Hey everybody, so I'm new here and I've got a question for you, I'm a transgender man and my thing is, I've got a job in horses, like I take care of them and intend to become a professional rider or something around it. And while horse riding is said to be a girl's sport ( don't know why though cause it's definitly not ) it is also a very macho environment in some ways. I mean it. And I get the vibe that being transgender will be a great lot of pain in this context. So I wanted to ask if any of you have a horse related job or know someone whos works in that environnement ?
I wanted to know if you can still find jobs etc...
I exercise horses, and no, I have not experienced discrimination. I ride primarily English, however, where it's more of a "we don't care or care to know" attitude on people's private lives. If you rodeo then you may have a more difficult time, and I would suggest that you remain stealth for your own safety. While many cowboys will accept you there are some who may be violently opposed (but not as violently opposed as they are to gay men--it's tough being a gay cowboy), plus you may face ridicule. Though if you have mad skills then you will likely get respect for that. If you ride hunter/jumper, eventing, dressage, saddle seat, or some other English based style of riding then you will likely have no more than the usual experience with people being surprised then getting over it with a few being freaked out. American men at professional levels of these events are used to being mocked and called gay for their sport so they are highly unlikely to mock someone else. Sponsors just care whether or not you win. So no, I would not expect it to ruin your chances of having a career. You might want to keep it on the down low, however, not out of shame but rather because sponsors are not interested in your personal life being the talk of the town--they want people talking about their horses. Notice that you hear almost nothing about famous riders' personal lives in magazines like the Chronicle of the Horse. That's because in the sport it is not considered appropriate to go around blabbing about your marriage or divorce or sexuality or kids or gender issues--if it isn't about horses then it isn't a topic for the showgrounds. Professional riders are riders first, everything else second. So I would just come out then let it go and not try and drive it home that you are a trans rider every five seconds as horse people only care that you are a rider.
When I came out, people at my barn didn't even blink an eye. I'm not sure the my gave a rip as long as I was still riding the horses, hauling the hay, and scooping the manure. People at shows might whisper (because English riders love their gossip), but I doubt it's as interesting to them as which of their rivals is dating which of the grooms. There are no gender divisions in riding, so you don't have to deal with regulations on what you participate in. Even clothing is no different. Well, my men's breeches have back pockets and I can now wear a traditional tie rather than a mandarin or stock tie under my jacket at shows without attracting odd looks, but that's it. Overall, I just announced my move then never talked about it again and everyone was cool with that. No one is interested in my gender transition--they just want to know where I got my saddle.
You are correct that it is a conservative (and "tough person") sport, but I really would not call the culture "macho"--girls are expected to be tough, too, so it's not really gender related there. Rodeo, on the other hand, is VERY macho, as is horse racing (there are very few female jockeys and I don't believe there has even been a female All Around Cowboy--too few ride bulls--so you might be BETTER off as a trans man in rodeo or track than a female would be, especially if you don't shout it from the rooftops.)
Hope this helps!
Oh, and just as an addendum, it's only considered a "girls sport" at the lower levels and in America. At professional levels there are more male than female riders, and internationally show jumping is considered a major sport (which is why so many pro riders move to Europe).
Damn this thread really makes me miss horse riding haha
Quote from: FtMitch on February 04, 2016, 10:19:38 AM
Oh, and just as an addendum, it's only considered a "girls sport" at the lower levels and in America. At professional levels there are more male than female riders, and internationally show jumping is considered a major sport (which is why so many pro riders move to Europe).
This ^^^ there's also very few female racing jockeys. if i hadn't been afab, and discouraged from pursuing it because of that, I'd have gone down the jockey route. I always regret not being tougher about what I wanted.
Quote from: Peep on February 04, 2016, 02:41:57 PM
Damn this thread really makes me miss horse riding haha
yeah, me too. Makes me miss my horses, though not the barn culture. I never could take gossip.
Here in Denmark, if you live in a rural area, or are from rural areas, and present female, people WILL assume you, at the very least, have sat on a horse before. At my old barn, there was just one person presenting male, a teenager that hadn't been frozen out yet. (Like I said, barn gossip. Horse-Girls
tm can be vicious.) Everyone else there, students and employees alike, presented female. Male presenting people were looked at with some suspicion, to be honest which always made me very uncomfortable.
Very Tough environment, but not macho at all, and very competitive. I folded under the social pressure.
Hi there, I'm a bit late but this was the only relevant link I got from searching for horseriding and being ftm... I have a question that's a bit off topic, but I'll add my two cents to the original post first:
I'm not professional, and also from Denmark, so my experience may not be very relevant, but matches Alex's very well. I used to ride at a regular club as a kid, and while being AFAB and unaware of my gender issues at the time, it was still a hell of cliques and gossip. Always wished to get riding again, but only did when in my late thirties after transitioning and getting read as cisgender male. At that point I looked for more basic horsemanship type training. Though I was mostly the only guy, I had no issues those places. One place I disclosed after a while, and while there was some initial awkwardness and ignorance, it wasn't worse than any other place.
However, I have a recurring physical problem that I can't help but think is related to the trans status, and wondered if anybody else had experienced something similar and found a solution, or know whether this happens to cis people of any gender as well - I haven't heard of it.
My genitals simply get rubbed raw - I'm on T but haven't had bottom surgery, and it's like that organ that is larger than an average clit, but is situated lower than an average penis just gets caught really bad.
So... Any experience or suggestions for this problem?
Where I am there are mostly women owning and looking after horses. Tbh though the main criteria for getting the job just seems to be experience.
@Hoeg Quote from: Hoeg on September 04, 2018, 04:27:42 AM
Hi there, I'm a bit late but this was the only relevant link I got from searching for horseriding and being ftm... I have a question that's a bit off topic, but I'll add my two cents to the original post first:
I'm not professional, and also from Denmark, so my experience may not be very relevant, but matches Alex's very well. I used to ride at a regular club as a kid, and while being AFAB and unaware of my gender issues at the time, it was still a hell of cliques and gossip. Always wished to get riding again, but only did when in my late thirties after transitioning and getting read as cisgender male. At that point I looked for more basic horsemanship type training. Though I was mostly the only guy, I had no issues those places. One place I disclosed after a while, and while there was some initial awkwardness and ignorance, it wasn't worse than any other place.
However, I have a recurring physical problem that I can't help but think is related to the trans status, and wondered if anybody else had experienced something similar and found a solution, or know whether this happens to cis people of any gender as well - I haven't heard of it.
My genitals simply get rubbed raw - I'm on T but haven't had bottom surgery, and it's like that organ that is larger than an average clit, but is situated lower than an average penis just gets caught really bad.
So... Any experience or suggestions for this problem?
Hi Hoeg! Welcome to Susan's Place! I'm Jessica!
I haven't the experience to offer an answer. Though it seems there may be others that do.
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