Just curious -- thoughts about riding horses

I was wondering what everyone thinks about riding horseback. Some folks think it is perfectly acceptable as long as the rider does not cause the animal pain ... but others think any kind of riding is cruel and that asking a horse to perform in any way is unnatural. I have heard from plenty of people on either side of the debate ... and in fact I vacillate myself!

I try to be as good to my horse as possible -- he lives outside most of the time, with free access to water, hay, and grass in season, but sometimes he has to live inside in a box stall. And while handling my horse, I am very humane ... when riding I go out of my way to make sure the animal is treated with absolute dignity and compassion. (I can sort of "horse whisper" -- communicate without harsh aids or punishment ... almost "think my way into the animal's head.") My horse seems to enjoy being ridden -- he almost appears joyful when we share adventures. And he actually relishes "unnatural" activities like jumping -- he goes out of his way to jump obstacles whether he is free or I am on his back.

Yet part of my brain says, "This is cruel! I am inflicting my will on a living creature!"

I enjoy riding -- it is one of the greatest joys in my life. But as a compassionate human being, I do sometimes question myself, and want to know what others think.

Me and my sweet pet Pete!

 

Its not cruel. Native americans had a wonderful relationship with their horses. Especially the Sioux who did not even need saddles, or bridles. They did not even have to pen their horses.
Some horses hate to be ridden because there is no positive connection with the rider. Other horses love it, and enjoy going out on journeys with their human companion.

Your horse seems to love it, and that is a good sign of your friendship. I wouldnt worry too much.
Thats awesome that he likes to jump, and I dont see how that is so unnatural.

 

I do not know enough about it to have an opinion. Except that they should be treated with the utmost compassion and not forced to do anything they don't want (jumping hurdles, being forced to race, etc).
I also think caretakers should be licensed before buying a horse (are they? I hnestly think every animal caretaker should be registered..our adoption screening processes in many parts of this country are awful...)

Also I wish there were more non-skin horse accessories. It seems insulting to put the skin of one animal on another...maybe they hve lots of non-skin items..most I have seen are leather. Again, I do not ride horses so I do not know.

 

i just posted something about this in the other thread but i am against riding. with one exception......i think if someone is CARING for a horse and they are companions and that person has a close relationship with that horse then i think its up to them to make a judgement call as to whether their horse wants to be ridden. but in general i do not agree with riding......competitions, trail rides, etc. i dont think any animal should be used in that way. i wouldnt like someone to jump on my back, harness me up and tell me where to go. it's very dominereing.

 

I rode horses competitively as a kid and my sister does now, as an adult.

Anyone who claims it's animal abuse deserves a good smack in the head. They don't know anything about the wonderful relationship between a horse and rider. They know nothing about the positive history between humans and horses. A history that spans thousands of years and transcends continents and culture.

Yes, there are abused horses...there are abused children as well. It happens but it doesn't make ALL children or horses abused.

I grow tired of you bitchy misanthropists acting like humans are a cancer. If you think people are so damned bad and should be killed or quarentined from the rest of the Earth and it's creatures....please feel free to contribute to the cause by eliminating yourself.

Hypocrites.

 

I do not think that is abusive to ride horses. I have ridden horses since i was young both competitively and for hobby. I rode them for the love of them not just to be DOMINEERING which is the farthest thing from the truth.


Cyncial Otter is absolutely right

 

you may not have *DOMINEERING* intentions but it is still a dominering practice nonetheless. to get on a horses back and manipulate their movements is what it is. if someone did that to you then how would YOU describe it? i've ridden in the past making a judgement call and once i was wrong and the horse threw me off .....i never said it was abuse. i said in general its a dominering practice, which it is. most horses are used for the benefit of humans whether in racing, working or some other thing. i love riding a horse just about more than anything...its a wonderful feeling. but i dont pay (or get paid) to do it.

 

What has getting paid to do something have to do for it?

I ride horses and I love my horse to death. I jump him, and yes I use a whip on him when he is bad undersaddle. I use spurs on my horse. I can proudly say that my horse is, yes I have been told this by others as well, the most spolied horse in the barn. At 16 or so he is still very strong, very hyper, very happy. Being competed at 3'6", and he has a love for jumping.

If you look at a healthy horse with a considerate rider on his back who loves him, you will see that in 99.9% of cases this horse likes being ridden. Like a dog, he will want to please.

What is the difference between riding a horse and showing a dog? Yes you sit on the horses back, up then again a horse is built to handle a rider and has skin 8/9 times thicker than our own...

Isn't it less natural for a dog doing an agility course then a horse being run and jumped?

 

I just wanted to add that I have seen horses enjoy the excitement of a race. Some even look proud afterwards.

Animals arent as stupid as we think. They are very aware.

 

Okay, I don't think most riding is abuse ... or that people are cancer. I have the unfortunate habit of sometimes thinking too much, and desiring a small amount of self-affirmation as a result.

