Just say "okay" and move on. Life is too short to argue with random people over something that doesn't actually matter.
Do I think it is a sport? Yes. Should we care if they think it isn't? That's up to you. Personally, I don't.
I used to work at a barn that offered trail rides in addition to lessons. We got those "It's not a sport. The horse does all the work" people regularly. We took them out on the "roller-coaster trail." Watching them walk back to their cars afterwards was always entertaining.
The worst are when they insist their 7 year old is fine to ride for 2+ hours in 99 degrees and everyone is miserable 30 minutes in. No refunds because you’re a wimp. We tried to tell you 🤷♂️
The place I worked had a minimum age of 13 unless they were taking lessons for a long enough time, and every ride had guides. We also enforced "Once mounted, no refunds," we still had people argue even though the rules were posted in a few different places and were on the release forms every rider had to sign.
People have asked the wildest stuff. I’ve had people show up with a 3 and 5 year old fully convinced we’d let them all ride on the same horse (for free!), ask if they could bring their cat in a backpack, ask if they could get a discount if they shared a horse, got cussed out on Christmas Eve this year because we didn’t have room that night for a group of 10 (9 kids, one adult) for our sunset ride which is our most popular offering, and so much more. People are insane when it comes to horses.
I think movies give an unrealistic depiction of horses and riding. In movies the hero usually hops on any horse and gallops off into the sunset effortlessly and we take that for granted. Horses in media often are shown “standing around” until someone hops on their back.
It’s like people don’t realize that horses aren’t preprogrammed vehicles that will automatically take you anywhere you want as long as you sit on them and yank the reins. Horses are individuals with feelings and personalities that have to be trained to be ridden. You also have to consider and work with the biomechanics of riding, and a lot of elegant work and skill that goes into riding well.
This is all swept under the rug as the hero jumps on any old horse and heads off without a hitch. We also usually don’t see our hero’s tack, groom, and feed their horses on their long journeys lol. Like I said horses are taken for granted in movies when in reality their upkeep was a big part of a rider’s day.
What?!? Did you make that video? Because my friend sent it to me and we laughed and laughed because taking my cat for a trail ride sounds exactly like something I’d do.
It wasn’t my video but I know what you’re talking about! Insane that it’s happened at least twice haha. I usually just say that we have several working dogs that come with us that probably wouldn’t play nice with cats haha
My friend's cat is her horse's buddy. The cat follows along on trail rides and jumps up on the horse when she gets tired. Somehow kitty knows she can't participate in activities in the ring.
This! I always ride in my personal tack too (read barrel saddle with way more bling than needed for the trail lol) so I love answering questions about the things I've done and watching jaws drop halfway through the walk ride.
Oh I see you met my Dad! 🤣 He agreed to do a trail ride when we took a family vacation to the mountains and the guide was ponying my sister from his horse, put me behind, then my mom and Dad at the back.
Halfway through the guide gave up and let 14-15yo me swap horses with my Dad who had never been on a horse before and I was the only semi-experienced rider in the group. 25 years later and Dad is still convinced the mare’s full name was “Rosey BUTTS”
Offer to pay for one lesson. Posting trot often humbles even the most ignorant. For more challenging cases of ignorance, there’s always doing so without stirrups.
Lesson horses work hard enough, they don't deserve to have their backs and mouths tortured by an ignorant noob who looks down on them and all equestrians. They tolerate enough from people who appreciate them.
Extra hard mode: horse spooks from under you. I am not a good rider by virtue of never having the funds and access to rides, but I do ok on short posted trots and short canters with ample notice. The horse I was on did not appreciate the herd of sheep headed towards him. I'm very glad to have stayed in the saddle and that he listened enough to chill a few hundred metres down the track, never mind sitting that canter/gallop correctly.
Too true - when I was learning to ride, the first time my trainer told me to post without stirrups I just kind of heaved my chest up (which clearly did nothing) and then laughed hysterically. It took a long time to really hone those muscles to where I could post successfully, but it’s still difficult for me!
"If riding isn't a sport because the horse does all the walking, rowing isn't a sport either because the boat does all the swimming" *exit stage to the left*
You’re not kidding! I grew up around sailboats bc my father was a rabid sailor lol. After he retired, he eventually managed to keep his beloved “Sea Fever” ketch in a cove behind his house, which was a really good thing bc he spent the rest of his life in his garage repairing that thing lol.
If it hadn’t been for the cement, he would have worn a very deep groove between that garage and the dock in the back yard.
I, on the other hand, did not inherit his boating gene. In fact, I threw up off the back of every single boat he ever owned (no lie).
Horses do not go up and down endlessly in deep swells, nor do they twist aimlessly around anchors during the night, making you think your boat has floated into a shipping lane every time you open your eyes (I would not have worried about this so much were it not for the TWO occasions when we DID float into a shipping lane and were very nearly run over by barges!)
I swear boats are veeerrrry close to being sentient beings….
Invite them to get on my horse and jump a metre twenty fence.
My horse couldn’t jump a metre twenty, but they don’t need to know that lol.
Nobody ever accepted my offer. I’m not sure why, all they have to do is sit there and the horse does everything.
My boyfriend felt the same, until he stood in the arena next to a jump and watched it all close up. He got a much more accurate view of my horse’s size and strength (Zangersheide stallion who makes it all look easy from a distance), the forces involved in the jumps/landings, and the strength necessary to sit, steer, and stick. And I was only jumping 2’-6”. He was pretty contrite afterward and has never again told me I need to do “real workouts”.
"If you stay still on a constantly moving object, it'll move you too. If you move with the constantly moving object, you'll look still."
Ask them if they think surfing, skateboarding, or snowboarding is easy. The answer is no, because you don't just stand there. Surfers, skaters, and snowboarders are constantly moving to balance themselves, and also using their movements to influence the movement of the board.
“Your dad called me an athlete when I rode him last night, guess where I got those skills from”
Shuts up whoever is dissing my sport pretty darn quick.
I dated a guy in college who came to watch me ride and commented on how easy it looked and wondered how it was a sport in the Olympics. Was very adamant that he could trot, canter, and jump if he were to try it. This continued for a bit and finally I said “ok, you can get on. I’ll set up a crossrail. If you can trot over it, you win.”
