Any Vegan/Vegetarian riders out there?

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Thelwell_Girl

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As title really!

How do you manage with the amount of leather around? Do you mind?

Do you have any other problems around the horses because of your veganism/vegetarianism?

Was just pondering, as my dad is nigh on Vegan, and he also asked me to ask you lot.

TIA!

TG x
 
Am neither (though am picky about animal welfare - organic local meat and diary satisfies my concience!) there is no need to use leather if you would rather not. Tack can be non-leather - made to look like leather or in any colour under the sun!
 
I'm a veggie, and have a synthetic saddle and bridle...... but i'd never really given it much thought tbh. i just don't like tack cleaning !

I spose my view is that the cattle are going to be killed anyway (and I have no problem with that, I just don't want to eat it), so not using the hide would be such a waste. Is that an odd view ?
 
glosgirl said:
Am neither (though am picky about animal welfare - organic local meat and diary satisfies my concience!) there is no need to use leather if you would rather not. Tack can be non-leather - made to look like leather or in any colour under the sun!
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I try to do the same as you - eat meat responsibly! I do think about webbing tack though and breaking points. A lot of synthetic bridles/reins etc have to have a breaking point somewhere for safety, and often this will be leather...

shysmum said:
I'm a veggie, and have a synthetic saddle and bridle...... but i'd never really given it much thought tbh. i just don't like tack cleaning !

I spose my view is that the cattle are going to be killed anyway (and I have no problem with that, I just don't want to eat it), so not using the hide would be such a waste. Is that an odd view ?
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I LOVE cleaning tack!

Its ok, I know Im weird... :o

My dad actually has veggie shoes as well - he either gets them from The Vegetarian Shoe Shop in Brighton, Crocs, or in the case of flip-flops has to call the company and make sure they dont use any animal glues.

And no, i think your view on animal hide is one that many veggie's do share.
 
The break point is a tricky bit. Some have a little plastic joining part, but I'm not sure I'd trust one. Depends on each persons individual concience really. For many people the small piece of leather for safety might be allowable, for those that are stricter with themselves then I guess they have to feel ok with the plastic parts breaking when needed.

(you're not odd loving cleaning tack - I just love it too!)
 
glosgirl said:
The break point is a tricky bit. Some have a little plastic joining part, but I'm not sure I'd trust one. Depends on each persons individual concience really. For many people the small piece of leather for safety might be allowable, for those that are stricter with themselves then I guess they have to feel ok with the plastic parts breaking when needed.

(you're not odd loving cleaning tack - I just love it too!)
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I would still worry... Tis why I would always use a leather headcollar for travelling!


(Its good fun, isnt it? I always have really good talks with the girls at the yard when we're all sitting cleaning tack! Though, I get to sit and clean working liveries tack... Yaaaaay :p)

I was vegetarian for the first three years of my life - though the lure of turkey dinosaurs at nursey was too strong!
 
thelwell_girl said:
My dad actually has veggie shoes as well - he either gets them from The Vegetarian Shoe Shop in Brighton, Crocs, or in the case of flip-flops has to call the company and make sure they dont use any animal glues.
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I LOVE the Vegetarian Shoe Shop, their shoes are soooooo comfy! :D

There was a fairly long post on this topic a while back: http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=371837&highlight=vegan+vegetarian

I'm a vegan, and I don't buy any leather stuff for myself or my horse, but I will ride other people's horses with their leather tack (after all its their choice what to buy for their horse).

ETA Also I'd preferentially look for a rescue horse as opposed to buying one; my current horse was rehomed from a friend who rescued her. Much as I'd love to go out and choose my perfect horse (not that I could afford another!), my conscience feels much better taking on a rescue.
 
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I don't really think about it to be honest, I guess it depends on your reason behind not eating meat. I haven't eaten meat since i was about 7 and none of my family do - although my dad eats fish. I have never liked fish, the smells makes me gag and I don't like the taste of meat or the whole blood thing going on.

At the end of the day though I guess I consider leather saddles etc being a by-product of the food industry and it's not like there's ever going to come a day when noone eats meat so I supposed it's better in some ways to use the whole of the animal as opposed to wasting parts.

I don't know, my views change everyso often if I am honest.
 
I love their shoes too! But my feet are mega wide so they never fit me :(

How do you find the saddles fit? Wintecs dont have the best reputatation - are there other synthetic saddles out there? If it came down to the only saddle in the country that fit your horse was leather... Would you?