I know I never have to "force" or "manipulate" my horse to do anything. At times we differ in our opinions of what we should do (such as, when I want to walk and he would rather gallop) -- but at those times, it is more a process of convincing him to agree with me than forcing him to comply with my wishes. Sometimes he deems me unreasonable and throws me onto the ground. Sometimes I deem him unreasonable and dismount to avoid conflict. Sometimes we compromise. Regardless, I never "muscle" or "domineer" my animal.

So I guess I'm not asking too much of him ... thank you, everyone who posted here! Glad to know that I am not the only hippie who rides -- and by the way, I had forgotten about the Native American point.

PS: For my fellow riders -- the Bitless Bridle (not to be confused with a hackamore ... it is actually called the Bitless Bridle) is a wonderful invention. I can control a large, young, and energetic Thoroughbred with it, without causing him any pain or discomfort. In fact, it seems to work better than a traditional bitted bridle BECAUSE it causes him no pain or discomfort -- and thus he has nothing to fight (if he were so inclined). It is sort of expensive, but it comes in synthetic (which is actually nicer than the leather option), and in the long run I think it pays off.

Also -- Bates/Wintec is making a very nice line of synthetic English saddles these days. I use the Close Contact jumping model and find it just as comfortable as the leather model ... not to mention easier to care for and faaaaaar less expensive. Plus it comes with all the cool options like Easychange gullet and air-cushioned panels to make riding even more humane for the animal.

 

I used to take my daughters riding when they were young, and no-one could make those horses do anything they didn't want to. Percy, the pony dd2 rode had a passion for food, and those outings were, for him, a chance to stuff his face. Always they would be left behind, Percy with his face in a hedge munching away and Jen not being able to budge him. Really amusing when I look back.

 

i have a choice. i can choose to work or not. i work because i want to and because i need to. not because someone is behind me with a whip or a harness directing me what to do. i get to choose my own destiny. no one else deterimines what i will do with my life. thats the difference. duh

 

Again, working under this silly assumption that all horses are whipped and harnessed and unable to do what they please. I can tell you have never really been around horses. Then you would know that horses wont do anything they don't want to...whipped or not.

I have seen plenty of horses defy whips, spurs, harnesses..ect...and do it was gleeful whinny.

You're just bitching for something to bitch about.

I assume you are also against rescue dogs and seeing eye dogs as well? How about handicapped people who have dogs and monkeys to assist them with daily things? Horses are also used to help with handicapped people.

You just hate people in general but don't want to come out and just say it because you know people will think you are totally batshit insane and hateful and then you won't get to sit at the popular table anymore.

 

Your full of shit and you know it. and i've spent years around the harness racing industry......i've been around more horses then you can probably fathom. i do not agree with expoliting any animal....i.e......using that animal to make a profit for yourself. the animal's best interest and needs and wants should be consisdered first and foremort. end of story.

the popular table? hah! your ridiculous.

 

Horses in general here in the USA are treated better than most bums. In scottsdale they have magnificent stables with purified water, salt water swimming pools for the horses, air conditioned stalls, and lush green pastures. Scottsdale is known for their Arabian horse convention.

 

shit, most horses are treated better than most children are!! My oldest child is horse crazy and we watch the horse shows on RFDtv on satellite television all the time. I think Craig Cameron would be one of my favorites, he's like the Dr. Sears of horsemanship.

www.craigcameron.com If you wanna know what training a horse is like, or what it should be like, this is the guy to see. I've seen him take a horse that was terrified of people, and in just a few hours, that horse was voluntarily walking up into a trailer (something many horses really hate to do).


The new ways of teaching and working with horses is how I feel human people *should* be treated, with kindness and respect. People work with horses, rather than trying to bully them around and prove who's boss. It's no longer acceptable to beat a horse into submission, but it's okay to do that to a kid. It's no longer acceptable to make a horse obey you out of fear of punishment, but it's okay to do that to a human child. A horse is a big, intelligent animal. If he doesn't want you to ride him, you won't, at least not for long. People who mistreat horses go to jail. Maybe someday society will reach a level of enlightenment that we'll do the same to people who mistreat children.

 

I'm a life long horse lover and I can promise you that my horses are treated far better than most people's children. They recieve the best of EVERYTHING.

You can't MAKE a horse do anything. They weigh over 1000lbs! They CHOOSE to work with you.

Most horses LOVE what they do and love their human companions. That's not to say that some of them don't get abused but that's the exception and not the rule.

My horses are barrel racing horses and they LOVE what they do. They genuinely enjoy racing.

And yes I carry a whip. I BRUSH it against his hip and that's his cue to go faster. It does not cause him any harm or pain whatsoever. It's just like when I bump him with my (blunt) spurs. It's a cue.

Most horse equipment works off PRESSURE, not pain (in other words, he feels pressure on the side of his mouth from the bit and knows to turn his body.)

You can't accomplish anything with a horse unless he's working in harmony with you. People who think horses are being abused by being ridden are just morons who have obviously never savored the beautiful and strong emotional bond between a horse and his rider.

 

Here are some of my horses, from the past and present. Gee, they look so ABUSED: (Warning, tons of pics to follow!)