Was it the motor car that changed it and made many men no longer see the practical need of the horse? Perhaps the modern man is uncomfortable with the tight pants and long boots that only 150 years ago would have been quite normal to be seen in. Is the man scared of not being able to do it well and therefore does not want to be seen, as he knows there is a potential for falling off, which of course doesn't happen in golf! It's something we are almost accepting as the norm and it defies all logic. Yet those top male FEI riders come from somewhere and are found in all nations. Currently in world rankings 86% of the top show, 77% of eventing riders and 75% of dressage riders are male.

Recently while in a pub I thought it hilarious a man suggested my sport was a girl's sport. I  could not help but retort that unlike ‘footy’ us equestrians don’t wear little silky vests and kiss and grope one another each time something good happens to us while competing. I went further and asked what is ‘girlie’ about travelling over 40 km per hour sometimes over hurdles up to the height of an average man and being in a partnership with a living animal more than 10 times the strength of a heavy weight boxer? Like those before him he could not answer. No one can. He went back to his 7^th or 8^th beer and the security of his equally well informed and educated friends.

In our family, I am the rider and my wife is less interested. She enjoys a trail ride but has no desire to compete and the horses are my daily responsibility and routine. She is also very keen to get me looking colourful and in all the years I have ridden I have remained in the conservative blue, cream and for showing, white breeches. When a new Horseland catalogue came they were advertising banana and she insisted I get a pair ASAP and thinks they look fantastic. Initially I was unsure but took the leap and since doing so have had so many compliments. If men think that this look is not a desirable one they ought to spend a day with me from horse to shops to city and back to horse. I don’t usually bother to change and am rather proud of my sport and can walk without any concern through the city centre at lunchtime. Usually I get 2 or 3 comments always from women and always something to the tune of ‘you look fantastic’ – clearly it’s a hit. The look certainly was when Colin Firth was Mr D’Arcy in the 90s BBC adaption of Pride and Prejudice, probably the biggest stud, certainly in England since James Bond.

Social media I truly believe could work a little harder to educate people. Some groups and fan pages are very insular in what they post and it is all rather ‘girls only’ and it need not be. Child and partner are wonderful substitutes for girl and husband for example. It is not the complete answer but it is a beginning. Am sure that currently riding adults when they have children of their own want their kids to see a better world than they did. If we all take 5 minutes out to think we all can be that difference. It's just perhaps a case of thinking before we share or speak. 

About Greg Archer

Greg Archer began riding horses at age 7. After about three lessons of being yelled at by some very unsuitable instructors for his type of personality he quit. A second attempt at age 16 resulted in a similar experience. Then after some 20 years in the corporate world and having studied a great deal about human personality and finding out too how far riding had come forward (inspired by such works as Ride With Your Mind, Centered Riding and books by Gincy Self Bucklin and Paul Belasik) he began again in earnest and all now goes very well for him. In almost four years of regular riding and owning several horses, Greg is more than competent and aiming to qualify as an instructor himself in the near future and become a successful showjumper. His dream (he is currently 41) is to become FEI ranked by the age of 60. For Greg the journey is more important than the results and he is passionate about this sport being seen as a sport for all.