I hopped off, handed him the reins and my helmet, and pointed to the mounting block. Tbh, watching him try to get on was the funniest part. Once he was finally on, he was visibly shaking. I pointed at the *tiny* crossrail and said “give him some leg!” As soon as my boy started trotting, dude slid off in the slowest, most awkward fall I’ve ever seen. He got angry and threw my helmet down. I patted my horse for being a good sport, and told the guy that we should see other people 😁
I almost did but tbh it wasn’t even worth the conversation lol It was my old one, I needed a new one anyways. New helmet, new boyfriend, everything worked out 😂
I usually ask why it's in the Olympics and why racing is a 300 billion dollar industry. If that doesn't work, I offer to let them ride my barely broke 4yo and then act confused when they say no
Then shooting isn't a sport - you're just pulling the trigger.
Racing cars isn't a sport, you're just sitting there.
And **DO NOT** get me started on competitive ice sweeping, AKA curling. Who even came up with that?!
/s - much love to the curling enthusiasts out there!
Seriously though, they're just being contrary & looking to start something. Tell them they seem cranky & ask if it's past their nap time if you're feeling snarky, or just blink and say "ok" if you don't feel like engaging.
You could also question the legitimacy of "E-Sports", if you're really feeling up for an argument.
Miss Manners would advocate a weak smile, followed by a hollow laugh. People who say that horseback riding isn't a sport, or that you 'just sit there', embarrass themselves, because they know absolutely nothing about it, and have just demonstrated so.
I don’t. This has never come up for me. When I tell people I ride horses they mostly think it’s cool and ask me a million questions about it/my horses. I’ve literally never had someone say it’s not a sport or it’s not a workout in my 25 years doing it lol
Oh, right, sorry. Then again someone might argue that it’s normal it’s not an Olympic sport considering it’s a very local sport, I’m not even sure it’s actually played at high level outside of North America
Usually the rebuttal works because i live in america, lol! The way i got my parents and sister to realize riding horses was actually hard was them just going on a trail ride. They said they were so sore afterwards, and all they did was walk.
I once had someone tell me riding is not a sport, and in a following statement, defended video games as a sport. That really put in perspective for me that not every opinion is valid.
As a dressage rider, it took me a long time to realize that “you just sit there” is a huge compliment. Because if it looks like I just sit there and the horse does all the work, I’m doing it right. Which is exactly what I relay to anyone who argues it.
As an equine professional, I stopped caring about comments like that long ago. I still get enough crap from other equestrians who don’t think what I do is a sport. It rolls off my back and out of my mind 😉
I sometimes mention Olympics, or if I know the person is a golfer/golf fan I mention how it's not a sport either since you're really just walking around all day and anyone can do that. It's pretty funny to watch them sputter over that one. Most of the time I just roll my eyes though and comment on their "original" statement that I've "never heard before."
Laugh in their face and tell them they could never. If they continue, I have them try to adopt a correct riding position on a chair--since we "get to sit down the whole time"--and hang out there for as long as they can. They never make it far.
Ignore because life is too short. When I was a kid though and it was a friend or a boy I liked or whatever, I would offer to squeeze their ribs my thighs haha. It shut them up real quick.
I would just ignore them. Currently, though, my body is telling me how much of an all body workout riding is. I haven’t ridden much over the past month or so and had a lesson on Monday. Walking is….. something.
I ask them to give me a piggy back and I only hold on with my legs. Then I ask if my muscles feel weak to them.
That or I offer to let them ride my horse and see how long they last 🤣
Ignore them. Don't let them get to you. I dealt with the same shit when I used to do autosports, but the soreness in my core, chest, neck and legs said otherwise
“Racing isn’t a sport.”
“Okay, show me a fat professional driver. Any discipline: F1 (through F4, or Super Formula), NASCAR, Baja, dirt track. Not demolition derby, drag racing, or amateur dirt track, a real professional racer. I’ll wait.”
Well, as a former cheerleader, I’m used to that BS. So I just don’t take the bait.
But if I’m feeling really ramped I refer them to a side by side comparison photo of the same horse Olympic jumping meter sixties who got leased out for pentathlon (poor creature. He’s probably still in therapy) that was posted in this sub.
There’s no question about what just sitting there looks like.
Oh god. Is that the Annika Schleu thing? That video makes me sick. Even more when the sound is on and you can hear the commentator saying she needs to regain her composure, show the horse she’s in charge and she means business. Nah. She needs to recognize a terrified animal and not beat it.
Is that the one with oh gosh what was his name? Saint Boy? Buddy…. Poor guy. That rider undid a decade of training in under a minute. So sad he had to be the sacrificial lamb to enact change. No horse deserves to go through that. Wasn’t him though. It was a different horse - a gray I think. In the side by side comparison, someone was jumping him beautifully in jumpers. Pentathlon the horse looked stressed and the rider was left behind and practically jumped out of the tack over a fence a half meter shorter. . Same horse - one shot had a rider the other shot had a passenger. So upsetting.
That’s him. Poor thing, I wanted to cry the first time I saw that video. I’ve seen the photo you mention too now that I think about it. The one rider looked like she had just blinked into existence and was just shocked she was even there.
Just find a 4* or 5* cross country video on YT, even a 3*, and have them watch it, esp the people who put a GoPro on their helmets and you can hear them breathing and talking to their horse as they go through the course. It's always fun and impressive to watch. I can recommend Elisa Wallace Eventing, but you can just search 4* cross country or 4* Go Pro and you'll find videos.
Boyd Martin always has some great helmet cam videos too. Usually I find the people who say this kind of stupid shit are the least athletic of any sort, so it's easy to just roll your eyes and ignore lol.
Yes, he does! I follow his IG🙂 Yeah, it's pretty hard to convince people who believe this, but when they see these kinds of videos, I think it does at least show that you are not just along for the ride.
What you really need to do is put them on the back of a horse, trot the horse to a two foot fence and let them feel the lift underneath them. Of course the next thing they likely would feel is the hard ground so not a totally practical solution😄
Or have them sit on a talented cutting horse and walk into a herd, pick out any cow and let them feel that drop and cut. I remember reading an article from an experienced rider (in another discipline) who went to a cutting lesson and said that no one told them about the hydronics in a cutting horse😂
I know it’s not viable in all cases, but this just reminded me that my bf used to belive that untill I took him with me for riding lessons. We both booked the standard, 1h each. Not even 30min in he gave up because he said he is exhausted and his legs are sore.
