Do you ride for your own pleasure or for your horse's?

Saxon_Jasmine

Saxon_Jasmine

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I was wondering about this the other evening and thought it would be interesting to hear people's views on it.

Horses were not designed to carry humans, however they have now evolved to do so. Do you think they enjoy being ridden? Maybe they don't think like that so they don't realise there is another way.

If your horse doesn't like doing something, eg dressage schooling, but you want to compete in dressage comps, do you continue for your enjoyment?

I'm not implying horses shouldn't be ridden by the way. I am wondering why we put bits (that can be harsh) in their mouths, why we ask them to perform piroettes, why we ask them to jump higher, go faster, etc?

What are your views on this? Do you ride for you? To keep your horse fit? Because both you and your horse enjoy it?
 
I think i probably ride for my own pleasure - my horse would much prefer to eat all day than be tacked up and made to do circles though she does seem to enjoy going for a gallop and jumping but not sure whether thats just my interpretation?

Sometimes she does sort of 'sigh' when she sees the tack coming and I feel really bad - kinda like I do when I know for a run and I dont want to!
 
Both really. But then me and my horse seem to be well suited and enjoy the same things. He LOVES jumping and so do I, he doesn't really like dressage stuff, nor do I, he loves hacking in the forestry and will quite often pick his own route, bad I know but hey, doesn't bother me! We both enjoy rides together!
 
I ride for both of us. One of my boys hates Dressage and schooling so we tend to mainly hack and hunt (which he loves!) we do a bit of schooling occasionally just to do something different and to help maintain his muscle. I didn't really enjoy Dressage until i got my other boy who enjoys it and likes showing off in the ring!
 
Ha ha, the look of impending doom he has on his face when you get the tack out says it all!! It's mainly for us, but enjoy keeping him fit - I am sure he would prefer to be left in the field munching grass all day, but I am sure most horses would choose this. If he really did not want to do it, I am sure he would win, but he just gets on and does it, I think he kinda enjoys a hack, and is starting to get a little excited at jumping (yay).
 
I think being ridden is a job for horses. The lucky ones find the job they have to do easy, fun and exciting. Most will just get on with what they know they have to do for a quiet life. Some will positively hate it and feel completely miserable about it. Just like people and their jobs really, only people have the luxury that they can make the decision to leave.
 
I ride for my pleasure...as both the boys would be quite happy eating all day. They aren't the sort of horse that thrives on work, but they don't hate it either.
But I won't push them, I won't take them on the routes I know they don't like, I either of them every turn sour jumping we'll stop doing it (only jump for fun anyway) and I don't push them when doing it anyway (I won't repeatedly ask Herc to jump higher than he wants to...I he knocks a pole and I know it's not through lazyness then it goes back down)
 
Mine:D I ride when I want to, not when I feel I have to. It's great not having to ride to keep a horse fit, because it is stabled, or anything else.

Although my mare loves going out, after ten or probably more years of being a brood mare she genuinely likes getting out, it is a real pleasure to ride a horse that wants to do something, mind, we only hack, but that's fine by us both. When I bring her tack out she practically puts the bridle on herself and is hopping up and down with impatience.
 
Flame_ said:
I think being ridden is a job for horses. The lucky ones find the job they have to do easy, fun and exciting. Most will just get on with what they know they have to do for a quiet life. Some will positively hate it and feel completely miserable about it. Just like people and their jobs really, only people have the luxury that they can make the decision to leave.
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I agree with this really. I ride for my pleasure and I'm sure Belle would avoid being ridden if possible. Having said that, I do find that she is pretty willing once we get going and I do think she enjoys getting out of the field and doing things, she just doesn't like the thought of it (a bit like me!).

Every now and then I have a pang of guilt about 'using' a horse in this way but then I think that it is, like Flame said, a job for them. I think horses have (in general) been bred for our use and although I want them to have happy and easy lives, their role in our society is generally as performing a function for us of some kind. If Belle wasn't with me then chances are she would be with someone else wanting the same things from her, so if I can love her and offer her a good home then I don't think there's any reason to feel guilty. :)

ETA: If I felt that my horse had a serious aversion to working in the way I ask her to then I might consider other options for her.
 
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