Equestrians and eating disorders

[cleozowner]

I have hesitated to write this post, but I think it’s something that needs to be discussed.

Horseback riding, unfortunately, joins the ranks of dance, gymnastics, and cheerleading in that it can place an inordinate amount of emphasis on the rider’s physical appearance. George Morris has certainly discussed riders’ weights, for example, although he’s no stranger to controversy on other topics, either.

I personally follow upper-level eventing more than I do any other discipline right now, and while eventers are known for being a pretty friendly, accepting group, excessive emphasis on weight still exists. Most recently a professional rider posted an article discussing how they juggle riding 5-10 horses daily while eating 1200 calories PER DAY. (As someone with a long history with nutritionists, I can tell you that no RD would EVER say 1200 calories is appropriate to maintain at that level of activity.) When recently interviewed, they made a point to note that they had to lose a significant amount of weight to “fit into” an outfit.

I’m aware of occasional posts about the “eq diet” on the H/J forum, though the above example was the first time I noticed it in eventing. In this day and age of increased awareness of mental health and the dangers of the female athlete triad, why is this language acceptable? Riders for Well-Being is one organization trying to combat this skewed attitude toward size and riding, but is it enough? Do we need to do anything more? SHOULD we?

Feel free to tell me I’m being overly sensitive—but IMO if you actively seek a social media following (many of whom are young girls looking up to the BNRs), you cannot endorse unhealthy habits as part of what makes you a successful athlete. (Also note, I am not suggesting any particular person has an ED–but I think it’s fair game to say when a behavior is unhealthy.)

[RodeoFTW]

I don’t think you’re being oversensitive. I’ve always felt really uncomfortable at shows because I am thick (never fat, but I got thighs, a butt, and boobs) so I’m never going to get that dainty princess in the countryside look while I’m riding my horse (I’m also not white, so there you have it).

I wish a lot of things in the riding work would change, along with the weight hate issue. I’d love to see more diversity in the people who ride and compete at horse shows (I think I only saw maybe one or two other people of color at the Equine Affaire Show in Colomubs this year, which is just pathetic and sad imo).

If you can ride a horse comfortably and without causing him pain or discomfort, your ‘look’ should not matter. A well-trained horse should speak for itself, not the rider who sits on top of it.

[ChasPonyCat]

I wonder how much attire has to do with it too. I’ve seen numerous people even just on this board talk about how they look in breeches, having “sausage legs,” cellulite, etc. Maybe wearing tight, stretchy pants just emphasizes any insecurities lingering under the surface.

[Scratch_N_Dent]

I’m 5’3" with boots on and chunky. My latest solution is not to ride anything under 17hh; now I look tiny!!

[AppendixQHLover]

I have struggled with my weight my entire life. Personally I ride better when I am smaller but I never let my size stop me from riding all together. I just dressed my body in size appropriate show clothes. Wearing no jacket was never an option even if it was 100% because I didn’t look good at all without a jacket. I also rode size appropriate horses.

I have had instructors berate me because of my weight and I tried to not let it bother me. because other instructors were fine with it.

[betsyk]

I think in the situation the OP describes, the person speaking probably doesn’t think of their comments as being inappropriate - that goes right along with the unhealthy attitudes toward food and eating - they think they’re right and the rest of us are wrong. They think they ARE being a good role model for young girls = “if you want to succeed in this sport you need to be thin like me.” It’s all really, really messed up. The part that I continue to try to get my brain around is how to encourage healthy eating and healthy fitness behavior in the kids who need to be fitter, without the message being taken the wrong way. For every girl who skips dinner on barn nights to save calories, there’s another who makes poor choices at the drive through. How do you say to a 14-y-o, “you’re an athletic and coordinated and well balanced and sensitive rider, and if you were fitter you’d be even more amazing” without the second half of the message coming through louder than the first half?

[RodeoFTW]

Who are these instructors who are attacking their paying students over their weight? Is this in more competitive barns?

[downen]

I wonder and hope that the professional rider OP spoke of is an anomaly rather than the norm. I’ve been involved with eventing for close to 30 years, and in my experience, the emphasis is on fitness, not weight. I would think an upper level event rider would not have a problem staying in shape, what with all the hours of schooling and course walks necessary to compete at that level. Plus, eventers are a hands-on group to begin with, so add to that mucking, grooming, etc. There have been successful eventers of all weights and sizes over the years, and still are.

[AppendixQHLover]

[QUOTE=RodeoFTW;8640503]
Who are these instructors who are attacking their paying students over their weight? Is this in more competitive barns?[/QUOTE]

Nope it wasn’t overly competitive. I had been a rider with a butt for most of my life so I never saw it as an issue. Even as a teenager I had a butt and boobs.

[kinscem]

I do not know about any fit and capable and yet thick ridrs to be ridiculed or looked down on. Some of us know an example of thick and overgrown steeplechase jockey turned one of the most successfull eventing riders and there are others.
But: Equestrian sports! require certain amount of fitness to be enjoyed by both participants. Rider and horse.
So I think the situation described by OP maybe comes from the all too frequently seen obviously unfit riders obviously impeding on their mounts who are trying to balance and keep going.