Im not sure where Id stand on the rescue bit... Obviously I would rather rescue than buy (I would almost never buy a dog, when there are SO many rescues that need a home - see my thread on Mitzy!) but as a first time horse owner, and not the most confident rider, there doesnt seem to be many rescues horses suitable for me :(
 
ladyt25 said:
I don't really think about it to be honest, I guess it depends on your reason behind not eating meat. I haven't eaten meat since i was about 7 and none of my family do - although my dad eats fish. I have never liked fish, the smells makes me gag and I don't like the taste of meat or the whole blood thing going on.

At the end of the day though I guess I consider leather saddles etc being a by-product of the food industry and it's not like there's ever going to come a day when noone eats meat so I supposed it's better in some ways to use the whole of the animal as opposed to wasting parts.

I don't know, my views change every so often if I am honest.
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You make very good points!

My dad originally started to give up fish, then meat, because couldnt really afford it. Then he just stopped liking it.

I am fully of the opinion that if you eat meat though, you should be ready to see an animal go from field/farm/forest/factory to your plate, and to try to watch and understand every stage. To me, it is not fair on the animal if you just want to ignore the pain they have gone through to give you a decent meal!

Sleepeeze_dad said:
I don't give a damn how weird you are. How much do you charge for a site visit? :)
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Whereabouts are you? :D
 
I'm veggie and have recently cut out dairy too.

Don't mind the leather I use on my horse at all - I hate synthetic tack and headcollars. I love the smell when I'm cleaning leather!

I am pro-hunting too :D

At the end of the day, my horse doesn't have morals concerning what he eats or wears, so it is my responsibilty to give him the best of everything. Which IMO is good quality leather.
 
I am fully of the opinion that if you eat meat though, you should be ready to see an animal go from field/farm/forest/factory to your plate, and to try to watch and understand every stage. To me, it is not fair on the animal if you just want to ignore the pain they have gone through to give you a decent meal!
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Absolutely!!!!
 
DiablosGold said:
I'm veggie and have recently cut out dairy too.

Don't mind the leather I use on my horse at all - I hate synthetic tack and headcollars. I love the smell when I'm cleaning leather!

I am pro-hunting too :D

At the end of the day, my horse doesn't have morals concerning what he eats or wears, so it is my responsibilty to give him the best of everything. Which IMO is good quality leather.
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Same here :D
 
I'm vegetarian, but only because I really don't like meat.I 'could' eat it if forced to but would probably be sick! My yard is on my brother's beef farm and I help him with the cattle, no problem, they are beautiful creatures and if they weren't farmed for food there would be no need to keep them at all. I wear leather shoes and use leather tack, I do think about disposal of things and prefer not to use synthetic (if there is a good alternative) because it will be here for ever whereas leather will decompose eventually.
 
thelwell_girl said:
How do you find the saddles fit? Wintecs dont have the best reputatation - are there other synthetic saddles out there?
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The same way you find any saddle that fits - get the saddler out and ask! I suppose I'm somewhat lucky in that my Wintec fits my horse very well (and fyi this isn't just wishfull thinking on my part, it was brought by the people I got her off, and every time I've got the saddler out since he's commented I'm unlikely to find anything that fits her better). I don't think Wintecs are any more likely to not fit a horse than any other particular brand, in the end it comes down to your horses shape, some suit them some don't, but because Wintecs are relatively cheap a lot of people try them first, or as an interim solution before getting a 'proper, leather' one IYSWIM. There are also pleanty of other synthetic saddles available, off the top of my head Tekna, Thorogood and Genesis spring to mind.

thelwell_girl said:
If it came down to the only saddle in the country that fit your horse was leather... Would you?
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I don't know - this seems a variation on the old 'if you were on a desert island, wouldn't you eat meat to survive' type of question. If push came to shove I wouldn't use a saddle that was uncomfortable for my horse, but if a suitable non leather alternative couldn't be found then there's no one answer to what I'd do; it'd depend on the circumstances. For example, say all Wintecs disappeared tomorrow, and I couldn't find another to fit Stacy tbh I'd probably semi-retire her and just do the odd pootle around bareback. If I had a little pony, I'd consider breaking it to harness instead. If I had a round, comfortable cob, I'd just ride bareback. If I was getting a new horse and it came with a fitting leather saddle I'd probably use that as its best for the horse.