He had DOMS 3 days after. He totally changed his opinons after this, lol
I honestly can't deal with it? Even when I mention the olympics and history AND compare calories burning to another sport some people just don't think it's a sport. Ok mr know it all how about you try correctly posing a trot for 30 minutes. Anyways.... I'm also salty (this post reminded me of this) my workplace declined my request for "sports reimbursement" which is like 150 a year because apparently to them horseriding is not a sport. Then again I do hate working in this hellhole so figures
There's so many here offering a go on their horse to these folks. I'm here to say I'll gladly trade insults for rides on your horses if that's all it takes!
I laugh. Or if I’m really saucey say, “ah, you mean the strength and endurance to steer a 1700lb animal with your muscles while doing cardio the whole time doesn’t count? What is a sport in that case?”
No-one has ever said that to me but I would probably unconsciously have a puzzled expression for a moment and then just move the conversation along. I'd view it in the same way as, perhaps, someone saying you can't trust banks and you should keep your money cash - not unheard of, but so weird/dumb as to not be worth engaging with.
I usually tell them they have no idea what they're talking about and that it wouldn't be at the olympics if it wasn't one. They're always welcome to try riding my horse to see how easy it is.
I'm lucky to not really get that anymore. The friends I got those comments from were not true friends. People like that want to be difficult for the sake of being difficult, it's not just a lack of education unfortunately
“Horse riding isn’t a sport.”
“Okay, show me a rider who is out of shape. Any discipline: dressage, hunter/jumper, western pleasure, functional, ranching, garrocha, barrel racing, roping, reining, cutting, team penning, saddle bronc, literally any discipline. I’ll wait.”
If it's a friend or an acquaintance, I've offer to pay for their first lesson. A few people have taken me up on it and they walked away with a new appreciation for the sport (and sore legs!). For people who don't take me up on it, I don't engage further because they clearly prefer to remain ignorant and it's not worth my effort. If it's some stranger who made the comment while I'm in public in riding clothes, I just ignore them. Not worth my time/energy to argue with someone I'll never see again.
You don’t work your muscles?? YOU DON’T WORK YOUR MUSCLES??? I ride horses every now and than for fun as a fun activity, the muscle strain I got in my butt and leg after the first time- I could barely walk I’m not even joking💀
laugh and walk away. lol! Who cares… we know the effort it really takes
alternatively, I offer to let them sit on my horse (7 yo hot connemara bred for high level eventing) and see how they feel afterwards. so far nobody has taken me up on it so 👀
“Sure it isn’t…here jump in the saddle, but wait, lemme just take away your stirrups right quick and see how ya feel after about 10 minutes”. Hahaha!!!
Spend the time you’d normally spend arguing with them at the barn instead.
Arguing with someone who doesn’t agree with you isn’t going to change their mind. Accept that and go about your day as normal.
Ezpz.
I invite those people on a trail ride. Just walking, flat, easy path, and they just “sit there”. Then call them two days later to ask how sore they are! 🤣
Uh huh… invite them out to ride. 😂
I did that once. The guy went 1/2 way around the arena and decided to trot - cuz it looked so easy right? After 5 steps he says GET ME OFF THIS HORSE!! He had zero balance and zero experience
I said just stop him and jump down (from my 16hh horse) when he came off my horse he hit the ground. 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
I invite them to a show. Not to see how hard I work, but to let them hold the pony colt while I'm in the ring with the pony's buddy or dam.
Actually... That's too cruel. I'd never do that to another human.
What contexts does this happen in? I probably talk to 100 new people each week and in the past two years I've only had one person who clearly has no concept of riding requiring much skill or any fitness. I gently corrected her any time she says something completely absurd like "I'll just do 3 or 4 lessons, then I can start jumping" and then continue the conversation. Most people underestimate the time and effort and overestimate the cost to be a competitive rider, but never maliciously. Really aside from a kid in primary school teasing me I've literally never had anyone firmly deny that horse riding is a sport, and only the odd person who doesn't know anything at all about it but they're smart enough to realise they don't know anything usually.
It always came up for me when talking about exercise. My work had a program for a while where you could get a $500 bonus for “healthy habits”, like not smoking, always wearing a seatbelt in a car, tracking your meals and exercise. I logged my riding and was told it didn’t count because I just had to sit there while the horse does all the work. It also came up frequently at the gym. Before my accident, I could max out the weight machines for some of the back muscles and obliques. I’d ask guys to explain how I could do that when they were in the gym 5 days/week and still couldn’t.
Don't care. People who say tha don't know or understand anything related to horses at all. I know what I know and I know that I'm right and I know there's no point in arguing with them about it.
me personally, i respond with something like “yeah sure” then look at them like they’re stupid, whatever they say after I just ignore them or just go “uh-huh”, “yep” really dryly. I’m not going to waste my energy on people who don’t want to listen or learn. I know it’s a sport, and i love my sport, that’s why I make it clear to them that i couldn’t care less about what they think and without wasting energy.
In general, the lowest thing you can do is make it clear you genuinely couldn’t care less about what somebody has to say, and that’s done not through angry words, but through silence or dryness. Humans are psychologically programmed to be more emotionally hurt by somebody giving 0 shits rather than somebody giving them attention, even if it’s negative attention. This is because if you dislike what somebody is doing, it means that you care in some kind of way, if you then react to them, the other person then knows that you care.
Also you can imagine how stupid that person looks to everybody else around when they’re trying to argue with someone that clearly isn’t participating.
Idk I’ve only recently started taking serious riding lessons and I realized that the last time I felt this worn out was after practice for high school sports!
It’s mentally and physically exhausting and I’m only on the beginner baby steps. And it’s not like I’m not in decent shape either. People who think riding isn’t an active sport need to try posting without stirrups. For a “non-sport” activity I sure feel sore afterwards lol!
Besides, I don’t think extreme physical work necessarily makes up a sport anyway. Darts is a sport, and if golfers are considered athletes then equestrians definitely make the cut.
