For at least five thousand years, the equine world revolved around herding, hunting, farming, freight, and war, and was considered a man’s domain. The secrets of training and riding these powerful animals were carefully passed from man to man long before the Greek general Xenophon wrote his book on the handling and care of warhorses over two thousand years ago. Women were not known to be key players in equitation, with few exceptions among trendy aristocrats or circus performers. However, with the advent of the internal combustion engine, men moved away from horses and traded their reins for steering wheels. The void left by the retreat of male influence is now being filled by women.
IIsabella Bird Bishop, perhaps the most famous female explorer and trail rider, traveled the world by horseback during the late 1800s. At that time, Isabella was in her 60s. Today, thousands of women are following Isabella’s example. On any given day, the majority of riders on trails across America are women. It is women who, day in and day out, nourish and are nourished by their proximity to horses. For these women, it is the horses themselves that they love.
The impact women are having on the equestrian world is enormous. The public’s response to Anna Sewell’s 1877 novel, “Black Beauty” led to the creation of the SPCA. Not too long ago, canned dog food made of horse-meat was standard fare on super-market shelves.
Many women have followed the example of Velma Bronn Johnston (Wild Horse Annie) and are actively interceding on behalf of America’s Mustangs and other “unwanted” horses to stop their uncontrolled removal and destruction. Nonprofit horse rescue organizations are often founded by women who see the benefit of taking second jobs to provide food and shelter for starving horses.
In the 1900 Summer Olympics, Elvira Guerra, a famous circus rider, became the first woman to represent Italy in a hunter/hack demonstration event, where she placed ninth.
It wasn’t until the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki that women were allowed to compete in dressage. That year, Lis Hartel of Denmark won the individual silver medal. Remarkably, Hartel was not only a woman but also paralyzed from the knees down due to polio and pregnant at the time. She also won silver at the 1956 Summer Olympics.
In 2012, approximately half of the Olympic equestrian competitors were women. Seven of the top ten international dressage riders and six of the top ten international show jumping riders were women. Even the 2014 Tevis Cup winner was a woman, Heather Reynolds. The Western riding disciplines have also seen women rising to the top of traditionally male-dominated areas. Mary Jo Milner is a six-time NCHA Non-Pro World Champion cutting horse rider. In the horse-racing industry, women have become familiar faces as owners, trainers, and jockeys. Wantha Davis won more than 1,000 races, mostly competing against male jockeys. She was known as the original horse whisperer, as she didn’t use a whip on her horses but instead encouraged them to go faster by whispering in their ears.
s technology evolved during the 20th century, movies and television began introducing women equestrians into a world dominated by cowboys. These programs allowed horse-crazy girls to dream, inspiring many to pursue those dreams and become the female equestrian leaders of today. The impact of this influx of women in the horse world, sparked by figures like Dale Evans-Rogers in the “Roy Rogers” TV series, Gail Davis as “Annie Oakley,” Megan on “My Little Pony,” and the Amy Fleming character played by Amber Marshall in “Heartland,” must be acknowledged.
It truly is the woman’s touch that is ultimately changing the equestrian world. Many innovations brought forth by female equestrians have proven to be effective, shifting the way we interact with, train, care for, and ride horses.
In the 1970s, Linda Tellington-Jones introduced TTouch, a new approach to relating to and training horses through understanding their behavior, touch, movement, and body language. Linda has written 21 books and holds clinics worldwide.
Alexandra Kurland began clicker training her horses in the 1990’s. Her books, videos, and clinics have taught thousands to use positive reinforcement to communicate with and teach their horses.
German veterinarian Dr. Hiltrud Strasser, after studying the feet of wild horses, developed a barefoot trimming method that has transformed public knowledge of horse hooves. Her students and books have prompted many in the United States and Europe to remove the iron shoes traditionally used for domesticated horses, allowing their horses to go barefoot.
Sally Swift wrote two books about Centered Riding, a technique for achieving the perfect riding position by combining principles from yoga, T’ai chi, and martial arts to enhance the balance and effectiveness of riders. Although Sally Swift passed away in 2009, her technique is now considered the standard for riders across all disciplines.
The Chris Forte Horsemanship program teaches equestrians about horse intelligence, behavior, and communication. We focus on breaking down the horse-human communication barrier, fostering a bond with horses based on empathy, encouragement, and support. Our goal is to ensure that horses are relaxed, focused, and confident in both themselves and their human partners. We ride bitless and force-free, relying solely on our energy, weight, and leg position to invite our horses to synchronize their positions, gaits, and strides with us.
In many ways, women are reinventing the horse-human relationship. While change may not happen overnight, this feminine approach is transforming the horse world, reflecting the nurturing and empathetic qualities that characterize the alpha mare.
By Chris Forté
More articles on this new relationship with horses:
THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA
WHO IS IN YOUR HORSE’S CIRCLE OF THRUST?
For further reading:
- Morgan, Morris H. (trans.) 1893, The Art of Horsemanship by Xenophon.
- Bird, I. L. 1831-1904. (19001899). The Yangtze Valley and beyond: an account of journeys in China, chiefly in the Province of Sze Chuan and among the Man-tze of the Somo territory. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons.
- Sewell, A, Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse
- Alan J. Kania. 2012, Wild Horse Annie: Velma Johnston and her Fight to Save the Mustang. University of Nevada Press.
- Swift, Sally, Dec. 1985, Centered Riding,St. Martin’s press Inc. .
- Kurland, A, 1999, Clicker Training for Your Horse.
- Strasser, H. and Kells, S., 1998, A Lifetime of Soundness: The Keys to Optimal Horse Health, Lameness Rehabilitation, and the High-Performance Barefoot Horse., Third Edition (Revised). Self-published, Sabine Kells, Qualicum Beach, BC, Canada.