Does anyone else wonder if riding will be banned one day?

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I know it might seem a bit of a stupid question, but I really do. We've already seen the formerly enjoyable and acceptable sport of fox hunting banned. We have seen the phasing out of wild animals in captivity and are still seeing opposition growing amongst the general public towards domesticated animals in circuses.

This isn't the first time horses have died in the Grand National, but it has provoked the biggest negative reaction to the whole race that I've ever come across. Will it prompt more general support against racing as a whole? Will people pay more attention to the negative aspects of all horse sports and see what most of us involved see, dislike but accept, and will being anti-horse sports be something not confined to the more extreme animal rights groups?

Can you draw a line between riding for pleasure and riding for competition, or would people always find a way to compare their animals against others? There are also lots of valid arguments why riding horses at all isn't in their best interests, can anyone else foresee a time in the future when we are under real pressure from society as a whole to stop using horses for sport, and maybe even for pleasure?

I suppose then the question arises, what would happen to horses instead?
 
I think there will prob be people wanting to ban horse riding, but I can never see it happening.
In the end if everything that a horse had died at was banned, there woould be nothing left.
 
Sadly I think it could happen slowly.
First it will be racing, then pointing. The gradually I think competitive riding will be banned starting at the higher levels then eventually it will be banned all together.

I'm not saying it will happen but there is a possibility. My only worry is what will happen to all the poor horses if it did happen?
 
I suppose it is more about the people potrayed to carry out horse riding. However we have to thank the horse racing industry for the major advances made in the veterinary treament of horses in the last 50 years. The number of horses killed or seriously injured in horse racing does require addressing so as to avoid a public backlash.
 
QR - no, won't be banned, but many will be priced out of it.
Horse racing won't be banned either, not ever.... too much money is the sport and too many people have such a stong impact on the game that no-one would be able to ban it.
 
I don't think you need to worry about horse riding ever being banned.

Hypothetically - if it was, there'd initially be a mass slaughter of horses, like there was when mechanical farm machinery started to take over. Many people who already owned and had special attachments to theirs would probably keep them to the ends of their lives, but no one would buy new horses, and they’d probably become an endangered specifies, or become more acceptable as a form of meat, as people didn’t see them as pets any more.

Don't worry though - it will never happen!
 
Apparently there are 2.8 million horse in the UK at the moment which is more than any time since before the first world war. Horse riding as a sport has never been stronger. The industry must be approaching billions a year. I would say its a very long way down the list of things to be banned.
 
mcnaughty said:
Oh come on flame - this is getting very boring - why on earth are you trying to stir up BS like this.
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Why is it BS? There are a lot of people, rightly or wrongly, at the moment crying ban racing. There are a lot of people on here, again rightly or wrongly, saying ahh but racing's no worse than eventing, eventing's no worse than showing, showing's no worse than riding on the roads, etc, etc, etc.

I really think one day it will be riding as a whole being defended, I just wondered if anyone else thought the same thing. If you don't want to talk about it, I'm not forcing you. :)
 
Do people really want to ban racing--or do they maybe just want to reform or regulate some aspects of the racing industry, like overbreeding, and perhaps make certain races somewhat less dangerous for the horses?
 
I was more upset watching it this year than I ever have been before - it's always been somewhat of a strange one for me, I've always wanted to watch it for the excitement, the build up etc, but don't often manage it. This year I really wish I hadn't. I walked away after fence four (I believe). I saw Ornais fall, try to get up, and then when he wasn't able to, his head just went down - I walked in to the bedroom fighting back the tears.

I think much of the problem is that you can almost guarantee that at least one equine life will be lost every year - you can't say that about any other discipline. We don't ever start Badminton or Burghley saying that there's a, say, 95% chance that at least one horse will die. So, I think much of people's opinions are formed knowing that we know this, but choose to go ahead anyway.

It's a tough one, but I don't think I'll be watching it anymore....

..... but I will be watching Badminton. Does that make me a hypocrite? Who knows....
 
Dear me thats some catastrophic thinking !!

No, never, as the phrase goes, this country was borne on the back of a horse, its entwined into our history and banning it will never ever happen. Laughable really. End of of horse riding, good lord :eek:
 
Hebe said:
Dear me thats some catastrophic thinking !!

No, never, as the phrase goes, this country was borne on the back of a horse, its entwined into our history and banning it will never ever happen. Laughable really. End of of horse riding, good lord :eek:
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Certainly, not just this coutry... entire Empires were built on the back of the horse!!!

So... with respect to that, I think the OP has got a point... maybe it won't be banned but the human race needs to think about how we treat our mounts.

In the past day or two, we've heard awful stories of cruelty, not just in racing, not just here.

I just think ancient traditions need updating e.g.

bullfighting - c'mon Spain & America, that is barbaric and this is the 21st century.

TWH - C'mon Tennesee, do you really think soring horses is the future?

dressage - rollkur?? honestly, learn to ride properly.

What I'm not saying is lets dress them up like barbie dolls and never ride them, but lets be more compassionate about how we treat them. If that means changing traditions hundreds of years old then so. be. it.
 
If the fluffy bunnies get their way then i suppose it will be.

I mean soon we will have to just watch our horses run about their fields and expect that to justify the amount of money we spend taking care of them and paying for livery.

If you have your won land then yes maybe you cannjustify the above but for me who has to pay for livery i couldnt afford just to pay to watch my horse run about.
 
My horse would be the first to sign a petition to keep hacking .. she might agree with a ban on schooling though :p
 
Haven't read other posts but although I can't ever see riding banned I can see a time in the future where it will be increasingly for the wealthy in some areas as people give up land for housing, industry etc etc.

I can see the demise of the DIY Yard due to increasing costs, health n safety legislation and red tape etc etc and very poor / minimal returns for the owners. If you can rent an acre for £60 quid a month that's not much return for a land owner for the hassle of having someone on your property especially if other more profitable businesses can be started or other industries rent the land or you're offered big sums to sell for alternative development.
 
BBH said:
I can see the demise of the DIY Yard due to increasing costs, health n safety legislation and red tape etc etc
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I can see this too. I also think riding schools and treking centres could be at risk due to H&S and high insurance premiums.

I can't, however, ever see riding in general being banned.
 
I have sometimes wondered, yes, for a variety of reasons. But then maybe I am being pessimistic.
sunshine19, quite a few riding schools have shut in this area due to punitive insurance claims and therefore premiums. This slowly but surely wittles away at the knowledge base of everyday riders.
 
Berpisc said:
sunshine19, quite a few riding schools have shut in this area due to punitive insurance claims and therefore premiums. This slowly but surely wittles away at the knowledge base of everyday riders.
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Its very sad but true. Before I left my area in Scotland there was only a handful of decent RS left, even they were struggling.

Kind of off topic but are you seeing an increase in dealers/old RS owners, 'leasing' ponies out to kids? I use the term 'lease' very loosely. My area was a H&S nightmare, kids that knew nothing about horses/welfare/ safety/feeding etc etc were paying a weekly 'livery' rate which included a pony! :eek: Many a time I would be driving on the local roads and come across gangs of kids cantering on the road, riding 3 abreast, galloping up verges and in play parks... the list is endless!
 
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