Topic for debate: chickenitis in women vs. men?

[spookypony]

I've heard a lot of talk lately about women supposedly being more cautious than men at a certain age because of a biological clock a-ticking etc. etc., and I wondered what you all thought?

A few points to get this going:

How would you isolate biological from sociological factors in this sort of question? Given that women have often been told that men are bolder from such a young age.

Arguably, the sample groups in riding aren't terribly balanced: there're so few men that one might argue that they're the abnormal ones. Certainly, I know many men who are nervous of horses, and wouldn't ever consider getting on one.

The topic came up when I mentioned my irritation at having been quite bold on horseback as a girl (though a chicken about most other things), and finding myself getting rattled on occasion now. I thought it had less to do with any biological clock, and more t do with a) having stopped riding for about a decade, and b) suddenly taking quite a few tumbles off a very silly pony, when I've always been the "sticky-bum girl".

All right, take it away!

 

[dwi]

My caution has nothing to do with a biological clock and everything to do with how much trouble I'd be in at work if I had to take time off for breaking something.

That said, I'm still getting on mad lil so I hardly think I count in the nervous riders clique!

 

[Nortonlala]

I'm mbrave so long as I'm in control. The moment she does something unusual like....spook then there is a moment of panic. Thing is being a bloke there is a delay with brain transferring to situation so by the time I react the "peak" moment has gone so it looks like I was calm and collected in the heat of the moment and confidently rode out of the situation...men truely have it all

 

[NeilM]

YAY! I'm abnormal

 

[perfect11s]

I think confidence is lost along with bravardo as we get older,
im relatively new to horse ownership and not that confident(40 something year old male), as you get older you worry about all the things that might go wrong, and the result of accidents like not being able to work, look after horses or pay the morgage for instance.. where perhaps as a teenager you just go head first into new challenges, taking risks and not thinking ahead because of few responsibiltys, I know I did racing motorbikes and playing around on them,I was crazy.. If id never done it and I was to take it up now im sure I would be very carefull and chicken.. I would think could apply to horse riding for both men and women ie experiance helps you to weigh up the risk...

 

[spookypony]

See, perfect11s, that's sort of what I thought...I recall a situation where I wasn't sure about something and expressed caution...and it was only until later that a man with the group admitted that he hadn't been keen on the idea either, but didn't want to say so. I think that social conditioning in this case is so pervasive, that I don't know how one could possibly tell what are inherent traits.

 

[perfect11s]

[ QUOTE ]
YAY! I'm abnormal

[/ QUOTE ]

No no no!!! us men are the normal ones

 

[YorksG]

In this area the boys had motorbikes and the girls all had horses

(this was many years ago when Noah was only building canoes

) Most of the brave bike lads would have nothing to do with horses, certainly not riding them, stated reason being that the bike could not think for itself and they were entirely responsible for what happened. The bravery of each gender being based on different circumstances, which are probably sociological in origin. There may be some evolutionary aspect to it, like there may be with multi-tasking women and single minded men.

 

[NeilM]

I agree it is a confidence issue, but I'm not sure age has a lot to do with it.

I have ridden motorbikes since I was a teenager, at 19 I suffered a huge crash, as a pillion passenger, as soon as I was fit enough, I was back on the bike, and still ride fast 30 years later.

I am a late returner to horse riding and although I recognise that I am a novice, I also have a lot of confidence. I know my limits, but constantly push them forward. I was at a stables a few days ago and out of the blue I was offered a ride on a 17.2hh shire. I have never ridden anything above 15.3hh but I of course accepted the offer and walked, trotted and cantered around an arena for 20 minutes under the guidance of the horses owner. I was not the slightest bit nervous about anything, as I had confidence in my own (limited) ability.

I think it's more to do with personality than age or gender, perhaps as some of us get older we just get more reticent, while others like me just get sillier as the years pass.

 

[Pedantic]

[ QUOTE ]
YAY! I'm abnormal

[/ QUOTE ]

Me too

 

[Kat]

Personally I don't think it is the biological clock that affects nerves.

I think that with age and experience both sexes become naturally more cautious - afterall falling off hurts more when you are older! I think everyone becomes gradually more risk averse with age it is just the rate at which you do and the start point that varies. So someone like Bruce Davidson who evented at a high level into his 50s is probably more cautious in his 50s than he was at 16 but the change has been slower and has come from a very brave start point compared to the rest of us.

I think the difference with the sexes comes with children having a baby instantly makes you more aware of your responsibilities and changes your priorities. There is a strong biological imperitive for staying safe for the sake of your children. Few women return to high level competition after having children (Mary Kind being an obvious exception and I'm sure there are others). This doesn't affect men the same way, they were biologically conditioned to still go out hunting and protecting their family whereas women were supposed to stay at home and look after the family.

But the extent to which all this affects you depends so much upon personality, experiences, and circumstances.

My husband and I both ride, and I am by far the braver - he is strictly of the opinion that galloping or jumping is a bit silly and normally tells me off for taking risks if I fall off!

 

[burtie]

[ QUOTE ]
I think the difference with the sexes comes with children having a baby instantly makes you more aware of your responsibilities and changes your priorities.



[/ QUOTE ]

Totally agree, since having my daughter I have not really lost any confidence but don't jump seriously anymore and am always aware of my responsiblity to her and that has effected what I choose to do with my horse.