Relateable Equestrian Rants

10. Equal

10. Equal

To be honest, I think horse back riding doesn't get enough credit.  People don't really realize just how difficult it can be.  They think that because you are sitting on something, and you aren't running or doing something very "athletic," that it's any less of a sport.  If anything, that makes it more of a sport.  Do they realize the skill, agility, balance, strength, and courage it takes to get on these huge creatures and force them to perform actions we want them to?  Think about how big horses are compared to us.  Most of them, their heads are the size of our torso.  Their bodies are at least triple the size of ours.  Yet we can make them to do such delicate actions, without question?  Seems difficult to me.  Just because we don't call it "practice" or a "game," doesn't mean it's any easier.  Just because you have games every weekend, doesn't mean we don't have competitions every weekend.  Sure, you run around for maybe an hour and a half, but we are at a horse show for usually 8 hours.  We don't get a break from our horse.  We stay with them, at the trailer, warming them up, or in the show ring.  In the 90 degree heat, we are wearing black jackets, pants, tall boots, and a helmet.  You don't hear us complaining because we love what we do.  You conditon by running long distances and up hills.  We condition by trotting up hills and cantering long distances.  Equal.  You improve stamina by jogging a mile.  We condition by cantering five miles.  You prepare by getting your uniform ready.  We prepare by washing an entire horse, getting tack ready, and our own clothes ready.  Just because we don't call what we do the same thing as you, or we don't do exactly what you do, or we don't look exactly what you do, does NOT make horseback riding any easier than what you do.  All sports are equal.  So before you tell me, "it's not a sport," or "it's easy, the horse does all the work," remember your reasons and I'll give you 1,000 and more of why what we do is of the same difficulty, if not more, as your sport.