74 SIDELINES NOVEMBER 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
pony, feed it its breakfast, hook up the truck and
trailer, and load the pony on the trailer. Then, I’d
go to my house and wake up my parents and
say to one of them, ‘Would you please take me
to the horse show?’”
That extensive level of involvement is not very
common nowadays. Professional trainers make
it possible for many amateurs to be able to ride
when their clients must work or attend school,
but still want to ride.
“In our country, many amateurs ride and do
it like any other amateur sport, like golf,” Peter
said. “For some people, that’s what riding is
about and professionals make that available to
the majority of riders in our country where it’s an
amateur sport.”
Peter insists, “One of the great things about
riding is the involvement with your horse. To
have that taken away from kids is unfortunate.
It’s good education for kids to understand the
different aspects of working with a horse, treating
them as an animal, as opposed to treating them
as a vehicle. Some kids these days aren’t taught that the horse
is actually a living, breathing animal. That’s something that our
amateur lifestyle of riding has perpetuated. Because of the fact
that there is this disconnect from the rider to the horse, there’s also
a disconnect from the grooms and, therefore, from the trainers. I
think that people could succeed a lot better with their horses if they
understood their horses better. It’s a conversation that our country
needs to have as far as they way we treat and train horses in our
country. To know them as living creatures and to understand their
characters and their personalities - that’s horsemanship to me,
almost more than anything.”
The Value Of Good Horsemanship
Peter’s core values of good horsemanship were evident early in
his career. At age 16, during the 1982 USEF Hunter Seat Medal
Finals, Peter and his horse Native Surf were doing very well in the
final course when his horse added a stride in the line before the
last jump, taking him from the top to being completely out of the
placings. Peter simply said, “Woops!” about the ride, then patted
his horse and said, “Sorry, boy!” Peter obviously doesn’t blame his
horse for his mistakes and, once a ride is over,
he doesn’t let it bother him. Two weeks after
that ride, he won the Maclay Finals at Madison
Square Garden. Even at that young age, he was
focused on the ride, not just winning.
After the Maclay Finals, Peter began his jump-
ing career on a small horse that was not easy
to get along with. Peter’s relaxed style of riding
suited the aggressive little horse’s personality
and showing in the jumpers didn’t demand the
elegance that was necessary in the equitation
competitions. He took the time to establish a
connection with the little horse with a Napoleon
complex and it showed in the name he chose,
The Wolf. The next show season, Peter and
The Wolf won championships in the Washington
International Horse Show and the International
Jumping Derby in Portsmouth, Rhode Island,
among many other awards.
Peter says, “People could take more of an in-
terest in their horse’s well being and their horse’s
care. I think that’s something we overlook in our
country.”
“One of the reasons that I was so attracted to
the EAP is that it tries to educate young kids about horsemanship
and how to manage their way through the industry and get some-
where.” Peter added emphatically, “I’ve seen a lot of discourage-
ment of talented young kids who don’t have much money and
are told that they can’t get very far in the sport, and I think that
needs to change. In the EAP, we try to make it clear to the kids
that if you’re good enough and work hard enough and have good
horsemanship you don’t necessarily have to have a lot of money.”
Peter added, “I would like to continue to educate kids and open
doors for them in the EAP program. I’m encouraged with the level
of kids that are coming to the clinics and the finals. I will continue
to do my best to get behind the program and to help educate as
many kids as we possibly can.”
About the writer: Doris Degner-Foster lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma and rides with
Harvard Fox Hounds when she is not interviewing interesting individuals in the horse
sport. She also enjoys writing fiction and is working on a middle grade book series
about teenagers who ride horses and solve mysteries.
Peter Wylde and Wiesielottie
owned by Winley Farm.
Peter is happy to be
back in the U.S.A.
and enjoys riding at
Winley Farm in New
York.
