Male Equestrians: Where do they come from?

[2DogsFarm]

@Horsegirl_s_Mom

It’s like the advantage of riding a horse with flashy white socks and a blaze. You might just catch the judge’s eye a tiny bit more

Maybe.
But then you (that standout rider) need to be on your A Game every round.
Guy I showed alongside rode an Appy with the sad Appy tail in Working Hunter.
He rode the spots off that mare Every.Time. & earned his ribbons.
FWIW:
His family trained for local TB Racing royalty.

[NoSuchPerson]

@Eclectic_Horseman

How many male trainers do you know who pretend to be straight and/or not married in order to appeal to the potential female clients?

I think that’s an antiquated idea. Like the days when gay male actors had to pretend to be straight and even marry women.

I read an interview with an older male singer the other day who did not come out as gay until well after his Top 10 career was over. He said he always feared his legions of female fans wouldn’t accept him being gay and singing love songs about women. He said once he came out, he discovered that his female fans did not care one bit.

[Eclectic_Horseman]

@NoSuchPerson

I think that’s an antiquated idea. Like the days when gay male actors had to pretend to be straight and even marry women.

I think you’re right, but not for that reason. I think that it would be very difficult to get away with these days due to social media and so forth. But back in the day, when these trainers wanted to attract female sponsors and clients, they would flirt with them and the prospects of their availability as partners helped with that flirtation.

I don’t think it was necessary. Women would probably have preferred authoritative seeming male trainers in any event. Many still do. But the times are changing.

[2DogsFarm]

My best trainer (Dressage & O/F) was openly gay from Day 1 - circa mid 80s.
I had mostly gay friend’s so no Biggie to me.
My uber-straight DH (at the time SO) had no problem taking lessons from him. In fact, he joined trainer’s class of gay male friends - all Newbs to horses.
But, DH never had an ego where that was concerned.

[Eclectic_Horseman]

@2DogsFarm

My best trainer (Dressage & O/F) was openly gay from Day 1 - circa mid 80s.

Well good for him, especially since that was the time of the AIDs epidemic.

But I think the point of my post is being misunderstood. It was not about any perceived bigotry against gay men. It was that charming, available men attracted more women as clients and sponsors. Gay men, like married men, weren’t available to women. So some trainers played the game.

[mika0116]

Most men who reach high levels in the sport generallllllyyy come from horsey families

Kent Farrington etc are exceptions, but I will have to dig for the research that supports the above statement.

Couple that concept above with the socialization of men to participate in activities that they are “excellent at” and can “receive recognition for” see this Thread: "Are Boy Points Real?" chronicle article

you have a good portion of the many complex reasons many men are at the top levels and don’t seem to exist elsewhere in lower levels of the sport.

Anyone else remember that adult male rider from LA late 20s early 30s who posted a lot and wanted to go to the Grand Prixes in a relatively short amount of time, learning to ride as an adult in their mid late 20s. Threw relatively large amounts of money at it to “get good” - then he disappeared from COTH forums I think

Who knows if he made it and we see him around the local SoCal GPs or if he 1) ran out of money or 2) wasn’t progressing as a fast as he wanted to and quit

[Midge]

@Eclectic_Horseman

@NoSuchPerson

I think that’s an antiquated idea. Like the days when gay male actors had to pretend to be straight and even marry women.

I think you’re right, but not for that reason. I think that it would be very difficult to get away with these days due to social media and so forth. But back in the day, when these trainers wanted to attract female sponsors and clients, they would flirt with them and the prospects of their availability as partners helped with that flirtation.

I don’t think it was necessary. Women would probably have preferred authoritative seeming male trainers in any event. Many still do. But the times are changing.

The times changed already. Gay male trainers are a dime a dozen and have been since the 80s. Women like having gay male friends, too.

[Janet]

@Midge

The times changed already. Gay male trainers are a dime a dozen and have been since the 80s. Women like having gay male friends, too.

Gay male trainers were a dime a dozen in the 60s too. (And gay female trainers.)

[2DogsFarm]

@mika0116

Anyone else remember that adult male rider from LA late 20s early 30s who posted a lot and wanted to go to the Grand Prixes in a relatively short amount of time

Yup.
I wonder if he achieved his dream
He seemed to have the time & resources.

