Horse Crazy Girls
| But you don’t have horse crazy teenage boys as much as you have horse crazy teenage girls |
This is confirmed by Jones (1983) who interviewed riders in the US and found that riding was perceived as a ‘girls’ sport’ and boys who rode were not conformists and engaged in cross gender activities
With regard to riding horses, the authentic embodied self exhibits feminine, masculine or androgynous traits in a relationship with a horse and it is these that may influence the style of riding and choice of equestrian pursuit
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For several years my business in Equine Podiotherapy offered two day workshops to horse owners who couldn't get their farriers to look into using natural hoof care and decided to learn to do it themselves. Workshops usually had about 15 students and always there were more women to men...about five to one in fact! These women moved way outside their comfort zone to learn how to apply a barefoot trim. They had to learn to use tools that they were unfamiliar with and also learn how to work these tools whilst holding up the horse's leg as a farrier does. No mean feat for some of them who had never done more than pick out a horse's hoof before.
Each was driven by a desire to give their horse the best quality of life they could. Many went on to become professional hoof care providers and Equine Podiotherapists and to work at the forefront of this new career path even though it has placed many marriages under a lot of strain!
So......... I just wanted to let you know that in the natural hoof care industry it is women who are leading the charge into the 21st century and demanding better care for their horse's hooves whilst the farrier industry which is mostly male lags sadly behind the (NSW, Australia). |
Competition
Equestrianism is one of the few Olympic sports in which male and female riders with their horses compete on equal terms. The power of a man's muscular body does not facilitate the trust required in a relationship when a horse is galloping at 50kph at a solid obstacle over a metre high. There are 9000 members of the Pony Club in New Zealand and from my experience at summer camps, most of these will be ‘horse crazy’ girls. I have been a member of three different adult riding clubs and in all of them the female membership was more than 90%.
Do women have a better relationship with horses than men, because it is one of the few Olympic sports where women and men compete on equal terms?
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Female and male riders are being their authentic selves during competition as the intensity of the moment prevents the emergence of a false self. The dominant feminine trait related to riding was that of an already established relationship, being in an equal partnership and in harmony with the horse, asking the horse to move with you. In contrast the masculine traits, the physical strength and brute force, are used to coerce the horse into complying. Kidd, Kelley & Kidd (1984) reinforce these dominant ideologies with their self report of rider characteristics. Male riders chose aggression and dominance as characteristics and female riders thought themselves to be less aggressive and easy going.
2008 Olympic Equestrian results
Grand Prix Dressage Individual
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1
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WERTH Isabell
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SATCHMO
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76.417
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Germany
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2
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van GRUNSVEN Anky
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SALINERO
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74.75
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Netherlands
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3
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KEMMER Heike
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BONAPARTE
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72.25
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Germany
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4
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HINDLE Emma
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LANCET
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71.125
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Great Britain
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5
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SCHELLEKENS-BARTELS Imke
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SUNRISE
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70.875
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Netherlands
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6
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KYRKLUND Kyra
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MAX
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70.583
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Finland
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7
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KING Courtney
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MYTHILUS
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70.458
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United States
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8
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zu SAYN-WITTGENSTEIN Nathalie
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DIGBY
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70.417
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Denmark
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9
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CAPELLMANN Nadine
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ELVIS VA
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70.083
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Germany
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10
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PETERS Steffen
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RAVEL
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70
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United States
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Show Jumping Individual – after 3 rounds
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1
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HANSEN Tony Andre
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CAMIRO
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3
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Norway
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2
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LANSINK Jos
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CUMANO
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4
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Belgium
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2
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WARD Mclain
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SAPPHIRE
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4
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United States
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2
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ALEXANDER Edwina
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ITOT DU CHATEAU
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4
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Australia
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2
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LAMAZE Eric
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HICKSTEAD
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4
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Canada
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6
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MAHER Ben
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ROLETTE
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5
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Great Britain
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7
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PESSOA Rodrigo
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RUFUS
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7
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Brazil
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8
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LYNCH Denis
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LANTINUS
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8
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Ireland
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8
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HOUTZAGER Marc
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OPIUM
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8
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Netherlands
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8
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MILLAR Ian
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IN STYLE
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8
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Canada
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8
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BENGTSSON Rolf-Goran
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NINJA
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8
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Sweden
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Eventing Individual
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1
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ROMEIKE Hinrich
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MARIUS
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54.2
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Germany
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2
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MILES Gina
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MCKINLAIGH
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56.1
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United States
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3
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COOK Kristina
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MINERS FROLIC
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57.4
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Great Britain
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4
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JONES Megan
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IRISH JESTER
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59
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Australia
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5
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KLIMKE Ingrid
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ABRAXXAS
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59.7
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Germany
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6
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DHENNIN Didier
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ISMENE DU TEMPLE
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59.8
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France
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7
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FREDERICKS Clayton
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BEN ALONG TIME
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61.4
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Australia
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8
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DIBOWSKI Andreas
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BUTTS LEON
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65.2
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Germany
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9
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DONCKERS Karin
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GAZELLE DE LA BRASSERIE
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65.3
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Belgium
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10
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JOHNSON Sonja
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RINGWOULD JAGUAR
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66.8
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Australia
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This discourse on gender traits can lead to the authentic self in terms of sexual orientation, and in this case how it impacts upon riding styles and the type of equestrian sport pursued. The question I pose is ‘good male Dressage and Eventing riders are in touch with their feminine persona’. This might be contrasted by the stereotypical heterosexual male Show Jumper, exhibiting their male position of power and dominance and posing a sexual risk to young females.
Show Jumping provides instant gratification
Animal Husbandry
| What, what I was going to say is I hadn’t had geldings very much and we have one, big old grey gelding now, and I notice when I’m on my period he hangs around me more than when I’m not. I wondered why sometimes when I went out, he was always round me and he was not allowing the others near me. And I hadn’t really cottoned until I thought, oh when ... |
Potential Injury to Women
danger, if they injure themselves who is going to look after their children and it all came down to that, the female has to look after the children, look after the husband…
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Role Conflict Dilemma - a Mother and a Horsewoman (at the same time)
immediate role conflict as a competitor and mother when competing at an event
allowing a child to risk potential harm to compete in a risk sport
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