The Riding Academy at Toronto Horse Day
For some of us, our only exposure to horses is betting on them at Woodbine or fleeing from them during episodes of urban riot. Lately, however, we've seen horses of different colours, so to speak. We have the hot-blooded athletic types and their hot-to-trot riders at Cavalia's equine extravaganza, Odysseo, under the big top at the Port Lands. At the Princess of Wales theatre, the blockbuster play War Horse is up and running, with a life-sized puppet as its four-legged star. And today, Toronto Horse Day happens at Exhibition Place, where all are invited to learn about those majestic animals. Representatives of Toronto's mounted police force will be on hand, as will actor-equestrian Daniel Fathers, assorted Cavalia folks and Jim Elder, a retired Olympic horse-riding gold medalist. We spoke to Mr. Elder, 78, at his farm in Schomberg, Ont.
You've been around horses all your life. What do you make of War Horse ?
I saw the movie first. Some people thought it was a bit too Disney, but I didn't. With the play, I thought they did a marvellous job with the mechanical horse, and the portrayal of the horses and their movement. When you get into it, you thought of them as actual horses.
When I saw the production, the audience seemed awed by them. Do you think they were impressed by the mechanical achievement, or was it just their appreciation for horses in general?
I think a lot of it was the mechanics involved. Of course, our country grew up with horses. And then you had the cowboy and Indian movies in the fifties and sixties. I think people just appreciate the movements of horses, and the beauty.
What about the relationships people who ride or look after horses have with their equine friends? Are these interactions one-sided? Do horses even care who gets on them or feeds them their carrots?
Certainly they recognize a particular person's voice. When I check on my horses at night, they all whinny. Now, that's partly because I feed them hay. I wouldn't say they have the same connection with us as we do with them, but they're like people. Some couldn't care less about whatever person they work with, while others really get attached.
Are horses easier to train than dogs?
Dogs live with you, so they pay a little more attention to you. With horses, you have to take it slow. You have to have patience. You can't just put a bucking strap on them and let them buck it out. That's not the way you do it any more. Not even the cowboys do it like that any more, and the good ones probably never did.
By and large, do you think horses enjoy these things we train them to do?
Horses enjoy doing something, rather than nothing, just like a dog would. That's what it's all about, trying to get the horse to enjoy himself. If he enjoys himself, then he'll perform for you.
What about racing, or the crazy galloping at Cavalia? Do horses feel the need for speed?
Oh sure. The horse is a flight animal. That's one of their instincts.
When sports commentators talk about a race horse or a jumping horse having heart, are they assigning them a human quality?
It's really the heart. You've heard of Secretariat. But I bet you can't name its brothers and sisters, and he's probably had a thousand of them. If they don't have heart, you can tell quite quickly. Some will go out, while others are a little timid. Or they just don't want to put out. You get one on the stretch and you ask them for a little more, and they just think "Aw, no, I'll just keep galloping."
You're involved with therapeutic riding and introducing disabled kids to horses. Can you describe the human-horse interaction that happening there?
When these disabled kids get on a horse, it changes the whole attitude of the rider. For the first time in their life, when they're up high on a horse, they're looking down on people. Usually they've had people looking down on them. That gives them confidence, is what we've found.
The Ontario Equestrian Federation hosts Toronto Horse Day, June 2, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. Horse Palace, Exhibition Place, horse.on.ca.