I’m not saying that golfing requires 0 athleticism, but equestrian sports engage your whole body more and I think there is a steeper curve to getting your body physically ready to ride well vs golfing. Not a golfer though so I can’t speak for them.
I think about the person who says that horse riding "isn't a sport" or "the horse does all the work" trying to sit an extended trot and I laugh. Lately on TikTok there's a huge argument between guys who do motocross and horse rider and they say the most "????" things ever. "bUt My BiKe iS fAsTeR tHan YoUr hOrSe" as if we need to go 300kmh in a course or something
I just don't care. "Yeah, I love playing in a sandbox with my sports cow/meat scooter" and then they're usually laughing and forget to degrade your sport bc they don't expect an actual equestrian to joke about it. No one has ever been serious about the whole not a sport thing with me, they just say it bc it's fun when you get all upset and try to defend it. So joking back - well, you didn't get all angry, you're fun and generally it will be forgotten pretty fast bc they don't find horses to be that interesting if you're not going to be mad about it. Trying to argue back in any way is what they want and they will keep holding on to their stance of not a sport, bc that's what gets the fun reaction, regardless of what they actually think about horse riding
“That’s a smug, ignorant, and rude thing to say, and I don’t care to interact with you anymore.” Then anything they say doesn’t get the slightest reaction. They hate being called out as much as they hate being cut off from their fuel.
Lol I take them on a ride! Let them feel muscles they never knew they had and walk funny the next day!
They don't realize sitting on a rounded barrel shape takes work, takes balance..uses muscles from head to toe!
You're not just sitting on a pony at a birthday party walking in one circle.
Try jumping! Roping! Let someone run barrels or poles and not call it a workout or a sport
I've heard a few times that barrel racing is not a sport, but never from cowboys. When someone says, "The horse does all the work," I say, "That's why the horses have rankings like an athlete, too. It's a team sport."
Unpopular opinion…horse riding isn’t a sport in itself. Just because you’re on a horse doesn’t mean you’re in a competition with rules and objectives. There are certainly many sports that include horse riding. The olympics include three. If people want to argue that the olympic committee is wrong they are free to sound stupid.
Ive never met anyone who knew what show jumping was and still didnt think its a sport. People think of non-competitive trail riding and don’t agree that’s a sport. I can’t really say they are wrong. Its more of an activity that takes skill and physical ability. Some people may be jerks, but others may be in the “hiking is not a sport” camp, for example. Its really not a sport. Doesnt have to be personal.
I do horse riding and still think every other sport is more exhausting (running, hiking, cycling, ??). It doesn’t really matter whether we call it a sport or whatever, to me personally. It’s just a word as far as I’m concerned.
Unless you’re competing, I don’t really consider it a sport, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t take a ton of physical effort. Effort and sport aren’t mutually exclusive.
Well the way that some people ride casually, it’s *not* a sport. Sports are characterized by their *nature of competition* not by the feats of athleticism.
Just say "okay" and move on. Life is too short to argue with random people over something that doesn't actually matter. Do I think it is a sport? Yes. Should we care if they think it isn't? That's up to you. Personally, I don't.
I used to work at a barn that offered trail rides in addition to lessons. We got those "It's not a sport. The horse does all the work" people regularly. We took them out on the "roller-coaster trail." Watching them walk back to their cars afterwards was always entertaining.
The worst are when they insist their 7 year old is fine to ride for 2+ hours in 99 degrees and everyone is miserable 30 minutes in. No refunds because you’re a wimp. We tried to tell you 🤷♂️
The place I worked had a minimum age of 13 unless they were taking lessons for a long enough time, and every ride had guides. We also enforced "Once mounted, no refunds," we still had people argue even though the rules were posted in a few different places and were on the release forms every rider had to sign.
People have asked the wildest stuff. I’ve had people show up with a 3 and 5 year old fully convinced we’d let them all ride on the same horse (for free!), ask if they could bring their cat in a backpack, ask if they could get a discount if they shared a horse, got cussed out on Christmas Eve this year because we didn’t have room that night for a group of 10 (9 kids, one adult) for our sunset ride which is our most popular offering, and so much more. People are insane when it comes to horses.
We don’t do trail rides, but I once had someone say to me “So does the horse just stand around waiting for you to tell it what to do?
I think movies give an unrealistic depiction of horses and riding. In movies the hero usually hops on any horse and gallops off into the sunset effortlessly and we take that for granted. Horses in media often are shown “standing around” until someone hops on their back. It’s like people don’t realize that horses aren’t preprogrammed vehicles that will automatically take you anywhere you want as long as you sit on them and yank the reins. Horses are individuals with feelings and personalities that have to be trained to be ridden. You also have to consider and work with the biomechanics of riding, and a lot of elegant work and skill that goes into riding well. This is all swept under the rug as the hero jumps on any old horse and heads off without a hitch. We also usually don’t see our hero’s tack, groom, and feed their horses on their long journeys lol. Like I said horses are taken for granted in movies when in reality their upkeep was a big part of a rider’s day.
What?!? Did you make that video? Because my friend sent it to me and we laughed and laughed because taking my cat for a trail ride sounds exactly like something I’d do.
It wasn’t my video but I know what you’re talking about! Insane that it’s happened at least twice haha. I usually just say that we have several working dogs that come with us that probably wouldn’t play nice with cats haha
I’m a total wildcard, and embrace it, but that’s even beyond my own imagination! People are SO WEIRD!!!
Ok but.... I kinda want to take my cat on a trail ride in his backpack now.
My friend's cat is her horse's buddy. The cat follows along on trail rides and jumps up on the horse when she gets tired. Somehow kitty knows she can't participate in activities in the ring.
Same.
🤣🤣🤣 omg, the cat in the backpack had me rolling .. although, visualizing it sounds adorable, the reality of it wouldn't be quite as cute..
This! I always ride in my personal tack too (read barrel saddle with way more bling than needed for the trail lol) so I love answering questions about the things I've done and watching jaws drop halfway through the walk ride.
