Why do we ride ?

[All]

As equestrian's what makes us want to ride.

Does it make us happy?.

Does it give us a sense of purpose in life to get up and look after this big animal?

Does it keep our mental health / wellbeing at bay?. By keeping out mind active as they will not look after them self`s?.

Or

Is it because they can teach us things without ever speaking?

They never say a word. But they listen to everything we say. Regardless of what it is!.

Every horse has something to teach you!.

What makes us empty out our wallets to keep one of these graceful animals?

Why do we ride a horse. Why not a cow, pig or a deer?

We fall off But we get back on. They show us Resilience

At novice level it's 99% women but at elite level it’s mostly men why is that? Is it that men are Historical stronger… No it can help but it’s all technique

25 years ago bringing up children was a women’s job `` I found that the whole thing about bringing up 2 children was in the hands of the female (the mum stayed at home and the dad went to work) then my life was turned upside down I had to change and on time to learn.

I found that this is not the done thing for a man; I was discriminated against as I was a man and should not be doing this.

As you always try to do your best for you children, I would take them to the “ mums and tots group” and all I got was looks that would kill (why is a man in here and what can we talk to him about).

As time went on I found the discrimination got worse, even as I was shopping, the shop only had a changing room in the female toilets and none in the male ones.``
(taken from Single mum ok, single dad no. (wrote in2006 by G Armstrong)).​

​

Anyone else found a guy at novice level that few people take seriously?

Historically horses were used for working. Ploughing fields, pulling carts, leading soldiers in to battle. But now they’re mostly used for recreational pleasure

You are thinking that they were replaced by the car. A car can’t teach you what love is. It can`t teach discipline. A car is a hunk of metal used to take the kids to school!.

I kept being asked Why I started riding normally by instructors. Did my other half ride?. Did I take up riding after watching game of thrones? Am I trying to seduce a young female by riding a half ton animal around a arena?. I recently found out my mum and her sister both road a kids.

Is this why I ride. I still don’t know why I started riding I wanted to try it and see where it got me in the sport and in life.

Why did you start?

 

[ycbm]

Wrong poster, sorry deleted

 

[PurBee]

I started riding as a kid, but it wasn’t for the riding really, i just really loved horses and wanted to be around them. I was born just loving horses and have no idea why as no-one else in my childhood exposed me to a horse, or was into animals.

It was only by taking riding lessons i could be around them. I found riding fun and enjoyable, but am most happiest being on the ground among them, interacting with them.

Theyve taught me so much more than i ever believed possible! I only now know, many decades later, i wouldnt have got those lessons being in the saddle. Yet i do love the thrill from riding them, especially if you’ve got a good rapport with the horse!

 

[Gloi]

Amongst other things it's nice to explore the countryside on a creature whose legs and lungs work so much better than mine.

 

[numptynovice]

I have always loved horses and riding/being around them is one of the only things in life that gives me pure, beaming,
unadulterated joy. I learnt as an adult and my first gallop at the age of 40 is one of the highlights of my life. I also really enjoy getting my head around the technicalities and how tiny adjustments in your body make a huge difference to your riding. being around horses just makes me happy.

 

[DabDab]

What a strange OP. Did you intend to dump a passage about discrimination towards single dads in the middle there?

 

[Equi]

Riding/dealing with a horse can give a sense of control when you may not otherwise have any but they can also teach respect and empathy. You have to challenge yourself to get over your nerves and improve yourself but at the same time you gain control of something that is essentially completely out of your control. I took up riding because my sister did and it turned into the weekend baby sitter. But still its about control. My horses have their own lives and do what they want when im not with them and have their own laws and rules in the herd, but when i am there that all goes out the window because they have to learn to do what im asking/making them do e.g separate from that herd, come to me, do what work i ask..if they don't i ask again until they get it. So they just learn to do what they are told. Thats me having control. There are people who let their horses walk all over them and they are always told to take more control, and there are people who are naturally controlling in all aspects of life and sometimes they need to learn to hold back a bit because the horse then rejects the control...so that person then has to control themselves.

 

[Gloi]

What a strange OP. Did you intend to dump a passage about discrimination towards single dads in the middle there?

I was brought up by a single dad 50+ years ago and he managed fine.

 

[DabDab]

I was brought up by a single dad 50+ years ago and he managed fine.

Good for him. One of my best friends at school had only her dad around and he was just the coolest parent ever

Still not sure why a copy and pasted passage from something written about it in 2006 has been plonked quite literally in the middle of a paragraph, in an OP talking about why people love riding horses. ?

 

[Keith_Beef]

What a strange OP. Did you intend to dump a passage about discrimination towards single dads in the middle there?

The whole post is a bit odd and difficult to read.

I think that All was drawing a comparison between the fact that the few men who bring up children as lone parents face difficulties and discrimination in a similar way to the relatively few men who ride horses at a novice level...

