22 July, 1962 ' Business Week7 Says: ' Everyone ' s Getting A Horse Now '
22 July, 1962 ' Business Week7 Says: ' Everyone ' s Getting A Horse Now '
( Editor ' s Note— Another national business magazine reports on the great " Pleasure Horse Boom " in America. Its Business 11 cek. with an article herewith reprinted with special permission of the editors. The subhead on this story read. " Riding and owning horses is one of the country’ s fastest-growing recreations. " Read the editorial in this issue of the Voice. Wc are determined to get something started that will put the lennesscc Walking Horse into this Pleasure Horse Market. BAG.)
WHEN THE CRY " TALLY-HO " goes out these days, riders flush from all directions. But they ' re more likely lo be off for a trail ride or a fast chukker of polo than riding to the hounds.
Pleasure horse riding is rapidly becoming a top national pastime. In fact, the recent Presidential report on Outdoor Recreation for America ranked horseback riding as more popular than such sports as camping, hiking, water skiing, and sailing. It lopped all other recreations as the one that people wanted to take up in the future.
Owning a horse is no longer confined to the socially elite hunt set or to keeping a pony for the rich man ' s child. These days, the equestrian is likely to be the local druggist, real estate salesman, school teacher, lawyer, or engineer. It has become a family affair, too. ft is estimated that 35 %
10 40 % of active riders today own their horses.
NATIONAL SPORT. There seems to be no single answer for the spurt in horsemanship. More leisure time, more money, the trek to the suburbs, all have been factors. Riding undoubtedly has been given an extra boost from the White House through the equestrian talents of Mrs. Kennedy and Caroline.
Whatever the stimulus, the number of horseowners is growing by leaps and bounds. The situation is pretty much the same all across the country. Where a locality only had a handful of riding clubs a few years back, now there are a dozen or so.
CLUBBY BUSINESS. The Sugar Loaf Riding Club in the suburbs of Washington, D. C., is typical. Started a few years back with only three members, the club now has around 40, says club president Ros Goeke, a Public Health Service Officer. The dub isn ' t really trying to increase its membership. " If we put on a membership drive,” says charter member William Waddell, who ' s in the burial vault business, " Lord knows where it would slop.”
JOYS OF HORSETRADING. Once the horse ownership bug bites, ii usually sticks— and grows. Whether the first time horseowner starts out by buying a purebred or one of nondescript lineage, it isn’ t long before he starts eying and buying the purebreds that can lake ribbons at the local horse show and double in harness or pleasure riding.
If you are not too choosy about looks and linage, just an ordinary riding horse can be picked up anywhere from § 150 on up; ponies run a little cheaper. A horse’ s keep will run from § 30 to § 00 a month, depending on how much labor-sharing you do and whether or not you insist on housing him in an individual stall. Saddle, bridle and other necessities can be had for a minimum of around § f00.
FAVORED BREEDS. When it comes lo selecting a horse, individual preferences take over. In the west, the quarter horse is still the favorite, with the Appaloosa and Arabian growing in demand; the East has broader
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