As for other tack items (bridles headcollers etc) its fairly easy to find fitting non-leather alternatives and frankly so long as its fitting, I don't think the horse gives a monkeys whether its bridle for instance is a 'nice' leather one or a 'cheap' synthetic one.

thelwell_girl said:
Im not sure where Id stand on the rescue bit... Obviously I would rather rescue than buy (I would almost never buy a dog, when there are SO many rescues that need a home - see my thread on Mitzy!) but as a first time horse owner, and not the most confident rider, there doesnt seem to be many rescues horses suitable for me :(
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Its an ideal, not always a reality! I somewhat fell into owning Stacy, and luckily it supports my beliefs on rehoming/rescuing as oppose to encouraging further breeding. On the other hand, although I would first of all look at a rescue for my next horse, if there was nothing suitable available I would look at buying (I'm not a beginner, but I'm probably not experienced to deal with a baby from scratch or a horse with huge issues, so the probability is there won't be a rescue horse I could give the knowledge it deserves). You are taking the responsible position by realistically analysing your abilities and looking for a horse to suit them; its nice to think you're rescuing a horse from a bad situation, but if you don't have the skills and knowledge to rehabilitate and cope with it, then you're not actually helping that much anyway IYSWIM? Far better to get something suitable, give it a good home for life and increase your skill set so maybe later in life you can help a rescue/ project horse. :)
 
DiablosGold said:
Absolutely!!!!
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Woo, I got quoted! :D

appylass said:
I'm vegetarian, but only because I really don't like meat.I 'could' eat it if forced to but would probably be sick! My yard is on my brother's beef farm and I help him with the cattle, no problem, they are beautiful creatures and if they weren't farmed for food there would be no need to keep them at all. I wear leather shoes and use leather tack, I do think about disposal of things and prefer not to use synthetic (if there is a good alternative) because it will be here for ever whereas leather will decompose eventually.
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Hmm, the disposal issue is very interesting, I hadnt thought of that!

Malibu_Stacy said:
The same way you find any saddle that fits - get the saddler out and ask! I suppose I'm somewhat lucky in that my Wintec fits my horse very well (and fyi this isn't just wishfull thinking on my part, it was brought by the people I got her off, and every time I've got the saddler out since he's commented I'm unlikely to find anything that fits her better). I don't think Wintecs are any more likely to not fit a horse than any other particular brand, in the end it comes down to your horses shape, some suit them some don't, but because Wintecs are relatively cheap a lot of people try them first, or as an interim solution before getting a 'proper, leather' one IYSWIM. There are also pleanty of other synthetic saddles available, off the top of my head Tekna, Thorogood and Genesis spring to mind.

I've heard of some of those, thought they looked very much like leather. My instructor's horse (well, 14.1 :D) has a wintec and it fits him well, is super light and very comfy to ride in. He does have a leather bridle though, which I prefer to use than a synthetic bridle, more for feel than anything else.

I don't know - this seems a variation on the old 'if you were on a desert island, wouldn't you eat meat to survive' type of question. If push came to shove I wouldn't use a saddle that was uncomfortable for my horse, but if a suitable non leather alternative couldn't be found then there's no one answer to what I'd do; it'd depend on the circumstances. For example, say all Wintecs disappeared tomorrow, and I couldn't find another to fit Stacy tbh I'd probably semi-retire her and just do the odd pootle around bareback. If I had a little pony, I'd consider breaking it to harness instead. If I had a round, comfortable cob, I'd just ride bareback. If I was getting a new horse and it came with a fitting leather saddle I'd probably use that as its best for the horse.

As for other tack items (bridles headcollers etc) its fairly easy to find fitting non-leather alternatives and frankly so long as its fitting, I don't think the horse gives a monkeys whether its bridle for instance is a 'nice' leather one or a 'cheap' synthetic one.

I agree, i dont think the horses care! For me, though, Id be worried about safety. I.e. when travelling, a leather head collar, or at the very least one with a leather headpiece, is so much safer than comepletely nylon, if the horse gets caught than the leather can be cut, or could just be a breaking point.


Its an ideal, not always a reality! I somewhat fell into owning Stacy, and luckily it supports my beliefs on rehoming/rescuing as oppose to encouraging further breeding. On the other hand, although I would first of all look at a rescue for my next horse, if there was nothing suitable available I would look at buying (I'm not a beginner, but I'm probably not experienced to deal with a baby from scratch or a horse with huge issues, so the probability is there won't be a rescue horse I could give the knowledge it deserves). You are taking the responsible position by realistically analysing your abilities and looking for a horse to suit them; its nice to think you're rescuing a horse from a bad situation, but if you don't have the skills and knowledge to rehabilitate and cope with it, then you're not actually helping that much anyway IYSWIM? Far better to get something suitable, give it a good home for life and increase your skill set so maybe later in life you can help a rescue/ project horse. :)

Thats what I will probably do. One day I hope to be a fab horsey mum just like most of you lovely HHO-ers!
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crikey, what an eco friendly bunch we are!

I only buy british meat/veg/dairy, and will buy local and organic where I can.
I'm not veggie (obviosuly) but do understnad the ecological cost of farming for meat or dairy rather than vegetables/crops and OH and I don't eat much meat really.

