People say horse riding is a minority sport

Uggh, It's horrible. All thats on the tv is football,rugby and gold, and a few others.

Considering the amount of riders there is in the country (which seems to me as if it's roughly the same as the amount that play golf, if not rugby), I feel that there should be more equestrianism on the tv?

For example, last year Team GB won WEG gold, but there wasn't a mention of it on the tv. If that was England winning the world cup however...
 
don't have very many horsey friends where i live atm and they are always trying to say that not many people ride there aren't that many horses! my flat mates were very confused about badminton and how it involved horses and not rackets but they got quite into it and commented how it was much better it was then watching football and much more impressive! IMO far more chance of us doing well in equestrian events than football deluded if you think otherwise
 
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I was extremely gutted about the amount of coverage the WEG got! We did amazing as a nation. I would hate for such an amazing sport to die out. But the fact that only 5 sports have totally sold out and xc is one says a lot imo. :D

My ex hated anything horsey (that's why he is the ex) but loved watching Hickstead, Badminton and Puissance because I think they were interesting. :)
 
Horse riding is 20 times more dangerous than motorbiking, and thought to be the third most dangerous sport in the world! People think it's so easy and that all the rider does is sit there. :mad:
 
Willowx said:
Horse riding is 20 times more dangerous than motorbiking, and thought to be the third most dangerous sport in the world! People think it's so easy and that all the rider does is sit there. :mad:
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We as riders should be taking it as a compliment that we make it look easy. :)
 
It might be due to the area i live in but i see so many riders and know of so many. If someone i know isn't a rider them selves then a partner/family member etc is, i wouldn't say it is a minority sport anymore.

That said the sports that have sold out could be sports with less number of tickets for sale...i don't know this just saying!!
 
Willowx said:
Horse riding is 20 times more dangerous than motorbiking, and thought to be the third most dangerous sport in the world! People think it's so easy and that all the rider does is sit there. :mad:
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My doctor also told me it wasn't exercise! :eek: She should have been in the fast and furious group lesson I watched on Sunday. Six fit adults, all excellent riders, red and sweating! (horses were puffing a bit, too! ;) )

Just sitting there?! Pah!
 
I think it still is - take for example work places or schools and ask how many people can ride or watch equestrian sport compared to how many can play football or watch football or rugby and the numbers are much less.

I am the only person at my work out of over 100 that has a horse but loads of them go running, cycle or play or watch football.

Cross country day might be a sell out put it might be because a larger percentage of people interested in eventing want to come to watch than say the percentage who are interested in football. Also being an outdoors event where you can walk about and have a picnic might make it appealing to non horsey people compared to having to sit in the same seat throughout.
 
Maybe if we were't continually pushed into the traffic by the walkers,cycists and off road traffic there might be more people able to ride
 
MrsHutt - your doctor needs to go back to medical school!!! Why else, if it isn't exercise, do you get such wonderful results with disabled children who are put onto horses? It is a perfect example of both passive exercise, like one of those table things that you lie on and it moves your legs up and down or whatever, hence the benefit to the disabled, and active exercise because we all know how hard we have to work to make it LOOK as if we are sat there doing nothing.

I was once at the gym using one of the machine which does your inside and outside thigh muscles. I was working on the inside thighs and had the machine on its maximum load which I think was 60k, so quite hard work. I finished that and went off to the cross trainer and watched a big beefy bloke take my place, attempt to pull his legs together and fail miserably. He turned around and saw what the weight setting was and then reduced it to 25k, then looked across at little size 8 5'4" me in wonderment :) I smiled sweetly!!
 
I do other sports competitively and it seems to me that there are more people regularly participating in horse related disciplines in my local area than what would be considered more mainstream sports like athletics, cycling and swimming. Horse sports are massive.

True, I agree with the doctor that its not a genuine aerobic activity but for some people it might be and the benefits of strength and core stability are often overlooked. LOL at the gym comment - I've given up doing weights for my running now as I don't need them - was regularly outlifting men at the gym on only one session a week and able to do ridiculous core stability exercises without effort lol!
 
My OH is non-horse rider but loves watching horse events. He took me and the kids to watch world show jumping in Malaysia once and he was in total awe.

He only ever sat on a horse once and that was my boy (who was lead around by the yard manager in walk only)! He now understands the level of technical skill required to make a horse do anything.

I think that one look at last weeks Badminton will show you that all ages and both genders are equally represented. Mark Todd proves that it's a sport which is available to all ages too.

People do argue that it is only for the rich but that's totally untrue. I think you can ride once a week in a riding school for the price of a couple of good bottles of plonk or a couple of packets of fags? ( I don't drink or smoke and haven't lived in England for past 8 years so maybe I'm off a bit here).
 
I think people don't like to admit when they don't know how or can't do something. It looks easy so they say it's easy. If i got a pound for everytime someone said to me 'but the horse is doing all the work, you just sit there' i'd me a millionaire by now.

Everyone has had a go at football, rugby etc at school so it's easier to stick with what you know.

It is also still a class thing. Working class think that it's a rich sport because the royals do it etc but what they don't understand is that many of us (myself included) are working class, brought up in council houses and we actually would have money if we didn't have horses.

I think the ticket selling maybe due to number of tickets avalable (I hope i'm wrong) because even though people who own horses have gone up 11% (i think) in the last few years, they don't seem to be interested in watching the sport. I'm glued to the TV when anything involving horses is on but just a handful out of the 50 or so people down my yard don't watch it at all.

What do you all think?
 
fatpiggy said:
MrsHutt - your doctor needs to go back to medical school!!!
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lmao!! You know I have always thought that just 'cause you have a bit of paper saying you passed a medical degree, doesn't make you an expert :D:D

p.s. goes for some vets too imo...

That is good news to share Koko - we are a loyal breed :)

You will be pleased with me today - my shoulder all fixed now (had my op last month) and rode for first time this morning (my thighs are killing) in the school traffic run - in your face cars!!! Yes, queue till I pass please :D:D:D
 
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