History Main / UpperClassEquestrian

* Music/BruceSpringsteen's daughter Jessica Rae is a champion show jumper (although she didn't quite make the American Olympic team for 2016). The Boss even bought a horse farm in part to support his daughter's career. (A bigger part was a desire to return to his childhood home area of Monmouth County, New Jersey, and as it happens, New Jersey has ''very'' generous exemptions from its otherwise astronomical property taxes for farmers -- including horse farmers. In fairness to Bruce, horse farming is very traditional in Monmouth County, so it's less "taking advantage of a tax loophole" and more "my desire to live where I grew up combined with my daughter's career give me a reason to do this thing that happens to reduce my taxes.")

Note: Real-life examples should be limited to modern (i.e. post-automobile) examples of people who are otherwise notable for wealth or position and who have substantial achievements in equestrianism.[[note]]Pre-automobile aristocrats generally learned equestrianism as a matter of necessity, since they needed to ride horses as officers in wartime and also to traverse their large agricultural estates in peacetime. These imperatives went away with the development of the automobile, but the tradition of casual riding lives on among most aristocracies. That said, there are many blue bloods and other wealthy people with solid achievements in modern competitive equestrians.[[/note]]

* Music/BruceSpringsteen's daughter Jessica Rae is a champion show jumper (although she didn't quite make the American Olympic team for 2016). The Boss even bought a horse farm in part to support his daughter's career. (A bigger part was a desire to return to his childhood home area of Monmouth County, New Jersey, and as it happens, New Jersey has ''very'' generous exemptions from its otherwise astronomical property taxes for farmers -- including horse farmers. In fairness to Bruce, horse farming is very traditional in Monmouth County, so it's less "taking advantage of a tax loophole" and more "my desire to live where I grew up and my daughter's career gives me a reason to do this thing that happens to reduce my taxes.")

* UsefulNotes/TheBritishRoyalFamily supplies two prime examples of champion dressage riders--and they're mother and daughter:

* Music/BruceSpringsteen's daughter Jessica Rae is a champion show jumper (although she didn't quite make the American Olympic team for 2016). The Boss even bought a horse farm in part to support his daughter's career. (A bigger part was a desire to return to his childhood home area of Monmouth County, New Jersey, and as it happens, New Jersey has ''very'' generous exemptions from its otherwise astronomical property taxes for farmers--including horse farmers. In fairness to Bruce, horse farming is very traditional in Monmouth County, so it's less "taking advantage of a tax loophole" and more "my desire to live where I grew up and my daughter's career give me a reason to do this thing that happens to reduce my taxes.")

* Literature/TheBrightestShadow: Subverted among warriors, as the most powerful members of society are expected to travel under their own power.

Prior to the invention of the automobile, horses were frequently used as labor animals, but owning horses for riding or pulling a carriage (as opposed to a plow or cart/wagon) was always only for the very rich and everything about it was expensive and heavily taxed. In modern times, owning a horse for leisure is still a definite sign of wealth, considering you need a lot of money to buy and keep a horse, not to mention additional land or funds to keep the horse in a stable. The rider can be accomplished at UsefulNotes/EquestrianSports, while the horse itself can be utilized for other traditional upper class pursuits such as fox hunting and polo. Note that this does not apply if the character belongs to a group where horse ownership is common or expected (eg. they own a farm, or are a member of a nomadic people).

-->"I think I'll have a stable. For a long time I've had my good eyes on Carter's in Savannah. A rich man's pleasure, the sport of kings, why not the sport of Hubbards? Why not?"

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': While never seen actually riding any of them, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Pacifica Northwest]] of the [[Fiction500 incredibly rich]] and [[AristocratsAreEvil corrupt Northwest]] family owns a number of horses, whom [[AllGirlsLikePonies she deeply loves]]. Following [[spoiler:her family losing the majority of their cash in the finale thanks to her fathers greed and cruelty finally catching up with him]], she is visibly distraught to discover she can only keep one.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield", Marge manages to befriend some old upper class classmates of hers, and the family is considered for membership of the country club. Lisa is cynical at first (thanks to the spoilt brats she sees around her), [[AllGirlsLikePonies but is quickly won over by the chance to ride horses]].

* Music/BruceSpringsteen's daughter Jessica Rae is a champion show jumper (although she didn't quite make the American Olympic team for 2016). The Boss even bought a horse farm in part to support his daughter's career. (A bigger part was a desire to return to his childhood home area of Monmouth County, New Jersey, and as it happens, New Jersey has ''very'' generous exemptions from its otherwise astronomical property taxes for farmers--including horse farmers. In fairness to Bruce, horse farming is very traditional in Monmouth County, so it's less "taking advantage of a tax loophole" and more "my daughter's career gives me a reason to do this thing that happens to reduce my taxes.")

Note: Real-life examples should be limited to modern (i.e. post-automobile) examples of people who are otherwise notable for wealth or position and who have substantial achievements in equestrianism.