I do use leather tack and always will - it's my responsibility to make sure that my horse is wearing tack that is suitably safe and comfortable and IMO that is leather all the way. It's a very very good point that someone made about disposal of tack, and leather fits that bill for the most part - I'd just worry about the dyes and petrochemicals that go into leather processing these days.
 
Id never thought about the dyes and chemicals for leather...

Wonder if any chemists out there could do/have done a Life Cycle Assessment on Leather Vs. Synthetic saddles?
 
Am vegan, don't wear leather myself as it can be around 20% of the value of a carcass so is a bit more than just a 'by product' in my eyes.

Ride other people's horses in what ever they provide. Have ridden in well-fitting and comfy (for horse & rider) synthetic saddles and bareback/on a fabric pad too. Have only ever driven in synthetic as it happens. Bridles wise there are heaps of choices, some synthetic and some rope-style ones too (which presumably bio-degrade a bit better). If buying for my own I'd go for a vegan option if possible for horse's comfort, but obviously that needs to be checked rather more carefully than my own shoes

Break points in head collars (which I hate to see anyone turn out in) are in my experience a lot weaker than some leather. you can also get Velcro type ones which I imagine could be easier than anything to get off in an emergency.
 
Tickles said:
Am vegan, don't wear leather myself as it can be around 20% of the value of a carcass so is a bit more than just a 'by product' in my eyes.

Ride other people's horses in what ever they provide. Have ridden in well-fitting and comfy (for horse & rider) synthetic saddles and bareback/on a fabric pad too. Have only ever driven in synthetic as it happens. Bridles wise there are heaps of choices, some synthetic and some rope-style ones too (which presumably bio-degrade a bit better). If buying for my own I'd go for a vegan option if possible for horse's comfort, but obviously that needs to be checked rather more carefully than my own shoes

Break points in head collars (which I hate to see anyone turn out in) are in my experience a lot weaker than some leather. you can also get Velcro type ones which I imagine could be easier than anything to get off in an emergency.
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Velcro did come to mind, one of the ponies at the yard had on a velcro headcollar the other day.

I've seen the Beta fake leather bridles around, mostly on the Dr Cook's bitless bridles, has anyone used them?

brighteyes said:
I'd take issue perhaps if the animal was being killed simply for its hide.
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As would I. While killing an animal for meat is not humane, I believe that we meat-eaters owe it to animals to give them as good a quality of life as possible. For me, I feel that this includes using everything in an animal, ensuring that their sacrifice for our dinner is not a complete waste.
 
I disagree that killing an animal for meat is not humane. I keep my horses on a beef farm, and the animals look superb, and clearly feel well. They are then only travelled a short distance before being humanely destroyed, butchered and sold locally. I can also say they taste superb, as the meat is not 'stressed'.

The animals on the yard have been bred soley for the purpose of providing foodstuffs. Similarly the phesant and partridge have been bred and are being raised for the shooting season have a good life, they have freedom, access to food, water & shelter, and then their lives are finished quickly.

I use leather tack and only leather on my horses, as I have never found a synthetic that I would willingly use.

FWIW I was raised vegitarian in the late 80's/early 90's before my parents reverted back to eating meat. We now run a game shoot, and actively support local farmers. My sister remains vegetarian.
 
I meant, to within a certain degree! While killing anything, human
an or animal, cannot be 100% humane (they are actually being killed after all) the majority of local farmers/organic/free range farmers would want healthy, happy cattle as that will produce the best meat.
 
I think as long as the animal is handled sensitively and stunned prior to despatch, then I guess you have as humane an end as you could wish for. I struggle with animals as food and don't eat much meat at all. I certainly don't like the idea of ritual slaughter, nor the production line method. I simply try not to think about it and buy locally bred and slaughtered meat or Welfare Assured stuff, and certainly no cheap, processed junk from goodness knows where.
 
I use leather tack. I don't like synthetic tack at all. Have never sat in a synthetic saddle that I like and the bridles are just so naff IMO.

I'm very aware of the breaking point issue as well tbh.

The way I look at it, is if you buy a decent leather bridle and look after it well, it will last years and years anyhow.
 
I'm a long-term veggie. The first saddle I bought for my first horse was synthetic, and I have to say that it was rubbish - it just didn't stand up to the sort of hammer I gave it :o I've stuck to leather since, so I guess that makes me a hypocrite. In my defence, I do look after my tack well and try not to buy stuff I don't need ;)
 
I'm a veggie with a libbys synthetic bridle just so I can chuck it in the wash! Have got a nice leather one for special occasions and I have a leather saddle and leather car seats. erm....
This probably makes me a massive hypocrite, but if you ask me why I'm prepared to sit on a dead cow but not eat it.... I really couldn't tell you why!
 
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