Disturbing comment on article. stating Dressage is cruel

[Dom]

On the article about the Zebra for sale, a comment has been made, its rather shocking, I am Dominic the response is astounding,

Dominic Worth · Farm Manager at Self employed
For those having ago at Circuses, Just think the Animal rights are against the use of horses, and think dressage is cruel, Your Horse will be next,
Reply · 1 · Like · Unfollow Post · 2 hours ago

Marie Beau
Dressage is cruel, the angle of the horses head constricts the wind pipe and makes it impossible for correct inhalation. The damage becomes permanent. Whilst 'performing' the horse is rendered blind.


I dont know enough about dressage, but do think she is very wrong,

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/313781.html

 

[Auslander]

If 'performing' makes them blind - perhaps someone could explain to me how all my horses have, without exception, managed to see well enough to spook violently at flowers/white boards/judges cars etc etc.

I'd step away from that page Dom. They're mostly talking *******s. Stay in here. The talking of *******s you'll experience in here is much more entertaining!

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

I think it sounds like Marie is talking about rollkur, which in a lot of people's opinion is cruel. With the horses head so overbent I've heard it said they can't see where they're going, I think that's what she means about being blind.

But rollkur is not dressage, it is a training method.

There are many ways of training a horse for dressage which are not cruel.

It concerns me that there are people thinking all dressage riders use rollkur. It's not good for the image of the sport.

 

[FionaM12]

Yes, it's a pretty silly remark. But IMO so is the idea that people opposed to the use of wild animals in circuses are also against dressage. The "your horse could be next" comment is especially daft.

The circus owner suggests people who are against circuses think "7 bells are beaten" out of the animals. Nonsense. My opposition is about the quality of life and stresses caused to creatures not adapted to the restricted, confined captivity of circus life.

Horses and dogs are not wild animals and I've no objection to them performing "tricks" (including dressage ) providing they are trained kindly and lead contented lives suitable for their species.

However, if a circus with lions, tigers, elephants etc arrived in my town I'd probably be out there with my placard.

People who believe in animal rights are not all ignorant. It's insulting to suggest we are.

 

[lula]

However, if a circus with lions, tigers, elephants etc arrived in my town I'd probably be out there with my placard.

People who believe in animal rights are not all ignorant. It's insulting to suggest we are.

what fiona said.

i think we've (hopefully) become more enlightened as a society since the circus' heyday of the 1920s where caged lions, tigers and other exotics were hawked from town to town in cages in an unnatural enviroment having whips cracked at them to entertain the masses and thank god for that.

not for one second could you convince me any of those elephants or lions in circuses were happy.

 

[lula]

..and why would 'your horse be next' anyway?

 

[FionaM12]

..and why would 'your horse be next' anyway?

 

[tallyho!]

I think what Dom means by your horse will be next is the activists will start standing outside livery yards and riding schools calling all us riders cruel!

It could happen...

Next it'll be dogs.... Cats... Spiders.......... Who knows.

Shame circuses won't have animals in anymore. I can't see what is wrong with having horses. Wild animals, no but horses should be allowed.

 

[WestCoast]

It's a standard thin edge of the wedge line from people who don't want animal welfare legislation through - "if you let them stop us doing this then what you do will be next". So the breeders who liked to keep lots of small animals in tiny cages were saying "if the animal welfare law gets through your granny will be prosecuted for keeping her budgie in a cage". The hunters said "if they ban hunting you will be prosecuted if your dog chases a rabbit". So someone who keeps wild animals n circuses is saying "if you let them ban this then dressage horses will be next".

We do have to be careful not to mindlessly support all standard equestrian practices though. Unless things like rolkur, hot firing, racing 2 years olds and avoiding laws to stop us ripping apart the wildlife with dogs are challenged then it will always be possible for people to say that equestrianism has an animal welfare problem and that will also tarr those of us who love our horses and give them the greatest care.

Paula

 

[lula]

I think what Dom means by your horse will be next is the activists will start standing outside livery yards and riding schools calling all us riders cruel!

It could happen...

yes, i understood what Dom was trying to say with his remark Tallyho, i was questioning it to ask him to elaborate further.

