Cruel?

[Muddywellies]

I see more ‘cruel’ things every day in livery yards. So no I don’t find vaulting cruel in the slightest. The horses are extremely well cared for and very well trained. We all see things we may not like but it doesn’t make them cruel.

 

[JFTDWS]

It's not what I'd choose to do, but I don't think it's inherently cruel. I think it has the potential to be cruel - much as dressage can be cruel when the trainer lacks tact and skill and pushes the horse into inappropriate movements, or jumping can be cruel if the horse is over-jumped, over-faced, rapped or whatever, xc if cruel if an unfit horse is beaten around (etc, etc). There's good and bad in all, or at least, most, sports...

 

[SEL]

I can't see a horse in the video. It's just the performers dancing.

That's a bit random. Try this at around 4 mins. BTW - I don't think he ever found it boring. He scores quite highly in the 'nice but dim' category - I mean that in the nicest way. So very trainable from that perspective, but also very stoic and not one to complain. He had a good life, was well looked after and trained in a very positive manner. I've seen dressage horses with worse joints from being worked too hard too young sadly.

 

[JFTDWS]

3:30 into that video, is that @MotherOfChickens throwing knives in the kilt?!

 

[rara007]

I’m far too fat and dumpy to have ever taken part. The very act of keeping horses for competition at all raises welfare compromises. As does the average British livery yard and as does nature for the truely wild horses..! Most vaulting horses presumably do relatively little work and are kept like kings. It’s ok for me but then I compete mine. I don’t think he wakes up in the morning and thinks yes, what I really want to do it travel to an event and show off, he’s just good natured enough he humours me and my ambitions.
FWIW I’m not sure the main job being ‘boring’ would really bother the horse- they’re fight or flight animals after all. As long as they’re getting variety (or just being allowed to live) they don’t ponder at all the sights they could see or the adrenaline they could be running on. Surely?

 

[tallyho!]

Really? It's hardly the worst thing a human could choose for a horse to do...

There's no rolkur, the lunge is attached correctly and to be fair, the only thing the lungeist has to do is keep a tempo and the horse moving. There doesn't seem to be any wildly extreme centrifugal forces to induce any sort of damage that is any more than any other working horse.

I see much worse cruelty by professionals at international competition.

 

[eahotson]

If I'm honest it doesn't sit well with me...... when I've seen vaulting the horse always looks bored to death.

But then you go to any riding school and see the poor Plods going round in endless circles with numpties on their backs sitting like a bag of cack, and you feel sympathy too!

Or you witness someone lunging a horse who doesn't know what the heck they're doing, and they've got the head of it tied down and they're doing tighter circles than the horse is physically able to cope with.

 

[eahotson]

By numpty I presume you mean novice riders?

 

[Mule]

That's a bit random. Try this at around 4 mins. BTW - I don't think he ever found it boring. He scores quite highly in the 'nice but dim' category - I mean that in the nicest way. So very trainable from that perspective, but also very stoic and not one to complain. He had a good life, was well looked after and trained in a very positive manner. I've seen dressage horses with worse joints from being worked too hard too young sadly.

He does look pretty chilled. I envy those performers for their balance 😮 It's nice to have footage from his former career.

 

[JFTDWS]

That's a bit random. Try this at around 4 mins. BTW - I don't think he ever found it boring. He scores quite highly in the 'nice but dim' category - I mean that in the nicest way. So very trainable from that perspective, but also very stoic and not one to complain. He had a good life, was well looked after and trained in a very positive manner. I've seen dressage horses with worse joints from being worked too hard too young sadly.

I was distracted by the madness last night... Is this your boy? He's fabulous

 

[SEL]

I was distracted by the madness last night... Is this your boy? He's fabulous

Looks a bit scruffier and lamer these days, but yes - still up for letting you somersault on his back if you're up for it. Used to get him out for kids parties and let the birthday girl / boy have a bareback ride and then dismount by sliding off over his bottom. Always a good end to a party and guaranteed him lots of treats! [not as comfy as he looks - there are withers....]

Pretty sure he'd be up for archery. Apparently Napoleon was very keen on using them in war and he can hit quite a speed over a short distance. Steering can be interesting though

 

[JFTDWS]

Looks a bit scruffier and lamer these days, but yes - still up for letting you somersault on his back if you're up for it. Used to get him out for kids parties and let the birthday girl / boy have a bareback ride and then dismount by sliding off over his bottom. Always a good end to a party and guaranteed him lots of treats! [not as comfy as he looks - there are withers....]

Pretty sure he'd be up for archery. Apparently Napoleon was very keen on using them in war and he can hit quite a speed over a short distance. Steering can be interesting though

Well I wasn't going to mention that, but he's a super, tolerant, lovely boy.

I can't see he would be bothered, given what those nutters are doing with him! Bet he'd love it, and make the ground shudder when he goes... Steering is irrelevant, they rope runs

eta, Napoleon had the right idea. If I were infantry and one of those came at me... I'd be turning tail and fleeing for all my worth!