Dangerous Hobbies

Dangerous Hobbies

Breanna Fowkes 401
November 6, 2013
Compare and Contrast Essay Final Copy

Breanna Fowkes 401
11/4/13
C&C FC Dangerous Hobbies Everyone in the world has a favorite hobby, whether it is art, reading, sports, fashion, anything, everyone has at least one that they enjoy above all the rest. Each hobby is chosen for a different reason, sometimes it’s just because of the fun, other times the thrill, maybe relaxing, it all depends on the individual and their personality. My favorite hobby is a very recreational, relaxing, physically and mentally strengthening, and very dangerous sport, which many would disagree on; my top hobby is horse riding. Many people believe that horse riding is not dangerous, that motorcycles would have a much higher rate of accidents than horse riding, which is very wrong. This is the purpose of my essay, to enlighten you upon the dangers of horse riding and how holds a higher injury rate. Do people enjoy riding motorcycles simply for the thrill, or maybe the ease of traveling, or very good economical decision, or what? Well, I did some research, and one person had said that the thrill of riding and being one with a two wheeled machine with a very nice engine is a feeling that can be very rarely felt. People who ride motorcycles feel a sense of “belonging” in the community; every one of the riders has a very distinguishable “wave” which they signal to each other whenever the pass by, therefor acknowledging each other’s existence. They also experience a form of individuality, for each rider has a bike, some may have the same, but each one has a very distinct way that they ride and “deck-out” their bikes, making them unique to one another. Other small advantages that people have said has included: gas money being saved, a bike takes about six to seven dollars to fill up and then can go for sixty to ninety miles on that tank of gas; easy travel for they are allowed in the HOV lane and in some states are allowed to pass in between lanes; and bikes allow for a very simple parking routine, for many parking lots have designated bike parking. Now, the same question can be asked for horse riding; do people ride horses for the thrill, the experience, for the feeling of “oneness” with nature? Riding horses is a very physical and mental activity, making it good for your health; riding helps stimulate the brain, strengthen every muscle, and is a very simple stress reliever. Many people, including myself, ride horses because of the feeling that comes with building a partnership and trusting bond between a human and a 1,200 pound animal that has a mind of it’s own. Many others ride for the fact that they can get more in touch with nature, due to the fact that the horse is able to go into the mountains and hills, without a trail needed. Some other reasons why people ride: they feel an indescribable feeling when atop the very creatures that brought our ancestors through time or they use the animals as their career, rodeo, ranching, racing. Now that I have told you a little bit about the fun reasons people ride what they ride, let us discuss the consequences, and figure out which one is more dangerous. Statistics show that a motorcycle happens once every 1,700 hours of riding, while when riding a horse there is an accident once every 350 hours of riding, making horses the more frequent accident causing form of riding. Motorcycle riders are twenty one more times less likely to suffer an accident, due to the fact that the machine they are riding is completely in their control; so unless they make a mistake, they are in the clear. Horses, on the other hand, have a mind of their own, can do whatever they want when they want, again putting horse riding at the top for dangerous rides. Many horse accidents are not even reported and filed by a police officer, if those that were not reported were filed the margin of danger would be much higher for horses, leaving motorcycles as a more “safe” ride. Most people believe that motorcycles are the more dangerous type of hobby compared to riding horses, due to the fact that they can travel at higher speeds, there are other cars on the road, and the bike may happen to have technical difficulties at any moment. What people do not know, or they may not realize, that a horse has a mind of its own; a horse can get scared or angry and can crush you, trample you, kick you, bite you, anything it feels like doing at any given moment. A motorcycle can only wreck, either because of you being a reckless driver, bad weather conditions, or another driver, but even so, a bike can only wreck and it may be a fatal wreck or it may be minor; it all depends on your situation. Horses, on the other hand, cannot be controlled 100% of the time; they can react on their own to the world around them, and you are often in the way of this reaction, causing you injury. Horses are the more dangerous of the two hobbies, statistics show and prove it.