Horses that compete... cruelty

[blitznbobs]

So I was browsing face book on a break at work today and came across a video of Scott brash’s Ursula lying in her stable having a dream - it brought a smile to my face she looked so relaxed and like she was jumping fences in her sleep... and then I read the comments which were on the whole really nasty ... basically saying the horse would be better off if she wasn’t ridden and inferring that riding and competing horses was inherently cruel... now I am of the decided opinion that it’s far from cruel and horses don’t compete well at such a high level unless they love what they do - no one can make a horse jump that high that doesn’t want to do it ... when did this opinion arise or is it just jealousy talking ... discuss.

 

[Red-1]

I think that there are good and bad owners in competitive riding and in pleasure horses and even retired animals.

I am no sofite, but have seen awful cruelty in professional event and dressage yards. I am talking booting the horse from the ground in the guts and/or whipping from the saddle.

However I have also seen cruelty in leisure horses. Sawing on the mouth, incessant spurring and whipping, chasing up the road with a lunge whip...

Neglect is just as cruel. Round here we sometimes have dead coloured ponies at the side of the road, doesn't get much crueller than that.

I have also seen kind and caring owners in all types of horses.

So to me it is about the owner/handler, not the specific sport they are doing. At least horses doing affiliated sports are monitored on the actual show ground. I guess to me though, it is more cruel when someone beats a horse to compete through wanting to win than through pure ignorance. Mostly ignorance can be cured, cruelty less so.

 

[paddi22]

I always have to laugh at people that say that. This is my lads face when he's on a course!!! When he's asleep at night sometimes and lying down his legs move as if he is running.

 

[MagicMelon]

I ask myself this question quite a lot. I dont feel it would be the horses choice to be ridden, I think people are deluding themselves if they think thats the case. I do think there's a lot of nastiness in the horse world, I certainly dont believe there isn't a good deal of cruelty at any level (of course the high level, look at the whips and spurs they have - they're not for stroking them with, even just giving the horse "a reminder" with the whip isnt going to be massively pleasant for the horse is it?).

It's such a hard thing to think about. I adore my horses, I keep them as naturally as I can - out with 24/7 access to open stables, kept barefoot unless shod for eventing season, as mild a bit as I can get away with (always dressage legal no matter what disipline Im doing), I dont carry a whip, never use spurs etc. I ask my horses to compete out of willingness, Ive never felt the need to hit / punish my horse for any reason whereas plenty of people at events do... and yes I do think that horses can be pushed to compete through a degree of fear - if a horse refuses a fence and gets whipped several times, its going to avoid doing that again isnt it so surely thats a degree of force? I do often question if I should take my horses XC in particular, I love eventing and I do believe my horse enjoys it as she's never said no, but am I being cruel putting her in a risky situation jumping solid obstacles?

I do think the messages are stupid on this particular video though, why are these people following Scott Brash if they dont even agree with show jumping...