot of men do not find that "being tied down" is very fun at all. And someone else mentioned relationship. Relationships take work. And who wants more work? Posted via Mobile Device
I had a thought while reading this thread. What about commitment? A lot of men (not all of course) have a fear or strong dislike of commitment. And we all know the commitment it takes in this world. For the married man, maybe he thinks the commitment of marriage/family is all he can handle. A lot of men do not find that "being tied down" is very fun at all. And someone else mentioned relationship. Relationships take work. And who wants more work? Posted via Mobile Device
Wow i feel like this tread can go in a bunch of directions!!! If i were to say that mostly single women are horse lovers because thair horses wont "dump them" or "cheat on them" would be a rotten thing to say because i really dont know if that is a fact nor do i have any proof of that. Nor do i believe it. But thats how your post sounds to me reversed.
Your post mildly insulted me because i feel you stereotyped me. I know you said "not all" but i really think that was your "out".
I agree with the "dirtbike" thing. Now it's who's got the raddest toy, fastest ATV, biggest tires, yadda yadda, at least around here. Used to be the biggest, baddest, toughest, horse and horseman. I could care less about gears and gas, I want hooves and leather.
My Hub has been hinting around about getting a cool new $19,000!!!!!! ATV to ride our property and do some trails, even wants one that is street legal... Nope. Ya got a horse, street legal, eats for free (almost) and if things go well they CAN be easy to maintain if you do the same "tuneups". Also the FS is shutting down ATV trails left and right around here, even setting up hidden cameras to track down offenders.
Takes a good woman to talk some sense into a man. Psh.
I do apologize for any offense taken from my post. It really was just some thoughts I had while reading. In no way do I have any proof nor am I a man. What I said could be clearly untrue and certainly not fact. Again, I apologize. Was just food for thought. No harm intended. Posted via Mobile Device
No maybe about it. There are loads more men involved at all levels in Europe.
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