Who/Where is my tribe?

[Jellymoon]

I used to be in the usual traditional tribes: pony club/hunting/eventing which I enjoyed at the time, and still dip into, but I think I actually don’t really like tribes! You have to conform to the tribe rules. People can get quite fixated on these rules to the point where you are wrong if you don’t agree. I quite like doing my own thing and making my own rules. I think it helps that I don’t do an awful lot of competing these days and I’m not on a yard. It’s really nice to meet like-minded people which happens sometimes in person, but it’s very unusual if you are not actually doing much with your horses outside the home!
I do sometimes yearn for a tribe though, and sometimes think about taking some competitive route a bit more seriously again, or perhaps getting more involved with local RC, doing more hunting and going along to the balls and dinners etc, but I just don’t feel my true tribe is there.
So I conclude I don’t really have a horsey tribe anymore. I have a non-horsey friend tribe, so that’s good. Probably more healthy!

 

[J&S]

When i lived in the New Forest i had a lovely horsey tribe. We all did various competitive stuff (or not) but most of all we enjoyed riding out in the forest. There were so many different training opportunities that could be naturally incorporated into a ride so we all had pretty handy, well educated horses and ponies and could enjoy each others company with out stress. When a problem arose there was always some one to help you out and get things sorted.

I have been in Devon for 20 + years now and having a horse was a great intro to a new area, I became involved in several horse related committees which gave one a tribe (PC, RC, Trec, local show) and had a real "family" feel with RDA.

Now I am really old and non competitive but my tribe is me and my ponies with meet ups with old pals from the previous tribes. I am so glad I had the chance to meet with them and keep them in my life.

 

[Cloball]

@palo1 I'd love to ride Offa's Dyke some day. Maybe the Cairngorm 100. I read a book.by a very funny lady who rode the Camino and started in the UK. That's the sort of riding I'd like to do in future and I do follow a fair few who do it in the UK on social media.

Currently though I am without horse or tribe. I'd love to learn better horsemanship the kind @Caol Ila talks about before I buy but how does one do that!? I grew up in a very BHS, make them do it sort of ethos which I would like to largely unlearn. I have lessons but decent ones are hard to find and I have moved a lot in the last few years. My horse pals are back in Scotland and I do look enviously at my friend who does Trec, endurance and sidesaddle with her lovely boy but it feels like I definitely need to jump in and buy the horse first in order to get the decent training!

 

[Jellymoon]

@palo1 I'd love to ride Offa's Dyke some day. Maybe the Cairngorm 100. I read a book.by a very funny lady who rode the Camino and started in the UK. That's the sort of riding I'd like to do in future and I do follow a fair few who do it in the UK on social media.

Currently though I am without horse or tribe. I'd love to learn better horsemanship the kind @Caol Ila talks about before I buy but how does one do that!? I grew up in a very BHS, make them do it sort of ethos which I would like to largely unlearn. I have lessons but decent ones are hard to find and I have moved a lot in the last few years. My horse pals are back in Scotland and I do look enviously at my friend who does Trec, endurance and sidesaddle with her lovely boy but it feels like I definitely need to jump in and buy the horse first in order to get the decent training!

Def buy the horse, and then book yourself onto lots of lovely clinics with said horse and learn a whole new way of training! Will be a fun adventure. My daughter is really into alternatives ways of training, in-hand, Liberty, all that sort of thing, so I’ve taken her on a few clinics, really fascinating. I think that’s probably why I’ve moved away from the traditional tribes myself as I’ve taken on board some of their techniques, and adopted a more sympathetic way of training. I still don’t feel they are quite my tribe though…still like some of the old school ways.…just not the cruel ones.

 

[rara007]

Our local indoor has been doing ‘social’ hires- £20 for an hours hire up to 4 people, a panini drink and cake! I love the idea. I’m Lucky with my sport, but it’s still nice to have local contacts.

 

[palo1]

@palo1 I'd love to ride Offa's Dyke some day. Maybe the Cairngorm 100. I read a book.by a very funny lady who rode the Camino and started in the UK. That's the sort of riding I'd like to do in future and I do follow a fair few who do it in the UK on social media.

Currently though I am without horse or tribe. I'd love to learn better horsemanship the kind @Caol Ila talks about before I buy but how does one do that!? I grew up in a very BHS, make them do it sort of ethos which I would like to largely unlearn. I have lessons but decent ones are hard to find and I have moved a lot in the last few years. My horse pals are back in Scotland and I do look enviously at my friend who does Trec, endurance and sidesaddle with her lovely boy but it feels like I definitely need to jump in and buy the horse first in order to get the decent training!

Offas Dyke is, in most places, a lovely ride and very do-able. I often ride bits of it and the bits I know are really straightforward and in wonderful country though some of the mountain parts have been stoned all along which I think is a bit of a shame (especially for unshod horses) but then I understand why and those tracks are in spectacular places! I think the Cairngorm 100 is a very well organised ride so that is very do-able too I didn't know there was a sort of social media long riders type scene so I will check that out - thanks. As for horse or training ; buy the horse and then dabble in training/clinics to see what suits you both. There are some brilliant trainers from all sorts of perspectives available and individual horses do seem to have preferences, sometimes surprising ones! My clever spotty horse who takes himself terribly seriously as an athlete and boss type really loved learning tricks and circus type things which was hilarious as I never would have thought he would enjoy that sort of thing. It's worth playing around to see what works for every combination I think unless you were really set on a particular discipline.

 

[laura_nash]

I guess my "tribe" would be Intelligent Horsemanship. I don't agree with everything everyone in it says or does, and rarely see anyone IRL these days, but thats where my sense of "like-minded community" would sit. Its generally a very welcoming and open-minded community with a focus on understanding horse psychology and improving riding/handling. Some people compete (in all sorts of disciplines and levels), most don't. You get a bit of hero worship and selling of products, but its minor and easily ignored, and the webinars and articles are really varied and interesting. If I was going to go out and spend money doing something horsey, it would probably be more of their courses.