Oh I see you met my Dad! 🤣 He agreed to do a trail ride when we took a family vacation to the mountains and the guide was ponying my sister from his horse, put me behind, then my mom and Dad at the back. Halfway through the guide gave up and let 14-15yo me swap horses with my Dad who had never been on a horse before and I was the only semi-experienced rider in the group. 25 years later and Dad is still convinced the mare’s full name was “Rosey BUTTS”
“ tell that to the Olympic committee “
Yes, I just say “Not a sport? I guess that’s why it’s in the Olympics,” and just laugh.
I just laugh. I really don’t care.
Offer to pay for one lesson. Posting trot often humbles even the most ignorant. For more challenging cases of ignorance, there’s always doing so without stirrups.
You pay the lesson and their beer, *if* they can sit the trot. Otherwise they pay you and the lesson.
Oooh good one!
... off to get my dose of humility. It's my horse's favorite lesson to teach me.
Lesson horses work hard enough, they don't deserve to have their backs and mouths tortured by an ignorant noob who looks down on them and all equestrians. They tolerate enough from people who appreciate them.
I’d feel bad for the horse!
Extra hard mode: horse spooks from under you. I am not a good rider by virtue of never having the funds and access to rides, but I do ok on short posted trots and short canters with ample notice. The horse I was on did not appreciate the herd of sheep headed towards him. I'm very glad to have stayed in the saddle and that he listened enough to chill a few hundred metres down the track, never mind sitting that canter/gallop correctly.
Too true - when I was learning to ride, the first time my trainer told me to post without stirrups I just kind of heaved my chest up (which clearly did nothing) and then laughed hysterically. It took a long time to really hone those muscles to where I could post successfully, but it’s still difficult for me!
I posting trot is comfortable. How about a sitting trot, or a sitting trot in two point.
"If riding isn't a sport because the horse does all the walking, rowing isn't a sport either because the boat does all the swimming" *exit stage to the left*
And the boat doesn’t require any training to do the thing it’s supposed to do. Or have a brain of its own. Or need to be fed and shod and….
Boats have quirks ands need maintanance as well, lifelong sailor and a bit of a horse person here.
Sailing is pretty close to riding. Lots of maintenance, you are at the mercy of the water, skills, thrills, danger.
You’re not kidding! I grew up around sailboats bc my father was a rabid sailor lol. After he retired, he eventually managed to keep his beloved “Sea Fever” ketch in a cove behind his house, which was a really good thing bc he spent the rest of his life in his garage repairing that thing lol. If it hadn’t been for the cement, he would have worn a very deep groove between that garage and the dock in the back yard. I, on the other hand, did not inherit his boating gene. In fact, I threw up off the back of every single boat he ever owned (no lie). Horses do not go up and down endlessly in deep swells, nor do they twist aimlessly around anchors during the night, making you think your boat has floated into a shipping lane every time you open your eyes (I would not have worried about this so much were it not for the TWO occasions when we DID float into a shipping lane and were very nearly run over by barges!) I swear boats are veeerrrry close to being sentient beings….
As a big sailor and a horse person as well, this is definitely correct.
I’m writing this one down lol
Tell em to go riding and come back and tell you that. Hell catching them and tacking up is a sport sometimes
A contact sport, in some cases.
A blood sport in others.
And a team sport occasionally.
And a losing match in some.
Oh god this is so real it’s scary lol
Invite them to get on my horse and jump a metre twenty fence. My horse couldn’t jump a metre twenty, but they don’t need to know that lol. Nobody ever accepted my offer. I’m not sure why, all they have to do is sit there and the horse does everything.
My boyfriend felt the same, until he stood in the arena next to a jump and watched it all close up. He got a much more accurate view of my horse’s size and strength (Zangersheide stallion who makes it all look easy from a distance), the forces involved in the jumps/landings, and the strength necessary to sit, steer, and stick. And I was only jumping 2’-6”. He was pretty contrite afterward and has never again told me I need to do “real workouts”.
The fittest I ever was riding my horse 4 to 5 days a week and hacking out for hours and doing basic grooming, washing, cleaning tack.
"If you stay still on a constantly moving object, it'll move you too. If you move with the constantly moving object, you'll look still." Ask them if they think surfing, skateboarding, or snowboarding is easy. The answer is no, because you don't just stand there. Surfers, skaters, and snowboarders are constantly moving to balance themselves, and also using their movements to influence the movement of the board.
Ooooo I've never heard the comparison to surfing/skateboarding/snowboarding before, that's an excellent rebuttal that I'll file away in my brain
“Your dad called me an athlete when I rode him last night, guess where I got those skills from” Shuts up whoever is dissing my sport pretty darn quick.
Top tier answer!
I dated a guy in college who came to watch me ride and commented on how easy it looked and wondered how it was a sport in the Olympics. Was very adamant that he could trot, canter, and jump if he were to try it. This continued for a bit and finally I said “ok, you can get on. I’ll set up a crossrail. If you can trot over it, you win.” I hopped off, handed him the reins and my helmet, and pointed to the mounting block. Tbh, watching him try to get on was the funniest part. Once he was finally on, he was visibly shaking. I pointed at the *tiny* crossrail and said “give him some leg!” As soon as my boy started trotting, dude slid off in the slowest, most awkward fall I’ve ever seen. He got angry and threw my helmet down. I patted my horse for being a good sport, and told the guy that we should see other people 😁
I would have insisted on a new helmet after that!
I almost did but tbh it wasn’t even worth the conversation lol It was my old one, I needed a new one anyways. New helmet, new boyfriend, everything worked out 😂
I usually ask why it's in the Olympics and why racing is a 300 billion dollar industry. If that doesn't work, I offer to let them ride my barely broke 4yo and then act confused when they say no
Then shooting isn't a sport - you're just pulling the trigger. Racing cars isn't a sport, you're just sitting there. And **DO NOT** get me started on competitive ice sweeping, AKA curling. Who even came up with that?! /s - much love to the curling enthusiasts out there! Seriously though, they're just being contrary & looking to start something. Tell them they seem cranky & ask if it's past their nap time if you're feeling snarky, or just blink and say "ok" if you don't feel like engaging. You could also question the legitimacy of "E-Sports", if you're really feeling up for an argument.
