For those who used to ride many moons ago, do you think we have gotten too politically correct with our riding? This photo from 1961, taken at The Quentin Riding Club near Harrisburg, PA, is a lovely photo and the horse can jump and the rider can ride. No ground lines, no $100K footing, no hat and he is riding under the lights.
Take a look at the same horse/rider combination from the same time period at a horse show in Baileys Crossroads, VA. Yes, the same Baileys Crossroads that many in Washington, D.C. will be familiar with - my how it has changed. The horse's is named "Bowie" as he came off the Bowie, MD racetrack (long gone, regrettably) and was sold for a mere $80. He loved to drink Coke out of a can.
I am all for "safety" but when I was growing up we rode bareback all the time, without helmets.There were no bike helmets, ski helmets, and we did not jump 2'0 fences either. Have we just gone overboard and taken all of the sheer "fun" out of riding. Chances are better that I will be killed in an auto accident than a fall from a horse. Just something to think about.
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