Trick riders wow people with their dazzling acts, performing stunts such as hanging from a galloping horse by one foot or performing the splits upside down while in a saddle. Stunts such as these take years of hard work and training in order to perfect, as many who work in this industry will gladly attest.
Roz Beaton is a trick rider from Canada who began riding at an early age, and has appeared in numerous shows throughout North America. She claims that the key to her success is having a strong bond with her horse in addition to her hours of training.
Beaton also cites one other factor that is important, and that is the right equestrian footing. She claims that she is always a little nervous whenever she enters a ring with muddy or otherwise bad footing. At those times, the usually fearless stunt rider states that she sometimes gets scared if she thinks the arena will be slick because it increases the risk of a horse falling.
While falling is par for the course for stunt riders, they all wish to avoid it as much as possible. Another stunt rider, Ginger Duke, claims that the sport is naturally hard on an athlete’s body, and can be even be dangerous even if a horse does fall. As a result, these professionals must learn to react to falls as part of their already rigid training program.
Poor footing can also be tough on the horses that carry these stunt riders. Beaton keeps up to five horses at any one time to ensure they are not worked too hard.
Stunt riding may look like fun, but it actually comes with a great deal of hard work along with an element of danger. Arena owners can do their part to help trick riders by ensuring they have the right footing in place. Contact us to find out more.