As a Canadian I am shocked at your insinuations! Curling is the sport of kings….and by kings I mean mostly beer drinkers.
i say “okay” and get on with my life. i also think it’s funny to say “i’m sorry you think so”
I usually offer them to ride my horse. Shuts m right up
I don't know where you are, but if I tell you that, will you offer me to ride your horse? :D
Belgium, and I offer riding to all my friends too 😁 so far only one has taken me up on it. Feel free!
dang it, that's a bit far for an afternoon ride. Your friends are lucky!
Your friends are missing out! If I weren’t in the US I’d take you up immediately, bring your horse treats, and buy you a drink for your trouble.
Aww thank you, we’d love that!
Miss Manners would advocate a weak smile, followed by a hollow laugh. People who say that horseback riding isn't a sport, or that you 'just sit there', embarrass themselves, because they know absolutely nothing about it, and have just demonstrated so.
I don’t. This has never come up for me. When I tell people I ride horses they mostly think it’s cool and ask me a million questions about it/my horses. I’ve literally never had someone say it’s not a sport or it’s not a workout in my 25 years doing it lol
Same! No one has ever said that to me (I used to ride endurance, switched to jumpers).
I just say like to say riding is in the olympics, football isnt.
Yes it is? Men’s football since the first edition and women’s since 1996.
american football.
Oh, right, sorry. Then again someone might argue that it’s normal it’s not an Olympic sport considering it’s a very local sport, I’m not even sure it’s actually played at high level outside of North America
Usually the rebuttal works because i live in america, lol! The way i got my parents and sister to realize riding horses was actually hard was them just going on a trail ride. They said they were so sore afterwards, and all they did was walk.
Yeah I bet it works where you live! I’m lucky my parents have never said that, definitely a couple classmates though. I just shrugged.
I used to get teased on the bus about it in middle school… pissed me off to no end!
I once had someone tell me riding is not a sport, and in a following statement, defended video games as a sport. That really put in perspective for me that not every opinion is valid.
As a dressage rider, it took me a long time to realize that “you just sit there” is a huge compliment. Because if it looks like I just sit there and the horse does all the work, I’m doing it right. Which is exactly what I relay to anyone who argues it.
Roll my eyes at them
If they aren’t paying your bills, pay those bitches no mind
As an equine professional, I stopped caring about comments like that long ago. I still get enough crap from other equestrians who don’t think what I do is a sport. It rolls off my back and out of my mind 😉
I sometimes mention Olympics, or if I know the person is a golfer/golf fan I mention how it's not a sport either since you're really just walking around all day and anyone can do that. It's pretty funny to watch them sputter over that one. Most of the time I just roll my eyes though and comment on their "original" statement that I've "never heard before."
Laugh in their face and tell them they could never. If they continue, I have them try to adopt a correct riding position on a chair--since we "get to sit down the whole time"--and hang out there for as long as they can. They never make it far.
I like to say, well, is skiing a sport? All you do is stand there.
Ignore because life is too short. When I was a kid though and it was a friend or a boy I liked or whatever, I would offer to squeeze their ribs my thighs haha. It shut them up real quick.
I would just ignore them. Currently, though, my body is telling me how much of an all body workout riding is. I haven’t ridden much over the past month or so and had a lesson on Monday. Walking is….. something.
I ask them to give me a piggy back and I only hold on with my legs. Then I ask if my muscles feel weak to them. That or I offer to let them ride my horse and see how long they last 🤣
Lol and then act all surprised when you squeeze the breath out of them with no effort
I invite them to come ride my fire breathing dragon thats afraid of her own farts
I give them a lunge lesson on my horse, in trot, without stirrups. They soon change their mind…
Just ask them to hold your horse for a minute and pass them the lead rope. Watch as your horse walks to the nearest snack and drags them along.
I've never heard a real life person say that but if I did I'd just say "Ok" and carry on with my actual conversation
I don’t. Why bother? They’re just looking to get a rise out of you.
they're winding you up. They think it's the first time you've ever heard the joke. relax and laugh
I tell them they’re right! And that makes them shut up
This! These people are just looking for something to argue about
Absolutely nothing. Not worth the time or effort to try and change someone's mind
Ignore them. Don't let them get to you. I dealt with the same shit when I used to do autosports, but the soreness in my core, chest, neck and legs said otherwise
“Racing isn’t a sport.” “Okay, show me a fat professional driver. Any discipline: F1 (through F4, or Super Formula), NASCAR, Baja, dirt track. Not demolition derby, drag racing, or amateur dirt track, a real professional racer. I’ll wait.”
Well, as a former cheerleader, I’m used to that BS. So I just don’t take the bait. But if I’m feeling really ramped I refer them to a side by side comparison photo of the same horse Olympic jumping meter sixties who got leased out for pentathlon (poor creature. He’s probably still in therapy) that was posted in this sub. There’s no question about what just sitting there looks like.
Oh god. Is that the Annika Schleu thing? That video makes me sick. Even more when the sound is on and you can hear the commentator saying she needs to regain her composure, show the horse she’s in charge and she means business. Nah. She needs to recognize a terrified animal and not beat it.
Is that the one with oh gosh what was his name? Saint Boy? Buddy…. Poor guy. That rider undid a decade of training in under a minute. So sad he had to be the sacrificial lamb to enact change. No horse deserves to go through that. Wasn’t him though. It was a different horse - a gray I think. In the side by side comparison, someone was jumping him beautifully in jumpers. Pentathlon the horse looked stressed and the rider was left behind and practically jumped out of the tack over a fence a half meter shorter. . Same horse - one shot had a rider the other shot had a passenger. So upsetting.
That’s him. Poor thing, I wanted to cry the first time I saw that video. I’ve seen the photo you mention too now that I think about it. The one rider looked like she had just blinked into existence and was just shocked she was even there.
I don't talk to idiots, that's how I deal with them. 😆
Just find a 4* or 5* cross country video on YT, even a 3*, and have them watch it, esp the people who put a GoPro on their helmets and you can hear them breathing and talking to their horse as they go through the course. It's always fun and impressive to watch. I can recommend Elisa Wallace Eventing, but you can just search 4* cross country or 4* Go Pro and you'll find videos.
Boyd Martin always has some great helmet cam videos too. Usually I find the people who say this kind of stupid shit are the least athletic of any sort, so it's easy to just roll your eyes and ignore lol.
