There are a lot of things I do (or don't do) that aren't very exciting... but, in the long run, it's safer. I've had very few serious injuries, thanks to my parents' overbearing protection, which seems to have carried over to me and my habits. Regardless, I have fun, despite my safe habits.
Today, I was helping out at a 4-H horse show; it was the gymkhana day. Only two kids bit the dust, which was quite impressive, seeing as there were several other potential wrecks, including one with a saddle that slipped
and flipped to the front of the horse's near side. I have never, in my life, seen that happen. I've seen saddles slip to the side, but never flip to the front... in any case, there were many wrecks in the making.
The other lady, who was helping in the show booth had two kids participating. Her daughter's horse had to be chased into the ring by two people armed with pool noodles. (Oh boy; I've never seen that happen, either.) Everyone had to clap, for the son's horse to enter the arena. (Diva syndrome, eh?) It should also be noted that the daughter was one of the ones shaking dust out of her pants this afternoon.... along with these two gems, another girl was riding the woman's horse, and another girl was riding a horse that had recently come from this lady's barn. They were both quite wild, much closer to the 'out of control' end of the spectrum than anything else, as were most of the horses at this show.
Now, in full disclosure, I've always thought barrel racing, along with other games, would be rather fun. However, I would prefer not to 'ruin' my nice horse, for the other, slower events. I'll enter my mare in game classes, but we just lope through, unless she seems to be getting hot - then we walk or trot. We might not win many classes like that, but it gives her a chance to take a break from the walk-trot-walk-canter-walk humdrum of regular show fare.
In any case, the other lady asked if I had any connections to horses, so I told her that I used to show in 4-H. She asked what events I did, and I told her that I had mostly just done English and Western, which is the truth. There's no way I was going to let my sweet mare turn into one of those wild-ass game horses, but I didn't say that, instead adding, "my horse is one of those little chubby Quarter Horse/Paints, so she's not really the barrel type," also true. The lady's reply shocked me, as she said, "oh, that's boring. She could always go on a diet."
Oh gosh. Lady, please don't insult my horse; she is on a diet... and the pleasure classes aren't that boring, really - they just don't turn your horse into a rearing beast. Also, may I note that I never fell off at a show, unlike most of today's riders. (Their mothers were talking about all the spills the kids have had, even at the state fair, of all places!) Plus, my mother never had to chase my horse and I into the ring with a pool noodle or anything else; she was always quite content walking in on her own accord. If she wasn't, my mom would have told me that if I couldn't get my horse in the ring on my own, I had no business taking her to a show... so, please, Lady, don't insult my decision if your kids can't safely show their horses, due to their (and your) choices.
I know it's uncommon, but I actually don't care what riding discipline you follow! As long as you treat your horse well, and do it safely, you can do whatever you want with your beast; it's for your enjoyment, after all. However, I believe enjoyment should be a key part of this... horses are an expensive lifestyle, too expensive to not enjoy your time with them. (They take way too much time and money to be considered a mere hobby.) That being said, if those are in place, I don't care if you're English, Western, or anything in between. I'm not going to bash you for choosing to game your horses. I am, however, going to bash you for gaming your horses in such a manner that they become unsafe, uncontrolled, and unenjoyable.
Until you can get your horse in the ring, Lady, I will continue enjoying my little mare, even if she is a little plump. She's a sweet, smart, strong, stubborn girl with a good head on her shoulders, and I love her to pieces. There's no way I'm going to scream and yell 'hut, hut, hut!' at her to get her to turn a little tighter. That girl's taken me far more places than I ever thought I would go on one horse, and for that, I'll take being boring.
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