Recreational riding
Leisure riding is a collective term for the occupation with the horse, in which the tournament sport and the competitive idea are in the background. Freetime riders are amateurs who do not regularly show their horses at tournaments. Around 800,000 tournament riders are registered with the German Equestrian Association . There are more than 3 million riders who do not have a tournament license. Recreational riders thus form the overwhelming majority in equestrian sports.
In the narrower sense, recreational riding is understood as an antithesis to dressage , show jumping or western riding . In this context, recreational riding describes a specific attitude towards the horse and a corresponding approach to the horse.
Riding style
Leisure riding combines different riding styles . Strong influences come from the Western riding, the Iceland horse cavalry , the Iberian Riding and the Light Horse riding ( Ursula Bruns ) that are applied usually in an adapted combination and varieties, often in pure culture. The level of training is very different for both riders and horses - from "excellent gymnastics" to "just sitting on it". Leisure horses are usually ridden off-road ( trail riding ). The occupation with the horse and the groundwork , for example based on the methods of Linda Tellington-Jones, are very important . Many recreational riders claim to be particularly horse-friendly. Riding is seen as a leisure activity that should not only please people, but also do justice to the horse. The relationship between man and horse and the respect for nature have a special meaning.
“A recreational rider is the person who deals with horses for the sake of the horses, who rides for the horse's well-being and for the sake of riding and who therefore seriously, fully aware of the great task, has taken all responsibility for his horses himself. .. "
Keeping horses
Leisure horses are often kept as appropriate to their species as possible - robust in the herd , in the open stable , or at least with plenty of exercise on the pasture - and if possible moved daily in the field.
history
The forerunner of today's “leisure rider” can be described as the “gentleman's rider” (regardless of gender). In contrast to professional riders such as cowboys or vaqueros, cavalrymen, messenger riders, etc., it was only about the pleasure associated with riding. At that time tournaments were reserved for officers. It was only with the general prosperity after the Second World War and the opening of tournaments for private individuals that a riding scene could emerge that laid the foundation for today's tournament sport and for today's recreational riding.
Recreational riding as a movement of those who deal with natural handling and species-appropriate posture outside of competition sport , emerged in the 1960s, parallel to the rediscovery of the robust horse and pony breeds, especially the Icelandic horse , in continental Europe, which can also be ridden by adults . The Pony Post , published by Ursula Bruns since 1958 , and from 1969 Freizeit im Saddle , the first horse magazine for recreational riders , made a significant contribution . As a result, the spread of other horse breeds and crossbreeding in Germany for recreational riding increased significantly. Linda Tellington-Jones also had a strong influence with her gentle riding teaching based on partnership and the “Tellington Touch”, a body work for horse and rider (see: Feldenkrais method , Shiatsu ).
organization
Although the recreational riders represent a large and steadily growing group of riders, they are rather poorly organized. Some are in the
- Association of recreational riders and drivers in Germany (VFD),
- Icelandic Horse Riders and Breeders Association V. (IPZV)
and trail riders and hikers in the
- Deutsche Wanderreiter Akademie (DWA) organized.
The first Western Rider Union Germany (EWU) is the center for tournament western riders. The EMU was founded in 1978 and has been a free association of the German Equestrian Association (FN) at the federal level since 1993.
Many expressly refuse membership in one of the FN affiliated clubs with an emphasis on competitive sports.
Ambitious recreational riders
A growing group of riders, who describe themselves as ambitious leisure riders, ride a certain riding style according to the objectives , but refrain from presenting their horses at tournaments. These horses are also classed as recreational horses, although they may be better trained and ridden than some sport horses. For example, ambitious dressage riders who train their horse well but do not present it at tournaments. Reasons that speak against attending tournaments can include: time and money, driving with the horse trailer , effort to clean yourself and your horse , undesirable developments in sport (e.g. roller cure , parallel bars , doping ), stress for that Horse through weekly tournament participation.
Recreational driving
In recreational driving , the focus is on driving in nature. Leisure riders are amateurs who do not regularly show their horses at tournaments.
literature
- Udo Bürger: Perfect horsemanship. Strived for-explored-felt. Berlin 1959. (Reprint: 2006, ISBN 3-275-01552-4 )
- Ursula Bruns: The Tellington Method: This is how you train your horse. 11th edition. 2002, ISBN 3-275-00856-0 .
- Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling: Dancing with horses . 1993, ISBN 3-440-06564-2 .
- Sadko G. Solinski: rider, riding, cavalry. The basics of horse-friendly riding . Hildesheim 1983, ISBN 3-487-08248-9 .
- Imke Spilker: Self-confident horses. How horses develop their own exercises and lessons. 2000, ISBN 3-440-07926-0
Web links
- VFD Association of Leisure Riders
- IPZV Icelandic Horse Riders and Breeders Association
- DWA German trail rider academy