Hello,
I got an email from Sea Urchin, and he thought my post was mean. So I just wanted to make sure everyone knows that it is only joking around and that Sea Urchin is a very nice person who rides very well. his children are also very nice and he is not anywhere near 60.
I don’t know Colin as well, but from emails and the phone she seems really nice and she rides great!
Anyway, not to jump in randomly but I didn’t want people thinking bad things about others when it was only for fun.
I understand - nothing cuter than a pair of chaps well worn!
I thought my input might be valuable to the topic of conversation. I am a 18yr male and I do in fact ride, I event so I don’t exactly fit your mold. I have been riding all my life and I have competed through advanced and at NAYRC, and I’m an A in PC. I’m in college for mechanical engineering and still riding. I don’t see anything wrong with the ratio 
, lol. I think there are less males riding because of their childhood. As a child you have to be dedicated to the sport, if your not you will not survive. I read an article that sums the reasons up very well, it can be found at: http://www.chronofhorse.com/bw_rounds/denny.html
Well Whistlejacket,
That’s a tough question, others views on what I do has changed with time. I’m finding it a lot easier now, that is in college, you find people react to differences with interest rather than ridicule. Most people in HS or below thought it was a sissy sport, but the one thing that saved me (reputation wise) was that I did participate in as many other sports as possible. I regularly ski, play conventional sports and I also compete in Modern Pentathlon. So I always thought it was immature of people to make fun of something that they don’t know about, this is finally coming true, and as you thought the ratio does spark more interest now than it did before. Many of my friends respect my accomplishments not only for results(for lack of a better term) but for dedication. I don’t know if I really answered your question, but feel free to write back.
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Colin:
Since Sea Urchin only does the 3’ hunters, no jock strap is required.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
What happens when he goes in at a sitting trot in his Equitation classes??? 
[This message has been edited by VTrider (edited 11-14-2000).]
Way to dampen all the fun Sea Urchin 
…Moesha, I was thoroughly enjoying your posts. If Sea Urchin threatened you…don’t be worried. He is all talk!!! That is why he is too scared to post on the BB!!! This is a country of free speech Moesha…voice your opinion!!!
[This message has been edited by VTrider (edited 11-14-2000).]
It all depends what their warn on…lol I think you should also check out the eventing world, percentage wise, I would think that there are more straight men there than in h/j’s
I think the dearth of men in English-style riding is definitely connected to the sissy factor: the little saddle, the tight pants, the shiny boots, the implications of Anglophilia. Although, as we know, there are plenty of thrills n’ spills and muscle in English riding, one sees more men involved in western-type riding. Even if they’re just ambling around on trails, or showing western pleasure there is at least the idea or an implied potential that they might at any moment leap off the horse and wrassle a bull to the ground, and that’s more manly.
My husband started riding a few years ago when our daughter started showing. He can definitely attest to riding not being a “sissy” sport… Our son, though, wants nothing to do with horses or riding. 
But he looks at hunters as boring and just a stepping stone to the jumpers. There are definitely more (straight) men doing jumpers.
At one of Mick’s first shows, my trainer commented, “Wow. Everybody’s looking at Mick.” I said, “Yeah, because it’s been forever since a guy has shown long stirrup!”
Whatever, Please if you all have to invent some fantasies to fill the voids in lives then at least fill it with truthful ones.
This is the story. It was Culpeper, in July 1999. I was changing in my barns tack stall, when I heard a strange ruffling from the side curtains. I thought nothing of it, but stopped as I heard it again. Suddenly, Sea Urchin burst forth into the tack stall, completely naked!!! And in a state of utter drunkeness. He had a small glass of white wine with ice cubes in it, which of all things at that moment struck me as the most peculiar. He threw himself upon the floor, proclaiming his desires. I quickly repsonded that he was not worthy of me and should settle for a nice Suffolk county lover, who would stay at home with his children, who are most unruly and should be in boarding school. I explained to him that he could never even begin to afford me, so that besides his extreme age was a more practical reason to pull himself together, dress in his lovely red coat and concentrate on the M&S classic. Alas, he is still bitter and must be spreading lies again. Sea Urchin you must let go of these fantasies and prepare some wills or something more constructive with your time. Please for your mental health, which is almost as infirm as your age.
Moesha, I so enjoy your posts and I know that they are all in fun!