[cleozowner]

[QUOTE=betsyk;8640501]
I think in the situation the OP describes, the person speaking probably doesn’t think of their comments as being inappropriate - that goes right along with the unhealthy attitudes toward food and eating - they think they’re right and the rest of us are wrong. They think they ARE being a good role model for young girls = “if you want to succeed in this sport you need to be thin like me.” It’s all really, really messed up. The part that I continue to try to get my brain around is how to encourage healthy eating and healthy fitness behavior in the kids who need to be fitter, without the message being taken the wrong way. For every girl who skips dinner on barn nights to save calories, there’s another who makes poor choices at the drive through. How do you say to a 14-y-o, “you’re an athletic and coordinated and well balanced and sensitive rider, and if you were fitter you’d be even more amazing” without the second half of the message coming through louder than the first half?[/QUOTE]

Having been obese (but still playing sports) during part of my teenage years, I spent a fair amount of time in the too-heavy-to-be-healthy range. I can tell you there ARE ways to do it, but it’s exactly what you said–emphasizing fitness. The coaches that were most successful for me were emphasizing things one’s body could DO–having endurance, for example, so I didn’t run out of energy by the end of a game. (Which would be obtained by things like running, which would ultimately encourage weight loss…)

[GucciJumper]

I’m not a trainer, but I would recommend to almost everyone, especially adults, to do some sort of work out other than riding. It makes a drastic influence. I don’t care if you are still “larger” but you can still be in shape, even while appearing “large.”

[RodeoFTW]

^I don’t think that’s the problem though. There is a particular “look” judges want that isn’t always attainable for most girls (especially if you are awkwardly built/not white).

Riding can be elitist and it makes it hard for all of us who don’t fit that very particular mold.

[GucciJumper]

[QUOTE=RodeoFTW;8640579]
^I don’t think that’s the problem though. There is a particular “look” judges want that isn’t always attainable for most girls (especially if you are awkwardly built/not white).

Riding can be elitist and it makes it hard for all of us who don’t fit that very particular mold.[/QUOTE] I guess I wasn’t clear. It’s part that drives me crazy too. I was stating my belief on what is enough.

[kinscem]

Sad reading above. But there is a way: do not participate in subjective judging sport like hunters. If that is where you come from. Come over to jumpers or better yet eventers!
Learning from ground up little flat work, little jumping and eventing judges will not look at your shape, only at your actual results coming from how you ride and deal with your horse over the variety of tasks.

[541hunter]

[QUOTE=kinscem;8640603]
Sad reading above. But there is a way: do not participate in subjective judging sport like hunters. If that is where you come from. Come over to jumpers or better yet eventers!
Learning from ground up little flat work, little jumping and eventing judges will not look at your shape, only at your actual results coming from how you ride and deal with your horse over the variety of tasks.[/QUOTE]

Hunters aren’t the problem – the eq is where body type will really come into play. It’s pretty insidious in the eq, with some trainers/rail birds/judges making comments about “the picture,” which pretty much means long, slender legs and a short torso. You should hear the stories from IHSA teams hunting down skinny girls in dorm cafeterias and the campus rec center for the walk-trot division! Yes, those attributes can be helpful in terms of function (and in the case of legs, really can help you look like you have a nicer position). But clearly many, many riders can have good, effective positions with a different body type.

[RodeoFTW]

Has anyone ever had this kind of problem in the dressage world?

[cbv]

I don’t believe body image and related disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are sport or discipline related. They exist throughout society. Just being a teenager is enough. Now probably a pre-teen.

Back in the late 60’s/early 70’s when I was a young girl a family member died from anorexia. She was a young mother. A well off family with a successful husband (before women worked outside the home if not financially necessary). Never participated in any sport I knew of.

It was before anyone ever heard of the disease. We are all more educated now but I don’t know any more successful at understanding or treating the disease.

[FLeventer]

I’m recovering from an eating disorder. I have fought with it for some time and I’m still fighting it. It was mostly triggered by a father who harped on my weight when I was a young teenager but the pressure from trainers and fellow riders didn’t help any.

I relapsed after having a trainer who commented on my weight quite often. I wasn’t chunky at the time either. My skinny days she would comment on my outfit or looking good and the days that I gained, she wouldn’t say anything. It was always about being thin for her. She really wasn’t the only one. I’ve had a few trainers who commented on my weight. Mind you, I’m not plus size, I’m a 4/6.

There’s a lot of pressure on riders to look thin. I hear it all the time about riders who are looking chunky lately or riders who look great now that they have lost weight.

I don’t know what article you are talking about OP, but I can relate. I went from eating 800 to 1300 calories and riding a few horses a day and working out. My body was starving itself and when I started eating a normal diet of 1800 calories, I actually started losing more weight and slimming down.

This isn’t just in the hunters and eq, this is in eventing as well so lets not say it doesn’t pertain to our sect in the sport. There is always pressure to look good in your white breeches. Hearing your peers and your trainers always speak of being thin enough or fitting in their own show clothes and it influences young riders to always be watching their weight even more.

[Cowgirl]

[QUOTE=RodeoFTW;8640760]
Has anyone ever had this kind of problem in the dressage world?[/QUOTE]
Most competitive dressage riders are thin, to the point of underweight. There are reasons for this, like any other sport where the judging is subjective and appearance matters: (1) the attire adds 20 lbs to the appearance, being underweight assures the elegant look; (2) being underweight gives the appearance of a quieter seat (even if its not)–jiggle will give the appearance of a busy seat (even if its not); (3) being thin gives the appearance of lightness, so even if the rider is muscling the horse around, it will look not as strong as someone with a strong or heavy physique.

Really good judges, who are all too far and few, can tell the difference between quiet seat and just no jiggle. Still, it is subjective and jiggly riders are going to have to work harder for every point. This is why you have riders who wear body shapers under their show clothes in 90 degree heat.

Every top rider I have been around has been on a constant diet to stay thin. It is amazing to me that some of them can ride 10 horse on only a yoghurt and tea, but they do!