I couldn't find a book with the title "Single mum ok, single dad no" written by G. Armstrong... maybe it was the title of an article.

All, can you provide a link to the original text, please?

 

[Goldenstar]

I ride because I like it .
I always wanted to ride my patents took me to the local riding school at five and that was that .
Men are always very welcome at the trainers I go to .
At the top level particularly in show jumping there are more men than woman but eventing and dressage are pretty equal.
My OH rides has a horse he just gets on and enjoys himself doing what he likes that’s the best way forward .

 

[ycbm]

I ride because I am drawn to horses like iron filings are to a magnet, and always have been.

I don't think you own your own horse, All, so I hope I'm not criticising a horse you love, (and it's just a picture so a tiny moment in time)
but why do you have a picture of a horse looking angry and unhappy as your avatar?

 

[All]

I couldn't find a book with the title "Single mum ok, single dad no" written by G. Armstrong... maybe it was the title of an article.

All, can you provide a link to the original text, please?

I will see if I can atach it as a PDF when I get home
It was in a book about short stories

 

[All]

i 'm not criticising a horse you love, (and it's just a picture so a tiny moment in time)
but why do you have a picture of a horse looking angry and unhappy as your avatar?

The main reason is that it's the only photo that will upload to the forum every other photo for some reason won't upload

 

[scats]

I ride horses because there weren’t any cows available at the riding school...

 

[smolmaus]

I suppose at it's most basic it does just make me happy, yeah. It's exercise, it's social (in normal times), it's a skill to develop like any other sport. And horses are just nice to be around. I don't necessarily believe they have special powers of soothing mental illness or communicating on a deep spiritual level, they just have chill vibes. Most of the time.

If we want to get philosophical I suppose now that horses are no longer required as "beasts of burden" for the most part, you should ride or drive or insert-discipline-here because it benefits the horse, the same as it does you. To keep fit, have mental stimulation and develop confidence.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Because when electricity just suddenly stops (even spark plugs and glow plugs in engines), we'll need to know stuff like how to work with horses and how to grow our own food.

 

[cauda equina]

Habit

 

[Mule]

I find horses relaxing. I enjoy being with them. I enjoy riding because it's a fun skill to learn. There's always more to learn and lots of improvements to make. I like the thinking aspect of schooling.

I also enjoy hacking through the countryside without thinking of anything but relaxing and looking at the scenery.

 

[Keith_Beef]

I find horses relaxing. I enjoy being with them. I enjoy riding because it's a fun skill to learn. There's always more to learn and lots of improvements to make. I like the thinking aspect of schooling.

I also enjoy hacking through the countryside without thinking of anything but relaxing and looking at the scenery.

And they smell nice.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

I get on with horses/animals better than I do with people.

When not pregnant I probably rode 5 x a week in summer and maybe 3 in winter but its not the main reason I have a horse. I have a high pressure job and having a long canter out hacking never fails to bring a smile to my face or when my pony whinnies at me walking up the track to her.

 

[Alibear]

Because its fun and the things to learn are never-ending

 

[pixie27]

Because I love horses, and can't imagine life without them. Because it's fun and funny - whether it's the social side of the yard or just a horse doing something daft, a trip to the yard never fails to make me smile and lift my mood. It's relaxing and makes me feel present. I love learning new things and trying new stuff out, and discovering how every part of me can affect my riding. It gives me purpose and goals, something to get out of bed for. It's (sometimes) relaxing.

And it hugely helps me from a mental health perspective. I don't know whether it's the present-ness, or the routine, or the purpose, or the physical activity & being outside, but the times in my life that I've had horses/ridden regularly are the times that I've felt most at peace. I don't think they're a cure by any means. But I've always had this image in my head of my horse keeping the 'black dog' of depression away. Not scaring it off entirely, but keeping it at a reasonable distance.

 

[ycbm]

The main reason is that it's the only photo that will upload to the forum every other photo for some reason won't upload

You don't need an avatar photo, but your pictures are too big.

You can either resize them some way (I crop and/or screenshot) to get them below 1mb, or you can load them into something else like Facebook or blogspot and pick up the url and copy it inside [img ] [/img ] brackets, but remove the spaces inside the brackets.
.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

It's been a part of my life for a very long time and I can't remember the time that I didn't ride.

 

[Mule]

And they smell nice.

Absolutely, although the mule has been known to roll in dubious items

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

It's easier than walking ?‍

 

[Goldenstar]

It's easier than walking ?‍

Errr I am not sure it is .

 

[All]

here is the story Single mum ok, single dad no. if any one is intersted

 

[catembi]

OP, I have an app called 'image size' because i was having the same problem iro uploading images. I open it, find the photo that I want to post, it does its magic, I resave it, then hey presto! The photo will upload to the forum. It means that I can only post photos from my phone, but such is the price of being a technological imbecile!