Requesting reality check: reasons teen girls like horse-riding

[Ruffian]

Originally Posted by Swallowed My Cellphone

My fiancee thinks your post is a hoot, because she definitely, definitely disagrees with you. She never had any interest in playing dolls with a horse. It was all about how well you could ride, and whether you could get this other being to defer to your wishes and jump over stuff when it didn't particularly want to. She said, like the rush of downhill skiing, riding at a full gallop was awesome and quite a power high.

And I definitely, definitely agree with her. The synergy between my mare and me, the physical workout itself, perfecting (well, improving) my riding, improving my mare as an athlete--that's what I love. Of course, I also love grooming, turning out, and even mucking...horses are my therapy and my retreat.

And I, too, never had interest in playing dolls with a horse (bleh). I am NOT a doll-playing kind of girl, and never was. I never braided ribbons or flowers into their manes and tails, and never was into "dressing them" them in the SmartPink patterns or whatever else is "in" in equine fashion. I do have certain colors for my horses, but I don't take it to the degree I see others doing. (Lime green is big right now.)

But, that said...now that I am a mother, I see a lot of parallels of behavior in the horse and parenting world. Those parallels are what I was attempting to convey, however poorly. It isn't just dress-me-up pony, it's the fawning over them and what not.

It's just one aspect, though; Sunrazor brings up others that are pretty accurate too, I believe.

[Swallowed My Cellphone]

I think my girlfriend likes the "partnership" aspect as well. Both she and my sister have said that some of their favourite "athletic moments" were memories from rowing, particularly when they were double sculls (not necessarily rowing with each other) and they ended up perfectly synchronized with their rowing partners so everything was in perfect rhythm, timing, etc.

[AskNott]

I'm not a horse-savvy guy. About once a year, a stranger will hear my greeting of "howdy," and mistake me for a cowboy. I don't encourage that; I don't claim to be anything I'm not. Not since that owl-trainer thing.

I've read the girl-horse-sex theory before, but I didn't believe it. I know a few randy horsemen, and they would have talked about it, if true. The theory I do sorta believe is about control. A young girl, the theory says, has been powerless most of her life, until she learned how to ride a horse. She can make a massive animal do what she wants. She never could control the second largest animal in her life (Daddy,) so it opens up a new chapter.

[samm]

I love my horses but have never found them sexy and never gotten a charge out of controlling them either. That seems weird. So do teenage boys love riding motorcycles because they can control them when they can't control their mother? Doesn't that seem like an odd statement?

[Argent Towers]

Originally Posted by Der Trihs

The way I've heard it claimed, is that girls are naturally drawn to something that's larger, stronger, and hairier than they are, those being male quantities; in essence, that horses are exaggeratedly male in some ways. Just as big eyed round headed animals look cute to humans because they look babyish.

Someone might be able to make a lot of money opening up a gorilla stable and teaching ape-handling lessons to girls.

[MaddyStrut]

I have to add to the chorus of female riders who say there's nothing sexual about riding.

Recently, my riding instructor and I were discussing why the sport has so many girls compared to boys. We were particularly wondering why more boys don't keep up with riding. After all, riding is a lot of fun, but many boys start only to give it up when they reach early adolescence.

She mentioned that back when she started riding as a girl (late 1950's) many girls took up riding for the athletic activity and competition. There weren't as many athletic options for girls back then, so many flocked to riding.

As more female riders become successful at the highest levels, more were encouraged to start up until, at some point, riding (particularly the English disciplines) became considered a "girlie" activity.

These days, many girls ride because a lot of other girls ride, and you see marketers appealing to their female base with the dress up clothes, etc. that Ruffian described. At the same time, fewer boys ride because there aren't as many boy riders and riding is now considered "girlie" (though it hasn't always been so). Kind of self perpetuating.

[Hello Again]

Originally Posted by MaddyStrut

I have to add to the chorus of female riders who say there's nothing sexual about riding.

Recently, my riding instructor and I were discussing why the sport has so many girls compared to boys. We were particularly wondering why more boys don't keep up with riding. After all, riding is a lot of fun, but many boys start only to give it up when they reach early adolescence.

We talk about this periodically on a horse-related message board I belong to. One thing that emerged from the discussion is that boys appear resistant to sports where there is subjectivity in the judging. In areas of horse sport where "winning" is objectively measured (such as jumpers, barrel racing and polo) quite a lot of men participate. In contrast, in horse sport where winning is subjectively measured by expert judges, such as dressage, hunters, and western pleasure, there are few men.

Now we were not sure WHY this is so but it seems to parallel other sports where "form" is judged subjectively, such as ice skating, and gymnastics. Sure they have their male participants but women are the large majority.

[Der Trihs]

Originally Posted by Ruffian

My observation of the female fascination with horses isn't that the equine is some sort of subconscious attraction to an "exaggerated male," but rather an adopted child and the instinct to nurture it. I know many childless (or empty nest) women with horses, and these equines are their children.

< snip >

I find it odd and questionable that some people suggest there must be a man-rooted reason women like horsies. It's as though some men are intimidated by a woman's affection for a horse. Golly, there must be a desire for a penis in there SOMEWHERE! Otherwise, you mean...you mean...they don't want my penis?

I find it more about being horse "mommies" than anything else.

But as pointed out, far fewer women than girls have that level of interest in horses. Perhaps that's because women and girls tend to have different reasons.

[MaddyStrut]

Originally Posted by Der Trihs

But as pointed out, far fewer women than girls have that level of interest in horses. Perhaps that's because women and girls tend to have different reasons.

I'm not sure what you mean by "that level" of interest. Do you mean far fewer women than girls are seriously into horses? If so, I'm not sure that's true. It's not for serious competitors.

Most equestrian competitors are members of the USEF, and they report that their average member is approximately 40 years old and over 75% are female.

USEF link (warning pdf)

[fisha]

Originally Posted by Der Trihs

But as pointed out, far fewer women than girls have that level of interest in horses. Perhaps that's because women and girls tend to have different reasons.

As a former horsewoman (Is there actually such a thing?!) I know for me personally it was more a problem with time. With running a business, 5 kids, volunteering, chores, etc, it's a matter of having enough time. Girls have a lot more free time to devote themselves to horsing.

It was a hard day when I sold my last horse about 2 years ago, my favorite mare, the one who I'd had for about 13 years. But I never had time for her.

Maybe again someday.

As to the OP, no, nothing sexual about riding. And I can find something sexual in just about anything. Although it does make for some strong thigh muscles that can be applied in different situations...

[Mister Rik]

I was watching our local parade one year, and happened to be standing behind a family that included a girl who was maybe 10-12 years old. The way this girl acted every time a group of horses went clopping past, an observer couldn't really be faulted for wondering if she had a vibrator tucked into her pants. I wish I'd had a video camera to record her jumping up and down, hopping from one foot to the other, running in place, squealing, shrieking, bizarre facial contortions, eyes rolling back in her head, and various other gyrations. I was waiting for her head to start spinning around. She truly looked like she was going into some sort of sexual frenzy every time the horses came near.

Sure, I'd known plenty of girls who were crazy about horses, but I'd never seen anything quite like this girl.

[Rick]

Originally Posted by KGS

The horse = sex idea was first put forward in The Naked Ape by Desmond Morris. Unfortunately I don't have the book handy so I have to paraphrase from memory:

* Boys & girls are equally interested in horses until puberty, when girls suddenly become much more interested in horseback riding, at a ratio of three to one over boys.

Sorry, I can't buy this. Young boys and girls equally interested in horses? Bullshit. Here is my cite.
From toddlerhood on, girls are always more interested in horses than boys.