As Paula above me here said, i find it a slightly manipulative scaremongering tactic used to gain support by putting in people's head the worry that before you know it the animal rights activists will be at a livery yard near you soon burning saddles (as opposed to burning bras!) and we must all rally round and blanket support whatever animal practice the activists are trying to ban by joining together or the next target could be you.

i wont support something i dont agree with just because im worried i could be next.

ofcourse, as you say, it could happen but i think we've got a fair way to go before we have to worry about the Animal Rights Brigade targetingthe average leisure/competition rider which is what Dom was trying to imply was round the corner

..and if they should try, i have a shiny sharp pitch fork im happy to make my feelings known with!

 

[rockysmum]

Strange thing is I dont have a problem with the Zebra. It was captive bred and is kept and works with horsey friends, the owner wants them to stay together. So they live a life on the road performing in front of crowds, dont all our competition animals. Horses were wild until they were domesticated and captive bred.

I agree about the lions, tigers etc that was cruel. But animals like Elephants have been bred in captivity and worked for years I wasn't sure about this so I had a look round a circus that visited our town. The two elephants had a large electric fenced grass enclosure and were taken to the river to bath every day.

It probably isn't right but these animals seemed to have a better life than those stuck in enclosures in zoos.

Am prepared to get shot down though.

 

[tallyho!]

I just remembered a scary ride once! Let me tell you, I was gobsmacked.

There I was holding the gate open for a walker whilst atop my gorgeous boy, I thought I was being polite, when he proceeded to launch a tirade of abuse at me. It started with "what's wrong with your legs?"

Thing is I was stuck between the gate and him so couldn't actually just walk away. So I endured hearing what he had to say about horseriders. I was in tears and asked him to move out of my way, his dog started barking at M and he wouldn't go forward, backing into the gate. A cyclist happened to ride up to the gate to open it and I think he realised what was going on, dropped his bike and jumped over the stile. The man with the dog walked off. I was shaking. I don't know what I thought he would do but being trapped was seriously scary.

I was told that horsey people are the scourge of the countryside. He thought we were pretentious followers of a middle-ages practice which should have been stopped when the wheel was invented.

And then, I was cruel for sitting on its back, did I know the damage I was causing, all this in his mouth is a form of cruelty and that I had dominance issues and a desire to control things... All very personal and vindictive.

I went straight home. By the time I got back I felt so angry with myself for not standing up to him and telling him to mind his own business. Told the liveries. I wasn't the first. Apparently he shouts abuse from his window if he sees a child on a pony even!

These crazy people are out there. I sometimes wonder if he burnt our barn down.

 

[FionaM12]

These crazy people are out there. I sometimes wonder if he burnt our barn down.

Yes, there are a small minority of people who are unhinged.

It wasn't the animal rights activist extremists who brought about the end of wild animals in circuses, it was the huge number of ordinary people, including politicians, who believed it was wrong. Local councils began to stop allowing them on their land many years ago due to the public reaction. It's an outdated idea which most people think has no place in the modern world.

There are a few people who believe in animal rights who are against all pets and keeping any animals in captivity. The vast majority though keep pets themselves and are against animal cruelty, not the keeping of domestic animals.

Saying "your horse could be next" is as someone else has said, scare mongering intended to put people off supporting a cause.

 

[tallyho!]

Yes, I completely understand.

 

[lula]

I just remembered a scary ride once! Let me tell you, I was gobsmacked.

There I was holding the gate open for a walker whilst atop my gorgeous boy, I thought I was being polite, when he proceeded to launch a tirade of abuse at me. It started with "what's wrong with your legs?"

Thing is I was stuck between the gate and him so couldn't actually just walk away. So I endured hearing what he had to say about horseriders. I was in tears and asked him to move out of my way, his dog started barking at M and he wouldn't go forward, backing into the gate. A cyclist happened to ride up to the gate to open it and I think he realised what was going on, dropped his bike and jumped over the stile. The man with the dog walked off. I was shaking. I don't know what I thought he would do but being trapped was seriously scary.

I was told that horsey people are the scourge of the countryside. He thought we were pretentious followers of a middle-ages practice which should have been stopped when the wheel was invented.

And then, I was cruel for sitting on its back, did I know the damage I was causing, all this in his mouth is a form of cruelty and that I had dominance issues and a desire to control things... All very personal and vindictive.

I went straight home. By the time I got back I felt so angry with myself for not standing up to him and telling him to mind his own business. Told the liveries. I wasn't the first. Apparently he shouts abuse from his window if he sees a child on a pony even!

These crazy people are out there. I sometimes wonder if he burnt our barn down.

blimey! sounds like another one who needs to feel a pitch fork up his behind
sounds a pretty scary experience for you.