Re: What do you think about horse riding and racing?

I'm not keen on competitive riding especially anything with jumps, but riding for pleasure I think many horses enjoy that, I'd say dressage looks the cruelest sport.


I think there are places that horses must enjoy more than others the ones on the South Downs look really happy, on the Surrey roads not so much.

Re: What do you think about horse riding and racing?

I don"t think they over-whip these days, if they do they run the risk of a ban.

Re: What do you think about horse riding and racing?

How do we judge whether a horse is happy though?

Just because he is running like the wind, with a bloke with a big stick sitting on him, doesn't mean he is happy.

Re: What do you think about horse riding and racing?

I'd suggest with a big stick that horse isn't happy. I am assuming horses are like dogs and owners can tell if their horse is happy or not. I think we all know a happy dog from an unhappy one so why can't a horse owner ?

Re: What do you think about horse riding and racing?

I admit that I know lots about dogs but next to nothing about horses. I've been trekking on Dartmoor a few times but apart from that I'm a novice. Your post intrigued me though - why do you see dressage as the cruelest equine sport? I am always totally amazed at the incredible bond between rider and horse in dressage events. I really don't think you could train a horse to do such things with cruel methods.

Re: What do you think about horse riding and racing?

It looks so forced the animals don't naturally move like that. I can't see them being happy doing it and I believe they use leads and lead like shackles (probably have a proper technical name) to achieve some poses.

Re: What do you think about horse riding and racing?

I've just looked up cruelty in dressage and there is a huge number of links stating all the methods used and how cruel many of them are.

Re: What do you think about horse riding and racing?

Now tell me this isn't cruel.

Trotting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaOhh5_GcM4

Re: What do you think about horse riding and racing?

Julie is right, Mick.

Re: What do you think about horse riding and racing?

I don't think there are right or wrong opinions on this subject, because it is about how each individual horse is looked after.
The majority of racehorses are bred to race and many are worth a fortune. Where money is concerned people don't want the value to go down so they are very well cared for , get the best medical treatment and often retire from racing to breed.
There will always be accidents when jumping, just as there are in risky sports for humans!
A friend who kept hers and her daughters horses at my place taught me a lot and 6 of the 8 she kept here really loved being ridden. My favourite one had a few nasty accidents, not when being ridden, but when he was out in the paddock but his owner and I took 2 hourly turns to check on him ( even through the night) till he was better. When his accidents made him have to be stabled for a week or so, he used to get so upset, when the others went out riding, that I had to spend a lot of time comforting him till they returned.
There would be a lot less horses if people didn't ride, and I agree it is lovely to see wild horses out together.... but think how they suffer when their feet go down rabbit holes and there is nobody there to help.