Is not riding cruel?

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tye_bo

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Someone once said that because I wasn't going to ride that day it was cruel to my horse - like having a dog and not walking it? I said that surely not as she goes out in out in the field all day every day (and overnight in summertime). So that begs my question is it cruel to have a horse and not to ride? I'm only a happy hacker and riding once a week is fine by me. To be pefectly honest my horse doesn't seem to care if I ride her not - she is 15 and as long as she gets her food then she's happy
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. I may be in a situation soon that means she has to move yards and I'm not sure how often I'll be able to ride out on the new place as my horse naps and there is only one other person to ride out with so not sure if I'll be able to tag along with her or not?
 
Thats such a ridiculous thing to say - that not riding is cruel!They're horses for goodness sake, they're designed to eat and wander about all day, how could it possible be cruel to leave them to do it
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. I'm sure many enjoy getting out for a ride each day, but I wouldn't be calling the ILPH because you don't
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Remember it was human intervention that designed the horse to be ridden and become domesticated! So a horse sees being in a herd and having enough to eat as survival,when we ride the horse then we take him away from that......so not riding a horse is cruel....then I don't think so!
 
Do you ever see a horse start to do Dressage moves or Jump if they are not ridden ? NO because a horse got no inner ambition to work,they of course like a change of scenery and like hacking out etc,but a horse that is not used to hard work will not know the difference,all a horse really care about is a cuddle from their mummy,a bucket of feed and a rug to keep them warm
 
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Do you ever see a horse start to do Dressage moves or Jump if they are not ridden ? NO because a horse got no inner ambition to work,they of course like a change of scenery and like hacking out etc,but a horse that is not used to hard work will not know the difference,all a horse really care about is a cuddle from their mummy,a bucket of feed and a rug to keep them warm

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Ditto
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Thanks everyone! It's confirmed what I thought but when a supposed 'expert' tells you something like that it made me wonder lol!

I think I'm feeling guilty as well that I'd be moving her from somewhere where she gets ridden a fair bit (a girl on the yard hacks her out) to a yard where she'd be more of a 'pet' ie I'd be grooming her and giving her apples rather than riding being the focus. The other horses on the yard (bar the one I mentioned) are retired. Ummm....dilema.
 
Funnily enough, i've always asked myself the opposite question... Seeing as we sit on one of the weakest areas of the horse, and expect them to support our weight, its not surprising that many horses get back problems etc... but i then find myself sitting and thinking, is what i'm doing fair to the horse? But then I think, well, if horses were not ridden, i very much doubt that there would be many around today, and so therefore, as long as we do our best to make their lives as comfortable as possible then for the time being it wont be cruel
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Not cruel... HOWEVER, it WOULD be cruel if you hardly ever rode your horse and then tried to do a day's hunting or an event...and unfit horses are seen being asked to do unreasonable things...and that is at best unfair...and at worst, cruel..
 
Exactly what I was about to put......

Merlin is happy to stay in the field 24/7 but on the other hand is also happy to be ridden. We have no faces or ears back when tacking up and he is keen on a ride.... but if I left the field gate open he would only go and look for more grass, he wouldnt go on a 2 hour no eating hack, or jump for fun etc.

You just have to remember that the horse wont be as fit as a horse worked more and therefore cant do as much.
 
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Riding horses is more cruel than not riding them.
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Couldn't agree more!
 
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