They don’t just horse around
By Joan Herman
Of tt>« Emerald
The Oregon equestrian team
loves to horse around — but that
doesn’t mean they're not learn
ing
Non-equestrians may think
riding a horse is like driving a
car: turn the key and take off.
But it's not that way, according
to two riders on the Oregon
team.
"There's a definite commun
ication between horse and
rider," says former team pre
sident Kathy Meader. "Other
wise, you wouldn’t be able to get
a performance out of them A
horse knows when you're
scared, when you're nervous.
They are really perceptive to
that.
‘ A horse is not going to do
what you want them to do just
because he's going to do it
When you get a good perfor
mance out of a horse it’s
because your communication is
good. That's what performance
is all about." Meader says
Although this experience can
be exhilarating, she says riding
is not always like that
There's times when it hurts
real bad. Your legs are just
aching and it hurts to ride
sometimes," she says "People
think it's a real easy sport You
just get on the horse and ride
and the horse does all the
work."
“It’s not true at all," agrees
Melissa Herron, one of the
team's two coordinators "It's
definitely the combination (of
horse and rider). It cannot be
put on one or the other."
But both women say their love
for horses makes it worth the
effort
"They're incredible beasts,"
says Meader If you compare a
horse to a cow. you've got a
much more intelligent animal
They're like dogs in a way
because they're extremely
trainable "
When horse and rider work
together there is nothing else
like it, according to both
women. At a recent practice, the
petite Meader guided a
16-hand, black thoroughbred,
Sam I Am. gracefully over
several jumps.
"It's just so thrilling," she
says "There's nothing else like
it when you have a good perfor
mance. especially if you're on a
difficult horse It's very, very
rewarding "
Unlike most teams which
stress competition, Herron says
the equestrian team is more in
terested in educating its team
members than winning ribbons.
Basically the team is de
signed as a learning exper
ience, not a competing exper
ience," she says.
Meader explains the team
consists of two teams within a
team: Don Kennedy and Betsy
Soule of Foxridge Stables
coach the English team and Sue
Pruitt of Lakeview Stables
coaches the Western team.
Both women stress that the
team, which now has 19
members, is always looking for
new members, and surprisingly,
experience is not a prerequisite
Herron says competitions have
classes for novice riders who
have never won a ribbon before
and because they are compet
ing against other beginners,
there is "no reason not to have
beginners on the team," she
says
“I never had a lesson until I
came to UO. I felt like I really
knew horses well, but when I
Oregon Dally Emerald
Photo by Bob Baker
Melissa Herron rides Sam I Am at practice
came here I realized how bad
my communication was and
how much I didn't know about
horses, says Herron
"As far as what we have to
offer, it's endless," says
Meader "If you are the best
rider in the world you can learn
a lot If you've never been
around a horse before you're
going to learn a lot," she says
Both women expect their
practicing to pay off when the
team begins collegiate compe
titions in the spring They also
plan to have several schooling
shows with other stables around
the Eugene area during winter
term
Until then, horse and rider will
work many hours together at
tempting to achieve perfection
"That's what's nice about rid
ing,'' says Herron The chal
lenge never ends.''
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