[Horsegirl_s_Mom]

@2DogsFarm

I wonder if he achieved his dream

I remember him too! I’d love it if he’d come back on and give us an update!

[alpine1]

@celine.eq2023

I see lots of male equestrians in the Grand Prix or the Olympics but I barely see any at the barns I have been to so far.

Where do they train and how do they randomly spawn at the highest level of riding?

Were there more male riders where you rode when you lived in Switzerland?

[Eclectic_Horseman]

@Midge

The times changed already.

About women preferring men as authority figures? Yes, it has changed quite a bit. But polls show that a significant number of women defer to their husbands or boyfriends, and are more critical of other women than men.

(I’m beginning to think that some folks are intentionally missing my point about conmen. But carry on.)

[LCDR]

I have been at barns with only a single male rider among a dozen or more women. What interests me is the number of times the barn owners have felt the need to try to try finding another male boarder so he will have someone to “keep him company.”

As a sole 16 year old male in Pony Club remarked to me once, “I like being the only boy here.”

[mmeqcenter]

I think it’s a pretty antiquated idea that males somehow have more confidence and faster reaction time than females.

The strength one is also arguable. We now know that women can weight train and certainly can lift as much or more weight as many men. There’s people of all different sizes and capabilities and muscular structure across all sexes.

[RAyers]

@punchy

Males also, as teenagers and young men, tend to have the long, thin, straight physique that is prized in equitation circles and hunters. Which in turn gets them favorably noticed in the ring and in barns looking for a rising star prospect.

No. That is completely a recent phenomena and not indicative of the past.

[beowulf]

@Eclectic_Horseman

About women preferring men as authority figures? Yes, it has changed quite a bit. But polls show that a significant number of women defer to their husbands or boyfriends, and are more critical of other women than men.

Likely being a product of their generation, though they should support other women versus tear them down. The misogyny is just as guilty of coming from inside the house sometimes.

From a cultural standpoint women just don’t got the same stepping stones and platform to Respect that comes factory installed in every man. Hard to tell yourself you’re worth just as much if you aren’t paid the same, treated the same, etc.

Back to the reflexes comment, I don’t believe reflexes are faster but I can concede that the average man is stronger purely on principle of being larger. Sexual diphorism in humans is drastic. Still you get a lot of men who think women are weaker and need to be protected. Just got to remind those men there’s only one biological imperative for growing bigger than your gendered counterpart, and it’s got nothing to do with protection. You can’t mate with something you can’t catch. Food for thought.

[Willesdon]

But one doesn’t need strength to ride. Balance, rhythm, feel, yes. That is why men and women can compete on equal terms. If riding was all about “strength” how could para-riders achieve so much?

I’m an Anthropologist: there isn’t very extreme variation between male and female in Hom. sap. Most people are found somewhere in the middle of the bell curve - ignoring the problem of what we actually mean by “strength” since it is a many-faceted concept.

[mika0116]

people forget that the bell curve of traits and capabilities exists.

I out perform many men because I am on the right side of the bell curve for many traits - but the men on the right side of THEIR curve blow me out of the water. Did you know many adults male or female cannot run a mile without walking?!? I think the recent stat as of 2019 was over 80% US adults cannot run a mile without breaking to a walk or stop.

here’s a picture to visually show @Willesdon’s point

[Arelle]

They’re riding in the western sports. We just came off of NFR season - ropers, reiners, cutters, saddle broncs … all primarily men.

Most of the men I know that ride don’t show the english events due to the breeches. Silly, but true - I think that’s one of those mental blocks that requires either the right “mentality” or the right exposure as a kid to get past.

[Weezer]

I often ask myself this question. During my 20 years of lessons and boarding I rode at well over a dozen English discipline farms and I can count on one hand the number of male riders I came across. But then go to the high level shows, and there are men all over the place - but we don’t see them at the local shows so how do they get from the training barn to Grand Prix?.

I agree with the comments that men are less likely to be drawn to English riding unless they are very motivated, and possibly have a family background in it. But the western world is a different story for sure.