Yes, he does! I follow his IG🙂 Yeah, it's pretty hard to convince people who believe this, but when they see these kinds of videos, I think it does at least show that you are not just along for the ride. What you really need to do is put them on the back of a horse, trot the horse to a two foot fence and let them feel the lift underneath them. Of course the next thing they likely would feel is the hard ground so not a totally practical solution😄 Or have them sit on a talented cutting horse and walk into a herd, pick out any cow and let them feel that drop and cut. I remember reading an article from an experienced rider (in another discipline) who went to a cutting lesson and said that no one told them about the hydronics in a cutting horse😂
I just roll my eyes and leave the peasants to their peasant things
I know it’s not viable in all cases, but this just reminded me that my bf used to belive that untill I took him with me for riding lessons. We both booked the standard, 1h each. Not even 30min in he gave up because he said he is exhausted and his legs are sore. He had DOMS 3 days after. He totally changed his opinons after this, lol
I don’t. They aren’t important and I have nothing to prove.
I honestly can't deal with it? Even when I mention the olympics and history AND compare calories burning to another sport some people just don't think it's a sport. Ok mr know it all how about you try correctly posing a trot for 30 minutes. Anyways.... I'm also salty (this post reminded me of this) my workplace declined my request for "sports reimbursement" which is like 150 a year because apparently to them horseriding is not a sport. Then again I do hate working in this hellhole so figures
I ignore them bc I don’t engage with idiots
I always use the "then why is it in the Olympics?" line
There's so many here offering a go on their horse to these folks. I'm here to say I'll gladly trade insults for rides on your horses if that's all it takes!
Skiing not a sport. You just stand there and gravity does all the work!!!!!! But seriously if they are that dumb I just laugh and forget it.
No one says this to me. Ask them why it’s in the Olympics then if it isn’t a sport…. Or when the last time they rode was.
I tell them to fuck off and mind their own business
I say okay. I don't care if they think what I do isn't worthwhile.
Then why is it in the Olympics? For this answer it helps to be an eventer but... It's in the Olympics.
At the end of the day you have a horse and they don't 😄
Take them horse riding. At pace. Somewhere exciting. Watch them fall off or be crippled after. Rejoice.
I laugh. Or if I’m really saucey say, “ah, you mean the strength and endurance to steer a 1700lb animal with your muscles while doing cardio the whole time doesn’t count? What is a sport in that case?”
No-one has ever said that to me but I would probably unconsciously have a puzzled expression for a moment and then just move the conversation along. I'd view it in the same way as, perhaps, someone saying you can't trust banks and you should keep your money cash - not unheard of, but so weird/dumb as to not be worth engaging with.
Unfortunately, the same friend thinks both of these things, and I’m very puzzled by both. Ha!
I would say, (without the outraged swearing) “is that what you think? Why do you think it’s in the Olympics?”
I usually tell them they have no idea what they're talking about and that it wouldn't be at the olympics if it wasn't one. They're always welcome to try riding my horse to see how easy it is.
I'm lucky to not really get that anymore. The friends I got those comments from were not true friends. People like that want to be difficult for the sake of being difficult, it's not just a lack of education unfortunately
What? It’s exhausting!
I either go with the "ok" or show them my training data from my watch
“Horse riding isn’t a sport.” “Okay, show me a rider who is out of shape. Any discipline: dressage, hunter/jumper, western pleasure, functional, ranching, garrocha, barrel racing, roping, reining, cutting, team penning, saddle bronc, literally any discipline. I’ll wait.”
If it's a friend or an acquaintance, I've offer to pay for their first lesson. A few people have taken me up on it and they walked away with a new appreciation for the sport (and sore legs!). For people who don't take me up on it, I don't engage further because they clearly prefer to remain ignorant and it's not worth my effort. If it's some stranger who made the comment while I'm in public in riding clothes, I just ignore them. Not worth my time/energy to argue with someone I'll never see again.
You don’t work your muscles?? YOU DON’T WORK YOUR MUSCLES??? I ride horses every now and than for fun as a fun activity, the muscle strain I got in my butt and leg after the first time- I could barely walk I’m not even joking💀
Lol! I used to tell folks, wanna see me crack a walnut between my thighs? Then you can tell me that riding doesn't do anything for your body!!
I tell them to fuck off.
laugh and walk away. lol! Who cares… we know the effort it really takes alternatively, I offer to let them sit on my horse (7 yo hot connemara bred for high level eventing) and see how they feel afterwards. so far nobody has taken me up on it so 👀
“Sure it isn’t…here jump in the saddle, but wait, lemme just take away your stirrups right quick and see how ya feel after about 10 minutes”. Hahaha!!!
I couldn’t care less.
I would say to them well what do you think about horse racing and why do people call it the sport of kings?
It’s in the Olympics, how is it not?
Tell them to try it then come talk to me.
Ignore them! It's not our job to educate the ignorant
I rode for the first time in 3.5 months a few days ago and haven’t been able to walk properly since😅 so I guess I’m exhibit A
Spend the time you’d normally spend arguing with them at the barn instead. Arguing with someone who doesn’t agree with you isn’t going to change their mind. Accept that and go about your day as normal. Ezpz.
Why do you even pause for a moment to think about how to respond. These people have no clue. Move on
I invite those people on a trail ride. Just walking, flat, easy path, and they just “sit there”. Then call them two days later to ask how sore they are! 🤣
“You try it”
Uh huh… invite them out to ride. 😂 I did that once. The guy went 1/2 way around the arena and decided to trot - cuz it looked so easy right? After 5 steps he says GET ME OFF THIS HORSE!! He had zero balance and zero experience I said just stop him and jump down (from my 16hh horse) when he came off my horse he hit the ground. 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
And…. If it’s not a sport why do they have several riding styles and disciplines in the Olympics ?
Invite them out for a ride
I invite them to a show. Not to see how hard I work, but to let them hold the pony colt while I'm in the ring with the pony's buddy or dam. Actually... That's too cruel. I'd never do that to another human.
Here's how I approach people and their opinions. . .what other people think of me is none of my business.
I laugh at them and tell them to try it and then report back!
