A couple months ago, EquineGlobe published a Rider’s Notes that delved into the new and growing world of equine-related digital technology. One very popular gadget among riders and non-riders alike is the portable mp3 player, which allows the user to enjoy music and video anywhere. By far the most popular type is the Apple iPod; walk the streets of a big city or the hallways of a small town high school and you’ll see people of all ages in possession of this palm-sized device. The “nano” iPod is the length of just two sticks of gum, and about as wide. In other words, it is now easier than ever to listen to music throughout one’s daily activities.
For the horseman, this means musical riding. Inside one’s head the chords of Beethoven’s fifth symphony can quiver in time with the horse’s hoof-beats, synching up for a moment before one or the other party changes its tempo. Another rider at that moment might be enjoying the notes of a Michael Jackson tune, learning that Billy Jean is, in fact, not his lover, all while warming up over some trot poles. No one can hear these notes except for the mp3 player himself, so he lives in a private world of music atop his animal.
Enough, though, with the waxing poetic. There are a million writers who can better describe the personal musical experience. The portable mp3 player is being examined today mostly in light of the controversy that surrounds its use atop a horse. Conflicting viewpoints exist regarding whether or not this device belongs in a rider’s pocket or strapped to her arm.
The biggest reason for this is that many see it as a safety hazard, with some people pointing out the reasons as very similar to those that make it illegal to listen to one (let’s assume it’s an iPod, in this article) while driving a car. The device functions via the headphones the user must be wearing in order to hear the music; these same headphones, while providing a private and presumably very enjoyable listening experience, drown out the sound of the rider’s surroundings. Then, if a runaway horse is headed this way, or a car is coming down the road from behind, the rider is blissfully unaware of the impending danger. In addition, just as one would become distracted from driving if one were to look down and press the buttons of an iPod to find a new track, one also suffers this same consequence atop a horse. Reins get tangled, the rider becomes distracted, and general awareness and preparedness suffers greatly.
Some people also protest the use of the iPod atop a horse as a rude gesture, either toward those other riders and pedestrians present, or toward the classical nature of horseback riding. A sport that so highly prizes tradition and adherence to classic, time-old standards often looks unfavorably upon something like the iPod, painfully new and out of place in the discipline. Other riders might feel miffed by an iPod wearer who cannot hear their call of “outside line!” and therefore walks in front of a jump during a crucial time – and this harkens back to the safety issues as well.
All in all, an iPod is a personal choice, just like many others. Of course, riders often find themselves subject to barn rules that make the choice for them by outlawing these devices. Some do not and choose to use them, whether in company or alone on their private property. Perhaps the rules of etiquette and the social norms surrounding this issue will further cement themselves as the years go by, making iPod standards more widely spread and consistent.
Erika Preve