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[RC] Shortage of junior riders - Mary Ann Spencer

The youngsters these days have a LOT more to entertain them-computers, cable TV, etc.  My 17 yo daughter did say that she was glad I turned off the TV and made her go out and do things, mostly related to riding. She is a working student at the local dressage center and actually gets paid to ride horses!!!  She did learn she doesn't want to be a horse trainer for her bread and butter tho.  We were riding 50s when I was sent to Iraq.  Things in life make major changes.  Most youngsters just have easier things to do.  Dating is a big one too.  It reduces their interest in other things.  My daughter is grounded from dating until she is 18.  The public schools also discourage kids from doing things and they take up way too much time for what they accomplish.  All these things and more enter into the equation about how much kids can ride.  Having a horse is more of a challenge for kids if the parents don't own any.  Lots of things in our modern society add to the lack of juniors, including many horse people choosing not to have children as they don't care to be bothered with the hassel of raising children.   Take a look at the stats of who is having children and it is not the YUPPIES or others with income.  IT TAKES INCOME TO HAVE HORSES AND MORE INCOME TO COMPETE HORSES IN ANY EVENTS.  The group not having a lack of youth in their activities is the AQHA.   Arabs have a bad name in most other horse things besides endurance and Arabian racing or the picture of a beautiful horse.  I won't go on about the Arabian registries as that would take a lot of typing.  They are so political and self serving to the professional money makers that it is disgusting.  If I did not want to continue to do endurance, I would be switching to another breed, probably the quarter horse or a naturally gaited horse as I am not getting any younger.  At least my daughter says I am not to ride green horses anymore.  Oh, well. all can buck and all can kick.  Challenge is to find the ones that don't care to do that anymore, no matter what the breed.   
 
              IMHO, Mary Ann