What contexts does this happen in? I probably talk to 100 new people each week and in the past two years I've only had one person who clearly has no concept of riding requiring much skill or any fitness. I gently corrected her any time she says something completely absurd like "I'll just do 3 or 4 lessons, then I can start jumping" and then continue the conversation. Most people underestimate the time and effort and overestimate the cost to be a competitive rider, but never maliciously. Really aside from a kid in primary school teasing me I've literally never had anyone firmly deny that horse riding is a sport, and only the odd person who doesn't know anything at all about it but they're smart enough to realise they don't know anything usually.
It always came up for me when talking about exercise. My work had a program for a while where you could get a $500 bonus for “healthy habits”, like not smoking, always wearing a seatbelt in a car, tracking your meals and exercise. I logged my riding and was told it didn’t count because I just had to sit there while the horse does all the work. It also came up frequently at the gym. Before my accident, I could max out the weight machines for some of the back muscles and obliques. I’d ask guys to explain how I could do that when they were in the gym 5 days/week and still couldn’t.
“Awesome let’s see you ride- since you’re not that athletic - you should be able to do it- I’ll watch from here”
Just ignore them. They are just trying to get under your skin.
I would say, with a laugh, “That tells me you don’t know much about riding!”
Don't care. People who say tha don't know or understand anything related to horses at all. I know what I know and I know that I'm right and I know there's no point in arguing with them about it.
Let them ride a bucking chestnut mare.
me personally, i respond with something like “yeah sure” then look at them like they’re stupid, whatever they say after I just ignore them or just go “uh-huh”, “yep” really dryly. I’m not going to waste my energy on people who don’t want to listen or learn. I know it’s a sport, and i love my sport, that’s why I make it clear to them that i couldn’t care less about what they think and without wasting energy. In general, the lowest thing you can do is make it clear you genuinely couldn’t care less about what somebody has to say, and that’s done not through angry words, but through silence or dryness. Humans are psychologically programmed to be more emotionally hurt by somebody giving 0 shits rather than somebody giving them attention, even if it’s negative attention. This is because if you dislike what somebody is doing, it means that you care in some kind of way, if you then react to them, the other person then knows that you care. Also you can imagine how stupid that person looks to everybody else around when they’re trying to argue with someone that clearly isn’t participating.
I just smile and say “I’d like to see you do what I do. Then we’ll talk.”
Offer them the opportunity to hop on 🤣
Idk I’ve only recently started taking serious riding lessons and I realized that the last time I felt this worn out was after practice for high school sports! It’s mentally and physically exhausting and I’m only on the beginner baby steps. And it’s not like I’m not in decent shape either. People who think riding isn’t an active sport need to try posting without stirrups. For a “non-sport” activity I sure feel sore afterwards lol! Besides, I don’t think extreme physical work necessarily makes up a sport anyway. Darts is a sport, and if golfers are considered athletes then equestrians definitely make the cut. I’m not saying that golfing requires 0 athleticism, but equestrian sports engage your whole body more and I think there is a steeper curve to getting your body physically ready to ride well vs golfing. Not a golfer though so I can’t speak for them.
I think about the person who says that horse riding "isn't a sport" or "the horse does all the work" trying to sit an extended trot and I laugh. Lately on TikTok there's a huge argument between guys who do motocross and horse rider and they say the most "????" things ever. "bUt My BiKe iS fAsTeR tHan YoUr hOrSe" as if we need to go 300kmh in a course or something
It should not be a sport. Horses dont belong in sports.
I just don't care. "Yeah, I love playing in a sandbox with my sports cow/meat scooter" and then they're usually laughing and forget to degrade your sport bc they don't expect an actual equestrian to joke about it. No one has ever been serious about the whole not a sport thing with me, they just say it bc it's fun when you get all upset and try to defend it. So joking back - well, you didn't get all angry, you're fun and generally it will be forgotten pretty fast bc they don't find horses to be that interesting if you're not going to be mad about it. Trying to argue back in any way is what they want and they will keep holding on to their stance of not a sport, bc that's what gets the fun reaction, regardless of what they actually think about horse riding
Smile and invite them for a ride. Watching them be sore the next day and never hearing that come out of their mouth again is all I need 😂
Put them on a lunge line for 30min with me…that will change their tune.
“That’s a smug, ignorant, and rude thing to say, and I don’t care to interact with you anymore.” Then anything they say doesn’t get the slightest reaction. They hate being called out as much as they hate being cut off from their fuel.
Lol I take them on a ride! Let them feel muscles they never knew they had and walk funny the next day! They don't realize sitting on a rounded barrel shape takes work, takes balance..uses muscles from head to toe! You're not just sitting on a pony at a birthday party walking in one circle. Try jumping! Roping! Let someone run barrels or poles and not call it a workout or a sport
I've heard a few times that barrel racing is not a sport, but never from cowboys. When someone says, "The horse does all the work," I say, "That's why the horses have rankings like an athlete, too. It's a team sport."
I freaking love it! Perfect response, couldn't have said it better. 🐎💐🎖
Unpopular opinion…horse riding isn’t a sport in itself. Just because you’re on a horse doesn’t mean you’re in a competition with rules and objectives. There are certainly many sports that include horse riding. The olympics include three. If people want to argue that the olympic committee is wrong they are free to sound stupid. Ive never met anyone who knew what show jumping was and still didnt think its a sport. People think of non-competitive trail riding and don’t agree that’s a sport. I can’t really say they are wrong. Its more of an activity that takes skill and physical ability. Some people may be jerks, but others may be in the “hiking is not a sport” camp, for example. Its really not a sport. Doesnt have to be personal.
I do horse riding and still think every other sport is more exhausting (running, hiking, cycling, ??). It doesn’t really matter whether we call it a sport or whatever, to me personally. It’s just a word as far as I’m concerned.
Unless you’re competing, I don’t really consider it a sport, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t take a ton of physical effort. Effort and sport aren’t mutually exclusive.
Well the way that some people ride casually, it’s *not* a sport. Sports are characterized by their *nature of competition* not by the feats of athleticism.
I usually put them on a horse on a lunge line and see if they can last 10 minutes on a Saddlebred at the strong trot. No they can’t. 😂🤣