Very good points above.
One of the reasons I am a confident rider who doesn’t come off easily is that, even while in a lesson program for 5 years, we were allowed to engage in activities, on horses that didn’t belong to us, that would be a liability nightmare now.
And, we often rode over a huge tract of ranch that was a few thousand acres, with only a perimeter fence. In many places it was rough country. We were taught how to ride up or down a steep slope. Why horses are spooky at moving water. In places it was a relatively flat meadow, and we learned how to watch the ground to help be sure it is safe for the horse, as digging critters are living in the grass. How to manage a fresh horse in open country. How to safely manage horse herd-bound behavior. Things like that
So many riders today might enjoy that experience, but they just don’t have the chance. They may not know anyone who would be a safe guide. One of the most dangerous things to do on a horse without being taught is trail riding in open country. They don’t even know that.
I agree that horse showing has survived into current times by re-adjusting the ask, of the riders more than the horses, to accommodate the cultural context in the U.S. of their riding today.