Prior to the invention of the automobile, horses were frequently used as labor animals, but owning horses for riding or pulling a carriage (as opposed to a plow or cart/wagon) was always only for the very rich and everything about it was expensive and heavily taxed. In modern times, owning a horse for leisure is still a definite sign of wealth, considering you need thousands of pounds to buy and keep a horse, not to mention additional land or funds to keep the horse in a stable. The rider can be accomplished at UsefulNotes/EquestrianSports, while the horse itself can be utilized for other traditional upper class pursuits such as fox hunting and polo. Note that this does not apply if the character belongs to a group where horse ownership is common or expected (eg. they own a farm, or are a member of a nomadic people).

Compare and contrast PonyTale, whose protagonist's interest in horseback riding isn't necessarily because of class. AllGirlsLikePonies might also be in play for female examples. The riders' prize steeds may or may not be {{Cool Horse}}s.

* The UsefulNotes/BritishRoyalFamily supplies two prime examples of champion dressage riders--and they're mother and daughter:

* Music/BruceSpringsteen's daughter Jessica Rae is a champion show jumper (although she didn't quite make the American Olympic team for 2016). The Boss even bought a horse farm in part to support his daughter's career. (A bigger part was a desire to return to his childhood home area of Monmouth County, New Jersey, and as it happens, New Jersey has ''very'' generous exemptions from its otherwise astronomical property taxes for farmers--including horse farmers. In fairness to Bruce, horse farming is very traditional in Monmouth County.)

* Music/BruceSpringsteen's daughter Jessica Rae is a champion show jumper (although she didn't quite make the American Olympic team for 2016). The Boss even bought a horse farm in part to support his daughter's career (although a bigger part was a desire to return to his childhood home area of Monmouth County, New Jersey, and as it happens, New Jersey has ''very'' generous exemptions from its otherwise astronomical property taxes for farmers--including horse farmers).

* Creator/BruceSpringsteen's daughter Jessica Rae is a champion show jumper (although she didn't quite make the American Olympic team for 2016). The Boss even bought a horse farm in part to support his daughter's career (although a bigger part was a desire to return to his childhood home area of Monmouth County, New Jersey, and as it happens, New Jersey has ''very'' generous exemptions from its otherwise astronomical property taxes for farmers--including horse farmers).

Prior to the invention of the automobile, horses were frequently used as labor animals, but owning horses for riding or pulling a carriage was always only for the very rich and everything about it was expensive and heavily taxed. In modern times, owning a horse for leisure is still a definite sign of wealth, considering you need thousands of pounds to buy and keep a horse, not to mention additional land or funds to keep the horse in a stable. The rider can be accomplished at UsefulNotes/EquestrianSports, while the horse itself can be utilized for other traditional upper class pursuits such as fox hunting and polo. Note that this does not apply if the character belongs to a group where horse ownership is common or expected (eg. they own a farm, or are a member of a nomadic people).

* Creator/NormalThelwell's comic sketches get much of their comedy from contrasting the popular image of an elegant British horseman with the more common situations of sullen horses, muddy environments, and whiny prepubescent riders.

* Jack Woltz, a movie producer in ''Literature/{{Godfather}}'', does racehorse breeding, which indicates his wealth.
* Veterinarian Siegfried Farnon, apart from having been given his name by opera-loving parents with a thing for Creator/RichardWagner, is depicted by Creator/JamesHerriot as very patrician and extremely horsey, a man of good social background who is intuitively in tune with horses in a way the more proletarian Herriot freely admitted he wasn't.

If you want to demonstrate a character is posh and from a privileged background, a good way to do this is to give them a horse and a keen interest in riding.

Prior to the invention of the automobile, horses were frequently used as labor animals, but owning horses for riding or pulling a carriage was always only for the very rich and everything about it was expensive and heavily taxed. In modern times, owning a horse for leisure is still a definite sign of wealth, considering you need thousands of pounds to buy and keep a horse, not to mention additional land or funds to keep the horse in a stable. The horse itself can also be utilized for other traditional upper class pursuits such as fox hunting and polo.

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* FallenPrincess Caroline from ''Series/TwoBrokeGirls'' still keeps her horse Chestnut just outside her and Max's apartment.

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* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield", Marge manages to befriend some old upper class classmates of hers, and the family is considered for membership of the country club. Lisa is cynical at first (thanks to the spoilt brats she sees around her), [[AllGirlsLikePonies but is quickly won over by the chance to ride horses]].

Compare and contrast PonyTale, whose protagonist's interest in horseback riding isn't necessarily because of class. AllGirlsLikePonies might also be in play for female xamples. The riders' prize steeds may or may not be {{Cool Horse}}s.

This trope likely has its roots in the United Kingdom. Prior to the invention of the automobile, horses were frequently used as labor animals, but owning horses for riding or pulling a carriage was always only for the very rich and everything about it was expensive and heavily taxed. In modern times, owning a horse for leisure is still a definite sign of wealth, considering you need thousands of pounds to buy and keep a horse, not to mention additional land or funds to keep the horse in a stable. The horse itself can also be utilized for other traditional upper class pursuits such as fox hunting and polo.