Sea Urchin, perhaps you’ll have the courage to make a Northern VA appearance at the Sharks Club Court of Appeals to justify (or not) VTrider’s claims on KS. Gotta tell ya, she’s a legend in her own time 'round here & you’ll have a tough time stealing her away (yeah, we’ve taken care of that problem already with a little court injunction in down in FLA … if I could only figure out which side I’m on …)
Yeah, and look, they’re happily married with their wonderful, fulfilling lives! Beautiful horses, wives, children following in their foot steps!
Are we missing something here? I wish that I were a teen again and wormed my way to grooming for an established eventer barn, at least I might have a chance to snap up one of the offspring!
I will continue to school Mr. Wings. He is green broke and has some impish ways but I think with proper supervision he will steady down. After all, he does understand the importance of Maddie’s formative years and does his best to provide “his” girl with the best.
I constantly remind myself that, two Christmas’ ago, he did have the intelligence and forethought to gift me with Ariat paddock boots, a new (Yea, one pair) pair of breeches and a pretty leather halter.
Thus deluding me that some of my leaving all the catalogs out and open, carefully marked, did some good. 
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BlueGooPonyShampoo:
I find it interesting that men are more proportionally represented at the top levels of the sport than at the local levels. Someone explained it to me thus: this is a man’s sport if you consider the physical attributes that contruibute to success (i.e. upper body strength). There may not be as many men in the “up-and-coming” ranks but those that are tend to rise to the top faster than a lot of women because they are simply stronger where it counts. Do y’all by that?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Nope, don’t buy that. If success was solely, even mostly, dependent on brute upper body strength, perhaps I’d agree with your friend’s conclusion. However, there are too many riders of varying body types, strengths, weights, of both gender, to attribute success to upper body strength. Don’t have to wonder who’d win an arm wrestling match between Leslie McNaught and Rodrigo Pessoa; but pit them against each other in a jump off, my money’s on Rodrigo.
I do agree though that the few men in the sport do tend to rise to the top more quickly than women. Why that should be the case, I don’t really know. It’s most likely a combination of the physical, social, emotional and financial. Perhaps because men don’t suffer as we do from distractions like uncomfortable thongs.
Canter, thank you for noting that there are greater life skills than the mere ability to part a damn sea. Marriage is such a constantly blissful, peaceful and equitable state that I do feel the need to infect all with the marriage virus 
Alright – I KNOW that Sea Urchin is simply DYING to post his phone number here.
Ladies - here is one gem!
Show hunter rider - divorced father of 2 lovely children - has a professional career - is straight as they come - and is pretty “C-U-T-E” too!
Sea Urchin LOVES wine - and candlelight too!
Don’t let this one pass you up, ladies!!!
OMG…
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Moesha:
I quickly repsonded that he was not worthy of me and should settle for a nice Suffolk county lover, who would stay at home with his children, who are most unruly and should be in boarding school.
oh god. this line and the white whine almost killed me. Too much hysterical laughter is detrimental to my health. I think my lungs seized up.
Why are there so few men in the sport?
Is english riding somehow too ‘feminine’, has hunter/jumpers become too sissy as a worthy athletic pursuit for little boys, are men really better suited to team sports, are men afraid to compete in a sport/endeavour dominated by women?
In our barn, there are four men among 25-30 riders/boarders. A recent study of equestrian sports in Canada found that 78% of the sports participants are women between 40-49. I imagine the stats are similar in the U.S.
In my own bid to play yenta for the sport, I have encouraged all of our single male friends to forego the singles bars and dating services and take up riding. So far, no takers - which is baffling for I cannot think of a better way to meet women.
If, anything, the panty thread is an indication that there are some pretty terrific, intelligent, talented women in the sport who can similarly boast an exciting underwear collection - what more do men want?
A little off to the side…
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by heidi:
[B] Marriage is such a constantly blissful, peaceful and equitable state that I do feel the need to infect all with the marriage virus
[/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I prefer the vision of:
Marriage is a fine institution…
if you want to live in an institution.
Blissfully married 5 years, however just celebrated 11th anniversary, you do the math 
I don’t know Colin, I think from what I have heard, He’s entertaining a couple at a certain resort in Virginia in a few weeks!! Sounds a bit “shaky” to me.
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Justbay:
OMG…<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I second that…this is hysterical!!!
But Moesha, isn’t Sea Urchin quite a few decades your senior?
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