Everyone at some point in their school lives has had a weird
kid in their class who was obsessed with horses. They cantered around the play
ground, wrote copious and seemingly endless stories about ponies (magical or
otherwise) and if you were lucky enough to be invited back to their house for
tea, you would soon find out their room was an equine emporium, undoubtedly
with a precious collection of model horses on show which you were allowed to
look at but not touch. I would love to say this is a totally incorrect
stereotype but I would be lying. Having a multitude of equestrian and non
equestrian friends, I found I was not an anomaly and almost all of them had
either been one or knew one in their primary school days. After that phase, it
was a simple progression. My mum bought me my first ‘proper’ competition pony
at 6 years old because she wanted me to ‘be more competitive and keen’ about
ponies and not just collect plastic ones....the moral of that story is to be
careful what you wish for.
However, ever since I was little, people have always held or
shared judgements, comments and connotations about my choice of sport or personal
career. Over the years, I have learnt that people fall into three main categories
when it comes to views on horse riding.
The first is the fellow horsey person. Whether it’s a coach,
rival, parent or complete stranger on the internet, they always believe they
know everything there is to know about riding and horses, particularly your
horse. As someone who has had a number of badly behaved ponies over the years,
I can personally relate to the frustration felt when some moth eaten Pony Club
teacher from the 70s tells me my pony is ‘out of control’ and ‘needs proper
handling’, insulting both my mum and myself in one swift motion. The perfect
situation for a person like this is the ‘New Pony Complex’. They are quick to
highlight every possible flaw with your new pride and joy, classics including ‘he’s
a bit cobby’, ‘he won’t go far’ and my all time favourite ‘he is far too good
for you’. On the other hand, these people are easy to spot and avoid with most
fellow horsey people merely sharing your love and passion for the sport,
scouting them out every time you enter a new group of people and happily
spending hours rambling on about all things equine, much to the irritation of
everyone else.
The second type is the impassive. These are sometimes the
most frustrating people as more often than not they have the timeless words on
their lips: ‘What’s so great about horse riding anyway, all you do is sit there
right?’ Although this often isn't meant in a malicious way, it has almost the
same effect as a horsey person saying ‘he would go much better for you if...’
Trying to explain things to them is irritating and pains taking but if they are
willing to accept that you are passionate about this and that horses come first
in relation to your lifestyle, then you’re better off just leaving them in the
unknown.
The final type of person is the ignorant. Different to the
impassive in the fact that they verbally express their dislike for the sport
whether it’s because they believe that in some way it isn't ethically correct,
or that it isn't a ‘real sport’. There isn't a great deal you can say to these
people especially if they are the type who refuse to acknowledge your point of
view; everyone’s views are valid but forcing people to share yours when you
have little knowledge to back up your claims has no validity whatsoever. The
best thing to do is smile, retreat and ‘go cuddle your pony’ as they so often
suggest.
“No hour of your life is wasted in the saddle”, although
many wouldn't agree with or understand
Winston Churchill, I am certainly glad to be in the minority of those
who do.
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