Whips, crops, and spurs can also be found in a tack room. The accusation that riders are cruel and purposely harm animals has been made since the beginning of this sport. What most people do not understand is that horse skin and hair is not like ours. For the horse, being “hit” with a crop is like someone tapping them asking for their attention for a moment. Horses typically range from 1,000 to 2,000 lbs, although there have been record-breaking horses that weigh over 3,000 lbs. Their skin is much, much thicker than ours and is covered in a coarse layer of hair that is tough to see through, and tough to injure. People see riders “whipping” their horses and think that they are punishing the animal and trying to hurt it. However, what is really happening is much different. Typically, crops and spurs are used when the horse is unsure of the speed, direction, or action needed so these tools are used to getthe attention of the horse and let them know to do what the rider says. Again, the use of a crop or spur is similar to someone tapping you.
The last few paragraphs have been mostly about what to do before the rider reaches the ring. That’s only the first part of many. There are warm-ups that consist of serpentines, trot poles, no stirrups, sitting trots, sizing circles, 2-point, and laps. There are walking, trotting, and cantering exercises designed to stretch and burn every muscle in the rider’s body. There are jumps ranging from half a foot to 6 feet, although there are records set of jumps at 7 and 8 feet. The trainer is yelling, the rider is sweating, and the horse is bucking.
There are many things that riders have to watch out for. The rider’s eyes must always look up and forward. In horseback riding, the rider goes where they look. If they look down at the jump while jumping it, they will end up on the ground. Horses can sense their rider’s position and even emotions. If the rider is looking down at the jump, it messes up their cues to the horse and often makes him/her trip and accidentally throw off their rider. Also, if a rider is nervous or afraid, a horse may become jittery and anxious as well. It is extremely important to act confident and sure when riding and to always lead the horse, not the other way around, however much they try to get away with cutting corners or clipping poles. Having heels down is the best way to have balance as a rider. It prevents almost all falls and is essential for both etiquette and being practical.
Many things can go wrong during shows. Whether the problem is at the barn, in the trailer, by the ring, or while being judged, mistakes are inevitable and all riders realize that. However, we still watch out for a variety of issues. Wrong leads, bad position, loosing stirrups, missing jumps, or dressing incorrectly will damage your score, but going the wrong way, running into others, or falling off will RUIN your score. “Trantering” is hated by all riders. It is a mix of trotting and cantering and it is a high-speed, choppy, uneven, unbalanced, and unattractive sort of run. Running improperly and unattractively is a death sentence in the show ring. Without sending proper cues to the horse using the wrists and feet, the horse will get stuck between two options, trotting and cantering. This can happen if the rider does not direct the horse, keep their eyes on their goal, and check their diagonal. The horse must always be leading with a certain foot around turns, and riders actually have to watch their leg muscles and observe which ones move while riding a certain way, or else the horse and rider will be unbalanced. When a horse is “trantering” or on the wrong lead, they can trip far too easily which, obviously, is dangerous and also awkward to look at. Horseback riding shows are like much more hazardous and complex beauty pageants. If the rider looks perfect and beautiful, they get a high score!
The next time that someone asks a rider if what we do is hard, they should hand them a copy of this article! Clothes, positions, instructions, bathing, grooming, tacking up, and actually riding are incredibly difficult and complicated. As the author, I had to resist delving into even more complex parts of riding such as competition structures (classes, prizes, scoring, etc.), horse breeds (thoroughbreds, Belgians, minis, etc.), jump types (rivieras, oxers, cross poles, etc.), personal showing stories (horse stampedes, wipeouts, basically the average show, etc.) and even more rants (trust me, there’s more to say). If you haven’t guessed, I’m a rider. Horseback riding sounds easy, right?